(Part 2) Best gun maintenance products according to redditors

So this is a Smith and Wesson Model 27, made in 1960 (per the serial number), .357 Magnum (also .38 special). I received it as a gift and it is my first gun ever! Super stoked to own it now, and I'll probably join the prolonged slide of gun ownership that I see in this sub time to time. My next purchase is likely a smaller concealed carry weapon.

The giant ammo tin is vintage, I'm guessing vietnam era, but no idea, I could be full of shit. It's stacked with hundreds of .357 FMJs. 1 box of .357 hollow points, and 2 boxes of Shotshell snake charmers.

I'm pleased as punch with this gun. I've just purchased a bunch of accessories on amazon, I'll post them below, maybe you can tell me if these are good products or not for range shooting. (No referral links or any of that bs)

Plano Protector 4 pistol case

MTM 38/357 Cal 100 Round Flip-Top Ammo Box

Remington T-72 Shooting Glasses

3M Peltor Combat Arms Earplugs

Hoppe's Universal Gun Cleaning Accessory Kit

don't be a dick hammer and put all sort of mall ninja shit on it right away. spend all your money on ammo and quality cleaning equipment.



Cheap decent quality ammo



if you're new and you just want an easy cleaning kit:



field manual with pictures if you're really new to AR's something like this is super valuable to have.




Otis Cleaning Kit includes everything you need to clean it.



Lube Everyone has their favorite Lube, mine was ballistol, you can dump it on pretty much everything, and it makes it work together smoothly.



But now I prefer to use Seal 1 CLP this shit is great.




scrapper for when your bolt carrier group gets all fuckered.




you're def going to want one of these puppies too, a chamber brush

Congrats and welcome to the Mauser club! You picked a decent rifle for your first. This one's been refinished, but I have yet to see a 1916 in original condition that doesn't look like it was dug up out of a mud puddle, and this is a shooter, so that's probably for the best.


So before you buy anything else, you'll want to get your range kit together, starting with a cleaning kit. This youtuber has the most in depth range kit video I've seen, but his setup is geared towards black powder rifles.


For a cleaning kit, you'll want patches, a bore snake, and a cleaning rod. I suggest going to Walmart for these to start. You will also probably want a cleaning solvent with a copper solvent in it.


You'll also want a gunsmith's screwdriver kit. These have a different bit that's meant to prevent the screws from stripping out.


For a shooting rest, I really like how compact the rest from that video.


For a spotting scope, you can spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of shit. Something like this celestron is what I use. A pure refractory telescope in that price range won't work very well unless it's incredibly sunny.


If you want to get into reloading, the cheapest and most space efficient way is with the Lee hand press. You would still need a case trimmer, dies, and some other stuff. It takes some research to figure out exactly what you want.


And finally, you'll want to figure out how to carry all this stuff as efficiently as possible. There is a tendency to have all kinds of cases and stuff you have to drag out to the range. The best thing you can do is to figure out how to get all this stuff in a range dedicated backpack, which is why I linked the video.


I also recommend that channel. He's not the easiest to watch, but I have yet to find a channel that is as thorough or as knowledgeable in one rifle as this gentleman. His favorite, as far as I can tell, is the P53 enfield.

I use Frog Lube

It works remarkably well, smells minty fresh, and is even edible!

I got a steak in the fridge marinating in it now!

This is a goddamn joke, anyone reading this comment has been forwarned. But seriously it's edible.

A http://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Chucker-Supreme-Master-Reloading/dp/B0078MWM2W

B http://www.cabelas.com/product/RCBS-reg-Rock-Chucker-Supreme-Master-Reloading-Kit/1324071.uts

1 http://www.slickguns.com/black-friday-2014

2 http://gunssavelives.net/old/update-firearms-industry-black-friday-deals-round-2/

3 http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=12401608&DeviceOptOut=1

4 http://www.hyattgunstore.com/black-friday-sales.html

5 http://www.midwayusa.com/black-friday-sale

6 http://www.reddit.com/r/gundeals

7 http://www.sportsmansguide.com/splash?key=blackfriday

8 http://www.cabelas.com/category/Black-Friday/468246780.uts

9 http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/Black-Friday-Sale

no, don't do it! Just buy a set of picks on Amazon - plastic, brass, unobtanium - so many options

https://smile.amazon.com/Tipton-549864-Cleaning-Picks/dp/B0048KGFHU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536755443&sr=8-2&keywords=plastic+cleaning+picks

One thing I would add - scew apart/together cleaning rods will eventually have their threads buggered up, there are steel versions of kits like this out there which can damage rifling if mesed up enough (the brass more than likely wont but can be a pain screwing them together if you cross thread it once). An 'easy' upgrade off the bat would be a one piece cleaning rod (there are cheaper options out there but these rods are great) just something someone might want to consider adding to the list.

If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, the Otis Elite is excellent. But pricey (doesnt have a one piece rod, but pull throughs have their own advantage) they also make a compact version this version is included in the 'elite' - which just has extra pull throughs and more caliber brushes as well as some extra odds and ends.

I use a gun cloth like this.

Or Remington wipes.

One tool

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0014VX2M2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525899651&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Glock+tool&dpPl=1&dpID=21dVWV7qV6L&ref=plSrch

I would recommend upgrading to a nice digital scale, it will make things easier.

Maybe get a few of these if you haven't yet thought about how you're going to store your loaded ammo.

I have that same tumbler, works great. I would also suggest a separator for afterwords. Some brass polish is nice too.

I think that kit comes with a hand trimmer, but I would recommend a larger one, your hands will thank you.

I went with a Lyman kit for my starter set, and while it's a lot more expensive than yours, I've been very pleased with it.

When you start doing 223 you'll also want a case length trimmer. This one works pretty well for me.

Assuming 5.56/.223:

https://smile.amazon.com/Otis-Technology-223cal-5-56mm-Cleaning/dp/B007ZYQUUI/

Thanks! I haven't measured the retention without cleaning out the chute. There's still more than I'd like (I guess I shouldn't be surprised with a throat that large). I currently use a soft gun cleaning pick to brush out the grinds and there's less than 0.1g after that.

One thing that also helped was cutting out the thick screen grid in the throat. I thought about using some sort of bellows, but I'm a little worried it would force fine grinds into the motor with how the MDX is designed.

Another food safe option is Frog Lube.

Spend a little extra and get tools you won't want to replace. The RCBS kit has a better scale, dropper, press and priming tool: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0078MWM2W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1452709834&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Rcbs+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=41LeCz2g02L&ref=plSrch

Just get a takedown punch.

http://www.amazon.com/FROGLUBE-Brand-PREMIUM-Lubricant-Liquid/dp/B003ZW0LXQ 4oz liquid and 4 oz paste for under $35

EDIT: cheaper
http://www.amazon.com/Frog-Lube-Liquid-Bottle-4-Ounce/dp/B00579HNK4
http://www.amazon.com/Froglube-Paste-Cleaner-Lubricant-Protectant/dp/B004FOV89E

A hand press kit, a scale, and dies will cost you a little over $90 with free shipping, and will fit into a shoebox. Add components (brass (you said you already have some), bullets ($0.20/rd or less for good ones), primers ($0.05/rd or less), and powder ($0.03/rd or less)) and you can be loading fairly easily and cheaply, the only hard part will be finding pistol powder.

This is what you're looking for.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CWDPF6W/

I'm currently making 300blk out of 223 cases and just loading standard plinking rounds. I'm going for lost cost per round (CPR) that I can do.

Whatever press you very will typically work with any dies. I use a Lee single stage press and Lee dies, personally. I like doing steps in bulk.

Steps:

1. Look at all my 223 brass and pick out as many lake city brass as I want to covert.
   
2. Use a harbor freight 2in mini cut saw and some type of jig (I made one myself, but there are better ones on Amazon) to cut it to the right length.
   
3. Decap and resize using the decap/resizing die.
   
4. Depending on the trimmer you will either trim the case to length before priming, or you can prime first. I use a Lyman Ezee Trim and bought the extra 300blk pilot for it since I also do 223 and plan on 308. BUT I'd personally say to get the world's finest trimmer 2 of you plan to do bulk as well as other calibers. I was enough money on trim serious that failed that I could have just bought the world's finest and been good. If you don't plan on bulk and want to save some $$ the Lyman is fine. If you use the Lyman you need to prime after trimming. World's finest you can prime whenever. With the Lyman you may need to resize again if you use a hand drill to help with the trimming. Sometimes mine opens the case mouth a bit and causes b to not seat correctly.
   
5. Trim or prime after doing whatever you didn't do in the last step.
   
6. Find what powder and load you want. I use a Lee perfect powder measure. Others may be better. Mine gunks up after 100 rings and I wind up needing to clean the internals of I leave pretty in it overnight because they make the lever get hard to move. It also spills a little powder out the side in mine. This may not be the case with others.
   
7. Inspect that there is power in every case. Just put them all in a holder and use a flashlight to check.
   
8. Seat bullet to desired length with seating die.
   
9. Crimp bullet if using in a magazine feed rifle. This is personal choice for people. I like to do it this way. Others may not. If you are going for plinking amp it usually won't matter either way. Precision ammo you will have to test with and without to see if one gives better accuracy.
   
10. Shoot and test it. Put 3-5 round s in a mag (if shooting semi-auto) and shoot all 3-5. See if it cycles reliably and kicks the bolt back after the last round. You can technically do this with 2 rounds in a mag, but I like to test to make sure they feed in the mag right as well.

The awesome thing is that Dawson supplies the tools you need for both the front and rear sights.


I would say that a bench vice is required though. Took quite a bit of hammering to install the rear sight. I clamped the slide in between two wooden blocks wrapped in duct tape, and wrapped the included punch tool in duct tape as well. Managed to install everything without marring or scratching the finish.


Not sure what you mean by trigger tool. If you mean the pins, I've found that this disassembly tool works great for a bunch of stuff, but any pin punch should work fine if it's small enough.

I would definitely recommend wiping the blades down with oil or some other rust resistant product such as a TufCloth. Probably couldn't hurt to throw a desiccant of some sort into the cabinet/drawer/wherever you store your gear to soak up the moisture out of the air.

Here's how I handle it:

1. Get a media separator (example).
   
2. Dump contents of tumbler into this separator, spin it 30-40 times.
   
3. At this point, virtually all of the pins in the brass have fallen into the water, but the brass is in the separator.
   
4. Dump brass into a large food strainer (dedicated for this purpose, not for food straining afterwards!) in a sink and wash and dry brass as normal.
   
5. With the water and pins still in the base of the separator, use a 5-gallon paint strainer bag to reclaim the pins. (example). Pins will be in the strainer. You can wash the residual soap from the pins while in the strainer.
   
6. Profit!
   

Amazon has them for $14 with free shipping on orders over $25.

http://www.amazon.com/Glock-AD00062-Bench-Mat/dp/B000U3YWEM

Glock Bench Mat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000U3YWEM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_eFzzzbZBKK41Y

Search for gun cleaning brushes. They are usually about 75% cheaper and sometimes literally the same thing.

Pack of 10 for ~$6USD

'Pack' of 1 for ~$2USD

I have been using the gun cleaning nylon ones for a long time and love them. I haven't used them outdoors much though. Work great for the gym in my experience.

What I do is get a Tuf-Cloth and wipe down the blade before you put it away

Some rust prevention tests can be found here and here so you can see what works best.

I have all of those pieces except the case prep center and they are all great. I was happily reloading my rifles with this.

I also bought a Dillon 550 and I love that too. I do 9, 40, 556 and 300 with it.

Then a friend dropped about 2k of 5.56 brass in my lap. The case trimmer and "by the hand" primer pocket cleaning and deburr of the neck got old really fast.

I bought the Universal Trim station which basically is an automated case trimmer and built in case prep center. After some out of box problems (RCBS quickly sent me replacement parts). I love that too.

I will say even though I purchased [this crimp remover] (http://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Trim-Military-Crimp-Remover-SM/dp/B0063IDE6A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422572881) and it's the first thing I'm actually dissatisfied with. I still don't have reliable primer seating (occasional primer crushes) on the Dillon.

I moved over to this as a step in once fired brass prep, and then go ahead and clean out the primer pocket using the crimp removal thing (on the trim station) from above and things seem really solid now.

I hope that helps, stay safe and have fun.

RCBS has great customer service. I don't think you'll regret getting that kit.

You're best bet for a cleaning kit is to get one of the deluxe versions. They only cost ten bucks more but you're good for this and future purchases.

http://www.cabelas.ca/product/91581/winchester-42-piece-deluxe-universal-gun-cleaning-kit

https://www.amazon.ca/Hoppes-No-Universal-Cleaning-Accessory/dp/B001HBHNM4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502372710&sr=8-3&keywords=deluxe+rifle+cleaning+kit

Hard case protects a bit better but soft is fine to.

Patches come with the kit. Unless you're using Otis or some other brand that requires special patches get what ever is one sale. They're all the same.

You'll usually get a small bottle of oil with the kit. 3in1, Hoppe's, or Remington are all fine. The expensive stuff doesn't really do much other than waste your money.

Slings are for carrying your gun in the bush. At the range they generally want you to move you gun while cased. Get a piece of string and test what looks/feels right. Most slings will come with 6" of adjustment. You don't want it to be overly long that the excess flops about but to short isn't handy either. Measure the interior dimension of your sling swivels so you get the right width. A cheap nylon one will work the same as a hand tooled leather one but leave you more money for ammo.

Get a silicone gun & reel cloth for wiping your gun down before you put it in the safe.

that should be about it to get you started. have fun

I think Tuf cloths work well with D2. I'm not sure if you would want to cut food with that, but you could always use food grade mineral oil as well.

> https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Breech-Lock-Challenger/dp/B003ISVWC6

yes. i also got mine from amazon.

the parts that need improvement are discussed in the customer reviews near the bottom of the page. powder dispenser and scale are the items i remember getting lukewarm reviews. those parts are cheap to upgrade. so no worry.


you need dies for the caliber that you are reloading.

for some reason i have 2 sets of .223 dies. i know i purchased one, i'm not sure if the other came with the kit.

i purchased a 2" bench top cut off saw [$32]

a jig to cut my cases [$13] 300blk

a case length guage [$10] 300blk

ammo loading tray [$7]

dies [$39] for each caliber

digital caliper [$16]

frankford scale [$32]

frankford bullet puller [$16]

tumber kit [$75]

i spent a good month or so on /r/reloading before i actually purchased anything.

i asked questions and made a shopping list.

those guys are very helpful

research what you actually need for the caliber / bullet grain you want to reload before you buy anything.

double and triple check what powder you need as well. it could save your life.


i kinda over did it with supplies

haven't opened half the boxes yet.

I use Tuf-Cloth. Its a lint-free cloth soaked in oil/silicone that is non-greasy and doesn't attract dirt. It also prevents rust. I use it on my firearms and knives. The stuff work wonders. At only $8, this product is a great deal. I have had the same cloth for about a year and it's still good.

EDIT: grammar

Not OP, but here's a set on Amazon. FWIW, I recently bought these but haven't used them yet.

Get a second manual to cross reference and storage bins.. lots of storage bins. This is also nice.

So, steel care is a two part process - sealing and maintaining. :)

Sealing:

First off, remove all the oil, dirt, and other chemicals from the metal. The easiest way to do this is brake cleaner fluid. If you've never worked with this before - don't do it in your tub or sink, it will remove everything, including the cosmetic liners on those surfaces. :p

Second - coat the entire metal in your sealing material. Here is a comprehensive comparison of various metal care products, but the short version is: Use WD-40 Specialist: Silicone.

Because we beat on our armor, that silicone seal will get chipped and removed in places. So the second step.

Maintaining:

After each practice, wipe your armor down with a silicone impregnated rag. These vary in quality a LOT. I use this one.

About once every 6-9 months, you'll want to completely redo your sealing process as above. Exactly how often depends on how often you're using your stuff and what kind of climate you live in.

Please, for the love of god, don't listen to the people who advocate olive oil or other "period" techniques. Firstly - the era of modern material sciences can do a lot better than the period techniques did and secondly - oils go rancid. 4 times now, I've been handed a piece of steel to inspect that was so rancid smelling I had to ask the fighter to clean it before letting it touch other people's garb.

As far as brands go, I would take a look at Agency Arms, Overwatch Precision, or SSVI. Those brands in my opinion all appear to be the safest in terms of drop safety for after market triggers.

You should be able to install the trigger yourself using only a Glock Tool (IE: Do not use a hammer ever to do this!) which is literally just a small handy punch or really any punch of the same size for that matter.. There are plenty of videos on youtube on how to do this. The trigger will come assembled on to the trigger bar already, so when you replace it, you will be replacing the entire trigger bar / trigger shoe assembly. Its not really that hard.

My LGS gave it to me when I picked up the 19. You can find them here for pretty cheap

RCBS Kit $300

Hornday Calipers $25

You need a case trimmer. I went for the WFT.

Then you need dies (sizer/seater). You can spend as little as $50 or so for this, I went with the most recommended which was Redding and cost $160.

All of this made sense for me because I knew I was going to keep it forever. But if you have the funds to do it right, do it right and dont skimp. Because even if you should decide in a year you dont want to do it anymore, you are more likely to be able to sell good components than cheap ones, and at less of a depreciation. I bought all this stuff a year ago, and I bet I could get an 80-90% return if I were to sell it now.

Just keep a few things in mind: Reloading, especially as a beginner, takes time. Expect 100 rounds of .308 from start to finish to take you 4ish hours. And add to the cost, you can see already that $500-600 is about where you will land with just components (accounting for the cost for a tumbler). Now components, lets do the math for 1,000 rounds. You have to buy Brass (expensive, 100 costs $50-80, but they are obviously reuseable), bullets (lots of 500 for $170, so $340 for 1k), powder (can be hard to find, and if you have to ship can be expensive, think $40/lb, 7lbs should get you a tad more than 1k rounds, so $280 for 7lbs+hazmat/shipping+$50ish), and primers (sold in lots of 1k for about $32, $27 hazmat shipping fee unless you pick up locally/ship with powder).

On the conservative side, assume you spend $500 on components to be ready to reload. +$70 (brass avg), +$340, +$330, +$32 = $772 for 1,000 rounds, just in components.

Now you are at about $1200-1300 for 1,000 rounds. But your next 1,000 are only components, so $772 (ish) per 1k from then on out.

But if you aren't even sure you want to do this for a long time, you may not make up the cost difference of the equipment. Which is where one of the fallacies of reloading lies, don't get into it to save money. Get into it to have complete and total control over the product that you shoot. If that's not worth it to you, just buy factory ammo.

Lastly, going back tot he $1200-1300, lets average it again to $1250, how much ammo can you get for that, right now? Assume you find Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 175gr (you wont) boxes of 20 are $35. Thats 35 boxes, or 700 rounds. Or you could go Hornady 168gr for $26.50. Thats 47 boxes for $1250, or 940 rounds.

Disclaimer, its early, still drinking coffee, please correct math if I screwed up somewhere (it's been known to happen). My close friend wants to build his first precision rifle, and he fell into the newbie mistake of thinking he could skimp on things, like optics. I wont say I demanded he 'spend twice what he did on the rifle, on the glass' or anything like that. But I told him I already spent more than his rifle will cost on reloading gear, which he can use, so he wont have to. So he has to spend at least $850 (Vortex PST 6-24x FFP) on his scope to use my gear. I think getting into this style of shooting you need $1k for the gun, $1k for the optics, $1k for reloading. There will be some the gun/optics category to fill in for accessories, or add to the reloading budget, but if you cant spend $3k for a .308 setup, shooting .308 is going to be too costly for you anyways.

I love BCM Gunfighters charging handles, and good call on the CTR stock. Do yourself a favor and Frog Lube that BCG a couple of times while you're waiting.

I think a Tuf-Cloth may help. Knife and gun guys use it to protect their carbon steels. Its also used by museums to protect items that are prone to rust. The product in the cloth creates an invisible barrier from the elements. http://www.amazon.com/TUF-CLOTH-12-Resealable-Pouch/dp/B000E892Z2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1YH1ZRQYXJWUH&coliid=I4CVG2QL61RXU

Edit: Oh and congrats!!!!!!

I would highly recommend the RCBS Rockchucker reloading kit - it comes with pretty much everything you need to get started except for a die set, brass, bullets, primers, and powder. You can always buy different equipment later, or fancier tools to make the process easier (especially for brass prepping and powder dispensing). Here's a link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Chucker-Supreme-Master-Reloading/dp/B0078MWM2W

I've definitely seen it cheaper than $370 though!

This

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Breech-Lock-Press/dp/B0050Z5A6E

Plus this

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-45-Die-Steel/dp/B000N8QLNE/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1462373534&sr=1-1&keywords=45-70+dies

Then a caliper
http://www.amazon.com/SE-784EC-Digital-Caliper-Metric/dp/B003MA08VQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462373575&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=digital+caliper&psc=1

All that is left is primers, powder and projectiles.

you can clean your old brass is dish soap and a small wire brush from a gun cleaning kit

I'd get the classic cast, or breach lock press, I have the little one you linked to, as a backup and its pretty flimsy.

The die you linked isn't a set, just an individual unit.

That being said, I've loaded tons of 303 with a Lee press and Lee dies.


The prices aren't good, but here are some quick links:

https://www.amazon.ca/Lee-Precision-303-Pacesetter-Dies/dp/B000NSD6O6/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1?keywords=lee+precision+303+british&qid=1563894948&s=gateway&sprefix=lee+pr&sr=8-1-fkmr1

https://www.amazon.ca/Lee-Precision-Breech-Challenger-Press/dp/B008F5H636/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=lee+press&qid=1563894900&s=gateway&sr=8-4

He's right about the bore snake definitely check that out. You can find them on Amazon for a better price than you see in stores/online

http://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-24011-BoreSnake-Cleaner-22--223/dp/B0000C50K3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415661560&sr=8-1&keywords=bore+snake

I've had really good luck with a double ended nylon brush on amazon
the one end is a single row...used with some foamy soap..may not erase the gouge, but you'll get the dirt out w/out compromising the lighter area around it...I took a few courses in museum/artifact preservation. I put it to good use on my shoes.

If you're on a budget:

• Kershaw TX Tool - disassembly and service.
  
• Tuf Cloth - cleaning and protecting.
  
• Knife Pivot Lube - lubricant (folding knives).
  
• Lansky Turn Box - maintaining factory edge.

I kind of wonder if this would work well:

https://www.amazon.com/LEE-PRECISION-90058-Perfect-Measurer/dp/B000NTMJLG

This is obviously not the intended use case but it's designed to drop a precise measurement of powder / granules consistently and quickly.

I think I linked the wrong ones.

Here is the edited link

Search Ebay. You can find deals like this one or this one or you can get a brand new Lee for $70 or a whole kit minus the dies for $116

Please don't remove the primer crimp, just swager! http://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Primer-Pocket-Swager-Combo-2/dp/B0063IDAX2

Frankford Arsenal Calipers

Mine have worked great for years and the batteries last forever.

You could get a caliper and digital scale. The total would put you $0.90 over $50 tho.

I do have and use these. They are not top of the line but are still not bad.

> I'm looking for a good cleaning kit and set of tools for this gun.

For a starter kit, i'd recommend something like this setup:

• Otis Cleaning Kit
  
• 6" Q-Tips - Great for the hard to reach spots a regular short Q-Tip can't reach.
  
• TekMat - Only cleaning mat brand i'll go with, durable, and solid for the price.
  
• CLP - Whatever you prefer, everyone has something they like/prefer. For now, i've been using RandCLP to clean my guns for the last year, and some ALG Go-Juice as my lube.
  
• Brushes - I don't use these as often as some do, most use them for stuff like scrubbing their BCG's. I only clean my AR's after a high round count, so i use mine maybe once a month when i clean my regular phosphate BCG's.
  
• Shop Towels - I use the shit out of these. After shooting suppressed i gave up on being real anal-retentive about cleaning, so i just wipe down parts (BCG, uppers, CH, etc) with a shop towel and re-lube where needed. I only do a detailed cleaning maybe 1-2 a year.
  
• AR Tool - Despite Tapco stuff usually being Chinese junk, their AR tool is pretty tip-top, i've had it for about 3.5 years now and used it a lot, it's held up wonderfully.
  
  I use a kit i put together myself for cleaning my handguns, rifles, shotgun, etc, for cleaning. My guns get cleaned differently, which gun it is dictates how it'll get clean and how often.

I bought a $30 RCBS media separator and have no regrets. Dump everything in there and 30 seconds later the job is done.

Neither. A dry boresnake. Or are we getting our lines crossed?

One of these things.

This is the one you want: https://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-No-Bore-Cleaner-Bottle/dp/B0010KHNEU/ref=sr_1_3

The regular hoppes oil is just a lubricant. Number 9 bore cleaner is a powder and copper solvent, usually used for cleaning copper fouling from the barrel. Since brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, Number 9 will also break down brass. It'll do a number on brass bore brushes, also.

https://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-No-Silicone-Reel-Cloth/dp/B000VYL3EM

[How strong are you?] (https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Breech-Lock-Hand-Press/dp/B0050Z5A6E)

^^^^$99 ^^^^is ^^^^not ^^^^bad

I get the same problem in GA with humidity. this with a medium bristle tooth brush over all stainless steel surfaces and then wipe it down with a silicon cloth like this one to prevent more rust.

Works like a charm.

Rock Chucker

I used one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CWDPF6W/ref=sr_ph_1?qid=1462064522&sr=sr-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=gun+cleaning+brush the far end is good for large areas and the little end can get into most tight crevices

I use the RCBS media separartor. I fill the bottom half with water and turn it for a couple minutes. Then the brass goes into a bath towel and I gran the corners and roll the brass around in there for a couple minutes. Then they go in the oven for about 20 mins. That seems to get all the pins out for me.

I have the Otis MSR kit. Compact, has everything you need--overall a good value. I got it for less than $50, but still good at that price. I'd recommend it with a single caveat--learn how to fold the patches properly on the jag.

I had a "patch" (read: incorrectly-sized tshirt scrap) come loose just past the chamber. Stuck. Bought an actual cleaning rod (was planning to buy one anyway, in case of stuck rounds) and unplugged the barrel nicely. Other times I didn't fold real patches properly and they came off the jag. No problems when I did things properly.

I like that it included the bone tool and all necessary accesories.

edit: submitted prematurely

Thanks for the help.

Went with the following.

BLACKHAWK! Sportster Range Bag, Black

3 Trigger Locks

Chamber Flags

Targets

Stapler Staples

Cheap Earplugs

Cleaning Kit Should I also get a collapsible one? Was unable to find one on Amazon.

Eye Protection

Primary Ear Protection


Anything I missed?
[Secondary Ear Protection] (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001D8CRB8/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Incase my main ones fail, or I have a guest.

I like a man/woman who speaks my language.

Enjoy:

Rod

Brass Jags

Patches

Clothes

I was using gun oil to prevent corrosion of my steel. Another poster here suggested that might be a bad idea. After a lot of searching and reading pretty much every thread on the topic on B&B and SRP (there are several in the archives), I decided NOT to oil my razor at all, as the general consensus is that oils can do more harm than good. For those who do choose to oil their blades, mineral oil or non-corrosive gun oils are the most popular choices.

Now, instead of oiling, I wipe it down with a TUF-cloth and store my razors inside a silicone gun sleeve in a drawer with a small rechargeable silica dehumidifying canister. Probably overkill protection, but it's easier than oiling and I feel much better protected with a total long term investment of $22.

I'm a fan of the RCBS primer pocket swager combo. It swages the pocket correctly and can even fix other problems not necessarily found with military crimped pockets.

http://amzn.com/B0063IDAX2

I would suggest getting something like this it will have everything that you need, and a lot of brushes for other calibers if you end up getting them. Other than this kit, you will need a (preferably lint free, I like to use microfiber) cloth, and a small brush like a toothbrush (these are great), and a powder solvent (Hoppe's No. 9 is great stuff)

Would this be the kit you speak of?

would just one of the basic rifle cleaning kits do? That's primarily what I've been using

Edit: this guy except obvious multi rifle not just ar

not sure if you want any requests, but I'd buy the hell out of a candle that smelled like Hoppe's #9

That's awesome!!!! Congrats!

I have one thing to be excited about and that is I may be getting a job as a weapons master for a certain TV show(cant say until it's official. I signed an NDA). This has been in the works for about 7 months now and Derek(my current boss and gun shop owner) and I are in final talks. Im really excited.

MCubb may be just a tad bit excited today!

Related Item

Laser

The best thing I think I've done, was driving a NASCAR around Kentucky Motor Speedway! REALLY fun!

I'm getting this.

Seem good?

As far as ammo is concerned, it depends what he shoots - $60 is probably not going to get you much although I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

Ammo can "hamper" full of of cleaning supplies, gun socks & cleaning mats?

e.g.
http://www.amazon.com/Tipton-Polymer-Gun-Cleaning-Picks/dp/B0048KGFHU

http://www.amazon.com/Break-Free-Cleaner-Lubricant-Preservative-Squeeze/dp/B0050GW7KU

http://www.amazon.com/Break-Free-Cleaner-Lubricant-Preservative-Aerosol/dp/B0050GW73C

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Company-Knit-Gun-Sock/dp/B00014ZY0Q

http://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-24020-BoreSnake-Cleaner-Caliber/dp/B0014VQ6TI

http://www.amazon.com/MTM-AC-11-Ammo-Can/dp/B003ISKM9K

http://www.amazon.com/TekMat-11-Inch-17-Inch-Handgun-Cleaning/dp/B0036N9A3G

http://www.amazon.com/TekMat-12-Inch-36-Inch-Cleaning-Imprint/dp/B0036N474S

Leave the copper colored factory grease on the slide until it's gone. Hit up the range with a few hundred rounds. Some people clean the gun before firing. I just lubed the slide a little and fired 300 rounds before my first cleaning.

Start here: https://youtu.be/DZf4mUM10Vc

• buy this: Ballistol Multi-Purpose Oil, Aerosol spray, 6 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ERKCIA/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_gVErxbHNPR5KC
  
  
• I also use this in my range bag: Break Free CLP-PS Precision Shooter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050GWAVG/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_AWErxb1E47QD6
  
• Buy these or cheap tooth brushes: 10-Piece Double-Ended Gun Cleaning Brush Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CWDPF6W/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_DXErxbM5DDJWS
  
  For deeper cleaning watch this: https://youtu.be/7VTIqAMPOco
  
  
• You'll need this (I keep one in my cleaning kit and one in my range bag): Glock GT03374 Disassembly Takedown Tool Punch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014VX2M2/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_VYErxbRWCJDBW
  
  These: The Professional's Choice Pistol/Rifle Cotton Flannel 2 1/2-Inch Square Gun Cleaning Patches (120-Pack), .38/.357-Calibre/9mm/10mm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MY45Q6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_I0Erxb77YVTWA
  
  -This: UTG 9MM Pistol Cleaning Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ZJ1364/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_j1Erxb6MQEHNV
  
  
• I bought these too: Gun Cleaning Set with 3 Brushes & 2 Double-Ended Picks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009HD0R86/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_62Erxb0DYJ7A8
  
  
  Sorry for the long links I'm on mobile and bored at the moment. There are more updated and thorough videos if you search YouTube, but I enjoy listening to Hickok45's. Hope this helps.

He's only posted dick comments that I've seen. Don't pay him any mind. As far as the trigger, it's really easy. Buy a punch for 6 dollars (Glock 03374 Disassembly Takedown Tool for Pin Punch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014VX2M2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1q5YAb2W9YKPA) and watch a video. It's way more easy than you think. Make sure the gun is unloaded and do the work in a room with no ammo nearby. When you remove the trigger pin make sure you don't hammer it too much. Wiggle it around, usually toward the nose of the gun, and it will press out. Pull the trigger forward and twist and the crucifix comes out, unhook the spring and put it on the new trigger and do everything again in reverse. Took me 4 minutes the first time I did one. As long as you don't hurt yourself, you can't really hurt anything by trying

Go with a Bore Snake. Makes life much easier. My .22 caliber one works fine on my 30-30 and Mosin.

Here is the desktop version of your link

I like the magpul flip up sites.

https://www.magpul.com/firearms-accessories/sights/see-all

A cheap magwell might be nice to see how you like them:

https://armaspec.com/product/magwell-grip/

Lancer mags are nice:

https://lancer-systems.com/awc/advanced-warfighter-magazines/

A red dot is a must have, lots of options and budget ranges, so pick your flavor.

A good trigger is nice, no idea what kind of trigger you like, but the obvious go to are the geissele:

https://geissele.com/rifle-parts/lower-parts/triggers.html

I've become a fan of the boresnake:

https://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-Boresnake-M-16-22-Caliber/dp/B0000C50K3/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1550425188&sr=8-3&keywords=hoppes+bore+snake+223

The strike industry charging handles are nice:

https://www.primaryarms.com/strike-industries-arch-ar15-charging-handle-extended-latch

May want to pick up a Boresnake. They're very helpful.

I have the same wet tumbler you do. I use this media separator to spin around the cases to remove any pins I missed from shaking out the tumbler into a big bucket. Works very well. I fill it with water and do one run through water and then another run in open air.

Also, GET THE MAGNET those little bastard pins get everywhere and your life will be 100 times easier with the magnet to pick them up quickly.

As for drying them after, I got THIS food dehydrator. works like a charm. It's got a good price point and it has temp and timer controls so you can set it and forget it. I usually run it for 1.5 hours at 130 degrees to dry out my brass. I'd also recommend additional mesh nets as smaller cases like 9mm want to fall through the outer spokes. The nets prevent this and also let you put more on there completely horizontal to get any remaining water to drip out.

Do you use the Lee primer dispenser that hooks into the rig? It looks like the have a new version that has mixed reviews.

Edit: also if I buy these it includes all I need besides the powder die right? So I just get the rifle charging die and my press is ready to go with everything besides the charge hopper?

Glock 03374 Disassembly Takedown Tool for Pin Punch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014VX2M2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Kw80Bb4VNE36H

I've used that press. It works fine. It has the advantage that it is portable and you can use it anywhere. That die set works as well. The fact that you list hollow point bullets implies you intend to use the loaded rounds for defensive purposes. Many reloaders shy away from making their own defensive rounds due to the small chance a district attorney may feel it is a sign of premeditation. That's a personal decision. The ones you picked will work. The Winchester primers you picked work fine. Unique is a common powder, but I don't remember the size scoop that comes with the die. The die set comes with some reloading data and will tell you a list of powders.

What you've listed is enough to get you started. Eventually you'll want to add a powder measure. This one would do the trick. Eventually you'll want a reloading manual like this one.

I've got a Hoppe's 9 silicone cloth I wipe mine down with occasionally. It's a cloth with some type of silicone oil infused. It takes the schmuck off the blade from tape and stuff and leaves a little silicone oil coating to protect it from corrosion. Typically these are meant for guns but I use it in my knives too. It's a quick easy way to clean them up and protect them. You can get them at Walmart or any sporting good type store usually for around $5-6. Hoppe's 9 Silicone Cloth

They make smaller ones and hace a choice of glock, sig, and beretta

www.amazon.com/dp/B000U3YWEM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_OmQmub077BVVR

The RCBS-style media separators, with a closing lid, are ideal for this. As an added bonus you don't have media flying everywhere.

Alright, basic .22 LR rifle cleaning is really simple.

In general, cleaning a gun can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be.

Get a Boresnake. Select the .22 caliber one.

Take it with you when you shoot. Once you're done shooting for the day, run the bore snake through the barrel a couple of times (from the breech to the muzzle). This will help get some of the gunk out of the barrel.

If you want to get your barrel cleaner, spray or pour some solvent down the barrel and then run the bore snake through it.

The best way to get a barrel extremely (and unnecessarily) clean is to get something like Montana X-Treme bore solvent, apply some to a cloth patch, and run the patch through the barrel on a cleaning jag with a one piece rod. Let it soak for about 20 minutes, and then maybe run another couple of soaked patched through. Then, run a copper brush through the bore on a one piece cleaning rod a few times (making sure to only go from the breech to the muzzle), and then run another patch through it. The patch should come out blue, from the copper you've scrubbed out. Then, you can soak a patch with some copper solvent and run that through a few times. Let it soak. Scrub the barrel again with a copper brush and then push patches through the barrel until they come out white as fresh snow. Apply a super small amount of oil to a patch and run that through the barrel. Then, one last clean patch. There's literally no reason to clean a barrel that thoroughly, but that is the way to get basically everything out of it.

For detailed cleaning of the bolt and action, watch a youtube video on how to disassemble the bolt assembly. Do that, soak everything in solvent for a few minutes, and then scrub everything that's dirty with a toothbrush until the grime is loosened up. Then, wipe everything off with an old cut up sock or t-shirt. Repeat as needed, until everything is clean. Apply a super light coat of oil to any part that moves or rubs against another part. You may want to apply oil to the surface of the firearm to prevent surface rust.

You'd suggest this die then? What's the difference to this one?

OP:

Sounds like you have probably over-oiled your gun, or applied it in places you shouldn't.

Oil getting onto your ammo is a big problem as it can & will seep into the primer & powder and cause the round to not go off which is the last thing you need in a home defense / self defense weapon.

Be careful where you are applying lubrication.

I'd break it apart, dry it thoroughly with paper towels / rags & dry patches, then read the manufacturer's manual where they suggest lubricating & how much or google "Make & model of firearm lubrication" and I'm sure you'll find tons of info.

My primary firearms; ARs & 1911s, love & need to be run wet, but as much oil as I put on them I never notice more than a tiny smear on the brass from the slide / bolt contacting the top round in the magazine. That's all you should ever see too.

I'd set aside that round that you found covered in crap & prob dispose of it in the canister meant for dud rounds at the range. It's not worth possibly blowing up your gun and sure as hell don't leave that round in there for home / self defense.

EDIT:

Do yourself a favor & get some sort of needle-tip lubricant applicator. It lets you apply small amounts of your lube of choice exactly where you want it. Is also perfect for knives and anything else that needs lube:

https://shop.guntap.com/eezox/eezox-premium-gun-care/eezox-premium-gun-care-0.95-oz-syringe-needle-oiler

Eezox is my CLP of choice. My guns are in pristine condition due to using it. It is an incredible rust preventative, lube and cleaner.

Also get these tools - makes cleaning so much easier:

https://countycomm.com/products/nortons-u-c-s-universal-cleaning-stick

https://www.amazon.com/Tipton-549864-Cleaning-Picks/dp/B0048KGFHU

Use those tools with a patch to easily get into all the nooks & crannies of your gun.

Be careful on Countycomm's site....they have way too many amazing tools & gadgets. :-)

Allow you to use this.

Alternatively you have to get something like this from RCBS or pay $40 more for a Dillon equivalent.

The alternative is to cut it away as described here but this is easy to over and under-do and isn't as reliable as swaging.

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Products-E-ZEE-Trimmer-Rifle/dp/B00AU6C7MI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1492090770&sr=8-3&keywords=lyman+case+trimmer

This thing is EASY and affordable. I use it with my cordless drill and/or my smaller drill press!

The expander sizing die has a primer punch pin that punches the spent primer out of the primer pocket.

I'm not sure how accurate those powder scoops are (I've never used one), but I do use this electronic scale and it works fine. You should probably get some calipers to measure case length and overall length.

Edit: sizing die not expander die has the primer punch.

Depends on what you want to spend:

Press

Scale

Thrower

Dies

You can use scoops instead of a thrower and a scale, but I'd go with the scale and thrower. Dies are dies, but there are cheaper as well as more expensive presses and throwers. Primers and powder aren't too expensive, but a little hard to find these days...

I've loaded thousands of rounds on these Lee Dies with no problems. I find everything runs fine with the full length sizing die, the neck sizing die isn't really necessary.

I prefer the lnl bushings ... but, for a single stage, I'd just go with the Lee ... buy the rest of the stuff ala carte

Depends if were talking just any normal gun not surplus ammo, I typically put bit of oil down the barrel and run a bore snake through it repeatedly. Works well on a mosin shooting non corrosive.

http://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-24011-BoreSnake-Rifle-Cleaner/dp/B0000C50K3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382451527&sr=8-1&keywords=bore+snake

As for size a Mosin is 7.62 MM or .297 so a .30-30 or for a .308 round will work. Since 7mm .280 - .270 tend to be to small. Need to make sure any gun powder is removed from the breech, and bolt face using bit of hoppes or oil and a brush, I use a old tooth brush. Then Once a year she gets the strip down deep clean.

Now for corrosive ammo that stuffs a bit more nasty, windex or lots of hoppes, in the reciever, strip the bolt, again cleaned well with windex, hoppes, water or anything to help neutralize the primer corrosive salts. Use my bore brush to help knock any loose powder and primer salts out. Once I think its fairly clean can see down the barrel and no powder residue and my nice rifling, time to oil that girl up. Patches with oil through the bore, rub oil into the breech, bolt, reassemble the bolt and then the yearly tear down regardless of if I've shot corrosive or non. If its going to say sit in the gun safe for extended period of time like winter I might leave a heaver coat of oil on it.

Hard to tell, but it seems like it could be right. Bear in mind of course that you're measuring the diameter of the hole itself and not the entire barrel. The "crown" of the muzzle could possibly be flared out a little bit, distorting its visible diameter and producing a result slightly larger than the actual diameter of the rifling.

Besides, cartridge dimensions are never an exact science. For instance, 8mm Mauser (7.92x57mm in its German designation) is actually closer to 8.10 mm! And 7.5x55mm Swiss is actually more like 7.80 mm. The idea is just to eyeball it. If it looks like it's below 12-13mm, but larger than 8mm, then it's probably 10.4x38R. I can't find too much authoritative data on cartridge specifications for the 10.4x38 over the internet, but some people suggest that they've seen the diameter of barrels vary between 0.41-0.44" (10.41-11.17mm) - I don't know if that's true; it's pretty significant. Some variation is always to be expected.

The only way to be sure for certain, again, is to either buy a cheap set of calipers (I own these, they're decent. You can find some even cheaper on Amazon and they come in handy around the house). Or go to your local superstore and pick up some lead fishing weights/sinkers from the sporting section and slug the barrel. Although, a set of calipers would be most effective at measuring the resultant slug, so really you're better off just getting them either way! If you ever intend to try and fire it, you'll need to do both.

Strictly speaking it's not usually dangerous to fire an undersized bullet in a gun; it can just damage the barrel by causing excessive wear from the bullet "bouncing around". An oversized bullet can lead to catastrophic weapon failure that could result in injury for the user. But I don't suspect you're going to be firing this anytime soon, partly out of safety concerns, and a lack of availability of ammo. My opinion is that it's most likely still chambered in the original cartridge.

This page offers some instructions and a couple of links on how to convert such a rifle into centerfire. I haven't checked any of it for dead links. You'd still have to hand-load to shoot it, but it would at least expand the potential for you to actually create bullets. Rimfire cartridges are both extremely difficult to make, and difficult to find in that diameter. It probably isn't really worth that much trouble, though, and might just make a nice wall-hangar.

I have had a lot of luck with this. Once you get it set up properly, I can crank out just as many as the Lyman or Dillon setup for only 35 bucks. https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-9481-Primer-Pocket-Combo-2/dp/B0063IDAX2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1YQJ4P0OW92MK&dchild=1&keywords=rcbs+swager+die&psc=1&qid=1571431910&sprefix=rcbs+sw%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-5

the 1st problem I see is that even with a 45degree chamfer tool, it may not be enough, or you'll be taking too much material away.

Comic answer: Amazon Prime that RCBS swager and get your free trail mix snack

lots of places https://www.amazon.com/Glock-AD00062-Bench-Mat/dp/B000U3YWEM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1482037498&sr=8-4&keywords=glock+mouse+pad

Bummer that OP deleted all their comments. Wonder what happened. I'mma not let what I wrote go to waste.

> Cleaning kits are usually separated into rifle, pistol, and shotgun kits. For rifles, pistols, and shotguns, there are different bore sizes. A "22 cal" bore brush is much too small for 30 cal rifle. There are some universal kits, like these -> Amazon Link, Amazon Link, but they might not have the right bits for larger bore handguns.
>
> If he is getting that handgun for home defense, a quick access safe might not be a bad idea, specially if kids or untrusted adults are around -> Costco Link. Preferable something that can be mounted/cabled into a nightstand, desk, or bed frame so it's not as easy for any potential robbers to run away with as easily.
>
> Or you can go the easy route and get him a gift card to cabela's or some other outdoors/hunting good store.

That kit plus this die set, a caliper and some googling for load data would be enough for a basic loading set-up.

You'll probably need to get a bench press. They can be had for $68. Don't get the Lee "C" press. It's not appropriate for rifle brass.

And you can neck resize after you've fired the brass in your rifle. If it's not from your rifle you need to full length resize. And yes, Lee at least, the neck sizer decaps.

Hoppes no. 9

Hoppes Lube

I suspect that you can buy inexpensive replacement heads for a lot of those case prep centers and just chuck them in the drill. Also, plenty of hand case prep tools look easy enough to chuck.

I have a vague image in my head of a shoestring budget DIY contraption for case trimming using a drill press, but I get the feeling that the stops on a cheap drill press aren't accurate enough even if I could devise such a device.

For primer crimps, you can get a swage die and use a decent single stage press. For chamfering, I suspect that there are many non-reloading tools that would work, like a countersink bit or even a very large twist drill with an appropriately angled point.

I would invest in some case gauges and headspace gauges. This way you can do a plunk test to make sure they're in spec without actually doing a plunk test in the firearm. I tend to check every 5-10th round to make sure they all seem to be in spec.. There's nothing worse than loading 200 rounds and find out that you maybe accidentally changed something or something moved and they're all out of spec.

I use the Wilson Case Gauge and it works really well. Lyman has one for about $21 you can try. I was going to get that one and changed my mind after I heard a story or two about the Lyman one not being stainless steel and got rusty.. but I live in the desert and don't have a swamp cooler so I shouldn't have to worry about that. Didn't think about it at the time.

Right now for a cheap way to trim, I use the Lyman E-ZEE Trimmer attached to my power drill.

You'll also want a good pair of calipers. I use the Hornady Digital Caliper and it works well enough.

If I think of anything else, I'll update.

Amazon has the pacesetter dies in stock and on prime. Their price is a little on the high side but not totally unreasonable.

Check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Breech-Lock-Press/dp/B0050Z5A6E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426880265&sr=8-2&keywords=Lee+hand+press

It doesn't even need a table, you can do it on the couch in front of the TV, it's cheap and portable. It's a lot slower than one of the big progressive towers, but it works.

Buy a skinfold caliper. Here

>"mediocre bandaid" source please

If your gun will only run with special gourmet lubricant, lubricant isn't your problem. That should be pretty self-evident.

I'm not saying it's ineffective. I'm challenging the assertion that it's so much better than everything else. All this guy's comparing it to is CLP, which doesn't do any one thing particularly well; its only advantage is that grunts only have to use one substance for everything.

The good USPSA shooters around these parts lube their fancy space blasters with Mobil 1; that's $10 for a lifetime worth of gun lubrication. I'm skeptical that it's worth spending $30 for 8oz of minty-smelling goop.

Guns aren't a particularly demanding application for lubricants, so IDK why people feel like they need to spend all this money on exotic lubricant concoctions. If Frog Lube gives you extra confidence in your guns' reliability then use it. Mine all work great with stuff I bought at the auto parts store.

Just to be sure I'm getting the right stuff

> Hoppe's #9

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010KHNEU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

> G96

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DD5TL/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Like this ? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008F5H636/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000KK93DA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0N07JJAZ419CX59NNB2F

This should do the trick: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000VYL3EM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522800448&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=silicon+cloths+for+gun+cleaning&dpPl=1&dpID=41snvU2BKDL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AU6C7MI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is what I use for trimming. Works fine with a drill. Fast and cheap

Not expereinced in cleaning guns/accessories. How useful and good of a sale are these polymer gun cleaning picks on amazon?

I was looking at this. I'm guessing it's a pretty good deal. Thank you so much for the info, you've been very helpful.

I just bought one too! I was researching upkeep and it seems like the three big things are:

• Learning how to sharpen on a cheap blade (I bought an Opinel 8 for this)
  
• Protection from rust
  
• Lubrication for folders
  
  With that said, has anyone ever used TUF CLOTH for cleaning and blade maintenance? I bought a fixed blade ESEE and that is what they recommend so I figured I could use it on all blades correct?

Froglube

Agreed
Therefore I say go for it

Smaller amounts of rust the internet says baking soda and a toothbrush

The amount you have there though, gonna need some soaking time

You should use this stuff

This is the cleaner and this is the oil that I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0048KGFHU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504446630&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Cleaning+pick&dpPl=1&dpID=31XIZsD9z1L&ref=plSrch
Its long yes, but I'm on mobile.

Not planning on a lot for the rifle, unless I can find a crazy-cheap, low-recoil load that I can shoot a lot of without breaking my shoulder.

But I was going through 200/month for my 1911, probably do the same amount money-wise once I get this stuff up and running.

I was planning on picking up this powder measure.

I dunno about you, but I find this kit to be worth the dough. Small enough to tote in my range bag and exceptionally well equipped. I haven't found a brush that isn't compatible with the threading.

It's currently $69.99 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Breech-lock-Challenger-Press/dp/B008F5H636/

Use this every time you go to the range, use it frequently

• Bore snake - Use this every time you go to the range, use it frequently
  
  
• Ballistol or Solvent (Hoppes 9)+oil (Hoppes oil is fine too)
  
  
• Q-Tips
  
  
• Paper towels
  
  Every once in long while, several hundred rounds, go through and do a deep clean to remove copper and whatnot:
  
  
• Brass jags
  
• Patches
  
• Single piece rod. My preference is in the longest length you can get.
  
• Bore guide
  
• Sweets copper solvent
  
  That's it for me.

Why is this a stupid rationalization? ammunition is incredibly easy to make with the right tools. Many hunters and hobbyist reuse casings just for this.

Here's a device that is sold on Amazon that dispenses powder. As an example

Rubbing Alcohol, 2x2 gauze, Q-tips, Hoppe's #9 Gun Bore Cleaning Solvent, Hoppe's Lubricating Oil.