Wasting money on an Otis Kit?

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1911ShooterTJ

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Hello everyone!

I am looking to invest in a new cleaning system, and have a quick question about this Otis Tactical system. Does anyone use this? I have searched and it seems to get great reviews. But is it worth it enough to NOT buy a new rod, or throw away your existing rods?

It looks like a nice alternative to my traditional rod. I am not an “exhibition-grave” anal-retentive cleaner, just through enough for reliability and keeping things in nice condition. So if you had to choose a rod vs. an Otis kit which would it be?

I also assume I’ll still need new chamber brushes, as I take it the Otis is a barrel-only cleaning system.

Thanks!
 
I got one of the Otis kits to stuff in a bugout bag to cover the aspect of keeping firearms reliable in a less-than-nominal situation mainly because it basically covers a multitude of calibers and stores in a light, neat, self contained pack. I thought about boresnakes for that situation but the brush section of the boresnakes tend to impale the rest of it and it becomes a big prickly mess with the tangled cord.

I still use traditional stuff unless I need to pack light to the range and clean on spot. Its a nice compact kit to toss in a travelling bag if you don't want to carry bulky sectional or full length rods. Of course, it doesn't excel in anything but will do good enough to keep your firearm functioning.

One thing I do like very much are the Otis bore brushes; they're advertised with double the bristle content in the twist so they last a bit longer and scrub better. I find it takes less passes to scrub stuff out of the grooves in rifling which take a bit longer with wimpier brushes.
 
im sorry, cleaning products come in "Tactical system"'s now? get a bore snake and a Hoppes 9 basic kit
 
The Otis I snagged wasn't "tactical" so I have no idea what that adds. Mine came with .22-.45 brushes and I supplemented with a 12ga brush. Sleeved wire-type pulls w/ jags, extentions, passive bore light, patches, video disk, some CLP-like stuff, etc. I threw in a small 1/2" oz bottle of Hoppes 9 and Hoppes Elite into the case and it fits nice.

Maybe the tactical one comes packaged in an assault wheelbarrow?
 
I've used an Otis kit for a few years and I like it. I'd definitely choose it again over a rod kit. It's very handy because everything zips up into the 4 inch diameter pouch (about 2.5 inches tall), so it's easy to carry wherever.

Mine didn't come with any chamber brushes, but since I don't have any .45 caliber guns I just use the .45 bore brush on things that need it.

The only downside I can think of is if you have any guns where you can't fit a patch holder with patch or a brush into the breech end (or if there is no breech at all). Since there are no rigid rods you can't run a patch through from the muzzle end.
 
I use mine all the time.

Warbow - Otis makes brushes of all sizes. I also thought at once that they didn't make one small enough for my 10/22. They do and I was wrong.

Hoppy590 - Bore snakes drag the same crud through your barrel over and over again. How much cleaning do you think is going on? If you don't like Otis then get a rod and patches.
 
whitetiger7654 - you know your supposed to CLEAN bore snakes right?so you dont drag the same crap through your barrel. ;)

whats the advantage of these otis brushes? just better quality?
 
Whitetiger,

Correct, it's their kit that includes a larger assortment of brushes, etc., so I don't have to purchase it all separately.

No tactical nylon guys (well, minus the carrying case), sorry! :evil:

And I already have various BoreSnakes. I really like them, and most of the time my guns just get a few passes with one, not a full rod/brush cleaning. Blasphemy I know… :neener:
 
Otis wins over bore snakes and traditional rods hands down.

Clean from the chamber, toss the dirty patches, packs into a small kit that you can toss in a knapsack.

What's not to like?
 
What's not to like?
Click to expand...
The way the Otis plastic encrusted cable with the grit stuck on it rubs the sides of the muzzle just like the old thong cleaners did and wears grooves int eh thing, almost exactly teh same way that bore snakes do not that i think of it.

Sam
 
I got the Otis 'sniper' kit and worry that the metal ends and parts will scratch the bore of rifles.

And the folding pouch isn't great, all the brushes do indeed fall out and it's kind of an art form to close it.
 
The metal parts are some fairly soft brass (painted black on the sniper kits). They won't scratch the bore.
 
The Otis kits are great. Compact, covers practical every handgun and rifle caliber, plus shotgun. Quality brass brushes and the patch system works way better than push rods. I use it for all cleaning at home or field, except for pistols for centerfire pistols for which I use the plastic Glock rod for simple cleaning, and the Otis for thorough cleaning.

The plastic coated cable does not pick up crud and nor does it abrade the muzzle. Not unless you are in the tiny fraction of the population that do not know how to pull a cable through a pipe like object. :) But then you would probably be the same fraction that don't figure out you need to clean a bore snake either.

Seriously, the Otis system is dirt simple, and extremely compact. It cleans better than any push rod system I ever used. And it is perfect for M1 garand and other closed receiver rifles.
 
After your rifle stops shooting well, I'll make you a fair offer, probably a little more than local pawn shop.

Then I'll clean it using traditional methods and a good copper solvent. It'll start grouping again. I'll make a profit.
 
It is a nice adjuct to the traditional one-piece rods. When I go to the range, like it or not, I end up being the Armorer, so I bring a minimum of a small assortment of tools in an M16 cleaning kit pouch, a couple Bore Snakes inthe calibers I use, and the Otis kit as a backup. At home I use the one piece rods exclusively, but the Otis kit is handy for say running some Sweet's 7.62 down the bore of a milsurp I've shot corrosive ammo in and won't get to clean it better for a while.
 
Its far better than a bore snake, The Otis kit can replace a rigid cleaning rod for thorough cleanings, though using a rod is easier- at least for bolt actions. I normally use Dewey Coated rods, but they get expensive if you shoot many different calibers and are tough to pack away on a hunting trip or even to the range.
 
After your rifle stops shooting well, I'll make you a fair offer, probably a little more than local pawn shop.

Then I'll clean it using traditional methods and a good copper solvent. It'll start grouping again. I'll make a profit.
Click to expand...

Sorry bogie, none are for sale :D

I tend to use the BoreSnake a lot, but I do go for a full rod/brush cleaning with solvents when needed. Maybe every hundred rounds. But this is for hunting rifles, not an AR-15 or anything, so I don’t think it’s that anal. Maybe it is I don’t know. ;)

I shoot my handguns far more often, so it will primarily be for cleaning them. And an AR-15 IS on the way, which will probably see more action than my hunting rifles. :D

Thanks for everyone’s opinions, I will probably be investing in an Otis kit, but I will hang onto my rods for now (well, except the one I bent :banghead: ). The Otis brushes are standard threads correct, and will still screw onto a standard rod?
 
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