7 Best Gun Cleaning Kits + Recommended Tools to Build-Your-Own
Maintaining your AR rifle is not just about keeping it in good shape; it’s about ensuring its longevity and reliability when you need it most. The right cleaning kit is your ally in this mission, but with the plethora of options out there, choosing the best can be daunting.
But have no fear—CAT Outdoors started because we needed to keep our AR operational during competition shooting. We’ve been cleaning guns for a long time; now we’re going to give you our best gun cleaning kit essentials to help you put together the ultimate kit.
While we’re pretty proud of the tools we’ve created, we’re going to tip our hat to some of the best inventions out there that we think will help keep your firearm going pew pew.
We’ve tailored this list for both seasoned shooters and newcomers alike.
1. BEST UNIVERSAL GUN CLEANING KIT
OTIS Defense Range Box Universal Kit
This kit has everything you will ever need for cleaning your AR, Rifle, Shotgun, or Pistol. It’s pricey, but it’s well worth the extra money.
What We Like: There’s a few things that really stand out with this universal kit. Besides having just about every jag and brush you can imagine, a variety of cleaning patches, and CLP and gun grease included, it’s designed to support the firearm while cleaning.
There’s two vise blocks that connect to the box that’ll hold your gun in place while it’s being worked on. This means you can take it to the range if need be.
One of the first things that stood out to us about the box was that there was room to expand. If you have other tools you’d like to include in the kit, larger containers of CLP or grease, etc, there’s room to do so.
Bonus—unlike the cheap private label brands flooding Amazon, this kit is made in the USA. The tools will last longer and perform better than those cheap kits you see everywhere.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: It lacks some longer rods for rifles and doesn’t include any nylon bristle attachments for some calibers. Some of the guys here prefer to use cleaning rods instead of the pull cables provided by OTIS, but it’s just user preference.
While the firearm holder is a nice addition, it isn’t very sturdy. It gets the job done if you’re at the range, but if you’re working on a bench at home, I’d recommend sticking with a Tipton gun vise.
Lastly, there’s always a concern when a package like this comes with oil or cleaning solution. It’s bound to leak. If that happens to you, you can request a replacement, or just clean it up and replace with your favorite solution.
2. BEST VALUE GUN CLEANING KIT
GuardTech Universal Gun Cleaning Kit
A good all around kit if you have multiple caliber firearms. It’s a comprehensive collection of jags, slotted tips, adapters, brushes, picks, and patches.
What We Like: This is a really great value for the price. There’s about 130 components in this kit, everything from brass jags to brushes to a bore snake. A nice bonus is that, unlike the OTIS Universal Kit, it includes rods.
The case is hard and seems very durable. Everything in the kit is labeled, so it’s easy to identify what you’re looking for.
More for AR-15 Owners: Best AR-15’s of 2024, Best AR-15 Barrels, Best AR-15 Bayonets, Best AR-15 Handguards, AR-15 Buyer’s Guide
Flaws but not dealbreakers: There’s not much room to expand in this kit. You’ll likely need a spare parts box or pouch to carry additional CLP or cleaning patches. It comes with a bottle for CLP, but I’d recommend you toss it and just use the bottle your cleaner comes in.
Lastly, this kit doesn’t come with any AR specific tools such as the OTIS Bone Tool or CAT M4 Tool. If you want a deep clean, you’ll likely need to add some other parts to the kit.
3. MOST AFFORDABLE GUN CLEANING KIT
TUFFMAN TOOLS – Universal Gun Cleaning Kit with Gun Mat
An inexpensive solution that gets the job done. It has more components than some of the other kits out there.
What We Like: If you’re just looking to get the job done and don’t want to spend a lot of money, it’s harder to find a better kit than this one. It has the brushes and cotton mops for everything from .17 to 12 gauge shotgun.
We like that it comes with gun snakes (9mm and 5.56) and a cleaning mat. The mat is large enough to fit a rifle, but I wouldn’t recommend it for heavy use if you like to clean your guns often. It started to crack.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: A kit like this isn’t going to have the highest quality standards, but if you don’t need to clean often, maybe once or twice a year, it’s a fine investment.
The rods are not very durable, so proceed with care. We tested how hard we could push before they snapped and it didn’t take too much pressure.
4. BEST AR-15 CLEANING KIT
OTIS Defense 5.56/.223 Cleaning Kit
For a deeper, better clean of AR-15’s, we recommend this product. This kit has everything you need from the bore brush and mop to a chamber flag and microfiber cloth.
Optics Planet (See Price)
What We Like: This covers all of the bases for a deep clean of the AR-15. You don’t really have to go and buy any other tools. The CLP and BONE tool are really what separate it from the other options on the market. The BONE tool is an effective way to clean the BCG that none of the other kits on the market can offer.
It comes with an excellent instruction manual. Although there’s great instructional videos on YouTube on how to do this, the manual that comes with the kit tells you exactly how to get the most out of it.
It’s amazing what OTIS has been able to fit inside this kit. It’s compact, utilizing all of the available space. Bonus—it’s made in the USA.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Everything in this case is pretty snug. My concern is that the zipper on the nylon case isn’t going to last very long. I don’t mind, because I can just toss this into a tackle box or EDC pouch, but some users might want it to last longer than me.
I would really prefer a boresnake or cleaning rod over the memory-flex cables. The t-handle slips off, forcing you to twist the cable to unscrew the attachment and then knock it out with a rigid cleaning rod. I’m not a fan of it.
Other Recomendations
Real Avid Gun Boss Rifle Cleaning Kit
This is a lesser expensive option that does include a boresnake, though you don’t get the BONE tool or CLP. That’s fine, because you can add those separately. The grip for the boresnake is more ergonomic.
Optics Planet (See Price)
5. BEST HANDGUN CLEANING KIT
Real Avid Handgun Cleaning Kit
It’s a nice, compact kit that can easily be kept in a range bag. Covers everything from 9mm to .45. Great if you’re looking for something strictly for handguns.
Brownells (See Price)
Optics Planet (See Price)
What We Like: Compared to some of the other options on the market, this is the most durable handgun kit available. The zip case is made from ballistic nylon shell and is weather-resistant.
It’s perfect for just about any pistol—Glock, SIG Sauer, S&W, M*P 2.0, SD9VE, SD40VE, Beretta, 1911, etc.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The kit just comes with the tools. You’ll need to pick up your own gun oil or solvent for cleaning. The jags are made from plastic, not brass, so they’re more susceptible to breaking. Just don’t go too crazy and you’ll be alright.
BONUS — BEST 9MM CLEANING KIT
You might not need a full handgun kit, this is an excellent pick if you’re just looking to take care of your 9mm.
Real Avid 9mm Cleaning Kit
If you just own a 9mm handgun, this is the kit you need. It’s VERY compact and VERY inexpensive. The fact that it looks like a 9mm magazine has me nerding out.
AR15 Discounts (See Price)
Optics Planet (See Price)
6. BEST SHOTGUN CLEANING KIT
Hoppe’s Legend Universal Shotgun Cleaning Kit
If you just need to clean a shotgun, you don’t need all of the bells and whistles that other kits come with. This is a simple kit, but we really like that it comes with a bore cleaner and lubricating oil.
SMKW (See Price)
What We Like: For a shotgun, you’re really going to want bore rods, which is why the OTIS shotgun kit doesn’t work for us. The length of the barrel is just going to make it harder to clean using their memory-flex cables. This kit has the right rods for the job.
Additionally, Hoppe’s makes a really good gun cleaner and lubricant. When we tested it out, all of the brushes and rod seemed to be strong.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The case isn’t super durable. I wouldn’t expect to throw this in the truck and for it to last very long. On that note, it’s also kind of bulky. I wouldn’t plan on lugging it to the range either.
Other than that, it doesn’t include the cleaning patches or a cleaning mop.
7. BEST TRAVEL CLEANING KIT
CLENZOIL Tactical Gun Cleaning Kit
This kit is a great travel companion for 9mm, AR-15, and 7.62 cleaning supplies. It comes with CLP, bore brushes, patches, tools, etc in a MOLLE compatible, water-resistant nylon case.
Guns.com (See Price)
What We Like: There’s a ton of value in this kit. First off, CLENZOIL makes a really good CLP. This kit covers the bases for the main firearms – 9mm and AR-15 – in an easy to carry case. You can toss it into a range bag, or strap it to a backpack.
It includes essential tools like bore brushes, memory-flex cables, picks, etc. Additionally, there’s room to add a few additional tools if you’d like.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The tools are imported and might not be the best quality products on the market. Also, it’s a travel case for common caliber firearms. If you want tools for a .22LR or a shotgun, you’ll either need to add them to the kit or pick up something else.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS TO BUILD THE BEST GUN CLEANING KIT
No kit is perfect, and all of the above recommendations have their flaws. If you want to put together the ultimate kit of gun cleaning tools, here is what we would recommend.
Start with a tool box to keep everything in.
DEWALT TSTAK Tool Box
This tool box is durable and will have enough room to hold all of your supplies. I like this more than the pre-made kits because I tend to buy larger bottles of CLP and gun oil, so this can hold those.
Get a cleaning mat. It’ll prevent spills and stains.
Real Avid Universal Smart Mat
To get started, you’re going to want a solid gun cleaning mat. We like this one from Real Avid because it has a parts tray on the side with a magnetic compartment. It’s oil resistant and incredibly durable.
Real Avid (See Price)
You’ll want a gun vise for holding your firearm while you work on it.
Tipton Ultra Gun Vise
There’s a number of gun vises out there that’ll help you get the job done, but this one is worth the money. You can fit everything from an AR to a crossbow on it. The clamps are non-marring, so you don’t have to worry about your gun getting scuffed up.
If you don’t have the budget, the Tipton Gun Butler will also do the trick. The cleaning forks are non-marring and it won’t break the bank, but it has its limitations.
Next, you will want something for scraping carbon buildup off the bolt carrier group.
CAT M4 Tool
This one should go without saying, but we’re proud of this little tool. It’s the one thing missing from nearly every AR-15 cleaning kit listed above. It’s designed to scrape carbon buildup off of the bolt tail, which is the hardest part to clean. If you do go with one of the recommended kits above, you still still pick this up and put it in the kit.
There are other options you can go with depending on what you’re looking for. This tool is sort of the Swiss Army Knife of AR cleaning tools.
Real Avid Gun Multi Tool CORE
If you want a really great multi-tool that includes some unique features, then take a look at this. It includes a takedown punch, front sight adjuster, scope turret adjuster, and more.
Real Avid (See Price)
Next, you’ll want tools to focus on cleaning the chamber. There’s several tools out there, like our Talon Tool that are effective in doing this.
Dewey Rods Chr-16 Chamber Cleaning Combo
This is a well designed tool for cleaning the chamber that should provide years of service. The brush turns as you twist the handle, effectively scraping the inside of the chamber. It’s high quality stuff and won’t bend or break like the cheap stuff in most kits.
Next, we recommend you get a high quality bore snake. Avoid the cheap Chinese ones on Amazon, they don’t last more than a couple of uses.
Hoppe’s 24011VD Viper Boresnake
Unlike the Dewey Rod, which is meant to scrape the chamber, this bore snake is meant to scrape the barrel. It will twist freely as it moves along the rifling, which is what you want. This will prevent marring or damage to the rifling, which will affect your accuracy.
There’s a lot of gun cleaner and solvents out on the market. A lot of people are familiar with Hoppe’s No. 9, it’s been around for a long time. I know a lot of people that like to use Ballistol (thanks to Hickok45 on YouTube). The smells can be kind of strong.
Here’s what we recommend.
Clenzoil Field & Range CLP
There’s a couple of ways you could go with gun cleaner and lube. We like this all-in-one solution. It really does the trick when it comes to cleaning, lubricating, and protecting firearms. It’s a larger bottle, so it should last you a while.
Next, you’ll want a stash of cleaning patches. We recommend getting high quality ones, the cheap ones leave stray threads everywhere.
S2Delta Gun Cleaning Patches
We highly recommend these patches if you don’t like finding leftover threads in your barrel or action, which is what you get with basically every other patch on the market. The 1.25” might be too big for your AR if you use a pointed jag, but will work fine with a loop style jag.
An essential for any tool kit, get a good pack of scrubbing brushes. You’ll use these a lot.
OTIS Technology 9-Pack AP Brushes
This is a simple pack of brushes that covers all of your bases. The nylon brushes are the least aggressive, the blue nylon brushes are a little tougher, and the bronze/stainless steel brushes are for the really hard carbon build up places. They won’t last forever, but are very effective in helping to clean firearm components.
Jags are a good tool for pushing cleaning patches through the barrel to wipe up carbon fouling and excess oil.
BIRCHWOOD CASEY Brass Push Jag
You don’t have to buy a whole kit just to get the one caliber jag you need. You can pick them up individually for relatively cheap. The brass jags by Birchwood Casey will hold up over time.
Lastly, we’d recommend you pick up some picks. These can be helpful in scraping carbon fouling in tiny nooks and tough to reach places with other tools.
Breakthrough Clean Nylon Picks
We really liked these picks because they’re made from fiber-reinforced polymer, so you can put a good bit of pressure into cleaning and don’t have to worry about scratching up your metal surface.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
A couple of years ago at SHOT SHOW, I had this same conversation numerous times.
Me: “You like to shoot your AR?”
Navy Seal/Random Guy/Gool Ol Boy: “Of course I do.”
Me: “Do you like to clean it?”
Navy Seal/Random Guy/Gool Ol Boy:
Finding the right cleaning kit is more than just picking up a set of tools; it’s guarding your rifle’s longevity and performance. Regular cleaning will not only preserve your AR, but enhance your shooting experience.
What tools did we miss? Do you have something else you think works better? Tell us about it in the comments.
Justin Trump is the managing editor and owner of CAT Outdoors. The son of a Vietnam veteran, he’s an avid gun enthusiast and 2A advocate. He holds two firearm patents for the CAT M4 and Talon tools. When not managing CAT Outdoors, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, rooting for Michigan sports teams, and serving his church.