So, what cleaning patches do you use?

[Rule3]

You don't see this posted a lot!

As snake oil cleaning threads are so popular, as I was cleaning some guns and thought what "patches" does everyone use?

This can get technical, All cotton, synthetic,flannel, "bloomers" (underwear scraps from womens prisoners undies (yes it's true)!
Make your own etc etc.

Then it gets into what size and where do you buy them.

Bore snakers need not apply!

Makers of Quality Knit Cleaning Patches

 

[4barrel]

I bought 500 cotton 3" squares in my black powder days in the 70s 80s and have about 200 left. I still have some Cross Fire 2" patches 200 to the pack.

 

[Jeppo]

Ram Rodz work for me.

 

[Erocksmash]

I use what's leftover from junk clothes kids have grown out of or I've worn out

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Paper Towels

 

[robertrwalsh]

I have a large package laying around that I have been using for at least ten years. They are cotton. They work.

 

[old tanker]

I used to get these free from my "Uncle" but since I retired I buy them by the thousand when I can find 'em.

 

[s&wchad]

I have bought patches from them in the past and still have some. Good quality, but not cheap. Square patches are easy to cut yourself and work great for shotguns, but I prefer round cotton patches for rifles and handguns.

I lucked into a lifetime supply of patches 20-some years ago at an estate sale. I think the guy owned hoods gun shop and had a lot of supplies boxed up in his pole barn. He obvious sold patches at his shop or at shows, because had a huge supply of Sarco 2-1/2” round cotton patches. A lot of the patches were already packed up in 50 count bags and ready to sell, but there was also a full 17,000 piece case that hadn’t been touched. They work great for anything from .270 on up, including handguns. I still have more of those than I’ll ever use. I do have a fair number of round .22 patches, but I’ll probably need more someday.

 

[arjay]

Shot in a trap league 30 years ago and ran out of patches cleaning my shotgun. Tried a plug of paper towel and that’s all I’ve used for years on everything.

 

[Rule3]

Shot in a trap league 30 years ago and ran out of patches cleaning my shotgun. Tried a plug of paper towel and that’s all I’ve used for years on everything.

I sometimes use the"blue" paper shop towels they are stronger,

 

[mikerjf]

I really like the RamRodz as well... handy. The 22 ones sometimes are a little too big.

 

[Green Frog]

I'm with the Old Tanker. I buy packages of GI surplus patches at Vendors' Row at the Spring and Fall Nationals of the North-South Skirmish Association and use them as is for everything but 22 rimfire... these I make by quartering the big patches.

Occasionally I have to settle for the commercial patches made from underwear scraps, etc, but I always come back to GI Surplus ASAP.

Froggie

 

[joe44va]

Brownells always

 

[Gunhacker]

Cotton patches... made from old cotton t-shirts and "tightly whities", and... it may sound off the wall, cheap ($4.36 for box of 36) "Equate" tampons from Walmart are great for shotguns as a "bore snake" or plug patch.

 

[ContinentalOp]

I think I was using synthetics for a while. I currently have a batch of cotton patches, but I'm probably going to go back to synthetics because the patches I use have a tendency to leave fibers.

Never really been picky about what patches I use. Usually whatever was cheapest/easily available. Which is probably how I ended up with cotton patches that shed fibers.

 

[jbtrucker]

I have couple bags Brownells cotton patches , RamRodz and cut up old t shirt for shotgun. I like to swab with patches and finish up with the Rodz also keep a few in my range bag

 

[Doc1500]

I cut up any cotton Rags I have!

 

[DwayneV]

I use Butch's Triple Twill Cleaning Patches for rifle and pistol.

 

[JayFramer]

I wear white T shirts around the house and to bed. They end up splotched from from all sorts of stains, gun stuff, spaghetti sauce, wine, etc. and cut up from rubbing these like point gun parts and knife blades. Once too worn, into patches they go.

 

[Boudiepitbull]

What I've come to love are those giant over size caliber specific swabs that look like huge q-tips.