Gun rags.....what do you use?

JustC

I save all of my old t-shirts. They are quite soft from having been washed with fabric softener many times over. They are great for cleaning cloths for the table, and hold a spray of rem oil very well. I use them exclusively, and have had great luck. Anybody have any ideas or examples of other types of rags that work well? Anything ever not work well?

When in doubt...empty the magazine!!

concealedG36

I use old T-Shirts too. I also use cloth baby diapers and clean shop rags that I buy in bulk.

Gun Control Disarms Victims, NOT Criminals

n/a

Any old cotton clothing in our home is recycled into gun-rags.

"We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*

**Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"

muley

I don't think you can beat old cloth baby diapers. I have a trunk full that I have saved since my boys were little. I don't know if you can still buy them or not. Anyway, my 100% cotton T-shirts end up in the trunk and gun cabinet too. I love the smell of Hoppes No. 9 in the morning.

JustC

muley, "smells like victory".

When in doubt...empty the magazine!!

William81

I'm with Muley....Two kids, all cloth diapers...I still have a supply that should last a couple more years...

sodbuster

One of our local parts supply places has a disposal rag made by
Kimberly-Clark called WYP-ALL. I agree noting beats a good ol' cotton
t-shirt. However, these work well, and they come folded neatly so they don't take much space in the bottom of my range bag/cleaning
box. A bundle of these lasts quite a long time. They are sturdy and
the more you use them the better they are.

"No dear, this isn't a new gun,,I've had this one for quite a long time,,honest,,"

Pelican

Old drawers, why not they're already stained

The Almighty Himself Entrusted the Future of All Living Creatures to a Wooden Boat.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -"Audemus jura nostra defendere"

austin247

I go through T-shirts like crazy. The ones I don't set aside as gun rags, the little lady throws in the rag bug as dust rags.

JustC

once I have used them gun rags, I then re-recycle them as dust rags also. Nothing like an old shirt and a small bucket of warm water and Mr. clean. I can go through the house with one rag instead of a roll of paper towels. Once this has happened, they are finally retired to the landfill or for changing engine oil, etc.

When in doubt...empty the magazine!!

offeror

My dad and I cleaned some of my Grandpa's old police badges the other night. I have some experience cleaning metals like silver, bronze, brass, etc. for a local antiquing buddy, so I set us up on a small table out on the patio (fumes, you know) and a tube of Simichrome Polishing Paste, which is very good for seriously aged steel etc. You have to be careful on thin plated stuff as it may take off some finish, but it's great for metals that are black from age. The badges cleaned up to a nice silvery shine, and it worked so well that I pulled out three old knives later, including two WWII era M3 bayonets) and cleaned the metal parts up to a nice shine as well.

You can use any rags for the scrubbing from paper towels to t-shirts (avoid brushes on soft metals, use elbow grease instead) but I sure do like those cotton diapers for the final buffing -- no lint either. After you think the parts are clean, you'll get more grey off using the diapers for the final buff and bring the shine out better too.

As far as gun parts are concerned, I use liquid nitro products for solvent and the little round swabs for the majority of a typical cleaning. But if you've got an old metal item that needs an initial restoration, and appears covered in slate grey to black, try the Simichrome.

-- Life NRA Member
If dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

jonk

T shirts, underwear, pillow cases, an old knot rug that came apart, whatever. Incidentally, baby wipes trimmed to size (the disposable kind in the plastic box or can) make great cleaning patches, best I've ever used. Dip in solvent and they really seal the bore and fill all cracks and crannies!

"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf

azgunnut2@yahoo.com

we have used "shop towels" for years , an old hunting uncle (goose hunter) of mine told me an old trick when I was a kid and still use it today , take a rag (shop towel) put some of your favorite gun oil on it , use it , place it in a peanut jar (clean) or ziplock baggie???
and reuse it to wipe down things (guns) , just add a little oil if and when needed ....we have one in our shop that we have had for apx.
20 years....for real "cleaning" type jobs (remove grease from sks ect.)we use rags as suggested here and then dispose of them........
azgunnut2@yahoo.com

Big Sky Redneck

Another good use I found for old T-shirts is cut them up and use 'em for ML patches. The bore butter realy sticks well to them and they make a nice snug fit in the barrel.

twins

The foot part of old socks.

Iconoclast

jonk - Wow! Great suggestion. Thanks.

I use old flannel for a lot of these tasks. Particularly like it for cleaning shotguns rather than pay $$ for patches that large. Like more heft than Tees whether the inside or outside, but do use the thinner material in restricted spaces.



Edited by - Iconoclast on 05/01/2002 09:53:07

JustC

I never thought of the shotgun and muzzleloader patch idea, I will have to investigate that angle this year.

Another Muzzleloader tip- anti seize every threaded part, they break down easily every time.

When in doubt...empty the magazine!!