RamRodz, more than just Q-tips on steroids

Once upon a time, I was short on money, ammo and firearms, yet had an abundance of time. Since becoming a gun reviewer, my situation has changed: I have plenty of ammo and guns, but no spare time — I still find myself short on money though.

In times gone by, I once thought of firearms cleaning as a mentally cathartic exercise. Lately, it’s become a necessary burden and I find myself trying every conceivable method of speeding up the gun-cleaning process.

Sonic cleaners are good for when your gun hasn’t been diligently cleaned in months, but time consuming and they’re not conducive for larger rifle parts. Barrel snakes are quick, but not effective for thoroughly cleaning the lands and grooves of the barrel’s rifling. My go-to cleaning method for quick jobs consisted of solvents, an old t-shirt and cotton swabs. While sufficient, it was time-consuming, made a ton of waste and often necessitated raids on the wife’s beauty supplies for cotton swabs.

If this sounds like your routine, you’re in luck. RamRodz, a division of Innovative Products of America, invented a giant cotton swab perfectly sized for your pistol’s barrel. The RamRodz cleaning swabs are constructed from industrial grade, low-lint cotton heads that are attached to flexible bamboo shafts.

Although they sound like an over-sized Q-tip, they are noticeably better. The flexible bamboo shaft makes cleaning hard to reach places easy. Also, the low-lint cotton head means there will be no cotton residue left behind when cleaning the sharp innards of a handgun. Moreover, RamRodz are uniquely qualified to clean revolvers faster than any patch. Since RamRodz are produced with materials infinitely softer than the steel utilized in barrel construction, a time-pressed shooter can clean his barrel from the muzzle of a cleared weapon.

Utilizing a metal cleaning rod may damage the barrel’s crown and degrade accuracy over time.

RamRodz cleaning swabs are available in five different sizes, ranging from .22 LR to .50 caliber. For my review, I used the RamRodz system to clean a Ruger MK III, a 9mm Walther PPQ and a Colt 1911. Normally, I utilize a standard Q-tip to clean my Ruger’s barrel, but I always have to disassemble the pistol to do so, which takes more time than I care to spend on my plinking pistol. With the RamRodz swabs I was able to reach past the bore from the muzzle, without having to contort the shaft. Additionally, the higher quality cotton used on the RamRodz means I did not have to pick out strands of cotton from my chamber after cleaning.

After utilizing the RamRodz system to clean both my personal and review guns for three weeks, I can’t imagine not having them. It’s extremely convenient to shove a dozen or so in your range bag, wrapped in a gun rag so you can clean your pistols at the range after a shooting session.

If you’re looking to speed up your cleaning process without emptying your wallet, pick up a pack of RamRodz, the manly Q-tip.

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