Cleaning more than one rifle at a time…
Cleaning more than one rifle at a time can be a really pain in the neck. Depending on the number of calibers you are using, you’ll have to change each brush you use, each punch, and each cleaning patch to properly clean your rifle or pistols. I never really felt the need to change from a traditonal rifle rod to any fancy gun cleaning kits for a long time. Some of these gun cleaning kits look very nice, but the reality is there are several cleaning kits out there that have made traditional gun cleaning obsolete. Granted, I will have to say that I do have a few friends that sweat that they still need to use their cleaning rods to clean bolt action sub-moa rifles, because Otis gun cleaning kits and bore snakes aren’t 100%. I’ll have to leave that up to personal choice, but I don’t see it.
The first time I took more than 4 rifles to the range and had to take the time to clean each one of them, I must have spent over 2hrs between cleaning brush changes and constantly running patches through the barrels. I finally decided to run out and pick up a 22 Cal bore snake and see what they were all about. I realised immediately that this Hoppes bore snake was really worth the money after I cleaned 3 of my AR15s and 1 Mini 14 rifle in less than half an hour. The only time I used cleaning patches was to wipe down the bolt carriers. I still think there is the need to use chamber brushes on the AR15 style rifles, but that isn’t something I would say needs to be done after every firing. Rogue Elite is selling most of the Hoppes Bore Snakes for under $20 and I promise you’ll eliminate 50% of your cleaning time with them.
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 had this argument with friends when they were arguing that direct impingement guns weren’t really hard to maintain and that spending another $500 on a piston driven AR15 wasn’t worth the money because you could basically buy another gun for that money. I’d like to see people use the same argument if someone came out with a car that only needed an oil change every 15,000 miles instead of every 3000 miles. How many times are you going to have to pull over and drop the car off and wait for a mechanic or waste an hour on a Saturday doing an oil change? Keep that in mind the next time you go shooting and bring 3 or more rifles with you and then spend all Sunday night cleaning them. If you could cut your cleaning time by 2/3s and reduce the need for brushes and cleaning patches for $20 would it be worth it?
One of the things that many gun collectors experience is what its like to take their collection to the range for a day and then shoot, then having to come home and clean everything. I remember the times I’ve attending State or regional events and took more than a few handguns or rifles. Some people like to take their time cleaing up their firearms and might let them sit for a few weeks before they get to them. Some people practically break their guns down and clean them before they get cold.
One 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.
As any gun owner will readily attest, the thrill of shooting a firearm is virtually unparalleled. The mere act of firing a gun can be as liberating as it is invigorating, but unfortunately it’s not all fun and games. In order to maximize the quality time spent with your gun out in the woods or at the shooting range, you’ve got to get the tedious cleaning process out of the way.
When the United States Military issued PD-48, a purchase description of properties for a single, multi-purpose product to maintain their weaponry, it became known as the “impossible specification” because of its severe requirements.