Boring topic but I'm finally happy with what I've cobbled together from different components I've acquired over the years. Covers 5.56, 7.62, and 40mm bores. I'm a milfag who works for a living so no 9mm handgun for me. Does double duty for both my personal rifle and my issued weapons. >1. Repurposed Otis 5.56/9mm Defender cleaning kit pouchNot the only thing that'll work, but I like that it clamshells open. Got it as a gift. I pulled most of the extra shit out of it because having pull through cables and bore snakes in addition to a full on sectional cleaning rod is just redundant. Use one or the other. >2. Two ragsJust a cut up t shirt. One for wiping shit off with, one for laying small parts on. PSA: You can, in fact, wash these every once in a while. >3. Otis stiff bristle brush Have gone back and forth on carrying a brass one too but I've either never needed it or the shit was baked on so hard (M240 gas plug) I had to use a scraper. >4. Plastic pickFor all the things a long, slim, pointy object is good for when trying to clean tight spaces. >5. Spare partsGas rings, detents, springs, extractor, firing pin, etc. Never needed anything in it and I hope I never will but it's there and doesn't take up a lot of space. >6. Breechtool LiteStrictly a military autism thing for when it's time to play the star chamber cleanliness fuck-fuck game. You probably don't need or want one. British company makes them, Brownells sells them. Saves me from spending money on q tips. Just stick a patch on the end to clean the barrel extension. The brush is kinda useless. Annealed 304 stainless so it's way too soft to damage even the anodized aluminum parts.
>>64688166Cont. >7 and 8. Patches. 4x4 inch and 2x2 inchI'll probably do a big followup post explaining my thought process in detail but 2x2 is for 5.56 bores, 4x4 (using the #18 brush as a jag) for 40mm bores, and a 4x2 folded in half (double thickness) does 7.62 bores. Got the idea from British practice. For 5.56 and 7.62 I poke offset holes in them using the pick (#4) and mount them to the patch loop like how Otis branded patches (with the three slits cut in them) are meant to be used. Those are cotton. Have done the same with cut up shop towels stolen from the mechanics with great success. YMMV with material thickness. >9. 30ml CLP in dropper bottle x2 The ones that come in issued cleaning kits as empty bottles all have the glue bottle type twist caps and they fucking suck. CLP is so thin it'll leak out even when closed if it gets squashed and every time you close the tops on them a little bit dribbles down the side and gets all over everything. Can't find these particular ones one amazon anymore. Dropper tip with a real screw-on cap rather than a friction fit POS = goated. Functional alternative: [AMAZOG URL]/OBROU-Dropping-Bottles/dp/B07BTV4581
>>64688177>10. Otis sectional GI cleaning rodI love GI rods. Very useful. Very multipurpose. Some people are terrified they'll wear out their bores using them but that's fucking fuddlore. Never seen any muzzle or throat damage documented as the result of a phosphated mild steel cleaning rod rubbing on even an unlined stainless steel PRS autism barrel. Full rod for clearing obstructions, a partial one for pull patches through the bore (pull rather than push or else it'll flex and shit'll get stuck), and a t-handle for scrubbing the chamber with. Old ones (and the chinkium ones you get off amazog/ebay etc) are threaded for 8-36 rather than 8-32 (all modern cleaning rods and accessories use this) like these. You can identify which is which by whether the male threads have an unthreaded space space next to the shoulder or not. 8-36 ""GI"" rod kits from china will usually come with a short cleaning rod section that serves as a thread adapter. A lot of cheap 5.56 chamber brushes will be 8-36 too.>11. 5.56 Chamber BrushThe plastic bottle these usually ship in are still the best way to store them without fucking up the bristles (or stabbing yourself/tearing up the fabric inside the pouch every time you grab it). I can fit every other brush and rod attachment in this kit inside it too.>12. 5.56 Bore Brush>13. 5.56 Bore SqueegePurely there to reduce the number of patches I need. Works good. Does not replace patches in their entirety like the marketing insists. Merely reduces it down to only 1-2 rather than a dozen. Only recommended if you're a CLP user. Dedicated solvents may not be lubricious enough. They sell them on amazog or direct from Roger's Shooting School for a little less. Has been licensed under a few different manufacturers (most recently Remington) over the years but it reverted back to the OG patent holder a while ago. >14. Otis small patch loop.werks>15. .45 Cal Brush I use it as a chamber brush for 7.62x51. >16. 7.62 Bore Brush
>>64688195>17. 7.62 SqueegeeSee #13>18. 40mm BrushTactically acquired out of an Otis 40mm kit. Slides freely over the cleaning rod. Doubles as a patch jag. >19. 8-32 ScrewFor holding #18 on to the rod so I can pull it through. Incidentally the standard issue NVG mount screws are threaded 8-32 :) >Lens stuffCleaning fluid, a reusable cloth, fine brush. >Other/Not picturedThe brown dust brush is purely a nice to haveI carry a separate multi tool with drivers for every single screw type I can encounter on both my personal rifle and my issued weapon.The plastic bottle is what the 5.56 chamber brush shipped in and it'll fit it along with every other rod attachment except the 40mm brush inside. There's a 8-32 to 8-36 thread adapter in there somewhere on the off chance I ask supply for a replacement bore/chamber brush and they hand me some ancient shit from the 90s that's 8-36. Das it
ok
So the patches:I was sitting there scratching my head trying to figure out how to limit the variety of consumables I'm carrying around and make it all as multi-use as possible. The patches Otis includes for their 40mm grenade launcher kits are these really thick 4" circles that I've only ever seen in brand new ones. Never seen replacements get ordered. Then they have 3" patches for 7.62 and 9mm and 2" patches for 5.56. Didn't like the variety. Then I remembered some milsurp autism - pic related. Rather than a bag of precut scraps of cloth the British have issued out their patching material in the form of a 4 inch wide roll of cotton flannel marked every two inches ever since the Lee Metford. They just tear/cut off what they need.I tried something similar. After some experimenting I came to the conclusion that I could start off with a stack of 4x4 squares for field use and just cut them down to size to make it work for the smaller calibers. Then at home or in garrison it comes straight off the roll.I also mentioned I like the way Otis branded patches are intended to be used and I mean it. You won't get six uses out of them like they advertise - maybe three or four tops - but it works. Don't waste your money buying theirs though. Just use what you already have and poke holes in them with something sharp. Once you get a feel for how to do it you get a very tight, very even fit. It'll vary depending on the thickness of the material you're using, but it works. It's only a gimmick if you buy their overpriced scraps of cotton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FztGHCWNvZ8
