New or veteran shooters alike will all eventually discover and covet their own favorite gun-cleaning stink juice. Hell-bent, throwing caution to the wind, we take up bottles of God-knows-what to slather our firearms in. Viscous fluids to eat away fouling and prevent corrosion on our precious things that go bang. Never-minding what these chemicals might be doing to us as we inhale the fumes, topically endure and possibly even ingest chemicals that could be more damaging than runoff from your average fertilizer plant.

So what’s a gun owner to do? What should we use? How should we use it? In this buying guide, let’s explore the world of gun cleaning solvents and then take that knowledge to put together a dream cleaning kit that we can all be proud of.

The Three Virtues of a Cleaning Solvent
Any good gun cleaning solvent will have three important aspects to it to make it a valuable product to be considered for long term use. These three virtues are as follows:

1. Fouling Removal – Obviously the main reason you would use a solvent in the first place. The chemical should both dissolve and lift-away fouling residue as well as aid in the controlled removal of other deposits that can occur in gun barrels such as lead, copper, salts, plastics, etc.
2. Protection Layer – Use of this chemical should not only clean the affected areas, but leave a super-thin layer of protective coating that should help make future cleanings easier and protect from dirt, corrosion and other environmental conditions.
3. Non-Destructive – Our clean-o fluid must not harm us, others or our firearms. Some will teeter dangerously on the edge of this virtue, causing discoloration, but we shall squint carefully at those.

The following products are listed in no particular order and must meet at least two of our three criteria listed above.

Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber
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Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber is an interesting product by design and purpose. While it can be used in the traditional way cleaning solvents are used in firearms, Gun Scrubber is intended to saturate the dirty areas of the firearm and “flush out” all the fouling and dirt without having to disassemble the gun. While this will work in some cases, others will require at least some form of breakdown in the more closed firearm designs. This product will not harm wooden stocks, synthetics, camo patterns, etc. However, it is not recommended for long term exposure of skin. Meets 2 of 3 virtues in that this does not leave a protective layer in the gun, it dries completely. You must use additional lubrication after cleaning with this product.

M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner
Amazon Link

M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner acts not only as a solvent for fouling and dirt, but doubles equally well as a copper and lead remover, something which usually requires the purchase of another product. This creation is completely odorless, non-flammable, non-toxic, biodegradable and environmentally safe to use, which is a rarity. M-Pro 7 cannot be used on wooden stocks, however, because it will stain the wood as it dissolves away the natural oils and oiled stock finishes. It does, however, leave a protective coating on all the metal surfaces that will help prevent future rusting and corrosion.

Hoppes #9
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The staple of any gun bench is undoubtedly the venerable Hoppe’s No. 9. The ancient cult following of this solvent is backed by the mantra; “It’s okay if you don’t start with Hoppes, but you’ll probably end up with it.” Good for removing powder fouling, loosening corrosion and metal deposits in barrels. It also removes rust and leaves a coating to help prevent rust and is safe for all surfaces (and is even beneficial to wood surfaces) and makes a hell of a mixer at parties (just kidding on that one!). Some would say that it stinks to high heaven, but personally I like the smell of this great solvent. Hoppes #9 meets all three of our virtues for cleaning solvents.

Hoppes Elite Gun Cleaner
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With the Elite Gun Cleaner, Hoppes has taken #9 high-tech. The official description contains lots of “bonding agents, corrosion inhibitors, and surfactants condition and protect the metal to help repel future fouling buildup” and all that sort of rot. But the fact that remains most impressive with this particular product is the fact that it does the same job as good old Hoppes, yet with no odor whatsoever. As mentioned, I happen to like the smell of Hoppes, but that’s neither here nor there. If you are looking for something odorless, this is a good choice.

Remington Action Cleaner
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While technically Remington Action Cleaner is a degreaser more than it is a cleaner, the fact that it lifts away petroleum and synthetic based oils and residues makes it a very decent option for the gun bench cleaning option. It does only meet two of our criteria, though, as it dries completely and does not leave a protective layer. This will necessitate a liberal coating of gun oil to help prevent friction and corrosion.

 

Break Free CLP
The Break Free CLP is a lightning bolt of the cleaning solvent industry. It is touted as a super cleaner, lubricant and preservative containing Teflon, as well as other specialized ingredients. The lubrication is supposed to also create a thin film that fouling cannot adhere to. It also protects against exposure to salt water and will not allow corrosion to form. While it would seem that this product easily meets all three criteria, it should be noted that this solvent/cleaner is extremely hazardous to human health and should only be used in well-ventilated areas and limit all exposure to bare skin. Break Free CLP also has Mil Spec: MIL-L-63460.

Ballistol
Developed in Europe over 90 years ago, Ballistol may not be the fastest cleaner in the west, nor the most popular, not even the most heard of, but it sure works great. If you’ve got a little time to let the product sit for a bit after application, you will be hard pressed to find a better cleaner, solvent, lead/copper/brass remover, and lubricant all in one bottle. This cleaner provides protection against corrosion and rust. It also coats and leaves a light film to protect firearm barrels and stocks. Moreover, it won’t harden over time. It offers a mild alkaline solution which will neutralize the acid that eats away at the interiors of gun barrels. It also destroys tough powder residue and mixes well with water. Because of its great cleaning features it is great to use with corrosive ammo (when necessary, right, Mosin Nagant users?). This product also happens to be completely non-toxic. I would not go so far as to day you could drink it, but maybe just shy of. It will not harm anything it comes into contact with. Just remember to let it soak a bit.

So that’s our list of considerations to give in the world of gun cleaning solvents. Some of the options we have here also offer gel or foaming options, supposedly designed to guarantee access into those little nooks and crannies, but those are usually more expensive and gimmicky at best.

Soon will come the day where the self-cleaning gun will be developed. An internal scrubbing and vibratory system that shakes all of the fouling loose, and then after a quick wipe-down, lubricates itself and readies for that next shot on the range. Until that day arrives (and don’t think for a second that someone isn’t working on it as you read this), we firearms owners have to do things the hard way. Manual cleaning of each of your guns starts out as a task of pride and precision, with hundreds of dollars spent on the best tools, chemicals, patches, swabs and other claptrap. Only after several more purchases of firearms does it become a chore, a chore that is all too often forgotten when we come in from the range/woods/duty. Shame on us.

It does not have to be this way, though. Luckily we do not have to amass huge quantities of individually selected cleaning related items due to the common availability of ready assembled cleaning kits on the market today, which are quite good. Some shooters thumb their noses at such kits, but they have come a long way in the last few years and are every bit as good as professionally assembled items. Let’s explore some of these and discover some quicker and less toilsome ways to keep our firearms squeaky clean and shiny new.

The basics of gun cleaning are simple. Spent ammunition leaves residue, most commonly called “fouling”, inside your firearms as well as the outside. For the most part, fouling is burned gunpowder and lubricant that will build up incrementally with every shot. As you can imagine, several dozen shots to several hundred shots will build up different amounts of fouling in your gun. It’s up to you to discover when the best time is to clean them. Oftentimes manufacturers and shooters will offer recommendations as to how often a firearm should be cleaned, but you will be the ultimate judge of this.

Typically, five things have to be done in order to clean a firearm, after you have confirmed that the firearm is not loaded:

1.    Scrub.
Scrubbing the bore of your firearm, which is the inside of your barrel from the chamber where the bullet is fed to the tip of the muzzle where the fired bullet exits, is all about loosening the fouling that has built up in the barrel. A brass or nylon brush screwed into the tip of a cleaning rod or pull through wire (explained later), dipped in solvent, and then pushed or pulled through several times to loosen all the burnt on crust. A wire or nylon hand-held brush, also dipped in solvent should be used on the other, more accessible parts of the internals of the gun. This will allow you to loosen the fouling that has built up in these areas.

2.    Solvent.
The solvent stage is all about getting the most amount of chemical solvent onto the dirty areas of the gun, particularly the inside of the barrel, also known as the bore. The best way to do this is to soak cotton patches in whatever solvent you are using and push them through the barrel a few times. This will thoroughly coat the inside of the barrel. Once this step is completed, do the same for the other internals. Be careful using solvent on any wooden parts of your firearm. Some solvents are fine to use with wood, others can blister or discolor it.

3.    Patches.
Clean patches should be alternated with solvent-soaked patches for the first couple of run-throughs and wipe-downs. After most to all of the fouling has been removed, only clean patches should be used to wipe out not only the residual fouling but the majority of the solvent as well.

4.    Wipe.
Never underestimate the importance of the final wipe-down. A mostly clean, soft, the cotton rag will do the trick. No solvents or chemicals of any kind are required here. A thorough wipe-down of the entire firearm, inside and out will catch any dust, dirt, or fouling that you might have missed. This will also help to prevent scratching or etching of your metal or wood from this residual debris during transporting the firearm. This will also help catch any residual chemical that may have worked its way out of the area you were cleaning.

5.    Lubricate.
A crucial stage of the cleaning process, proper lubrication will ensure that your firearm’s action will not fuse into a solid chunk of inoperable metal from heat and friction of metal on metal parts. It will also help prevent rust and corrosion to the metal parts of the gun. Typically, lubrication is done with light gun oil, but there are dozens of options out there for lubing and protecting. It’s important to know your gun and learn how it likes to be lubed. For instance, Sig Sauer pistols typically like to be “wetter” with lubrication, while Beretta handguns prefer more conservative lubrication.

We have a couple of different cleaning kit options for your consideration here. While not the end-all in cleaning kit choices, they do represent some of the most commonly available, popular, and versatile cleaning kits on the market today.

1. Hoppes Handgun, Rifle & Shotgun Cleaning Kit ($12-$15)
Amazon Product Link
Hoppes has been one of the major go-to companies when it comes to gun cleaning for over twenty-five thousand years. A staple in any gun store, major retailer, sporting goods, or gunsmith shop, the products are proven and reliable. The “standard” cleaning kits such as this one, are classic “push through” systems where the cleaning rod/brush/patch combination is pushed through the bore of the gun to scrub away fouling and to apply solvent/cleaning patches.

 This kit comes standard with:
a)    Hoppes #9 solvent, which is also one of the most well-known, staple solvents in the world today.
b)    A basic selection of aluminum cleaning rods and extensions.
c)    Several plastic jags.
d)    Several patches and patch holders.
e)     A few brushes and gun oil.

This kit is basic, no-nonsense and effective. Just do be careful when using those aluminum cleaning rods. If you are not careful they can scratch the inner walls of the gun barrel.

2. Hoppes Boresnake Cleaning Kit ($35-$40)
Amazon Product Link
The Hoppes boresnake cleaning kit represents the next generation system from Hoppes. This kit utilizes their invention of the “bore snake”. A boresnake is a “pull through” system of cleaning, where instead of ramming a brush/patch tipped rod through the bore and risking the scratching of the interior of the barrel, the pull through wipes everything clean with subsequent pulls of the cleaning “rope” through the barrel. It’s is made up of a woven lace of synthetic and natural fibers. Now with these systems, you must be careful, as you do still have to get some solvent down that bore without drenching the boresnake in it.

This kit comes standard with:
a)    A caliber/gauge-specific BoreSnake
b)    2 oz. aerosol can of classic Hoppe’s No. 9 Solvent
c)    2¼ fl. oz. plastic squeeze bottle of Hoppe’s Lubricating Oil
d)    (2) Anti-rust gun wipes in sealed packets
e)    Extra room in pouch for other small tools or cleaning components

The hook-and-loop closures keep the pouch of this gun cleaning kit sealed up tight.

3. M -Pro 7 Tactical Cleaning Kit ($40-$50) 
Amazon Product Link
Another “snake” type cleaning system is the M-Pro 7. This cleaning kit is put out by Bushnell, a company known for its optics and more recently, accessories for firearms. The specification on the M-Pro solvent is interesting and quite advanced in that it not only breaks down carbon (like any gun solvent should) but it is also completely odorless, non-flammable, non-toxic, biodegradable and environmentally safe to use. These are five plus points that few solvents can boast. It strips the meal parts completely clean and leaves a thin rust inhibitor with no oily feel. Just keep in mind that this rust inhibitor will damage oil-based stock finishes. Heat and agitation will accelerate the cleaning action. It can be used as a tank solvent, but not a lubricant.

This kit comes standard with:
a)    4 oz. M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner
b)    4 oz. M-Pro 7 Gun Oil LPX
c)    M-Pro 7 Bore Snake (caliber specific)
d)    Lint-Free Cleaning Cloth
e)    Nylon Utility Brush (dual head)
f)     Foam Gun Pad
g)    Weapon Maintenance Product Guide

5. Fast Snap Cleaning System (Remington) ($35-$45) 
Amazon Product Link
The Fast Snap system by America’s oldest gunmaker is an interpretation of one of the newer pull-through systems that use a plastic coated cable instead of a woven, cloth “snake” as in the other systems mentioned. Originally created by the Otis cleaning company (see below), Remington’s version offers some nice features. This kit is compact and contains everything needed to clean a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

This kit comes standard with:
a)    A non-scratch, plastic-coated, cleaning cable with a comfortable, easy-to-grasp Fast Snap T-handle
b)    Bottle of Rem® Oil
c)    A bottle of Brite Bore™ carbon/copper/lead/plastic wad fouling solvent
d)    An assortment of bronze brushes, bore mops, patch loops, and patches
e)    An easy-to-use bore light with interchangeable straight and 90° necks. This projects bright, white light for easy inspection of bores, chambers, and other hard-to-see areas.

This cleaning kit also contains a durable, reinforced canvas case, with foam interior and separate slot for each component, keeps everything organized. Small enough to fit in your range bag or backpack.

6. Otis Cleaning Kits ($20-$350) 
Amazon Product Link
Originally created for the ever-growing popularity of the AR-15 rifle systems, the Otis cleaning kits have grown in popularity and variations to cover just about every type of civilian, law enforcement and military weapon cleaning that can be conceived. Otis even offers a kit designed to clean grenade launchers.

Another plastic-coated, pull through wire system, the Otis kits are excellent options, but usually more gun-type specific such as handgun, shotgun, rifle, AR, etc. and they do tend to be on the expensive side of the dollar range.

The kits come in many sizes and shapes with multitudes of variables in terms of included equipment and chemicals to get your cleaning and lubrication done. My advice if considering an Otis system for general use across all firearms types would be to invest in the Otis “Tactical Cleaning system”. Of all the more general kits that they offer, it has the most varied array of items for all your needs.

So now that you know about different cleaning kits that are offered, you are probably wondering, “Which cleaning system is better? ‘Ram through’ or ‘pull through’?”

Neither. They are two ways of doing the same thing. Some will prefer one way, some the other. Personally, I use both. I like the pull through for rifles and shotguns. I like the rods for handguns. My shotguns prefer the Hoppes solvents and oils, my handguns like the M-Pro 7 and synthetic motor oil for lubrication. In time, you’ll have your own preferences too.

It should be remembered that when purchasing your first general cleaning kit (or your fiftieth general cleaning kit) that nothing lasts forever. Sooner or later you will need to replace the exhausted supply of patches. The mops will become ragged and tattered, the brushes will be bent and green, and the solvent/oil will run dry. It’s at this point where you can venture out and pick and choose what has worked best for you and your firearms needs.

Now go clean your (insert filthy firearm name here) that you’ve been putting off for two months now. You have no excuse and it’s not going to clean itself… yet.