There are so many cleaning kits out there and I narrowed it down to 2. I only have one gun and I'm not concerned with having tons of extra stuff I won't need or use. Both of these kits seem to be very good quality compared to all the really cheap kits.

https://deweyrods.com/product/38-357...l-cleaning-kit

Classic Box Kit ..38-.357 Cal. / 9mm Pistol

price isn't a concern and neither is the cleaner that comes with one of them. I read all the debates about cleaning rods. Seems some people think stainless rods have more of a chance of harming the barrel and that brass is better because it's softer. On the other hand you have the people who say they only use polished stainless rods and that softer rods (brass or aluminum) will get grit/dirt imbedded in them if you don't wipe good after each pass which can also scratch/damage the barrel.

I know if you are careful either should be fine just looking for opinions. Do I need the jag and bore brush..they are only $2 a piece to get them separate. thanks

I ordered one of these from Amazon for about 10 bux in addition to a small bottle of Rem-oil and Hoppe's #9 and just grab a few brushes & a caliber specific jag and you're all set.

A jag is used to push a patch thru the bore instead of a slotted patch holder. Some of the nicer kits come with them, others cheaper ones come with a plastic holders. This kit here works very well for my .380 9mm & .40S&W. as the threaded rods accept the Hoppe's brand accessories found at the store. The brushes that come with it work well for 9mm & .380 and all I have to do is buy the brushes for my .40.. This one comes with a brass slotted patch holder but I went over to my LGS & grabbed a 9mm & .40 cal brass jag.

The slotted patch holders that came in most gun cleaning kits are almost worthless. When you're patching out a gun's bore, you want the patch to rub against the bore snugly and uniformly, in order to remove fouling. You just can't accomplish that with one of those el cheapo patch holders. Get a good caliber-specific jag for each caliber being cleaned and a good supply of cotton cleaning patches, and you'll be able to clean your gun well. Old t-shirts often make good cleaning patches, if you want to spend the time cutting them up.

all i use on my shield

9mm bore snake
tooth brush
hopes #9 bore cleaner (i now use a homemade diy modified version of ER )
gun oil

I use whatever. Some old kit I have when I bought my first gun in 1998.

Be prepared for a million opinions on whats best.

With that being said, I use hoppes #9 bore solvent, because it works, and a store.tcsgunshop.com o-ring bore jag and patches. No bore brush as I only shoot copper jacketed rounds. Toothbrush and breakfree clp for everything else.

+1 on the Bore Snake.
As for a Cleaner... CLP (either Brake Free, or Remington)
I use Cheap Bulk Q-Tips for the nooks and Crannies... and Sometimes an old toothbrush.

Don't buy a "Kit" at all...
Put the thing together yourself...the "kits" may seem good
but they usually have stuff you won't use and/or too little of a
quantity of stuff you want the most off (solvent and oil)...

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M&P 9mm 5" Pro
M&P 9mm Shield

This is a good example of "put it together yourself"
Boresnake
Cleaner
Oil
Q-Tips
Toothbrush
Buy a small $20.00 toolbox with a top tray to store your ammo in the bottom with your bottle or can of cleaner and oil and keep pistol tools (punches, small hammer, Q-Tips, bore snake etc) in the top tray.

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M&P 9mm 5" Pro
M&P 9mm Shield

I use a Dewey brass rod to clean my pistols. It's easy to keep the rod centered in the bore when cleaning a pistol, particularly if you have a muzzle guide like they have in their kit. I buy all my supplies from Brownells. That way I get exactly what I want and, if I buy in volume, it's actually cheaper in the long run.

I know Boresnakes are well recommended on these forums, but I won't use one because of the possibility of doing something stupid and getting it jammed in the bore. Google "stuck boresnake" and you get over 56,000 hits.

Try something like this from your Walmart.
Hoppe's Pistol Cleaning Kit with Aluminum Rod, .38/.357/9mm Caliber - Walmart.com

Add a gun cleaning "Tooth Brush" about a buck on the same rack, and recycle a holey undershirt into 3x3" patches.

Geoff
Who keeps his kit in a toolbox and is still sorting out a kit for his AR.

I was just deciding between a dewey rod and a pro shot. Went with a coated pro shot...a better fit ergonomically and came with brass jags. The rest of my cleaning supplies I've bought individually. I used to use an old toothbrush but finally bought a couple gun cleaning brushes, I like them much better....stiffer bristles and they have a smaller brush on the other end that works great for getting in tight places. I store it all in a cheap plastic tackle box.

I just use CLP Break Free cleaner, a bore brush & cleaning patches, many of them from old remnants of cloth. Tooth brushes for scrubbing - I recycle old used toothbrushes from my family & myself after washing all the old toothpaste out of them. I also have a piece of nylon composition rope that's about a half inch in diameter that I use for a boresnake occasionally.

The only expense I have invested is the CLP & bore brush with handle & a pack of cleaning patches. The CLP acts as a cleaner, lube & protective.

Although I have a full size M&P40 & a 40C compact the cleaning procedure should be the same for any handgun.

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Former USN, Retired US Army

I am not interested in the other cheaper kits..these are well priced and both are very good quality. The debate between the two is mainly because of the brass vs polished stainless rods.

Either kit is fine, a bore snake is handy to have ( I use them a lot now) but for heavens sake get a cleaning rod, a decent one with a swivel handle, one piece about 10 inches long. Trying to clean a barrel with a small short rod can be a pain. Tight fitting patches and brass brushes need A nice long rod with a swivel handle you can get a grip on, helps big time.
I would vote for the Pro-Shot, kit #2 , but the 6.5 inch rod is too short for anything more than a 4 inch barrel gun. If you don't have any guns with 5 or 6 inch barrels it should be long enough. No difference in brass or aluminum, either will not damage a steel gun barrel. Stainless steel rod...I don't know. Be careful in use, muzzel crowns have been damaged by steel rods rubbing and wearing at the muzzel. So take care when using it.
Gary

I use a cable instead of a rod, it's an Otis plastic coated and I pull the brushes and patches from the chamber to the muzzle. Here's a thread I did a while back about cleaning a M&P M&P cleaning 101

Funny how you can learn something everyday, have 5 of everything mentioned above except for stainless steel rod, all in an old tupperware box since 1965. Have 2 old tackle boxes from back then sitting empty cause I won't throw them away. Just figured out what one of them is going to be!
Thanks!

I've tried a few, and think this is the best quality of the tools I've used:



Since I had a few kits, I keep just the barrel brush sizes that I need (.32 and .38/9mm), and this tool has all of the extensions and patch holders that I need. It's nice and compact (all of the tools fit inside the aluminum cylinder), and you don't waste money on sample-sized oil or patches in the other kits.

Buy this, a bulk-sized bag of patches or swaps, and the cleaner/oil that you like and I think you'll be happier in the long run.

Another Walmart Hoppes "Kit" user here. They are cheap, and will break form time to time, I just keep all the pieces that are good in a tackle box. I use Mobile 1 Synthetic for oil. I bought a quart a few years ago, and it's only half gone.

if you only have one gun, the bottom one, if multiple guns buy it and a tackle box and start adding things as needed.

In that case, I'd go with the brass rod, less likely to ding something like the muzzle crown up. That one's also got a nice brush with it.

Personally, I think all you need is a rod of some soft metal, (aluminum is fine) a jag of the same, a brass bore brush and an old toothbrush.

For expendables: Hoppe's #9 solvent because, as has been said, it works, and Hoppe's or some other good quality oil in a container you can dispense DROPS from and some lint free patches are it. A bag of bulk cheapo patches has lasted me so long I couldn't tell you where/when I got it. I think they are scraps from a tee shirt factory, odd shapes, but I just cut them to size.

For my money:

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Jim - M&P Pro 40L/Shield 40