All posts in Gun Cleaning Supplies

More feedback on the Otis System

I recently had a walk in customer look up at all of the Otis gun cleaning systems that we have in stock and mentioned that he never got into the Otis thing.   Well, the gun rod thing works well if you have a good cleaning rod and not one of those 3 piece starter kits that you got for your 22LR.   I’ve bent them myself and seen others do catastrophic things to them.   I’m not going to rave that the Otis System works better than any cleaning rod system, but there are advantages.

About the only disadvantage of the Otis system is that you might not be able to push forward on the cleaning patch as well, but yet again, what the hell are you doing that you need to push a cleaning rod that hard?   The Otis gun cleaning kits are small, compact, they hold the lube, and there is almost no chance that you will have to carry a bottle around with you that will leak all over your gear.   The cleaning systems are advanced or simple and can be used specifically for an AR15 style rifle.

Top

Cleaning guns, the right way

The is a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things, there are also many ways to do get the same job done, but efficiency really matters to most of us.   I do admit that I like cleaning some of my firearms, some guns are really annoying to assemble and re-assemble.   The Ruger MKII is probable the most annoying handgun I ever owned, but my tolerances for complicated things has increased and I probable should have never sold it.   The real problem with guns like that is when you haven’t shot them in awhile and the learned knowledge floats out your brain.  I’ve read several issues of SWAT magazine where excessive gun cleaning can cause damage and after watching a recent DVD from Dean Caputo on the AR15 I thought I’d bring this up.

 

 

Boresnakes are definitely the fastest and easiest to use, but it won’t do a very good job on a really dirty chamber or in the bolt carrier of an AR15.  You will still gun cleaning supplies other than just CLP Break Free and a bore snake.   The Otis gun cleaning kits that are specifically designed for the M16 or AR15 is probable  the most complete gun cleaning kit for an AR15, but they gotta be used the right way.  One of the biggest screw ups I see with the cleaning tools are the chamber brushes.   The chamber brush is only meant to be pushed down so far and the fast majority of the ones I have come across look like someone tried to jam it down the barrel.  Watch what you are doing so you don’t damage the gun doing something you aren’t suppose to be doing.

Top

Otis 5.56 buttstock cleaning kit

This is the cleaning kit you might want to consider throwing in your butt stock if you can fit one in there.   The tools that this gun cleaning kit comes with should get the job done after long firing sessions.  One thing to consider is that gun cleaning sometimes is over done and you can damage a firearm with too much scraping and cleaning.   I have never seen it happen, but I have read several articles in SWAT magazine that referred to people over cleaning AR15 guns.

Cleaning out the chamber is not as important as keep a DI AR15 lubricated, but I have never been one to leave a gun sit un cleaned for more than a week.   The Otis gun cleaning system are well thought out gun cleaning kits that have the brushes and attachments to cleaning various parts of a firearm.  The Otis 5.56 butt stock cleaning kit is even more practical because it fits inside the gun and doesn’t need to be hauled around in a range bag.   Having an Otis kit will probable reduce your need on packing gun cleaning supplies in another bag.

Top

Storing cleaning kits with a firearm

I remember all of the Russian SKS rifles I got back in the early 1990’s came with cleaning kits and I always thought that was neat.  I’m still not sure how to use them properly because the rods that they came with didn’t go fully into the barrel, but that is something I’ll have to research later.  It’s  nice to be able to keep all of your gear stowed in the places where they are easiest to access and if there is a combat firearm that needs to be cleaning more than any other it’s the M16 rifle.   Everyone I know that was issued an M16 was issued a cleaning kit that went in the buttstock.   Oddly enough, I don’t know many guys with AR15 rifles that have them in their guns.

One option to consider when you are getting all of your gear together for SHTF or for a training class is to have your cleaning supplies in order.  Probable the most practical Otis gun cleaning kits is the Otis 5.56 buttstock cleaning kit.   This kit comes with various tools that will come in useful and are specific to the M4 or AR15 style rifles.   You will be able to scrap off carbon build up in the hard to get to areas and with such a compact device, you’ll be able to stow it in your butt stock and not have to worry about packing one up every time you take it to the range.

Top

Time to get your gear in order and your gun cleaning supplies

There’s a certain point where a gun owners really can waste enormous amounts of time if they aren’t keeping there gun cleaning supplies in order.   There are lots of cleaning tools that will speed up your cleaning time and reduce the amount of money you’ll spend on cleaning pads and cleaning fluids.  I must have the same bottle of Break Free CLP gun cleaning and lubrication that I had 5yrs ago.   I hardly go through gun cleaning solvents because the tools that I am using now are so good at getting the debris and grud off the guns that solvents really only get used for cleaning the bore if I am using lead bullets.

Last year I got an Otis gun cleaning mat from my wife for a Christmas present and it’s really helped keep me from losing parts and messing up my living room rug. Otis gun cleaning kits are compact, versatile and easy to use on various firearms.   I’ve had a few issues with bore snakes and some of my semi-auto rifles and the Otis cleaning kits were great companions for people that want to clean a firearm on a firing range or on the road.   The tools that fit in some of the kits are great for the AR15 style firearms because some can be stowed in the grips or butt stocks.

Top

Cleaning and fixing guns at the same time

I’ve had a few mistakes in firearm ownership that have nothing to do with gun safety or hunting, it actually had to do with gun maintenance.   There were a few times that I took guns on a hunting trip, didn’t fire them, brought them home and put them in a safe, only to find out a few days later that they were all covered in rust.   Even the morning dew can rust and possible ruin a firearm if you don’t pay attention to what your guns are made out of and how to care for them.   Another time was carrying a Taurus T-85 handgun in a leather holster and not cleaning it once a week, the holster held body sweat and the salts from the sweat pitted the barrel of the handgun.   It wasn’t worth the time and trouble to remove the pits without risking more damage to the firearm.

Along with taking care of your guns and preventing rust from building up, sometimes dents and dings can occur.   It always bothered me that some guys spend thousands on combat firearms and are afraid to shoot them in the rain or snow and then get upset if they get dirt on them.   The reason  most firearms are coated in what they are is for combat or adverse weather conditions.  Next time you are looking for gun cleaning supplies, you should look into picking up a gun blue touch up pen for fixing minor scratches and dings on your firearms.   There are gun blue kits you can buy to re-blue a firearm, but the touch up pen is good for the majority of the minor tweaks and only takes a few seconds.

Top

Revolver cleaning and tools

I finally got around to hitting my Dillon 550B and loaded up a ton of my favorite 38 Special hand loads.   I’m amazed at how well I shoot with some of these bullets because I’m usually doing most of my training with semi-auto guns and the ammo is rarely very accurate.   Hits are usually what I am looking for in defensive shooting, but when I am shooting a Smith & Wesson Model 19, I can actually go for a bulls eye.  A few months ago I dug up a bunch of SWC lead bullets and used  up a  full pound of Unique gun powder.

The one bad thing about getting in a good range day was that I had to clean all of gun gun out of my gun  before I put it away.   I don’t mind shooting lead in revolvers, but I won’t do it in semi-autos anymore.   I used my Otis gun cleaning kit because not only did it have the brushes to get the job done, it had a nice scraper to get in to the areas that needed to be cleaned.   When I used a 1911 and shot lead bullets, I found compacted lead in so many areas that I didn’t think the gun would be reliable if I didn’t get it all out.  The extractor areas can be a tipping point if  you gunk them up.

Top

One up for Otis gun cleaning systems

I have been a long time user of the Hoppes boresnakes and I an not going to bash them in any way.   My first bad experience with gun cleaning was when I bent a 3 piece cleaning rod trying to clean a 22 magnum rifle.  I learned that the one piece cleaning rods were worth the money, but it was always annoying trying to find a place in my tool room to put the thing.   I found out about boresnakes when one of my gun shops started stocking them and I really loved how fast it was to clean a rifle.  When i started shooting AR15s it was really, really nice to have them laying around.   One time I took 6 of my .223 guns to the range and when I got back, I just lined them all up and cleaning the barrels in about 10 minutes.   Boresnakes really do save you time, but there was one drawback.

I have a 30 caliber bore snake that I used on several of my rifles, but i have a  lot of problems with cleaning my FAL.   For some reason the DSA FAL I have does not like to swallow a boresnake and I have a lot of trouble trying to get the little brass end to drop down the barrel and pull it through.   I have ended up having to use an Otis gun cleaning kit for the .308 rifle because it feeds and fits properly.   My FAL is hands down the easiest semi-auto gun to break down and clean and I can honestly clean most of it with a rag, but getting inside the chamber or muzzle needs a traditional cleaning.   Not all of the Otis gun cleaning systems are caliber specific, but it’s nice to have a cleaning kit that gets everything done on my DSA Arms SA58.

Top

Some guns were not designed to be cleaned very well

My first semi-auto was a Russian SKS which was when they were going for under $100.   The Russian SKS is a very well thought out semi-auto because in my opinion, I like the operation and disassemble more than the M1 Garand.   I think the Garand is  a fine rifle and far more accurate than an SKS, but the stripper clips and lighter ammuntion is better suited for WWII combat although it was not introduced that early.   The AK ended the short adventure of the SKS much in the same way the M16 shortened the life of the M14.   They were all very well designed and reliable firearms, but they were not modern enough for combat.   One gun I have found that I still enjoy shooting and operating with is the FAL.   The triggers on these guns are a little hard to drop in weight, and the mounts on them really need to be locked in place with something other than just a screwdriver.   The .308 caliber will do a number on scope mounts especially exposing any operator failures to properly “lock it down”.

One thing that made me a fan of the DSA FAL I own is that it was designed to be easy to operate and maintain.   I’ve heard many firearm instructors that I respect say that the M16 does not need to be cleaned as much as people think and lubrication is more important than scrubbing every spec of carbon off the firearm.  I still enjoy cleaning some of my firearms just because I like inspecting the geniousness of the designs.   I literally can clean and FAL with gun cleaning supplies like the Hoppes bores snakes.  The Otis gun cleaning kits aren’t necessary on one of these guns and more appropriate for more complicated designs.  The FAL is hands down the simplest battle rifle to clean.

Top

.308 rifle cleaning on the move

The tactical world is loaded with tons of doodads and accessories that are very well thought out, but sometimes it takes as much time to learn how to use them as it probable took to create the device.    Experience is what we learn from and we get it an many ways.   If you have ever had to pack a backpack and go on a week or longer hike, you’ll know the importance of packing “only what you need to survive” which is a line I stole from Spaceballs the movie.   It’s funny that I have actually seen people go on camping trips with things that plug in and need electricity, and those are the people you’ll probable never see on a camping trip again.   My Boy Scout Troop usually had 2 or 3 campers a year, the new guys, do something like that and the City slicker attitudes usually mean a short stint in the Boy Scouts of America.

When it comes to carrying a firearm like a DMR or Sniper rifle, adding weight to something that is already heavy is not something you are going to want to do.   If you could remove 1 or 2 lbs of weight from a rifle, you can add on the weight of the ammo that replaces it.  I don’t know a single shooter that wouldn’t rather carry more ammo than carry more gun.  There are cleaning systems like boresnakes that are fast and easy, but for serious cleaning, you are going to like the Otis gun cleaning kits for the sniper or DMR.  This gun cleaning kit is meant for a .308 rifle, bolt action or semi-auto, it doesn’t matter.    I’m sure there are people that think they need a cleaning rod for bolt guns, maybe some guns need it, but how the heck do you carry a cleaning rod into the field?

Top
1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 9 Page 5 of 9