Unpack This Article's Arsenal
Keeping your gun clean is an integral part of being a responsible gun owner. If your weapon is caked up with unspent primer and other deposits, you run the risk of it jamming or misfiring. Not only can this damage your weapon, it can also be potentially dangerous.
How often you need to clean your weapon is always a subject of debate among gun owners. What a lot of people forget about, however, is that how often you clean will depend on what kind of ammunition you are firing.
How Often Should You Clean Your Gun?
If you always buy premium ammunition that burns cleanly and leaves hardly any deposits in your weapon, good for you: you can probably put a few hundred rounds through without needing to clean. If you’re like me, though, and find yourself firing cheap, junk ammunition that you pick up at some yard sale, you will essentially need to clean your weapon after every trip to the range.
Art of Cleaning Your Gun
Cleaning your weapon is more of an art than a science, and most serious gun owners quickly find a routine and technique that suits them. However, one thing that is common to everyone is that if you are going to clean properly, you need the proper kit.
Dewey Rods are an important part of this. For those new to gun ownership and cleaning, these are flexible tubes that you insert down the barrel of your weapon in order to clean any caked-on deposits from the barrel and breach. There are many brands available, of course, but Dewey have been producing these rods for so long, and they are so commonly used, that for most people the brand name has become synonymous with the item itself.
Today, I’ll explain how to use these dewey rods by taking you through three of the products made by Dewey, and exploring how each makes your life easier when it comes to cleaning your weapon.
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Basic Dewey Rods
Your standard Dewey Rod is a rod with a handle at one end and a threaded screw at the other. To use them, you screw a brush adapted onto the threaded end, and then carefully insert the rod into the barrel of your gun. Then, by turning the handle and moving the rod up and down inside your weapon, the brush is able to clean any deposits that have built up.
Recommending a rod like this is a little difficult, because the rod you need will depend on what weapon you are cleaning. Rods come in a huge variety of sizes, each designed for a particular gun, so get the one that suits you.
If you have a number of different guns to clean, and want to use the same rod, get one long enough to fit the barrel of the longest weapon.
While Dewey Rods like this are an important part of your gun cleaning kit, to use one properly you need to also have the appropriate brushes, and a supply of cleaning fluid. If you are buying gun cleaning equipment for the first time, therefore, I’d recommend getting a Dewey Rod Kit. These rods are easy to use and strong enough for long use.
| Product Name | Where to Buy | |
|---|---|---|
 | Dewey Rod Cleaning Kits |  |
 | J. Dewey Rods .223 Chamber and Lug Cleaning Kit | |
 | Dewey Rods Abs-3S Adj Rod Guide 13In | |
Dewey Rod Cleaning Kits
Dewey Rod Kits
J. Dewey Rods .223 Chamber and Lug Cleaning Kit
Kits to clean the most commonly used weapons in the US are also produced by Dewey. These kits contain most of what you need to clean your gun, and have the advantage that they are specially designed for each weapon.
The .223 AR-15 Cleaning Kit, for instance, comes with all the kit you need to clean your AR-15. You get an appropriate sized cleaning rod, the appropriate brushes to fit to it, and a supply of lug recess cotton rolls.
These kits are great for people new to gun ownership, because they come with almost everything you need. However, they are not for everyone. If you have a number of different guns, and buy a kit like this for each one, you are wasting money on more Dewey Rods than you really need. A bit of research, and you’ll be able to build a kit that will clean a variety of weapons.
Dewey Adjustable Bore Savers
Dewey Rods Abs-3S Adj Rod Guide 13In
Another downside of bundled kits is that they can sometimes instill a false feeling of confidence in beginners, who end up cleaning their gun a little too enthusiastically, and damaging the bore.
In fact, even experienced gun owners can easily do the same if they are not paying attention, by allowing the Dewey Rod to come into contact with the sides of the barrel.
Luckily, Dewey have thought about this. Their adjustable bore savers fit over their standard rods, and keep it dead straight when inserted into your weapon. In addition, they stop the brush coming into contact with the breach, which can also cause damage.
Again, you will need to get a bore saver that is appropriate for your weapon, as they come in a variety of sizes. Shop around, and you will be able to find one that suits your needs. You can also use these to clean your air rifle pretty easily.
Final Thoughts on Dewey Rods and Products
Overall I’d give a double thumbs up to all of Dewey’s cleaning kits. As someone who has used several of the kits himself I can definitely stand by these products for their easy of use and overall quality.
