All posts tagged Boresnakes

The Otis gun cleaning system

It’s kind of like being in a cult when you acquire certain firearms.   The Kalashnikov crowd is a cult and so is the AR15 crowd.   AR15’s are so common now that it’s  not really as much of a cult anymore, but the furniture  you use on  your firearm and the  optics you use may put you in a certain cool category.    When I first heard about the Otis gun cleaning systems, I was wondering how someone could have devised a system that would be so much better than a cleaning rod and a cleaning patch, so I walked around at a trade show and went right up to the guy running the Otis booth.   I was lucky enough to have asked enough questions that I was given the AR15 buttstock cleaning kit and the Pistol cleaning kit.

When I got home, broke out several of my AR15 guns and a could handguns and tried to use the system.   I found the Otis cleaning kits to be very complicated but I have enough life experience to know that that just means having patience and find out why gun cleaning supplies were designed the way they are.   I have never had to use a scraper or a brush on any of my AR15 guns because I clean them so often there is really rarely any long term build ups that I missed.  I do think that the Otis Cleaning Systems do slow down the cleaning process because of all of  the fumbling I do with the accessories, but the compact bags make

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BreakFree CLP and it’s time to move on

We all know that most of the Military has been using a CLP for cleaning, but now that we’re actually in full fledged combat in parts of the world, certain things are becoming out dated.   I’ve noticed for years that Breakfree CLP is a very good gun cleaner and protector, but it always seems to disappear from your gun even if you don’t shoot it.   I’ve put enough guns in gun safes for long periods of time to notice which guns hold lube, and if you are a Sig Sauer fan you should know that those guns need lubrication to keep up with the modern world.   I have picked up some of the Mpro7 products to test them out due to friends telling me about it and here’s some feedback.

I am not one to like wearing gloves but if you are around all of this stink, it’s something to be concerned about.   Gun cleaning supplies like CLP are smelly and in the winter you may have issues with ventilation.     MPro-7 cleaner does an outstanding job of stripping gun oils and carbon off of your gun and this is a must for anyone running a direct impingement firearm.   The Pro-7 gun oil also seems to  hold on to firearms better and I could feel the difference on my Sig handguns as soon as I racked the slide.   I’ll have to shoot them for awhile to tell if they hold up better than when I used CLP, but I have had guns jam on me after 400rds or so when I only used CLP and let them sit for a few months.

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Boresnake life span, are they worth it?

Are they worth it?  Do they hold up to heavy use?   I have the same 22 caliber bore snake and it has been used in 22LR rifles, AR15 rifles, M4 Carbines, AK74 and Mini 14s.   The same bore snake is approximately 6yrs old and probable gets used about  50 times a year.   I usually run the snake through the gun about 2 times.   I may only need to do it once, but i’m use to using cleaning rods and just get in the habit.   I almost only use Break Free CLP on my firearms, and the occasional grease application, and gun cleaning is now simple.

Cleaning revolvers is probable easier than some semi-autos because there is nothing you really need to disassemble.   I have been using the Hoppes boresnakes for rifle the majority of the time because handguns just don’t seem to be that much of a hassle and I’m really not that worried about how clean the barrels are for any particular accuracy reason.    When it comes to cleaning out a bolt action rifle like a Winchester M70,  It sure does make a difference in cleaning time when you do a one, two, and then just wipe the gun down and put it away.   If you clean the guns often, from my experience there is very little worry about hard to clean areas.

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Watch it with those gun patches

I will admit that I have stuck gun cleaning patches in some of my firearms.   I tried to do a fast clean with a Hoppes gun cleaning kit patch on a 22LR and punched a whole through the patch and had trouble getting the cleaning rod out of the firearm.   Another time I used a wrong size cleaning patch on a Otis gun cleaning kit and almost broke the wire trying to get the patch out.    I read something funny on the internet about this happening to a few other people and they had to put the gun in a vice or wrap the cord around a tree and  yank.   That’s never a good thing.

There is still nothing wrong with using a cleaning rod, but I think boresnakes really did do damage to the old cleaning rod relic sales.   When you can simplify your gun cleaning supplies, and you can cut down on the amount of exposure to the toxic chemicals, you really are sold on upgrading your gear.   I still haven’t gotten around to putting an Otis gun cleaning kit into my butt stock or grip, but I may do so in the near future.   Cleaning brushes are something else I hate dealing with because if you don’t keep them organized, it’s hard to tell which caliber is for which, and you’ll know soon enough when the gun isn’t getting cleaned.

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Boresnakes and gun cleaning kits for the AR15

I’m really starting to accumulate a lot of gun cleaning accessories in recent  years.   Not that I really felt I needed them, but I was wanted to know if they were useful and helped speed up or simplify the process.   Every firearm I own needs to be cleaned in a different manor.   I am very careful how I clean my Russian SKS rifles because I have seen on several occasion that using the wrong cleaning liquids like WD40 can actually cause the gun to double or go full auto.  Bolt action rifles are in another category because you really could get away with mostly just using gun oil or a rust inhibitor.

I have several AR15 rifles and I like shooting all of them, but when it comes to cleaning, It doesn’t matter what cleaning tools I have, my LWRCI M6A2 is my favorite to clean.   I don’t need to clean the LWRCI upper receivers pistol area more less than once every 2500 rds and there is absolutely no need for using a scraping tool inside the locking lugs or the bolt carrier like my direct impingement guns.  Depending on what type of AR15 fits your needs the LWRCI gun may cost you 30-50% more than a less expensive gun, but there are hobby guns and there are combat carbines. And you get what you pay for.  How about accuracy, reliability and easy cleaning?

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Otis butt stock cleaning kit

The first time I ever got a hold of an Otis gun cleaning kit I was kinda overwhelmed with the amount of brushes and tools that were in it.   It was a universal rifle and pistol cleaning kit and I was kind of bothered by how much stuff was jiggling around inside the pouch.   I know now that this was a little more than what I really needed, but once I figured out how to use the kit and what all of the tools were for all of the other cleaning kits from Otis were easier to use.   This is from someone that started out with a bolt action 22LR rifle and a Hoppes gun cleaning kit from K-Mart.

The gun cleaning that I have grown to hate usually is from the AR15 direct impingement guns I own.   I have heard numerous firearms instructors tell me that there is such a thing as too much cleaning, and knowing exactly what parts to lube and clean on an AR15 is the key to firearm maintenance.   The Otis gun cleaning kits I use now are specific to the firearm I am cleaning. Hoppes boresnakes have served me well, but getting into the parts of an AR15 especially the locking lugs is difficult without an AR15 brush designed for that type of chamber.  There are times you will need to literally scrape the locking lugs of an AR15 and Otis has the tools and gun cleaning kit for your needs.

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Road trips and cleaning firearms

I was never one to jump on the bandwagon that it should  be necessary for someone in the military to break their M16 down every day and clean it.   I always thought that if the gun needed that much attention, they really should think about a new design.   The real reason the military does this for many soldiers is basically to keep everyone occupied and give them something to do.   I don’t think even an M16 needs to be cleaned more than 2 or 3 times a week, even in dirty conditions.   I’m sure that it some situations you are better off keeping  your chamber hatch closed and not opening to clean it when the air is full of sand and will just attach itself to the gun lube on your  bolt.   We sell a lot of Otis gun cleaning kits to the military for a reason though.   Everything you could want to clean a pistol or rifle is in a small compact case.

I personally find using rifle cleaning rods to be easier and for some reason I feel like I am getting a thorough cleaning.   Bore snakes work very well, but I have found them to become real messy to use if they are being used often.   You have to put them back in the clear case they came with and sometimes I feel it’s easier and cleaner to toss out dirty cleaning patches instead of putting the filthy boresnake back in it’s patch.   Bore snakes are easy to clean if you want to toss them in a wash machine, but this isn’t practical if you are on a road trip.   Otis gun cleaning kits, depending on which you purchase, should have just about every tool and brush you need to clean your firearm.   I did jam a patch in a rifle once and i did have to resort to using a cleaning rod to unjam it, but after I got the right method for “taking a pinch on the patch” and not using too much of it for a smaller caliber, I got the job done.   Otis has plenty of videos you can watch before you buy a cleaning kit if you think the kits are a little overwhelming.

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Gun cleaning should be easier

hoppes boresnake I realize there is still a place for using cleaning rods to clean out the barrels of a rifle or pistol, and that running a white cleaning patch through a firearms and having it come out just as white is something that tells us our job is done.   Gun cleaning has gotten easier over the years.   If you are cleaning your firearms after each use, there is no need to be sitting there for hours and soaking your rifles in this cleaner and that cleaner and they running through the routine 2x’s.   Gun lubrication  has taken long strides in practically eliminating the need for having to use more than 2 gun cleaning liquids.   The really issue I see is in having a lubrication that also has preservatives to help protect metal from rust.   I have some friends that use Mobil 1 for all of there AR15 lubrication, but Mobil 1 doesn’t protect a firearm as well as BreakFree CLP does.

I’ve been talking to some of my friends about the issue of gun cleaning equipment.  One of them told me that he only owned a few rifles and there wasn’t a need for getting any fancy gun cleaning kits.   I asked  him how he cleaned his lever action rifles and he said it was a pain to clean because he had to clean it from the muzzle end unlike his bolt action.   I explained to him that Hoppes boresnakes cost less than $20 and he could run it through his lever action in seconds and not have to worry about cleaning patches ect.  I clean my hunting rifles even if I don’t fire them.  Ever since the time I brought a couple guns with me on a hunting trip, didn’t get anything, came home and put them back in the safe and then took them out 3 months later and found rust all over them, I’ve paid close attention to the gun cleaning equipment I use.

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Speed up the process

Hoppes BoresnakeBoresnakes have been around for a long time, but it still amazes me at the number of people that aren’t aware of them.   The notion of needing a long rod to clean your rifle bore is so out dated.   I guess it’s mostly the guys that operate the AR15 type of firearms that really pay attention to how much time it takes to clean a rifle that they are the ones that don’t want to go through the hassle.   The only way around not needing to clean an AR15 so much is to swap your upper out for a pistol version.

Hoppes boresnakes are easy to store and use.  All you do is drop the metal end down the chamber and putt it out of the barrel at the other end.   If you clean a lot, you will want to wash your boresnake, but you don’t have the mess of cleaning patches that cleaning rods create.   The Hoppes Boresnake will brush and swab your barrel in seconds.   You may want to soak the chamber or barrel with cleaning solvent before you drop the boresnake in, especially if you are cleaning for accuracy.

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Extended range time, with shortened cleaning time

gun cleaning suppliesOne pass loosens large particles, scrubs out the remaining residue with a bronze brush, then swabs it all spotless with a cleaning area 160X larger than a standard patch. Add a few drops your favorite gun or Hoppes Elite and your guns ready for storage. The bore snake is caliber specific so make sure you get the correct one for your pistol, rifle or shotgun. You will also notice your gun cleaning time will be cut in half or more. I’ve cleaned more than 4 firearms in an hour, from AKs, FALs, M1A, Mini 14s and AR15 rifles all will accept the use of the Hoppes boresnake.

Hoppes Boresnakes will cut your cleaning time in half . There’s no need to worry about storing cleaning rides and worrying about bending or breaking them. The BoreSnake is also easier to use with some types of semi-autos. The Ruger Mini 14 is a classic example of this. Most firearms can be cleaned from the breach forward, but something like a Mini 14 can not due to the design of the bolt carrier. A bore snake can easily be inserted into the breach of a Mini 14 or Mini 30 and cleaned properly. The bore snake can also easily be stored and does not take up any room.  We can guarantee the Hoppes boresnake will become one of your favorite gun cleaning supplies.

 

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