Field Tested: Swab-Its Gun Cleaning Products

by
posted on July 16, 2017
** 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. **
swab_lede.jpg

 

Inadequate tools can make the process of cleaning dirty guns much harder than it has to be. Using patch-wrapped tool tips or cotton swaps intended for personal hygiene to scrub at those hard to reach places can be awkward and inefficient. Often these impromptu tools fall apart half way through the cleaning or leave bits fibers and dross behind. The good news is the folks at Super Brush LLC have developed the Swab-its line of polyurethane foam swabs and applicators especially designed for gun cleaning, including a new Star Chamber swab for AR-15/M4 chambers. 

The Star Chamber swab is part of the Gun-Tips series of specialized products with fixed handles and foam pads that can be dipped in solvent for deep cleaning, dropped with lubricant for precise key-point application, or used to apply that final coat of oil to prevent corrosion. The swabs can be cleaned and reused several times. 

For scrubbing the bore of handguns, rifles and shotguns, Swab-its offers several different sizes of Bore-Tip swabs threaded to fit most standard cleaning rods. Each caliber-specific foam bore scrubber is fitted around a polymer core with raised ridges, like a traditional jag patch holder. The core presses the foam firmly into the groves of the rifling for effective cleaning, but the foam does not fall off like patches do during the return stroke of the cleaning rod. Swab-its are American made by a company with more than six decades of experience in producing specialized cleaning tools.

For more, visit swab-its.com.

Latest

man inspecting a cartridge with a magnifying glass
man inspecting a cartridge with a magnifying glass

The Drawbacks of Being a Numbers-Oriented Gun Guy

Like any hobby or pastime that is in any way even vaguely related to machines or technology, firearms attract a (possibly) disproportionate number of “right-brained,” STEM-oriented personalities who like numbers.

First Look: MDT Hand Cannon Slingshot

Slingshots are fun, but they can also be a legitimate backup defensive tool—in 2023, a 13-year-old Michigan boy saved his 8-year-old sister from being kidnapped by using a $3 slingshot to fire a marble and a rock at the assailant, striking him in the chest and head.

The LCP Meets Magpul: Ruger's LCP Max with Magpul's EHG

Over the years, Ruger has enhanced its LCP with the introduction of the LCP II and LCP Max. New for 2026, Ruger is offering a new version of the LCP Max with the addition of a Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip.

Review: 945 Industries Q.A.P. Series Off-Body Carry Bag

Off-body carry can be somewhat controversial, but choosing the right gear can go a long way toward successful carry. One good option is the Q.A.P. Series of bags from 945 Industries.

At 75, CCI is Offering Even More

In 2026, CCI Ammunition—formally Cascade Cartridge, Inc.—marks its 75th anniversary with a fitting tribute to innovation and American ingenuity.

Gun of the Week: Powder River Precision Rubicon Icon

Powder River Precision has taken the basic Ruger 10/22 rifle concept and enhanced it with its Rubicon Icon design.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.