Clean Sweep For The Holidays

by
posted on December 4, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
CLB_F.jpg

Gun folks are finicky. Don’t take my word for it, consider the following topics guaranteed to stir range debate: 1911 vs. polymer; 9 mm vs. .45 ACP; striker fired vs. hammer; bolt-action vs. semi-auto; mil vs. MOA; fiber optic vs. tritium; odd or even groove count; blued, stainless, anodized or parkerized; gas impingement vs. piston; and who really put the ram in the rama lama ding dong.

Those strong opinions carry over into the gear they use. If your gift comes down squarely on the wrong side of the fence-and almost no shooters sit on a fence-it will collect dust in a closet until the family’s annual yard sale.

Take heart, though, the answer is easier than figuring out the lyrics to Barry Mann’s tune. Guns need cleaning. And, if you pick an easily transported range-bag system, it won’t be eyed with contempt like great aunt May’s annual soap-on-a-rope package.

KleenBore has some awesome complete kits designed for shooting-bag storage, but my favorite is the CPT-U Universal. It comes with Break-Free CLP, brushes, mops, cleaning cable, patches and stores in its zippered, molded-nylon 4x6x2-inch case. It works for most handguns, rifles and shotguns, and mine is currently on duty with an ROTC cadet. Having all of the gear together in one easily deployed unit is a big advantage, according to him. Any shooter on your list will appreciate the same convenience.

If they have an AR, consider Gunslick Pro AR-Rifle Pull-Thru Cleaning Kits. They come with cable, jags, patches, chamber guide, scraper, rod, brushes and Ultra-Care solution and two kits are available-.308 Win. and .223 Rem. The gear stores neatly in a zippered-nylon pouch that keeps those small items from disappearing.

Perhaps the person on your list is a harder case to crack, so to speak. If so, consider the M-Pro 7 Advanced Small Arms Cleaning Kit. It comes with all the essential cleaning gear for 5.56 mm, 7.62 NATO and 9 mm firearms, but is available in a hard-sided polymer case. A molle-attachable nylon version seeing use in combat is also available. If it’s good enough for those on the front line of freedom, it’s sure to put a smile on your recreational marksman’s face.

Perhaps nothing here caught your fancy. If so, take a look at AmericanRifleman.org’s holiday buying guide. There are many good ideas there. But, guns need cleaning and that takes supplies-which makes any of these a good choice for that hard-to-buy-for person on  your list. So sit back, toss down a THOR Tactical Energy drink, and enjoy the “dip da dip da dips” of last-minute-buying panic.

Latest

Hearing Healthy
Hearing Healthy

Summer Suppressor Deals On Now

Whether it is a BOGO deal from SIG or free tax stamps from Guns.com and Silencer Central, there's plenty of hearing-safe savings to be had this summer.

Rifleman Report: Defending Freedom For 250 Years

"Anyone who claims not to understand the plain and simple intent of the Second Amendment—especially if that person happens to be a constitutional law professor, Supreme Court justice, congressman, senator or president—is likely hiding nefarious intent: to strip individual liberty from American citizens for the express purpose of making them susceptible to a tyrannical government."

Book Review: 2025 Traveler’s Guide To The Firearms Laws Of The Fifty States

Newly updated for 2025, the 29th edition of the Traveler’s Guide To The Firearm Laws Of The Fifty States is packed with all the need-to-know information for cross-country trekkers seeking to bring their arms along with them and remain legal in all localities.

Springfield Kuna: A PDW For The Masses

Small, yet fierce, the namesake of Springfield Armory’s latest large-format pistol is a revered forest dweller in the land of its Croatian manufacturing partner, HS Produkt. The new Kuna is poised to be just as welcome in America.

The Armed Citizen® June 30, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Book Review: Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers Of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler

The result of a decade of research, Clockwork Basilisk is a comprehensive, two-volume history of the rare revolvers that preceded the development of the well-known Colt guns of the 1830s.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.