I can still remember searching for the perfect cleaning kit when I first got involved with guns. I may have only been 14, armed with only a beaten Marlin 783, but I was determined to find a cleaning kit that would work with any gun I could dream of. As many already know, and I quickly learned, there is no universal cleaning kit that will be the ideal choice for every firearm you own. There are however, kits designed for specific ones, and I would challenge you to find a better match for your AR than what Pro Shot Products has come up with.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, it’s a cleaning kit. How good can it be? That’s like getting excited over a new vacuum cleaner. Although I must confess, the new Shark vacuum in my house earned more excitement than it may have deserved. The thing about cleaning equipment is we never really think about it until we need it, and that neglect often leads to a poorly stocked kit or one that’s missing some of the necessities. This cleaning kit serves to bring you all the quality tools you may need for your AR, while keeping them neatly organized in one compact and solid case.

The first failing point for many cleaning kits is the case used to contain all those tiny tools. There are two common approaches to this, extremely compact kits like those from Otis that give up some functionality and ease of use for reduced size and portability. The other approach tends to result in bulky kits that are most easily kept at home and used only when you happen to be there.

The Pro Shot Products Kit falls somewhere in the middle, the 500D nylon pouch is roughly the size of two Otis cleaning kits, but features MOLLE to easily attach to your rifle bag or gear. I’ve had several Otis kits from my time in the Marines, and for the most part they’ve been left untouched because of what a pain it can be to assemble all the reduced size tools for a quick cleaning. The kit I received from Pro Shot Products has been used repeatedly because although it is bulkier than the Otis, I do not give up the functionality or effectiveness in the larger kit that I want in my equipment.

The tools are kept easily organized in two clear plastic sleeves, along with four separate pockets to hold anything not designed for the sleeves. The sleeves appear to be a weak point in the system. In the short time I have used the case there has been no visible wear on the sleeves, but I am not sure how well they will hold up with extended use. I would have preferred to see some form of nylon sleeve that could have attachment points for the rods, brushes, and other brass attachment pieces. This sleeve could then slide easily into any of the pockets of the case for quick storage and removal, and have a longer life than the plastic sleeves currently used.

The most noticeable part about the kit is the tan coated cleaning rods. These rods are double coated to prevent any possible wear to your AR, without showing any wear themselves from repeated use in my M&P15. There is also a unique T-Handle system, which I didn’t fully understand at first. It looked a lot fancier than the standard T-Handle I was used to from the Marines, but after some searching I figured it out. The brass end can screw in tightly to hold the handle tight, or loosening it slightly allows the handle to spin freely.

All the brass cleaning attachments are solidly built. I essentially speared the spear point jag attachment, while attached to several cleaning rods, into my in-laws’ concrete patio accidentally and the jag shockingly didn’t show any damage. The chamber and bore brush are your standard affair, and there is also a chamber mop included. The chamber mop did not clean as effectively as I wished, Q tips or wrapping the AP brush in a cloth and scrubbing were far more effective. Keep in mind that brushes, mops, and other such items will wear out and need to be replaced. This kit gave me the push I needed to finally toss my old brushes that were well past their useful life.

There were a few discrepancies I found with the kit. The packaging lists 6 cleaning rods measuring 32.5”, there are only 5 but they still equal the proper measurement so that seems to be a minor clerical error. There is also a 5.56 sermon tool knife listed, which was not present. I am not sure if that knife only comes with more expensive kits, I even checked with our founder Mike and his kit did not have a knife either. The final issue was with the included pipe cleaners, or gas tube cleaners as they are labeled. I don’t know if there was a set requirement by a government contract to include such an item, but I have never felt or had the need to clean my gas tube. I even asked around among several other writers, and some other shooting buddies that have put many thousands of rounds through direct impingement AR’s, no one has ever cleaned their gas tube. If there was not a requirement set for this item I believe Pro Shot Products would be better served including more useful items, such as Q-Tips or more cleaning patches.

The final items of note were the 1 step needle oiler and Pro Gold lubricant. I haven’t been using the oil or lubricant long enough to give a definitive answer on their effectiveness, but I loved the needle oiler. It may have been my favorite part of the kit, making lubricating specific areas of the gun so easy. I’ll be broadening its use to more than just my AR to all my firearms. There is also the benefit that if you use up all of the oil in the needler, you can easily refill it with the lubricant of your choice.

I’m sure what everyone really cares about is how much money does such a fine cleaning kit cost. Searching around I found the kit competitively priced to compete with Otis kits, coming in around $60, and in my opinion, brings far more value for the money. If you’re in the market for a new cleaning kit, or need to buy a present for that very picky gun enthusiast in your life, take a close look at the Pro Shot Products cleaning kit.

Cost: 5/5 Quality cleaning gear isn’t cheap, and while you can find kits for far less money, the quality and effectiveness of those kits will not equal this one.

Appearance: 4/5 The case itself is very appealing, and even comes with a section for adding patches. The plastic sleeves do detract from the quality appearance of the rest of the kit.

Durability: 4/5 Again, the only issue I could find fault with were the plastic sleeves. Normal wear and tear may take longer to damage them, but constant use by any infantryman would quickly wear them out.

Functionality: 3/5 The kit functioned well, however the missing items, near useless pipe cleaners, and poor performance of the chamber mop detracted from the functionality of this kit.

Weight: 5/5 It’s larger in size than the compact kits available, however with that size comes functional equipment that is easy to use quickly.

Overall: 21/25 I really enjoyed using this kit to give my AR a good cleaning. It is quick and easy to use, the products are of distinct quality, and the case keeps everything easily organized. It would easily score higher if the few discrepancies noted were fixed. I will be continuing to use this kit with my rifles, and discarding my old and worn out kits.

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Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

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