I'd like to put together a comprehensive cleaning kit. What items do you use most often, find most useful and/or necessary, and what brands/makers do you recommend? I have seen some "all in one" kits online and at retail stores, but I wonder if I can put together a better kit myself. I want to put it in a nice carry case, like a canvas bag, for example, so I am also wondering how you keep or store your supplies, oils, lubes, solvents, etc.

Any tips and info will be appreciated! BTW, I will be using this kit for revolvers only, in case that matters for your recommendations.

i use a large fishing tackle box...it has drawers,compartments and the like...i use the one piece cleaning rod several diff.cleaners and gun oil..cotton patches in various calibers...a set of jags...brushesl in the various calibers...flitz polish (for stainless steel) renaissance wax,a bore light..a toothbrush is handy as well...i'm sure there is more in there but i don't have it here with me...hope this helps!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Thanks...the tackle box is a better idea, than the canvas bag...in case of leaks. I want to get a good kit put together in a grab and carry box, and the tackle box sounds like it will fit the bill.

Tackle boxes work great.
Mine contains at least the following just for pistols:

Several stainless steel rods, for different calibers and barrel lengths.

Brass cone-shaped muzzle guides for the rods.

Brass jags for all the calibers.

Bronze bore brushes.

Bronze chamber brushes.

Bore solvent bottles.

Lubricants, both oils and greases.

A Lewis lead Remover kit with screens and tips for all calibers.

Patches in various sizes.

A home-made brass scraper device to scrape leading off from around the rear of revolver barrels.

A lead removal cloth.

Wiping cloths and paper towel.

Batteries for my hearing protectors.

Wet wipes for wiping off the hearing protectors on hot days.

Various tooth brushes, including brass versions for leading removal.

A Brownell's Magna-Tip screwdriver set.

A small steel ball peen hammer.

Punches.

Brass drifts for sight adjusting.

A small Swiss needle file set.

A small metal hand vise.

Pipe cleaners.

A plastic pipette for applying bore solvent.

Gun-specific tools (1911 bushing wrench, etc).

A small magnifying glass.

A small flashlight and extra batteries.

An Exacto knife with blades.

A pair of standard pliers and a small Vise-Grip plier.

A small squirt bottle of Greased Lightning cleaner.

Some duct tape.

Some wire.

This is the way most shooters go sooner or later. There's no all-in-one cleaning kit you can buy that really fills the need, so we usually wind up building our own kits.

My most common cleaning tools for revolvers are a bottle of Breakfree clp, bottle of rem bore cleaner, patches & bore brush, nylon and bronze tooth brushes, and proper fitting screwdrivers to remove the yoke, side plate & grips. Plus the best cleaning tool of all a can of compressed air.
Don't forget the paper towels.....

The rest are gunsmithing tools.

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NRA Benefactor Member

I bought a $10 tool box at Lowes that works pretty well for cleaning supplies for travel. Most of my cleaning supplies are scattered around the gun cleaning area of my bench.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

dfariswheel provided you with a good comprehensive list. I would also recommend that you spent a little extra and buy some good cleaning rods at the start. I have some ancient Belding & Mull steel one-piece rods that I bought years ago, and they will be cleaning guns long after I'm gone. Avoid cheap multi-piece/multi-caliber rods that will give you nothing but trouble and buy rods that actually fit the caliber gun you will be cleaning.

some good info here...What about these cleaning rods that come in these kits, for example Hoppes pistol cleaning kit...Says rod fits all calibers...a little big for my wifes .22 but works great on my 686...While we are on cleaning kits, does anyone use the products that S&W sells? That have an interesting container design that I will give them...Never hear them mentioned anywhere...

Don't forget the spray can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner. This stuff is great for stripping off any and all amounts of grease and oil.

Class III