The best gun cleaning kit is put together by you with this simple list. I have broken out the things you need and things you may want. Over the years I have used every kit on the market. From huge kits that have “everything” to minimalist and field kits. I have so much extra stuff at this point I keep it all in these two boxes
I have even been issued the super expensive kits by the military and private contracting companies. All of them pale in comparison to the small kit you can get for yourself with the list below.
This is the stuff I have in my kit and the stuff I carry when I go to the range. You really don’t need anything else unless you have a very specialized firearm that requires tools to field strip the gun.
A simple list for the best gun cleaning kit:
The basis of any kit should be a CLP (Cleaner Lubricant Preservative). I only use one product for all these intentionally. Multiple products do not work well with each other. If you fail to get one off before putting the other on they can counter act each other.
Most good solvents gum up and cause problems if left on the weapon. Most solvents will also take off the lubricant if the solvent is not completely removed. The same for preservatives. Preservatives generally do not work well with either solvents or lubricants.
When I use just one product if I leave a little solvent on it will just work as a lubricant and/or preservative depending on where on the gun it is.
I’ve tested most of the products on the market and like/hate a lot of them. Most of them do one thing really well and not so much of the other two. I only suggest three different products and use one more than the others.
Rand CLP is the best all-in-one product. Yes, it is mostly vegetable oil with some other stuff in there. But that makes it non-toxic and it smells a lot less than most other products.
You can get 4oz bottles at Amazon. And a 4oz bottle will last you for years. I generally lose the bottles before I run out of liquid in the bottles. So, I suggest you order 2 2-once bottles. It is a little more expensive but the small bottles pack and use so much easier it is worth the extra money. You don’t need a lot so a 2-once bottle will last a long time. You can check out Rand CLP Review for more information.
The second product I use is Breakfree CLP. It is the same stuff I used in the military and it works pretty well. I like it better for cleaning and as a preservative over Rand, but it is toxic and smells. If you open this in your house, your family is not going to be happy. It even says, “use in a well ventilated area.” I am sure over the years I’ve ingested more then I should have by eating while cleaning, failing to wash my hands, and just being stuck in the field with the Marines. Now that I can go non-toxic, I do. But it still works great. If the toxicity isn’t a problem for you, use this stuff first.
I use Frog Lube as a specialty item. It does not play well with any other chemicals. If you are going to use this clean all the other cleaners, lubricants, and oils off your gun first. This is a non toxic CLP that works okay as a lubricant, it sort of cleans (but not very well), but as a preservative, it out shines everything I’ve ever seen. This is the stuff I put on guns that I am going to store for a long time. For more information see Frog Lube Rust Test and Frog Lube Review as a Lubricant.
The simple answer, order some Rand CLP and be done with it.
Next up you will want a rag for your cleaning kit.
An old cotton T-shirt cut into pieces works better than anything else. No special anything needed. 100% cotton works better than any of the blends. After a while it will become infused with your oil of choice and actually work better the dirty than clean.
To get the gunk off your gun you will want a simple All Purpose (AP) brush. You can use an old toothbrush and that will work just fine. But I like the actual nylon brushes designed for this because they have a side with big bristles to clean big areas, and a single line of bristles on the other end to get into smaller spaces.
Otis is a high-end gun cleaning company and sells packs of 10 brushes on Amazon for less than a dollar each. Or you can get one from your local gun shop. They are generally in a bucket next to the checkout stand for a couple bucks.
Just get a nylon brush. Steel brushes are horrible on the finish of your firearm and always seem to scratch my hands painfully. A brass brush could be used but is unnecessary. Just get a simple nylon one and be done with it.
The last thing you need is a way to clean the barrel. There is nothing better than bore snakes. The original by Hoppe’s is the way to go. They are a little more expensive then the cheap knock offs on the market but will last forever. I probably have a couple that are over 10 years old. This is another one of those things you will lose way before you wear it out.
The Hoppe’s versions are even machine washable. So, you can bring them back to life if they get really dirty. I have never done it or worried about it.
They come in caliber-specific models. You will need one that is designed for the caliber of your gun. Buy one for each caliber and you won’t be disappointed.
To use a Bore Snake, just drop the cord end though the barrel from breach/chamber to muzzle and pull the rest of it through. Normally one pass is good enough to clean your barrel. Easy.
The last thing I have is a bag to put it all in. I use a tuff nylon bag that will contain the oil if it leaks and keep the bristles of the brushes poking through the bag. I have been using a Husky Tool Bag for the last two or three years with no sing of wear.
I bought the three pack from Home Depot because I couldn’t decide what size I wanted. I am going to upgrade to a Magpul DAKA bag soon, just because I want to try something different.
The list of what you need for the best gun cleaning kit:
In that list the bag is the most expensive part. You could always use something cheaper or that you have around the house to carry your gear in.
I do keep a couple things to supplement my best gun cleaning kit in my range bag just in case there is a problem.
I keep a GI set of rods in a GI Standard issue cleaning kit in case I need to knock out a squib load or brass that gets stuck in the gun. You hardly ever need one, and the range you are at will probably have one, but I like having it my bag, so I know where it is if I need it.
There really is no reason to get an expensive Squib rod or the like, one of these cheap kits works great. And I’ve had to use a big hammer more than once to get a bullet out of the barrel.
Other things I like having are tools. I carry two basic little tools sets, an AR armorer’s tool, and a Glock Punch tool.
These tools pack down to almost nothing and will be invaluable if you need a little allen wrench or screw driver to make the parts stay together while you are at the range. I carry and ultra-small screwdriver from a computer store.
The other set has allen keys and a couple other things but is really small to carry. With a driver works well.
I have a small driver that I picked up somewhere. You can find them at the junk areas of an auto parts store or hardware store for a couple bucks. I couldn’t find anything cheap and good from Amazon for you.
You may want a punch set, but that is too much to carry around. I have found that a Glock Armorer’s tool, or Glock Punch is a good medium size for any gun and in a pinch you can generally make it work to put any pin to any gun back in that is starting to walk out while at the range.
I wouldn’t use one of these to remove roll pins or specialized pins in your gun. This is only used for putting things back when they are falling out as you shoot (unless you have a Glock). Anything else I use an actual punch set. I have two sets, one for roll pins and one for normal pins.
If you are going to be using AR rifles, sooner or later things will start unscrewing, falling off, or just getting lose and you will want an Armorer’s Tool. There are a lot of them on the market, some really good, and some not so great.
I carry this one in my range bag when I’m shooting ARs so I can help fix anything that starts coming loose. It was super cheap and if I lose it I won’t care. Also NcStar makes generally good gear that isn’t the best and mostly is the heaviest, but generally works. I haven’t had a problem yet.
At home I keep two more disposable things: Patches and Cotton Swabs.
For cleaning patches, the cheaper the better. As long as they are cotton, they are great. I use them to wipe off the outside of guns and to rub oil into the outside parts of the gun to keep it from rusting.
The more cotton swabs you buy at a time the cheaper they are. But it will take you forever to use a couple hundred of them. The link above is for 500 and you will probably lose them before you use all of them (I do). I use cotton swabs to clean around the little spaces in the gun when I do a detail clean at home.
Conclusion:
In the end you only need a couple things to make not just a good cleaning kit, but the best gun cleaning kit. It’s not about having lots of stuff. It is about having enough stuff to clean your gun. If you buy everything listed in this article it will still be cheaper then some of the all-in-one kits you can buy that has less usable stuff then you will get ordering things from Amazon.
Stay Safe,
Ben