The Benefits of Best Gun Cleaner & 8 Best Gun Cleaners Reviewed in 2024

When it comes to gun cleaning, care, and maintenance, using the best gun cleaner, tools, and accessories undoubtedly makes a significant difference in maintaining guns’ top working condition and performance. With that being said, you won’t like it when your gun cleaners can’t flawlessly remove dust, dirt, and residue. 

So, for sure, you want to upgrade your gun cleaning experience and result by using the best gun cleaners. However, one challenge you’ll surely encounter is the overwhelming knowledge of knowing almost limitless options in the market today. 

In addition, every gun owner should own an excellent and reliable gun cleaning kit, so there will only be fewer gun cleaners and tools to buy separately. Hence, a great solution to save money yet ensure that you buy the quality one. Aside from that, some gun cleaners are consumable. So, knowing what and where to buy cuts you off some slack.  

Before tackling different gun cleaners brands, you should first know the benefits you can enjoy from the best gun cleaners to convince you that you will highly get an advantage from them, reaching beyond their costs and making them more valuable. Check what awaits you when you buy the best gun cleaners. 

Benefits of Best Gun Cleaner

Truly, nothing more can convince you that you need the best gun cleaners than knowing the benefits you can gain when you own one. Here are some of the top advantages that come once you buy the best cleaners for your guns: 

1. The best gun cleaners complete the cleaning components that you essentially need to clean your guns thoroughly and precisely to prevent them from having unwanted residues and damaging dirt. Sure, the gun cleaning kits feature an impressive number of tools, but they are not sufficient without the cleaners, such as gun cleaning solvent and oil. Therefore, if you know that you have cleaners for your guns, you can expect that you can achieve complete, flawless cleaning. 

2. Manufacturers of the best gun cleaners are reliable and trustworthy. That’s why the cleaning products stand out the most among competitors. With that in mind, you can ensure that they will only provide you with excellent cleaning that works their best to maintain a top shape condition of your guns.   

3. Most cleaners for guns come as set with other gun cleaning tools and accessories. If you evaluate it, you will realize that most of them come at a reasonable price, making you save more of your money in the long run.  

4. Since most gun cleaners, including gun cleaning solvents and oil, are consumable, you can also choose to buy them separately. Either choice, you can still save money as long as you buy from trustworthy manufacturers that provide reliable quality and affordable cleaning products and value beyond costs. 

5. Sure, guns are definitely not cheap. For gun owners, efficient gun cleaning is a must, and with gun cleaners, you can ensure that you are always equipped with everything you need. 

6. Gun cleaners are practical, innovative, and smart solutions for convenient cleaning of your guns. If you have them, you don’t have to worry and get stressed about gunpowder residue because they specialize in removing them in a short time.  

After knowing the benefits of cleaners, you might have been more curious about them. However, you don’t need to rush because you still need to learn about the various gun cleaner solvents you can choose from. Keep reading to know more about them. 

Types of Cleaning Solvents

Before buying a cleaner solvent, you must know that there are several types that you can find in the market. They differ in materials used and texture but have the same purpose. 

These types are all useful, and you just have to pick something you prefer and need most. You should pick the substance you think will give you an easy time to clean, yet it must be effective, and you can rely on it to provide you with the best gun cleaning results. 

Listed below are the types of gun cleaning solvents that you can conveniently choose according to your preference and cleaning needs: 

Foaming solvents 

One of the most used cleaning solvent types that quickly remove residue build-up in the different caliber of guns is the foam cleaning solvents. Also, foaming solvents generally come with a pump for effortless application with a more consistent thinner consistency that is just right. With that application, you can expect that the foam solvent can penetrate even the moving parts of your gun, including the rail and the firing mechanism, without any hassle. 

Aside from that, foaming solvents are best for removing a stubborn build-up of gunk, to leave in a few minutes for successful penetration that you can conveniently wipe cleanly after.  

Overall, most foaming solvents users said that this type of gun solvent is easy to apply, so foaming solvents are excellent for beginners since they don’t require a complicated application. 

Liquid solvents

A gun firing residue comprises different types, such as copper, lead, carbon, and others, and it depends on the bullet used. Fortunately, liquid solvents offer excellent help to manage and remove all kinds of hazardous contaminants. Like the foaming solvent, liquid solvents also have an easy application. 

If you use a liquid solvent, you can pour it into a cleaning patch or brush for even application in your gun’s bore without leaving any area. However, without sufficient knowledge of handling liquid solvent, things can be undoubtedly messy and unorganized, especially if you pour too much solvent. 

You can’t prevent pouring too much solvent because these solvents are primarily packed in bottles with no small nozzle. That bottle design was the best solution to prevent over pouring since it controls pouring only to give you the right amount of liquid you need. Thus, since there is no small nozzle, you must be careful in pouring liquid solvents to avoid any waste. 

More importantly, you must ensure that you only use the right amount of liquid solvent since it can produce greasy residue that makes it challenging to manage your guns. Eventually, it will be the reason for the inflicted damage to your gun that affects condition and performance. 

Aerosol spray solvents

According to many gun owners, aerosol spray solvents are one of the easiest cleaning solvents to use. In addition, some gun owners believe that aerosol spray solvents even beat the liquid and foam solvent in terms of convenient and highly manageable applications. Above all, they have the best advantage, thanks to their water-like form and consistency that allows more effective penetration in the moving parts of your gun. 

Moreover, like the other solvents, the aerosol spray is excellent for removing residue build-up and stubborn debris and gunk. Other than that, using this cleaning solvent can remove small fragments of debris that can damage the gun. Since this is spray form, it produces some air to push out the small unnecessary debris. 

But, using a spray form can be challenging for some people without a steady hand because they can waste a lot of product if they are not used to using aerosol spray. These types of cleaning solvents are also not beginner-friendly since they are vulnerable to too much use that can make you spend more money in the long run. Nevertheless, there’s nothing that can beat experience, so if you have it, you can manage to use aerosol spray solvents effectively. 

CLP cleaners

CLP is a type of gun cleaning solvent that has multiple purposes. Also, you can surely guess what they can do that clearly derives from its name, which is clean, lubricate, and protect. Thanks to various chemicals in this gun solvent, it is highly possible to provide flexible help in gun cleaning. 

With that, CLP cleaners can clean and remove the residue build-up, small fragments of debris, dirt, and grime. Plus, it can lubricate that gun and eventually leave a protective coat that shields the gun simultaneously. Thus, CLP is a money-saver cleaning solvent. In addition, CLP cleaners are highly suitable for serious gun cleaning for older guns to transform them into looking brand new again. 

However, overusing this can cause more problems to its effectiveness. Gun owners should avoid being overwhelmed by using this gun cleaner and might over apply for the misconception that more cleaners come with higher effectiveness. Instead, CLP cleaners can cause high-performance issues when over-applied to a gun, especially in the hard-to-reach areas that are difficult to clean excess cleaners. As a result, they can attract more dirt and debris. 

Aside from that, the solvent with non-greasy formula is a better choice than CLP cleaners for preventing any damage and corrosion, mainly caused by firing residue build-up. Hence, CLP cleaners are only favored for a quick fix and are never an alternative to other gun cleaners. So again, this type is not for beginners. Always read first the manufacturer’s guide to ensure their use and application. 

Admittedly, gun solvents are specially designed to remove any unwanted debris, residue, and dirt in your gun to help it maintain its best condition and performance for a longer time. Also, with abundant gun solvents available today, it is no secret and surprise that there are better solvents than others because they are multipurpose. At the same time, there are only products that are not flexible and made to do only one specific purpose. Ultimately, the judgment and decision are yours to make if you want a dedicated or multipurpose solvent. 

Moreover, it is also relevant to mention that it is more convenient and effortless cleaning of guns using a gun vise and gun cleaning mat to prevent any surface damage because some solvents are harmful to the table and floor. In addition, gun vise prevents any possible damage to gun parts or even avoids scratches on the barrel while you’re cleaning.

Ultimately, you must use the cleaning solvent based only on the manufacturer’s guide and recommendation in the packaging to avoid misuse because some solvents are better to use after every shooting. At the same time, some are best after multiple shootings or hundreds of rounds.  

8 Best Gun Cleaners

Undeniably, every gun owner wants to purchase the best tools and gun cleaners to maintain the strength and accuracy of their guns. Now that you read the various types of solvents, it is no surprise that you may be wondering what the best brands you can find in the market are.

In connection with that, you may be curious if the price of these brands matches their quality. Hence, to give you a preview, here are the best gun cleaners to this day. Best of all, they won’t make you dislike buying any of them because of their excellent and reliable functionality by giving you performance according to their purposes.      

1. Hoppe’s No. 9 Solvent

Let’s start with the solvent that came from the worldwide’s favorite manufacturer, and it is Hoppe’s No. 9 Solvent. Being in the business for a long time means you can consider this a safe choice and a trusted brand. Also, the gun cleaner solvent does not only become favorable and one of the best solvents out there just because of the manufacturer’s name. Instead, it rose to fame because of its top-notch ability to clean guns and other excellent characteristics.

First, the gun cleaner solvent has outstanding key features to boast. Among them is the packaging with an impressively childproof cap, which makes it safer to store inside a gun cleaning kit without any fear that it might create a mess with your gun cleaning tools. More importantly, it is made with an excellent ultra-potent formulation that makes it safe to clean various types of firearms and provides excellent functionality. 

Hoppe’s No. 9 Solvent delivers rapid and deep penetration in the guns thanks to the ultra-potent formula. So, you can expect its help to efficiently remove any firing residue, such as carbon, copper, lead, rust, metal fouling, and other unwanted components that can damage your gun. Thus, nothing can ever stubbornly get stuck in your gun when you use this solvent since it has ultra-effective results when applied right. 

One downside that this solvent has is you need to use it with a cleaning accessory or tool. Nevertheless, if you want to buy a gun cleaner solvent solution that can give you a smooth, flawless, and natural process cleaning solution, Hoppe’s No. 9 Solvent is undoubtedly a very excellent and impressive choice. Plus, it works extensively and widely deep within a short time and has no foul odor that can make you dizzy or harm your nose. Therefore, it is a top odorless cleaning solvent you can buy at a budget-friendly price.   

2. CLP by Sage & Braker

CLP from Sage & Braker is another gun cleaner from a reputable brand and proves it is the impressive favorable reviews coming from the past buyers. Aside from that, the CLP can quickly go out of stock because of its high demand since it can provide its promise of a true clean, lubricant and protect several types of guns. 

Moreover, it is also an excellent option if you want to buy a cleaning solvent that doesn’t leave an oily residue. Also, the formula was designed for deep and thorough cleaning to penetrate and coat the gun’s hard-to-reach parts. Even though it might have a solidly strong smell impression to others with sensitivity in smell, it is undoubtedly safe to use since it is not formulated with any harsh toxic chemical. 

In addition, the CLP can surely clean any hard-to-reach and stubborn carbon, lead, copper, grime, and other dangerous residues off your gun’s surface and parts. Hence, you can expect that your gun will always be safe and clean to use for impressive shooting performance.  

At the same time, you can settle your worries for lubrication because it is the answer to prevent any jamming, tear, and wear in your guns. Hence, it delivers an impressive help in increasing the reliability and lifespan of your guns, making them last more than your expectations. 

Meanwhile, Sage & Braker CLP features a solid and reliable protective coat that makes your guns protected, even if they are in storage. Aside from that, it is also ideal for preventing any static that can highly attract grime, gunpowder residues, and dirt. Above all, the CLP is the solution to make your guns free from rust. It also provides an extraordinary heat dissipation key for a cooler gun operation, resulting in more accurate shooting performance.    

Besides that, the CLP is formulated for aggressive and precise cleaning of guns, yet it doesn’t mean that it is harmful and risky to use. Instead, Sage & Braker boasts that it is non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-hazardous to people and the environment. Although this CLP has a seemingly strong odor, you can always use a mask while using it safely. 

Indeed, you don’t need to settle for ordinary cleaner solvent that can surely compromise your gun’s condition and performance. With the CLP from Sage & Braker, you can confidently clean and protect any gun and significantly diminish the build-up and adhesion of debris, dirt, residue in your guns.  

3. Hornady 99901 One Shot Gun Cleaner Aerosol Spray

The Hornady 99901 One Shot Gun Cleaner Aerosol Spray is a fantastic gun cleaner and lube combination. So, you can expect its excellent multipurpose solution in maintaining your gun’s top shape working condition and long lifespan by preventing it from having any malfunction due to dirt and residues. In addition, the formula is great for gun owners that want odorless cleaning solvent and doesn’t leave a sticky or tacky finish.

Moreover, just like other brands, Hornady is a great option to quickly remove the build-up of lubricants, grimes, old oils, lead, copper, carbon, gunk, and dirt. So, if you don’t have the luxury of time and don’t want to clean up any mess or oil, this aerosol spray solves your dilemma, thanks to its dual corrosion-resistant technology. Aside from that, it is also dependable for lubrication and conditioning metal parts of your gun. It is highly possible since applying it to your gun will leave a solidly thin coating that’s impervious to cold, heat, or residue build-up.

Admittedly, it might be hard to manage this aerosol spray if you are a beginner. You might even think that it is ineffective, or you need to repeatedly use it to see its effectiveness, resulting in a waste of the product. With that, you need to ensure that you will follow the manufacturer’s recommendation and guide to avoid experiencing bad results with this aerosol spray since it is undoubtedly ideal with efficient purpose. 

Overall, the Hornady 99901 One Shot Gun Cleaner Aerosol Spray won’t have excellent and trustworthy positive reviews if it is only meant to waste your money. Thus, you can rely on it to give you cleaning and lubrication that you can fully feel confident with the result. 

4. CRC 05089 BRAKLEEN Gun Cleaner

Indeed, it is more assuring to buy gun solvents with impressive positive reputations and reviews from past users. They are the most reliable because they have already been tested and proven with trustworthy effectiveness. So if you want that kind of assurance, you can choose the  CRC 05089 BRAKLEEN Gun Cleaner. In addition, it does not only have competent fame, but it also has excellent features that are ideal for cleaning guns.

First, the solvent is formulated with non-toxic and non-flammable ingredients. Hence, you can’t complain about its guaranteed safety. Meanwhile, even if it does not have strong components but a solid and safe formulation. So, it remains efficient and effective. It can quickly eliminate brake fluids, grease, oils, dust, residues, and other dangerous contaminants that your gun can accumulate due to shooting or a long time stored. 

Aside from that, the gun cleaner is favorable and widely used because it does not leave behind any residue and only provides you with a top-notch accurate cleaning and quick evaporations, which results in improved shooting accuracy. As an original and hard-to-beat brake parts cleaner, it is no surprise that it features dry fast results. So, it is suitable for gun owners who frequently don’t have much luxury of time to clean their guns.

Since the solvent is made with a strong formula, gun owners with high sensitivity must be careful with the smell. With that in mind, it is best only to use it in a well-ventilated cleaning area, preferably outdoors, to avoid ingesting all of its odor. On the other hand, it is also ideally versatile because it is also available in marine, industrial, and many more purposes.

Moreover, the CRC 05089 BRAKLEEN Gun Cleaner also features a fantastic budget-friendly price, making it one of the best affordable solvents with excellent effectiveness, despite that flaw that other gun owners notice with its packaging. 

All in all, nothing can convince you more about how it works well until you have experienced its impressive effectiveness. So, check it out because there’s no harm in trying it out. 

5. Ballistol Multi-Purpose Aerosol Spray

The Ballistol Multi-Purpose Aerosol Spray is specifically formulated as the all-in-one solution for gun owners’ demand for an effective and reliable gun cleaner that can clean, lubricate, and protect guns. Thankfully, it has worked well according to its purpose, increasing its popularity and positive reviews.     

Moreover, the aerosol spray is versatile in that it is also valuable and unmatched in brass polish and silver other than guns, plastics, metals, leathers, and woods. Aside from that, it is also environmentally friendly and no-carcinogenic, but it is created with a powerful formula with slight alkaline and immediate effect. With that, you don’t need to use much effort for brushing and scraping the chamber and the barrel. 

In addition, the gun cleaner is multi-purpose, so it cleans and lubricates guns. One downside it has is it can produce a foul smell. That’s why it is best to use it outdoors, where the smell can quickly be eliminated. Plus, there’s no need to fear using it since it is skin-safe. More importantly, it leaves behind a reliable protective film on the gun’s surface that neutralizes the damaging effect of skin oil and sweat. 

Overall, the Ballistol Multi-Purpose Aerosol Spray is an ultra-effective, multi-purpose gun cleaner that assures the best cleaning results to maintain your gun’s top-notch working condition.  

6. Slip 2000 Extreme Weapons Lubricant (EWL)

The Slip 2000 EWL is also a great and safe choice for gun cleaning almost all gun types, especially automatic rapid-fire and machine guns. In addition, it features a more wet formula that stays longer than other cleaners. With that, it helps your gun stop build-up corrosion, and it doesn’t attract debris like dirt, dust, or sand that can cause damage to your gun simultaneously.  

Moreover, this is a lube-type cleaner, so this will help reduce friction and prolong the lifespan of your gun. At the same time, it is also non-toxic and safe to use in wood, plastic, and metal parts. With its outstanding benefits when used, you can expect to reduce cleaning demands by up to 50%.   

Aside from that, the Slip 2000 EWL can remove all the accumulated residue and unwanted components in your gun in any shooting environment you go to. More importantly, it stays longer in the gun for more dependable protection, leaving no room for dirt and residues. 

On the other hand, the price is higher than other regular cleaners. Yet, its benefits reach beyond its costs. With that being said, it is undoubtedly valuable for what it can provide you. So, if you consider buying this product, ensure that you read the instructions carefully to avoid mess.

7. Mil-Comm Mc25 Gun and Firearm Cleaner

You will undoubtedly like this gun and firearm cleaner because it is formulated to provide gentle and effective results highly suitable for impressive gun cleaning and care. It is the Mil-Comm Mc25 Gun and Firearm Cleaner. In addition, it is water-based, so it is odorless and safe to use on any gun materials and any firearms, such as rifles, shotguns, and pistols. 

Moreover, the cleaner also delivers outstanding features, such as impressive pH-balanced, enzymatic cleaning power, non-toxic, and biodegradable, thanks to its excellent formula. Aside from being completely safe, it is also harmless to composite, rubber, plastic, and wood parts of firearms. 

Overall, the Mil-Comm Mc25 Gun and Firearm Cleaner is a proud biodegradable with ultra-effective and gentle cleaning results. It makes you stick to it when you experience its high-performance benefits. More importantly, it gives you a powerful fight against inevitable firing debris and residues, giving you more than your money’s worth.  

8. Otis Technology Foaming Bore Cleaner

The Otis Technology Foaming Bore Cleaner gives you an excellent removal of any unwanted contaminant in your gun. Yet, it is not adequately tough to remove old, stubborn built-up dirt, grime, and residues in a single go. Hence, it is best to use for regular gun cleaning and maintenance.    

Moreover, the gun cleaner itself does not leave any residue that can damage your gun later. More importantly, it works efficiently in just a few minutes since it does not go until the deepest penetration because it is a foaming solvent. 

In addition, it comes with an effective, powerful formula that is non-toxic with a mild scent. Hence, it is best to use outdoors and away from children to avoid any health risks, and you won’t have to deal with troublesome lingering fouling odor.  

Overall, the Otis Technology Foaming Bore Cleaner is your best choice if you want to regularly clean your gun within matter of minutes. Remember to be careful when using it since it is vulnerable to waste on the product.   

Buying the Best Gun Cleaner

Some factors draw a distinctive line in gun cleaners, and they are the most significant determiners to help you find your best option and attain the best gun cleaning results using the best gun cleaners. So, here are the best factors you must evaluate to buy the best gun cleaners that will make your money worth it: 

Portability

When cleaning your guns, you do not only need a gun cleaners solution, but you also need gun cleaning tools and accessories. That’s why you need a gun cleaning kit as a set. So, if you already have a gun cleaning kit, you need to ensure that you can carry it along with all the cleaning tools you need, especially since cleaning your gun after use is an excellent routine to practice.   

Quantity & Price

Quantity and price go hand in hand, and you must ensure that the quantity of the gun cleaners reasonably matches their price. It is important when buying cleaners because you can make the most out of your money. 

In addition, if you only have one to three guns to clean, you can opt for a smaller bottle that can already last for several months. While if you have an extensive gun collection, it is best to choose larger bottle sizes to ensure that you will always have a cleaner to use. 

Moreover, it might also not be the wisest decision to choose the cheapest gun cleaners since they might compromise quality and performance just to be extremely cheap. Nevertheless, you must buy what you think benefits you the most in terms of performance, quantity, and price. 

Fast-Acting Formula

Admittedly, no one wants to take a long time while cleaning guns, and some might even get too lazy to do it. That’s why it is better to choose a gun cleaner that can provide efficient fast-acting cleaning results in a short time. However, don’t be too quick to choose cleaners with labels about fast-acting results because some of them might not be of the best quality and give you trouble with abrasive and toxic outcomes. 

Therefore, it is crucial to strictly evaluate the best cleaners based on the formula. You don’t want to compromise your gun for fast cleaning that eventually harms your gun. That’s why there is no wrong to be picky and have standards on your gun cleaners. 

Gun Compatibility  

Every gun cleaner is different. While many gun cleaners are formulated to suit all types of guns and firearms, some are still limited to cleaning specific types of guns only. Hence, it is necessary to check the labels and product descriptions of the cleaners you intend to buy before concluding your final decision. Otherwise, you might buy cleaners that are harmful to your guns. 

You need to expect that you’ll come across unique types of cleaners that you might want but are not suitable for your guns. Also, you can notice multi-purpose cleaners. So, be careful in choosing your best gun cleaners and ensure that you won’t use the unsuitable cleaner that can damage your guns. Remember that no matter how effective the cleaners are, as long as they are unsuitable to your guns, they can only give you more damage than advantages.   

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best gun cleaners might be a daunting task, but it is indispensable to provide your guns with the best cleaners that help them maintain their best condition and performance with a long lifespan. Hopefully, you will go with the most trustworthy and reliable brands that offer the most suitable gun cleaners because their efficiency and quality are unquestionable and already proven.  

In addition, you can follow the recommendations here because all of the products feature admirable benefits that go beyond what you expect from them and reach beyond how much they cost. That’s why they are valuable and unregretful to buy. More importantly, always remember that gun cleaning and care leads to a long gun lifespan. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Best gun cleaners are outstanding and dependable for thorough gun cleaning. That’s why there are many relevant concerns involving them. So, here are the common frequently asked questions to learn more about them: