All posts tagged FAL gun cleaning

Not much of a need for gun cleaning rods

ThereHoppes BoresnakesRifle CleaningHandgun CleaningHandgun Cleaning6 are a lot of things that haven’t changed much with shooting firearms, but the way things are cleaned has changed.   Gun Lubricants are mostly non-toxic anymore and they are much better at doing more than keeping a firearm running, they also help do what gun cleaners did and also help protect rifles and handguns from corrosion.   I have gone through a few gun cleaning rods, all 3 piece ones, and it’s always the 22 caliber rifles that do in those devices.   If you put the wrong cleaning patch on the rod you are going to get it stuck halfway in the barrel and might even not be able to pull the rod out.   Not all firearms can be cleaned with a cleaning rod properly, the M1 Garand,  and Mini 14 and Ruger 10/22.   Sure if you want to clean it from the muzzle you can but that’s not the direction the bullet goes and isn’t recommended.

The only firearm that I don’t use a device like this in are my revolvers because I do find that I need a pistol cleaning rod to brush out the cylinder whenever I am shooting all lead bullets because the Hoppes Boresnakes just don’t seem to get it all.   There are always reasons to have more than a few gun cleaning tools around but it’s also important to make sure you use the correct caliber sizes and don’t force it.    I am presently using a 22 Caliber Boresnake on my AR15s, Ruger Mini 14s and Marline Model 882 and Ruger 10/22.   Just soak the top of the snake just ahead of the bristles and drop the cord through the barrel and pull.

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Gun cleaning, 3-1 or multiple products?

I have tried out several gun cleaning lubricants and supplies in recent months and have come to the conclusion that I still can’t narrow it down to just one product line for all of my needs.  I started out with a 3 piece cleaning rod and quickly learned about using one piece and boresnakes for rifle cleaning.   Boresnakes are very good for cleaning barrels but not so good for cleaning out chambers.  There are differences in the types of brushes you might want to add to your cleaning kit because the direct impingement AR15 is probable the most difficult to clean up properly in that area, although we do suggest you be aware that it is possible to over clean firearms.  Good lubricants like Mpr0-7 and Slip 2000 are very good in AR15 firearms.

One of the best arguments for using up your old gun cleaning supplies and switching over to M-Pro7 or Slip 2000 products is that they are non-toxic.   I was very happy with my experiences with gun cleaning supplies like the above mentioned products.   I have used CLP for many years but after using a few firearms in a Defensive Training classes where the guns ran dry and started clunking after about 400rds of 9mm and 40 caliber training sessions.   Eliminating toxic materials from your gun cleaning gear is a good idea, and truth be told, modern technology with lubricants has greatly improved run time and firearm environment tolerances.

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Slip 2000 gun lube and extreme weapons lube reviews

I will admit that after being in the firearms community for several years i have seen a lot of gear and accessories that were on the higher end and many of them things that i could not afford.   One thing that I have noticed is that while AR15 designs have improved over the years, gun oils and synthetic lubricants are dramatically better.  Not only do they work, they are green products and not hazardous to use.   I think I still have a small bottle of Hoppes gun oil and bore cleaner that I have pretty much abandoned.  I guess at some point I might ceremoniously finish it off but I definitely have moved on from using it.

The direct impingement AR15 design absolutely is reliant on the firearm being properly lubricated.  I have seen reviews on Slip 2000 gun cleaning lubricants where it was more about lubricating the firearm and not really just about how clean the gun was.  A properly lubricated firearm will run if you lube the right areas and it is not necessary to constantly break it down and scrub every piece of carbon out of it.  Over cleaned can do more damage to a firearm than letting it run dirty at times.   I have replaced some of my Otis gun cleaning lubricants with Slip 2000 and used the rest of the Otis kits for my personal AR15 range cleanings.

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Gun cleaning brushes don’t last forever

I have several gun cleaning kits laying around my gun cleaning room and some of them are close to 20yrs old.   I still use various elements of them since not all of the kits are still intact.   Most of the non-one piece cleaning rods I have used in the past have become broken or bent and have been tossed, but I have some of the Hoppes gun cleaning solvent and a few cleaning brushes that have moved in with my gun cleaning kits.   The bore snakes that I have, have pretty much replaced the gun cleaning brushes but there have been a few times recently that I have gone back to using tradition cleaning kits.   I have been testing out many of the Otis gun cleaning kits to basically get use to the product line.

Otis gun cleaning kits aren’t going to clean your guns in some magical new way.   They really are just another mode of gun cleaning supplies, different type of cleaning and lubrication, different way of using a metal cord instead of a cleaning rod, but other than that, it’s just a compact way of keeping your gun cleaning kit something that can go in a range bag. The larger multi-caliber cleaning kits make a ton of sense if you own a lot of firearms, but if you don’t they will be a major over kill.   Gun cleaning patches are something we know we should throw away at certain point, but I see many using gun cleaning brushes for far longer than they should.   If you are noticing that you can’t get a barrel clean, try replacing the gun cleaning brushes you have.   Getting lead out or cleaning a gun that has not been cleaned all that well in the past is harder if you don’t have the right tools.

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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.

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