I use an old plastic tool box overflowing with tons of crap that's all extremely important. Especially when some falls out after I open the lid. I found that wasn't quite enough when I started into black powder. So in addition to the kit of spilling wonders, I also made a big plastic box of potions, solvents, brushes, and rags.
Whatever you get, its important to collect enough crap that you spend almost as much time picking it up off the floor as actually cleaning guns. And make sure everything that gets added stinks to high heaven, causes some sort of semi serious asphyxiation, and is poisonous to anything alive within a ten mile radius.
You will need cleaning chemicals and lubrication. Everyone has their own favorites, but here are couple of tried and true options that would at the least be a good starting point:
Academy Sports is my main go-to for firearms related products. I doubt there are any locations in California, but they do ship......and as far as I know not even California requires a background check to buy gun cleaning supplies......yet.
Haven't cleaned any guns lately. But I'm still working like always and not at home any more than usual. I spent the better part of 2 days last month cleaning a bunch of guns.
After years of playing with different cleaning supplies, I've pretty much got mine narrowed down to what works for most of my needs. I have 5 Tipton carbon fiber cleaning rods, 3 rifle and 2 pistol. Have a full set of matching Tipton brushes and jags. Since my dog loves tennis balls but also loves to lose them or leave them where the lawn mower eats them, I buy tubes of tennis balls for her and save the clear plastic tubes to fill with different size cotton patches. For solvents and oils, I'm down to Montana Extreme copper solvent, Shooters Choice bore cleaner and automatic transmission fluid and a tube of Wilson Combat grease for lubricants. I will soon be adding nylon bore brushes for use with the copper solvent. The bronze brushes leave false evidence of copper behind, continuously getting blue patches. That stuff is only for really fouled guns or for once a year deep cleaning, such as what I did last month.. Otherwise, it's Shooters Choice, clean everything up, lube it and give it a good full body massage with a rag and put it away.
I also do have a little assortment of bore snakes that stay in my portable kit for little touchups at the range if needed.
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Thank you in advance
Whatever you get, its important to collect enough crap that you spend almost as much time picking it up off the floor as actually cleaning guns. And make sure everything that gets added stinks to high heaven, causes some sort of semi serious asphyxiation, and is poisonous to anything alive within a ten mile radius.
Gun cleaning is very serious business......
After years of playing with different cleaning supplies, I've pretty much got mine narrowed down to what works for most of my needs. I have 5 Tipton carbon fiber cleaning rods, 3 rifle and 2 pistol. Have a full set of matching Tipton brushes and jags. Since my dog loves tennis balls but also loves to lose them or leave them where the lawn mower eats them, I buy tubes of tennis balls for her and save the clear plastic tubes to fill with different size cotton patches. For solvents and oils, I'm down to Montana Extreme copper solvent, Shooters Choice bore cleaner and automatic transmission fluid and a tube of Wilson Combat grease for lubricants. I will soon be adding nylon bore brushes for use with the copper solvent. The bronze brushes leave false evidence of copper behind, continuously getting blue patches. That stuff is only for really fouled guns or for once a year deep cleaning, such as what I did last month.. Otherwise, it's Shooters Choice, clean everything up, lube it and give it a good full body massage with a rag and put it away.
I also do have a little assortment of bore snakes that stay in my portable kit for little touchups at the range if needed.