All posts tagged AK cleaning

Hoppes Boresnakes, as good as a cleaning rod and easier to store

Hoppes BoresnakesThere is a very small percentage of people that are going to think they still need a single piece cleaning rod with a brush to scrub their barrel clean but the one thing that I have found in this industry is people often “over clean” firearms and you can tell if you check the chambers and the crown of a barrel.   Unless you are shooting a sub-moa rifle, I really don’t think it’s something to worry about.   Boresnakes don’t bend on break unless you put the wrong caliber in your rifle, I’ve seen it happen and it’s a royal pain to get unstuck but that’s not the products fault.

The really difference between the pistol boresnakes and the rifle boresnakes is the length of the string, it’s annoying to use the rifle snakes on pistols because you’ll have too much slack.   Just pickup a bottle of Slip 2000 EWL for most rifles, especially for the AR15 style of guns and if you get to cleaning your rifle right after you get done with a range session, it should come right off the rifling.   I’ve used Hoppes boresnakes for close to 20yrs and only one wore out a 22 caliber one.   Once they get really dirty, just toss it in the wash machine to clean it off.

Top

Multi-gun gun cleaning solution, Hoppes Boresnakes

Hoppes BoresnakesWe still get people that are using 3 piece cleaning rods and out dated gun cleaning solutions like Hoppes #9, and if you want that toxic stuff in your cleaning kit, that’s your call, but there is a certain point you should really consider getting rid of some of the chemicals in your home, and at a certain level of being exposed to lead and other toxic materials in this industry, using gloves, good ventilation are things that are going to prevent bad things from happening.   Since I own so many 22 caliber firearms, my 22 Caliber boresnake and a once piece rod for 30 caliber semi-auto and bolt action guns are pretty much the majority of my cleaning tools.

Shotguns are a joke to clean and often my least cleaned firearms, but making sure they have a level of corrosion protection on them is pretty much all I worry about.  The only difference between rifle and pistol Hoppes Boresnakes are the length of the cord.  I still have a pistol rod that gets used on AR15 chambers because a boresnake isn’t going to get into all of those chamber areas, i’ve found that if you clean bolt action rifles right away, boresnakes get lift all of the crud out and you won’t need to resort to cleaning patches or cleaning rods, if you do wait it might take some more effort to clean the rifling.  Boresnakes general, when it comes to calibers, but I do have some issues with revolver cylinders not getting cleaned with boresnakes.  I still have to take a q-tip to clean out my Ruger Single Six, probable because lead and not copper coated bullets do the dirtiest work, so don’t expect these Hoppes snakes to work for everything, but when they work, they really do save time.

Top

Otis Gun Cleaning kits and the options that are available

Otis Gun Cleaning KitsI’ve had an Otis kit that pretty much covers all of my semi-auto rifle gun cleaning, but I think the best thing about these kits are that they are so easy to store.   Dealing with private security and military contractors that are traveling around the Country, this is a very coming thing is to pickup an Otis AR15 gun cleaning kit.   Some of the kits can be stowed in the storage  in your buttstock or in the grip storage if you have a grip that will take it.   From my experience I didn’t have any rattling which I thought it might at first but wasn’t much of an issue.   Things are very different when you are outside and dealing with climate changes and wind and dust.  Just recently we had a State Trooper in our store that told us that someone on his motorcycle actually had a gun rust shut because all of the weather got to it over the course of several months and they had to take a hammer to it.  Things like dust covers on an AR15 don’t  mean so much if you are going to the range and coming home and putting it back in a gun safe but out in the field, it’s the difference between a clean bolt carrier group and a non-functioning one.

There are other things to consider with the Otis kits and there are some kits that come  with lense cleaners which do a good job of getting dirt out of the hard to get to spots, like parts between the objective tube and the lense.   Even though I use boresnakes a lot the AR15 cleaning kit is in my range backpack all the time.    We see a lot of Otis Gun Cleaning Kits in Border Protection and Private Security personnel as well as Hunters going on Safari.   There are multi caliber cleaning kit options and one of the other major selling points is you don’t need to carry a cleaning rod with you because the wire, if used properly should accommodate your cleaning needs, Handgun cleaning kits, rifle cleaning kits and shotgun cleaning kits.

Top

Get rid of your old gun cleaning hazzards

gun lubeOtis gun cleaning kitsIt’s bad enough to be around lead for 30yrs but lead is something that’s on it’s way out the door, even the military is destined to be moving beyond it at some point and oAR15 Cleaning kitsgun cleaning suppliesne of the biggest problems gun clubs run into are EPA issues with range clean ups.    Hoppes #9 has been arSlip 2000 Bore CleaningBoresnakeound a long time and has a reputation of working well at cleaning bores, but that stuff is just nasty to be in the room with and liver damage warnings aren’t much of an incentive to keep it around.  I wouldn’t know where Copper removerRifle Cleaningto start from with suggestions on what is best to  use, but anything from Slip 2000, M-Pro7 to Frog Lube have great improvements and almost zero health risks attached to them.   Things like Boresnakes help avoid the need for piles of cleaning patches and can be thrown in the wash machine after several use ages to get back to clean and new shape.

I find pistol cleaning primarily revolver cleaning to still be a little more tedious because cylinder cleaning takes a little more focus and I still use lead reloads for some of the Smith & Wesson revolvers.   The best thing to do to avoid major projects after a range session is to clean your firearms shortly after using them and not let things sit for long.   For many hunting rifles and many handguns, just gun handling can cause rust to eventually form from your finger prints that it’s very important to keep a gun cleaning cloth or rag around to wipe them down and have the right gun cleaning supplies available.   One of my biggest gun rust issues was after a hunting trip where no bullets where fired and the firearms were put away, and 3 months later when they were taken out there was rust along the barrels.   A wipe down before putting it away or using something like Slip 2000 gun lube would have prevented it in the first place.

Top

Sometimes people are “that far behind” in gear

hoppes boresnakes90I’ve been using Hoppes boresnakes for probable more than a decade and never looked back.  I’ve got fragments of about 5 gun cleaning kits that had something good in them but also several things that broke and got tossed away.   Don’t ask me where my 3 piece 22LR gun cleaning rod went because the story isn’t pretty.   Paying attention to the caliber variables with gun cleaning patches is important, and that’s where many mistakes can be made.  If it’s too thick of a patch from being folded over it can get stuck and too small of a patch doesn’t clean properly.   Boresnakes are general very broad for useage and I use the same boresnake for my Marlin Model 882 22Mag that I use for my AR15.

I’ve messed around with Otis gun cleaning kits but the biggest negative I’d say about those are that the parts tend to fall out or move around.  It’s a great portable gun cleaning kit, but Hoppes Boresnakes don’t take up space and you can easily store them in the packaging you purchase them in.   I keep a small bottle of Slip 2000 EWL in my “Go Bag” and my basic gun cleaning supplies, like a cloth to wipe the gun down and a 22 Cal boresnake.   You can get shorter versions of the snag for handguns but I usually fall back on using a pistol cleaning rod.  There are always trade offs with these things and not everyone will use gun cleaning supplies in the exact same way.

Top

Major Changes to lubrication and gun grease

gun cleaning suppliesLots of gun owners are starting to realize that they should consider using a form of gun grease on their firearms.  Now that so many people are using .308 rifles the heat and friction rates are much higher than 5.56 guns.    Long term storage and larger mechanical parts means harder banging and clanking around and it’s not just the guys that had the Springfield M1A rifles that still use gun grease.   I have been looking for a good gun grease for a long time ever since my Colt gun grease started running out.  We found out about the Slip 2000 gun grease after becoming a Slip 2000 dealer and I have used it on all of my AR15 recoil springs to smooth out the action and also to get rid of that AR15 gun ping that makes the firearm sound like sometime of BB gun.

With all of the Sig and FN SCAR Rifles becoming more and more popular, it’s not just M1A vs FAL as far as durable and reliable 7.62 MM guns.   I have been cleaning out all of my old gun cleaning supplies and bringing in new stuff.  Frog lube is another lubrication we hear about but it’s really up to the customers what works best for them.  M-Pro7 has greatly improved it’s product line and we are moving further away from the old Hoppes #9 that probable 90% of gun owners have used in the past.  The best thing about many of these lubricants is they are also as good with rifles as they are with handguns.  The gun grease are not sticky and thick like they use to be.

Top

It is time to upgrade your gun cleaning supplies

Not everyone owns the same type of rifles as I do but whether you are a gun owner that owns lever action rifles or bolt action rifles, or you have a couple AR15 rifles, gun cleaning has changed for the better and you might want to consider disposing some of the products you have in your house just for your own health.  Gun cleaning lube like Slip 2000 and the new M-Pro7 are much more effective than CLP and they do not have any of the toxicity that CLP had.   I find it difficult to clean firearms with gloves on so I usually just avoid getting too much contact with solvents and then just wash my hands.  Well, after 20yrs of being around Hoppes #9 I think it’s time to move on and use something less dangerous for the next 20yrs.

I have boresnakes and single piece gun rods to clean most of my bolt action and semi-autos, but now that I have been using Slip 2000 I have used up all of my Break free CLP and moved on.   If you are interested in getting new gun cleaning supplies look into the Slip 2000 product line and you’ll have access to the Slip 2000 gun lube and for semi-autos the Extreme Weapons Lube is a primary on all of my AK rifles and my SKS rifles as well as my Bushmaster, LWRC and Spikes Tactical AR15 rifles.   I have not tried out all of the copper removers from SLIP 2000 or M-Pro7 but I have sent out a few tests to local police departments that have never even  heard of Slip 2000 but when I referenced that our Navy Seals are using it, they started to listen.

Top

Otis gun cleanings in stock!

You won’t find a more compact cleaning kit for your firearm than an Otis gun cleaning kit. They are specialized for various types of firearms and not just caliber specific like many other cleaning kits. You can get a Universal cleaning kit for multiple calibers or get one that is specific to an M16. Everyone knows how much a chore the M4 and M16 family of firearms are to clean and carrying a cleaning rod with you is impractical. There are videos on the internet and CDs that you can watch while you learn about your Otis gun cleaning kit. They will take a little time to get use to using because the gun cleaning kits are mini tool boxes that can vary depending on the configuration you order.

The military configurations are very practical for anyone that owns an AR15 or M4 variant. You can cut down on the amount of time you spend cleaning and get more use out of your cleaning patches if you properly use your Otis cleaning kits,  The Otis product line is geared towards the hunter, the target shooter, the gun collector and military applications. The Otis M16 butt stock cleaning kit fits where it says it goe. You will appreciate being able to clean a pistol or rifle out of something that can fit in your hand and can easily be stowed in a range bag or tactical vest. Cleaning brushes and cleaning patches are all in there so do some research into what you really want in a cleaning kit and pick amongst the kits that are available.The Otis sniper cleaning system is a great companion to a DMR or bolt action rifle.

Top

Gun cleaning is simple so let’s not over complicated it

There’s nothing wrong with having lots of gun cleaning supplies if you need it and you can definitely mess up a firearm by using the wrong tools.  In all honesty, I have many gun cleaning brushes and tools that I have absolutely no idea how or what to use them for.  I picked up some of the Otis gun cleaning kits and at first found them a little frustrating to use because I could get the same grip on the wire as I could with a cleaning rod.  I realize there are compact advantages to using this system and for any military or long hunting trip they makes sense.

Some scraping tools are necessary for cleaning out the chamber of your AR15 because that gun is hands down the biggest pain in the ass to keep clean although sometimes people over clean them.   I like to have a atleast one Hoppes boresnakes for all of my rifles because when I get my rare range time in, it’s  not fun to have to spend more than about an hour to clean my guns and I’m of the type that needs to clean them after every time I take them out.   I have used break free clp for most of the time but for long term storage of firearms that aren’t going to get used for 6 months or more I am using the M-Pro7 gun oil because it seems to stay on better.

Top

You may want to change the way you clean you firearms

There are many tools that can make your gun cleaning experience more efficient and product as far as time goes, but that might cost you money.  One problem many seem to have with this is most gun shops just carry the basic gun cleaning supplies and trying to f ind a tactical shop that sells all of the accessories and cleaning tools for an AR15 is difficult.  The AR15 especially the direct impingement version is the dirtiest firearm I own and cleaning the chamber is difficult if you don’t have the correct brush.

Gun cleaning oils and strippers have improved over what simple Hoppes gun cleaning kits use to issue.   Cleaners like M-Pro7 are much safer gun cleaning supplies to use and all it takes is a little research to see how dirty and unsafe some of the other products are.  If you have to clean it in an open air environment it’s not good to have it on your hands either.   Break Free CLP is still the most versatile gun cleaning liquid but there are better and more effective lubricants.   Many of my friends actually use Mobil 1 as a gun oil.

Top
1 2 Page 1 of 2