recommend cleaning kit?

[RandyWag]

Im looking for a cleaning kit but I havnt seen anything very appealing. Ive been to DICKS, walmart, and the local post exchange. Can you recommend a kit or would i be better of putting one together piece-by-piece?

[jpfrog]

I bought a kit with my first gun. I don't know where it is now. I learned pretty quickly that piecing one together is easier in terms of meeting your needs. I have a dry storage ammo can (plastic from Cabela's) that originally had 800 or so rounds of .223 in it. Now it has my small and large patches, oils, solvents, brushes, jags, etc. I will say that buying jags in a kit is a good idea- it gives you a convenient way to store all your different sized jags in one convenient container. I also have a small rod for pistol that I keep in the "kit" I've put together, and a pistol cleaning mat. I have a larger rifle mat on my workbench, and a 1 piece rod on the bench as well. I also like the Tipton universal bore guide for cleaning my rifles...man, I could go on and on. Kits usually serve 1 firearm well, but once you start adding on they don't do much good anymore.

Is that vague enough?

[RandyWag]

piecing together one would work out better i would think.

since you mentioned oils, what would you recommend?

and what is jags?

[RichNZ]

Jags are metal/plastic holders that screw onto your cleaning rod to hold small pieces of fine cotton cloth, used for cleaning the bore. Get from any sporting goods store. You know you're barrel is clean when you pull one through and it comes out clean. I tend to use the patches more for rifles rather than shotguns though, as it's easy to hold the smooth bore of the shotty barrel up to the light and see if there's any grime left. Also useful to wipe down the exterior with a dab of oil, and inside the receiver.

This is just my method. I'm no where near as picky cleaning my shotguns compared to my rifles, and they're all in great condition:

For a shotty i prefer an oil/solvent in an aerosol that i can spray a squirt down the barrel. Just easier with a big diameter bore like a 12g.
Followed by a rod with a brass brush:

Followed by a boresnake:

Hold barrel up to the light.... repeat if needed.

An old toothbrush that i can oil up and use to get inside the receiver, and an old sacrificed cotton dishcloth to wipe everything down with is also bloody handy.

Don't forget the flat of the muzzle. Seen a lot of nice shotguns with a pitted muzzle as it gets forgotten about easily.

Basically: Clean chamber. Clean Bore. Clean muzzle. Small layer of oil down barrel. Wipe all other surfaces down with a oily cloth. Store somewhere dry.

Every 6months or so i'll have a 'detailed' clean of all my guns. Every nook and cranny with a toothbrush, and make sure they're spotless.

*Edited out my slip of the brain*

[vmax]

Another quick tip instead of using a jag and patch is to cover your brass brush with a patch and run it up the barrel after spaying it with soulvent. Works great .

[RandyWag]

Jags are small pieces of fine cotton cloth

HEY THANKS. I know what your talking about I just have never heard them called that.

[RichNZ]

OK... note to self - don't post while still asleep My bad.

The jag is actually the plastic or metal end on the rod that HOLDS the cloth. oops

[RandyWag]

OOHHHH!!! its cool, good thing you let me know before i was at the store thinking the manufacturer was all jacked up and didnt know how to label their own stuff hahaha

[Hntbambi]

I used Slip 2000 gun lube in my trap gun's barrel and it makes the interior slippery so the fouling does not grab on as strong as a plain bore. After shooting 500 rounds all it took is 2 passes with a bore snake and I was done.

[RandyWag]

I used Slip 2000 gun lube in my trap gun's barrel and it makes the interior slippery so the fouling does not grab on as strong as a plain bore. After shooting 500 rounds all it took is 2 passes with a bore snake and I was done.

Damn thats good stuff. Im gonna look into that