A photo-by-photo review of common maintenance components found in better gun cleaning kits to make firearm maintenance a succesful venture.

Firearm enthusiasts purchase gun cleaning kits every day, but it is almost as common for many of those gun owner to get home and wonder what some of the items inside are for, so we want to review the practical use for whatever is inside the case box. They are not all the same. Not at all.

The metal cleaning rod. Some are uncoated and often made of either brass or aluminum, and others are steel. The better choice is a coated rod that has some kind of barrier surface treatment to prevent scratches inside the bore.

Then, an overlooked if not misunderstood mystery part in cleaning kits is the bore guide, which is designed to help guide a rod down the bore without making unnecessary contact that can lead to scratches.

Patch holders, ideally made of steel or brass, hold the cotton gun patches as they travel down the bore, either picking up powder residue or delivering gun lube oil as needed until the last patch comes out clean.

A nylon bristled bore brush attachment is a viable substitute for many bore cleaning applications in the right caliber, of course. It scrubs away carbon fouling to prime the bore metal for lubrication that should follow.

No firearm cleaning kit is complete without cotton patches no matter what the size, configuration or quantity.

Not every cleaning kit includes a tube of grease, but the better ones do. The consistency of grease is more effective than oil on critical high-wear gun parts such as slide rails, choke tubes, the bolt and other metal surfaces that are most vulnerable to wear and need a heavier protective dose of lubrication. This is a fact that the better gun manufacturers and gunsmiths understand. I know some will not agree but they are very wrong.

Firearm lubricant aka gun oil and often in the form of a CLP, which stands for Clean, Lubricate and Protect, is the most common item found in a firearm maintenance kit. With it, you can perform the cleaner function with the help of the accessories listed prior, while conditioning the metal with lubrication and protection to some degree. Of course, before using it, first remove pre-existing solvent residue, powder fouling and any lube left behind from your last treament, especially if you used another brand or formula of gun solvent.

You might also find a bonus inside the kit box, like application instructions. A firearm manufacturer’s user’s manual will probably be vague about maintenance so anything a gun care company can share with you should be helpful, especially as they discuss how to use those specific products in the kit. From there, it comes down to your attention to details.

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