There are a lot of different options for firearms lubricants, and a lot of different gun cleaning tools you can keep in your range bag. How do you pick one and which one is the best? The fact is, it entirely depends on what you’re doing, but there are some systems which have done a great job for the staff at GunUp the Magazine. Here’s a list of some of our favorites gun cleaning tools.
Otis Technology Cleaning Systems
Otis Technology Cleaning Systems are compact, all-in-one kits that are easy to store in your range bag and provide shooters with a variety of useful tools, depending on their needs on the range. One great example is their 3-Gun Cleaning Kit, which comes packed with:
- 8-inch to 30-inch Memory-Flex Cables for breech-to-muzzle cleaning.
- Five bronze bore brushes to remove copper deposits and other fouling.
- Rubberized patch saver for 360-degree shotgun barrel cleaning.
- Precision tools for fine cleaning of hard-to-reach areas.
OTIS TECHNOLOGY 3-GUN CLEANING SYSTEM
This all comes in a lightweight pack with a belt loop that is about 3-inches in diameter and 2-inches tall. It is closed using a zipper around the edge of the pack, and when opened includes three well-organized layers that keep all the cleaning tools in a specific place.
The one downside of the Otis gun cleaning tools is that you really need to carry a separate bottle of oil. Each of these packs comes with a small tube of bore solvent, but carrying a bottle of lubricant on the side is an absolute must. For many of us, a bottle of lubricant will solve about 90-percent of the problems we face when our gun malfunctions on the range. Luckily, Otis has a variety of solutions for that as well, with their wide range of firearm lubricants that come in small bottles that are easy to pack to the range.
These Otis packs are great, not only because of the comprehension of the very small packs but because of the variety of products they have available. Other cleaning kits Otis offers include:
- Upland Wingshooter Cleaning System
- 300 BLK Cleaning System
- MSR/AR Cleaning System
- Hardcore Hunter Cleaning System
- Small Caliber Cleaning System
- .50 Cal Rifle Cleaning System
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10-8 Performance Lubricant
10-8 Performance is well known for their amazing 1911-smithing, their knowledge of M&Ps and their extensive background in law enforcement and the firearms industry. If you have a question, these guys can answer it. Even if your question is “What should I use to lubricate my gun?”
The 10-8 Performance lubricant is one of our favorites. It’s thin, and according to their website it’s functional from -100 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though we’re from South Dakota we’ve never been able to test this claim, but we can vouch for it between 0 degrees and 100 degrees.
The best part about this particular lubricant is how long it lasts. A small amount goes a long way. It’s also simple to use, which is really important for people like our M&P-shooting Managing Editor, who hears something about having to prepare your gun after cleaning and then has to ask if that’s the part where you dry the gun off after you take it out of the dishwasher.
The 10-8 Performance lubricant comes in both 25ml and 3ml bottles. The 3ml bottle can be conveniently stored in a vertical fore grip or pistol grip for in-field maintenance, while the 25ml bottle is a great addition to a range bag and will lubricate a lot of firearms before needing to be replaced.
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Leupold Optics Lens Pen
The Leupold Optics Lens Pen is one of the items: you don’t realize you need until you have it, and then you can’t live without it. The two-step lens pen is simple to use. On one side is a brush that is used to sweep debris off the lens. On the other side is a microfiber cleaning tip with a self-replenishing dry cleaning compound.
Leupold Lens Pen
The optics pen is a great for a wide variety of optics, from Delta Points to Mark ARs. (We know, we’ve tried it.) It’s also extremely compact, the size of a pen, so it can easily be kept in a range bag or even a pocket, depending on your pants. If you have an optic on any of your firearms, keeping it clean is important, and this quick-to-use, simple and easy-to-carry system is a great way to do so.
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Originally published in the November 2013 issue of GunUp the Magazine.
