7 Best Gun Cleaning Kits [2023]: Universal & Caliber Specific Kits

Cleaning your gun is a necessary part of being a gun owner.  A properly maintained and clean firearm is more reliable, it will last longer as an investment, and it can even maintain accuracy (with precision rifles).

However, in order to properly clean and maintain your firearms, you need the right cleaning equipment (solvents, brushes, oils, etc.) and it really helps to have it all organized in a complete gun cleaning kit.

Now, I’ve been cleaning guns for as long as I can remember. As a matter of fact my dad taught me how to clean a gun before he took me out to shoot one. So, in all those years, I’ve used just about every type of tool you can imagine.

Some kits have been worth it, while others have been cheap knock-offs boasting a low price.

For this reason, I’m going to show you the best gun cleaning kit on the market, as well as a list to the best 9mm cleaning kit, and the best shotgun cleaning kit as well – in case you don’t want a universal kit.

This way, you won’t make the mistakes I made and can save yourself some money and some heart ache.

Types of Gun Cleaning Kits

However, before we get into this, I’d like to first discuss some of the different types of kits out there, which should help with understanding how I built the list of top gun cleaning kits. They can be broken down into two categories:

Complete Cleaning Kits: These firearm cleaning kits typically come with the basics you need to clean a firearm and are self-contained in their own case. These are a great place to start for new gun owners – however, they’ll likely include many things you won’t use or need.  Complete cleaning kits can either be universal cleaning kits (meant for most firearms) or they can be specific to certain firearm types like handguns or shotguns.

“Build Your Own” Cleaning Kits: Once you’re more familiar with your firearms and know the type of tools, equipment, and solvents you’d like to use, you’re going to want to start building your own kit for cleaning guns. Even if you started with a complete cleaning kit, you’ll surely want to start adding to it or replacing items to make the cleaning kit work for your needs.

What are the Best Gun Cleaning Kits?

Now that we covered the types of kits, here is my list of the best gun cleaning kits on the market in order:

1. GuardTech Universal Gun Cleaning Kit
2. Gloryfire Universal Cleaning Kit
3. Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box with Universal Gun Cleaning Kit
4. Allen Company Ultimate Universal Weapon Gun Cleaning Kit
5. Real Avid Gun Boss Handgun Cleaning Kit
6. Gloryfire AR-15 Cleaning Kit
7. SPIKA Compact Shotgun Cleaning Kit

Best Gun Cleaning Kits

1. GuardTech Gun Cleaning Kit		Great Value Kit 60 Individual Components Comprehensive collection of gun cleaning tools	Check Amazon
2. Gloryfire Universal Cleaning Kit		A bit pricier than the GuardTech Low Profile and Labeled Case 14 Bore Brushes Jags and Loops are Solid Brass	Check Amazon
3. Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box		Editor’s Choice Sturdy Range Box w/ Universal Cleaning Kit Has Everything You Need to Get Started	Check Amazon
4. Allen Company Universal Ultimate Kit		Pro Grade Kit Comes with Quality Toolbox 65 Tools and Supplies	Check Amazon
5. Real Avid Gun Boss Handgun Kit		Best Kit for Handguns Compact and Portable	Check Amazon
6. Gloryfire AR-15 Cleaning Kit		Best for Your AR-15 Lightweight with Belt Attachment	Check Amazon
7. Spika Compact 12 GA Cleaning Kit		Best for Your 12 GA Shotgun Comes with 4 Stainless Rods	Check Amazon

Specs Comparison For Gun Cleaning Supplies

Below are the sepecifications for all teh different gun cleaning supplies within the different kits:

Reviews of the Different Complete Gun Cleaning Kits

Now that we listed the different kits based on their rankings, let’s go ahead and taken a deeper look into each. Here, I will explain my thoughts on each one, and why I ranked them the way I did. Also, if you have any experience with any of these, please be sure to leave your grade. That way other readers can see what you think as well.

GuardTech Universal Kit

After receiving this kit and giving it a solid review the GuardTech Universal Gun Cleaning Kit deserves its place at the top of my list.

This kit is a great tool to keep your firearms clean and well-maintained. The kit comes with everything you need to clean both pistols and rifles, and it does a great job of getting rid of all the dirt, grime, and gunk that can build up on your guns over time.

The GuardTech is an American company and this kit is packed with 60 individual components and 130 total pieces. Which includes Brass Jags, Brushes, Cotton Mops, Patches, and a bore snake.

My only issue with this one though is that the kit doesn’t leave any room for expansion, and also doesn’t include any lube or oil. However, as you will see for kits at this price point, you usually don’t see this. Also, of note, I have never been a fan of the oil most of these include. I’m actually quite particular about the oil I use…so Ilist it as a negative, but its actually sort of a positive for me.

So, overall, the GuardTech Universal Gun Cleaning Kit is an excellent choice for anyone who wants an easy, effective way to clean their firearms. The kit is very affordable, and it does a great job of keeping your guns looking new. Highly recommended!

For the full review of this kit, be sure to check out the GuardTech Universal Cleaning Kit Review!

GuardTech Pros and Cons

Gloryfire Universal Cleaning Set

Coming in second up on my list, is the Gloryfire. Now, you’ll probably notice that this looks awfully familiar to the GuardTech. That’s because it is. However, as I found, as I checked each item between the two, that there are definitely some differences that helps to nudge the Guardtech over it.

First, as far as a complete cleaning kit, this option is a bit lacking. You’ll need an extra case to store solvents, oils, rags, etc. Also, it doesn’t include some of the things that Guardtech has, like the bore snake…which is nice.

If you aren’t familiar with a bore snake, these are amazing for cleaning gun and super easy to use. I usually recommend that new shooters get one for their caliber.

Another difference between the two, which is important to me, is that GuardTech is an American company while GloryFire is Chinese. So, even if they were similar, I’d still choose the American owned company over it, especially since they are evenly priced.

So, as you can see, in the end, I prefer the GuardTech. However, if you’d like to learn more about the Gloryfire and my use, and layout, then be sure to check out my full review here.

Gloryfire Universal Cleaning Kit Pros and Cons

Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one universal cleaning kit, and money isn’t a problem, then do yourself a favor, just get this one and save yourself some time.

No, it’s not “perfect” but I don’t think that any pre-made kit can be perfect for everyone’s needs and styles. For example, as a long-range guy, I’m a snob for a certain type of jag and cleaning rod (more about that below).

But, if there’s one kit to get to cover most things, I love this kit because it has tons of quality components and one really important thing for me: room to expand!

You’re eventually going to want a room for a general-purpose cleaning rag (a piece of an old t-shirt), some more gun cleaning solvent and gun oil, and I’d add cleaning rods.

The pull cables Otis uses instead of cleaning rods are ok but they are not my preference.

Other bonuses to this gun cleaning kit include the nice case that can be used to support the firearm while cleaning and the inclusion of the Otis ripcord barrel cleaners. They, along with another brand (bore snakes), are SUPER handy to quickly clean out a barrel and chamber – but, they’re not a replacement for a full cleaning.

For an individual look at this kit, check out my full Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box Review.

Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box Pros and Cons

Allen Company Ultimate Kit 

If the Otis kit above is too expensive for your budget, and you didn’t like the top two above, then this is the kit you should get instead.

Truth be told, this is just a larger box and organizational setup than the others, while still being relatively cheap.

It still has the benefits of a large case that allows for the addition of more components and it has a lot of components to get you started. However, with the low price point comes lower quality components and not as many extras – which isn’t my preference.

You’re going to need a good gun cleaner and gun oil before this kit can really work as a universal gun cleaning kit, but other than that it is pretty solid.

However, if you get the Allen, then you’re going to need to buy a bore snake and gun oil. So, this isn’t a full on set as the GuardTech is. Still though, I would probably list this as my Premium choice of them all.

If you’d like to check out the full review on this cleaning kit, you’ll find this in our Allen Company Ultimate Kit Review.

Allen Company Ultimate Universal Cleaning kit Pros and Cons

Real Avid Gun Boss Handgun Cleaning Set

With all of my recommendations so far being about having a large kit with room to expand and giving a preference for many components, you may be surprised to see this tiny kit is recommended. 

So, why such a small and limited kit?

A small kit like this is SUPER handy if you only have one or two handguns to clean but it is really useful to throw into your range bag with other shooting accessories. In truth, I actually like to carry one of these in my range bag. I’ve had a couple of times while out shooting where I got into conversation, and was able to clean my gun right there.

So, having this compact kit is pretty nice and useful.

Think of this as your travel kit that can be used anywhere even though you might end up with a full-sized cleaning kit at home. If you’re not sure about it’s components, or whether it will do enough, you can check out my full review.

Don’t forget to check out our individual review on the Real Avid Handgun Cleaning Kit.

Real Avid Gun Boss Handgun Cleaning Kit Pros and Cons

Gloryfire AR-15 Cleaning Kit

On its face, this is an extremely basic and limited kit. Like the handgun kit above, it is NOT intended to be a complete cleaning kit for all of your guns.

However, if you have an AR-15-style rifle, having one of these is a must-have. And, if you have the room for it, this should accompany you with your rifle. In truth, this can act as a general rifle cleaning kit, however, you’ll need differences in certain components depending on the caliber of your rifle.

The cleaning rods are handy in the field to clear barrel obstructions (including a stuck case) and the chamber brush is an absolute necessity to clean the star chamber of an AR-15. I like to wrap a rifle cleaning patch around the chamber brush to twist around in the chamber to clean it.

Once you get one of these, you’ll soon realize its utility and how it is like a small tool kit kept in a vehicle but for your rifle. Fill the bottle with some Break Free CLP and you’re good to go.

For an individual review on this product check out our review on the Gloryfire AR-15 Cleaning Kit.

Gloryfire AR-15 Cleaning Kit Pros and Cons

SPIKA Compact 12 GA Shotgun Kit

Just like our small kit recommendation above for best pistol cleaning kit, this is a limited but handy kit for shotguns.

It isn’t really compact enough to easily throw into a bag when you go to the range but I have found that it is a handy and fairly portable solution to keeping your shotgun clean -thus making it my number 1 best shotgun cleaning kit on the market.

I think the rod and barrel mop that come with this kit are really well made and strong enough for the force you’ll exert. So far, mine hasn’t bent or broken.

My only real issue with this one though is that the jag is plastic, and I’m not thrilled about the case quality. Granted, the price of this is very low and so I’m okay with them not doubling up on the case or jag. The rest is totally fine though.

So, it’s because of this that I list this as my best shotgun cleaning kit. You can get more details on it, and how I use it here.

SPIKA Compact 12 GA Shotgun Kit Pros and Cons

Components for Building Your Own Firearm Cleaning Kit

Whether you started with a universal cleaning kit and you’re looking to expand your cleaning kit or you’re starting from scratch and building your own cleaning kit, we’re going to cover each of the component types you should consider and give our recommendations.

Cleaning Kit Components:

• cleaning rod – used to clean the inside (bore) of a gun’s barrel
• bore brushes – Bore brushes are fairly straightforward.  The good ones are inexpensive.  The really cheap ones are junk.
• cleaning patches – Cleaning patches are useful for cleaning the barrel and other small parts of a firearm.
• jags – The part that holds the patch
• general-purpose brushes – Any proper gun cleaning kit needs at least one general-purpose brush.
• cleaning solvents – Cleaning solvent helps remove the carbon and residue from previously fired ammo and it can help to remove copper build-up in the barrel.
• gun oil – For rust prevention and lubricity/function.
• container to hold all components – Container to hold your kit.
• gun cleaning extras – Optional Extras (see table below) – These are nice to have.

Gun Cleaning Kit Buyer’s Guide

Choosing the best gun cleaning kit can be difficult. What tools do you need? What kind of kit best suits you? In the above article tried to make it easy by listing our favorite pistol cleaning kits, and universal cleaning kits. However, if you’d like to learn a bit more and need help deciding or even learning what the different parts are for, then check out the below buyer’s guide.

What is Each Cleaning Kit Component For?

To help you, here is a list of gun cleaning kit components:

Cleaning Rods are a tool for cleaning the barrel of your firearm. It can be used to scrub the barrel with a brush or apply solvent.

Jags are attached to the end of a cleaning rod and carry cleaning patches through the barrel.

Bore brush is attached to a cleaning rod to scrub the inside of a barrel. The most popular styles are made from brass or nylon. Some people are concerned with using brass because they are afraid that metal will hurt their barrels. I do not share this concern. The heat and pressure of a bullet are fairly intense and impart more stress on a barrel than brass bristles.

Boresnake/Rip Cord are handy tools for a quick scrub and wipe clean of a barrel. They do not replace a proper cleaning, but they are so handy that they’re almost all I use for my pistols.

Gun Solvent or Gun Cleaner is cleaning chemicals meant to help remove carbon and other residues from firing your gun.

Gun oil can be used to help clean your gun, preserve your metal from rusting, and also aid in the operation of your gun by providing lubrication.

If you’d like to see our full breakdown of gun oils, you’ve got to see our Best Gun Oil Guide.

Gun Cleaning Kit FAQ’s

What is a good quality gun cleaning kit?

A good quality gun cleaning kit should include high quality components and not cheap plastic. We recommend the Guardtech Universal Cleaning Kit

What is a good gun oil to use?

Our favorite gun oil is Gun Fighter Oil.

What happens if you don’t oil your gun?

If you fail to re-apply oil and allow the solvent residue to remain, your weapon’s parts may corrode. It’s possible that it’s already too late when rusting occurs; nevertheless, proper lubrication and storage can prevent it from happening.

How to Clean Your Gun using a Cleaning Kit

If you followed the above recommendation, then you’ve got yourself the necessary gun cleaning tools. However, the next step is learning how to clean your gun.

The NSSF is recommending that any shooting classes look into also offering cleaning classes as well. However, still to this day, most shooting classes don’t cover this topic. Therefore, another source to help would be video.

As you can see from the video, this is an overview to the basics of cleaning a gun. However, we also recommend that you go to YouTube, and search how to clean your gun, or breakdown your gun. So, if I have a Ruger Security 9, you’d type in “how to clean a Ruger Security 9” and select the following video.