If there is a shooting enthusiast or gun owner on your Christmas list you are in luck. We love to get “Gun Stuff” and there is an endless supply of gifts and stocking stuffers to choose from.
Far from being a chore, most of us like to clean our firearms almost as much as shooting them. Not only does proper maintenance provide for the durability and reliability of our guns, but taking them apart, cleaning and reassembly helps the shooter better understand the inner workings of the firearm.
A cleaning mat will help protect guns from scratches, soaks up any dribbled solvent and keeps small pieces from rolling away. It also will protect the kitchen table from scratches if you do not have a separate work bench.
Securely holding the firearm is important and can be difficult if the gun is a rifle or shotgun. A very versatile device is a gun vise. These bench tools come with clamps, pads and adapters to securely hold virtually any gun. They also have accessories that can be added such as magazine adapters to hold AR-15’s, allowing the vise to be upgraded as new or different firearms are added.
A must have for any shooter is a “Bore Snake” This is a braided cloth “rope” that is pulled through the barrel of the gun. It has copper bristles imbedded to clean powder or lead fouling, and solvent/oil can be applied with one device. They are available in various calibers and gauges so you can select one, or purchase them as a kit with all the popular calibers. Bore Snakes come in both pistol and rifle lengths.
A relatively recent newcomer to the gun cleaning scene is the OTIS cleaning system. This kit uses a flexible cable that is pulled through the bore from the breech end to keep debris out of the action of the gun. A kit includes a set of brushes and patch holders for cleaning and lubricating the barrel. It is stored in a small pouch and is very portable to take to the range or field if needed. This same system is now the standard used by our military in combat zones.
A steady rest to stabilize the firearm is important for sighting in a rifle and for target shooting. A sandbag is a great addition to your range equipment. Available in many sizes, shapes and materials they are essential equipment for many shooters.
To help keep guns safe on trips to and from the range or when traveling there is a wide variety of cases, these range from inexpensive soft cases and pistol rugs to hard sided lockable rifle cases for travel on airlines. If your shooter into tactical rifles there are special cases to support their needs.
Hearing protection is critical for all shooters and there are many choices. ranging from foam ear plugs to custom fit hearing aids My favorite type is the amplified noise attenuating muffs made by Peltor. Equipped with electronic microphones these muffs allow normal conversation, but cut-off sound as soon as high sound pressure levels are detected. As an added benefit when hunting in a dark woods you can hear every twig snap, acorn crunch, and rack being rubbed on a tree.
Certain smells are often associated with fun activities: cookies baking, apple pie in the oven, freshly cut grass. When I smell gun cleaning solvent and gun oil it takes me back several decades to cleaning guns with my grandfather. That smell is Hoppe’s #9 solvent and generations of shooters recognize it. Hoppe’s now offers air fresheners (the kind you hang in your car) in that wonderful fragrance. If you want to bring a smile to every gun person’s face, there is no better fun gift than one of these air fresheners. Now if we can only get them to make it in perfume or cologne we’d be all set
Have a Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year!
Next month: Keeping your shooting skills sharp in the Winter