What’s In Your Gun Maintenance Kit?

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

If you’re fairly new to gun ownership, you may be wondering what are the essential tools for maintenance and what you can do without. This guide to putting together a kit should give you a good idea of what equipment you need and which tools are a waste of money.

The tools listed here are for both shotguns and handguns. The main items you need to keep your weapons in good working order are:

Bore brushes
Cleaning rods
Cleaning jags
Patches and eyelets
Lubricating oil
Bore solvent
Safety goggles
Disposable rubber gloves

Experts recommend that you get a cleaning rod that matches the size of the bore as closely as possible in diameter, and that extends out from the length of the barrel by a good 10 inches. The bore brushes should match the caliber of your weapons, as should the eyelets and patches; brass is the recommended material for brushes over plastic or stainless steel. Little extras like q-tips, pipe cleaners, and cleaning rags also come in handy.

Oils and solvents are typically a matter of personal preference, but there are some guidelines about choosing a good one. Some gun owners use a good quality WD-40 to oil their guns, others prefer lubricants that are made specifically for guns. You should also purchase bearing grease.

When to Clean

Whether you clean your gun after each use or devise a regular maintenance schedule depends on a few factors. If your gun is primarily for recreational shooting, cleaning after each use isn’t necessary. If you use it for sport hunting or self-defense, more rigorous maintenance is in order.

The cost of some of the maintenance tools, taken as a whole, may send you into sticker shock, but your guns are an investment, and it’s worth a smaller investment to keep them in good working order and properly maintained. You can buy ready-made kits or use the information in this guide to put together a custom kit that contains only the items you need for your collection; of course, you can add to it as necessary.

You can find many how-to guides for handgun and shotgun cleaning online, as well as places to purchase the necessary cleaning tools. The website http://grabagun.com/taurus/ is an example of an online shop that works hard to provide extra value to its customers by providing informative articles and helpful links. Shopping online works well if you know your product and know what to look for.