Cleaning firearms is often seen as a tiresome chore, or at least one best rushed or avoided. It’s a smart idea to encourage gun owners to clean their guns routinely. This not only reduces fouling and filth-related failures, but it also gives owners the opportunity to inspect parts for wear. Cleaning kits and tools are also fantastic add-ons to larger sales, and you can maximize that by ensuring you and your team know what supplies to recommend. To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled this list of products and conversational sales tips.

 

Kits as an Add-On

Maybe you’ve positioned a rack of BoreSnakes and aerosol cleaner by the counter, or perhaps your employees know to always at least mention adding cleaning products to a sale. Based on my own experience in gun stores across the country, though, it isn’t the norm for guys at the gun store to point the customer to the best cleaner or tools. The one time it seems to come up is if the purchase being made is a firearm, but if I’m in there for ammunition, holsters, or targets, it’s never been a suggested add-on. And if your team isn’t soft-selling cleaning kits, you’re missing out on sales that are both simple and smart.

Customers purchasing ammunition can be directed to cleaning products because they’re clearly going hunting or to the range (or both). Hunters who haven’t even messed with their gear since last deer season definitely benefit from field stripping, inspecting, and cleaning their firearms. Discussing this with them is a good way to show you have their best interests at heart — proper maintenance is a safety issue — and offers the benefit of additional sales.

Bottom line: Kits made great add-ons, but they need to be the correct kit for the job. Educate your team so they can, in turn, educate the customers on the correct solutions, brushes and assorted tools for their specific firearms.

 

The Otis Elite Universal Gun Cleaning Kit

Otis Technologies is renowned for its quality products and has a recognizable name for many hunters thanks to its being founded in 1985. The Universal Gun Cleaning Kit is a great option for customers with multiple platforms — handguns, rifles, shotguns, and even inline muzzleloaders. This kit has it all, including 16 different bronze bore brushes and a variety of cables and thread connectors. Tools specifically designed to remove obstructions are also included. The Otis Elite Universal Gun Cleaning Kit includes 60 tools and is packed in a useful nylon carrying case.

Make sure you tell customers this cleaning kit includes the items needed to clean up optics — lens spray, brush, tissue and cloth. That’s great for hunters who need to wipe off their riflescope for the best clarity possible during hunting season. There’s also a microfiber cloth for wiping guns off, a chamber flag, and two bottles of Shooter’s Choice FP-10 Lubricant Elite CLP.

The personal touch: Otis was founded after 16-year-old Doreen Williams took a tumble while deer hunting with her dad. It was muddy, and her Winchester Model 94’s barrel was packed with dirt. No more deer hunting for Doreen that day, but it did spur her and her family to start the company.

Learn more online at Otistec.com

MSRP $159.99

 

Breakthrough Technologies Universal Ammo Can Cleaning Kit

Hunters are often hard on their gear, and that means some will prefer a sturdier cleaning kit. The Breakthrough Technologies Universal Ammo Can Cleaning Kit has its durable feature in its name — an 11x8-inch hard plastic ammo can topped by a carrying handle. This kit is compatible with numerous gauges and calibers including 12-gauge, .22-caliber, .30-caliber, .45-caliber, and 9x19mm Parabellum. It’s the ideal kit for customers who require a sturdier carrying case and a more basic yet comprehensive setup. One bottle each of the company’s Military-Grade Solvent and Battle Born High Purity Oil are included.

Inside the ammo can, customers will find brass jags, double-ended and nylon bore brushes, steel rods, synthetic patches, and cotton swabs. There’s even a silicone gun cloth to wipe the firearm off after use. The Universal Ammo Can Cleaning Kit is a great option for any shooter that wants to throw the can in the back of the truck and forget about it until it’s needed.

The personal touch: Breakthrough was founded by Erick Navarro in 2013. Navarro wanted to apply the more advanced technologies found in the automotive industry — which was where he got his start — to the chemicals used to clean and maintain firearms. The goal was to create efficient, odorless cleaning products for gun owners, and that’s precisely what he did.

Learn more at Breakthroughclean.com

MSRP $106.99

 

Birchwood Casey Rifle and Handgun Cleaning Kit

Portability is a big thing for gun owners, and the Birchwood Casey Rifle and Handgun Cleaning Kit has that covered. Firearm cleaning supplies for rifles and handguns are tucked into a portable, zippered case for easy storage and transport. Inside the case, a pair of see-through pockets contain jags and bore brushes while a series of loops and pockets hold larger items like cleaning picks and rods. MOLLE webbing on the face of the kit makes adding compatible products simple.

Customers with popular chamberings such as .223 Remington and .308 Winchester will find the chamber brushes useful. Seven bore brushes and an assortment of cleaning jags are compatible with other common calibers. A pull-through cleaning cable is included for long guns, and a brass cleaning rod in four sections can be customized for length as needed. This kit is tool-focused, so you’ll need to direct the customer to solvent and lubricant. Birchwood Casey’s 1-2-3 Aerosol Value Pack is a good option that covers dissolving buildup, cleaning, and protecting.

The personal touch: Birchwood Casey is a long-time company that’s been around since 1948. More than 75 years of being a trusted business have made Birchwood Casey a generational company used not only by today’s gun owners but also by their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. And not only does the manufacturer offer an extensive line of cleaning products, but they also make fantastic targets (which are another great add-on).

Learn more at birchwoodcasey.com

MSRP $59.99

 

Allen Company Toolbox Universal Weapon Tactical Gun/Rifle Cleaning Kit

This is a great cleaning kit for customers looking for an organized, neatly contained set of cleaning tools. The Allen Company Toolbox Universal Weapon Tactical Gun/Rifle Cleaning Kit features 66 useful pieces that snap into size-specific slots in a set of trays that fit in the included ammo can. There’s space beneath the trays for solvents, lubricants, and whatever else the user needs. Shotguns are covered with bronze bore brushes for 12- and 20-gauge, and additional brushes fit a range of calibers such as .22- and .30-caliber, .357 Magnum, 9mm, and .45- and .50-caliber. Specialty tools for AR-platform rifles include an upper receiver brush, bolt brush, and chamber brushes for .223 Remington and .308 Winchester.

Of course, there’s more to this comprehensive kit than assorted bore brushes. Additional tools like a rope cable and three-piece cleaning rods make it easy to maintain or work on long guns on the spot. Cleaning swabs and patches are included as well. Customers who prefer to utilize their own carefully selected cleaning chemicals will like this kit because it includes everything they need to put those chemicals to use (and there’s room to also store the chemicals themselves with the tools).

The personal touch: Allen Company got its start more than half a century ago by designing a single gun case, and the product line expanded exponentially after that. Today, they’re known for producing quality cleaning products, gun cases, and assorted outdoor gear.

Learn more at byallen.com

MSRP $114.99

 

Real Avid Master Cleaning Station—Handgun

Handgun hunting is becoming increasingly popular, and today’s gun owners know the sport extends beyond revolvers. That means a quality pistol-specific cleaning setup is a must, and that’s where the Real Avid Master Cleaning Station—Handgun comes in. This kit is made for guns chambered in .22- to -.45 caliber. Unlike other setups, this one creates a portable cleaning station that protects the gun from damage while simultaneously keeping chemicals off the surface being used. Customers with limited space or those who simply like being able to set up a cleaning and maintenance spot wherever it’s necessary will love this kit.

The Real Avid Master Cleaning Station—Handgun includes a variety of the company’s well-made tools. Multi-caliber brushes and jags are contained in an integral tool case on the right side of the station. This includes Smart Brushes and Accu-Grip tools, all of which are user-friendly and hold up to serious use. The oil-resistant, padded mat is 19 inches by 16 inches and can be easily rolled up when not in use. Useful features like a magnetic tray help the user keep track of metal pieces. This is the cleaning station to recommend for customers focused on maintaining their handguns wherever they go — home, the range, even the hunting blind.

The personal touch: For nearly 20 years, Real Avid’s been designing and manufacturing high-quality, user-friendly tools and cleaning products. This includes numerous unique, useful pieces like the 4-in-1 Tool for Glock and Front Sight Adjuster Pro. Whatever a customer wants to do with their gun, odds are good Real Avid makes a tool for it.

Learn more at realavid.com

MSRP $54.99

 

Hoppe’s Deluxe Gun Cleaning Kit

Sometimes a classic aesthetic is preferred — whether for the customer themselves or to give as a gift — and the Hoppe’s Deluxe Gun Cleaning Kit is perfect for that. This kit isn’t stored in a plastic or metal box; it comes in a beautiful wooden box with the manufacturer’s name burned into the inside of the lid. A brass latch keeps the kit closed when not in use, and the items within are held in a black tray. This cleaning kit is ideal for customers with .22- and .30-caliber rifles, 20- and 12-gauge shotguns, and .22 LR, .38 Special or 9mm handguns. It’s a fantastic product for hunters with classic rifles who also have a carry or home-defense gun they want to keep clean.

A three-piece cleaning rod is good for both cleaning and clearing blockages, and its T-handle is easy to grip and manipulate. The cleaning rod is solid brass to remain sturdy without damaging the barrel of the customer’s gun. Bore brushes and jags make cleaning guns simple. Hoppe’s 9 cleaning chemicals, lubricants and patches are included. This is a stellar, basic kit for general cleaning and maintenance that’s attractively packaged.

The personal touch: This company was founded in 1903 by Frank August Hoppe, who created Hoppe’s classic nine-ingredient cleaner (hence the “9” in the name). Hoppe’s is the oldest, most trusted manufacturer of firearm cleaning products in the industry, and they deserve very bit of praise.

Learn more at hoppes.com

MSRP $99.99

Ballistol Multi-Purpose

Kits are helpful for all the tools gun owners need to clean their firearms, but there’s money to be made in selling the lubricants, oils and solvents they’ll need to buy over and over again to use with their kits. Ballistol’s Multi-Purpose products are worth stocking. Ballistol is an all-in-one multi-purpose oil that cleans, lubricates and protects plastic, rubber, wood, metal and smooth leather. It’s anti-corrosive properties prevent rust and neutralize acid from fingerprints. It’s a great lubricant and is skin-safe, eco-friendly and non-carcinogenic — many shooters find other uses for it in the garden, the garage, the woodworking shop, their fishing tackle box and more. 

It comes in a variety of forms, but try stocking the aerosol, the non-aerosol spray and the individually packaged wipes, for a start. 

www.ballistol.com