Homemade cleaning Patches

Out here in NZ we get 'ex-mil' cotton flannelette in rolls usually called '4 x 2' - 4 inches wide with a line every 2 inches - the correct size for cleaning a 303.
It's usually about NZ$9 a roll - lasts for ages and does a good job.

I’m the odd man out, I reckon… I use commercial cleaning patches most of the time, but I bought boatloads of them in all sizes from Midway during my cowboy action phase, and I’m still finding pouches and sacks of them in with my plunder.

It just doesn’t take that many to clean a gun, so a sack of a thousand lasts a long time.

Lest you think I’m extravagant, I would like to point out that blackpowder residue, and many blackpowder cleaning agents, are water soluble. Used cleaning patches for muzzleloaders can be washed and re-used. I put them in a pan with warm water and some Dawn, swish them around and squeeze them, repeat with clear rinse water, then lay them out to dry. They typically still show stains, but it’s “clean dirt.” I believe they actually work better the second time around. I suppose the “sizing and fillers” get removed with washing.

As brother @tenngun said, used cotton patches also can be made into good char for your strike-a-light.

Maybe I’m a cheapskate like the rest of you varmints after all!

Notchy Bob

smoothshooter said:

I can’ imagine why anyone would buy cleaning patches.
Get a 100% cotton white T shirt. MUST BE 100% COTTON.
Wash it 2 or 3 times to remove any sizing if new.
Cut patches to the desired shapes and sizes.

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Would you believe, a small packet of 100 patches costs 8 Euros (about 9 Dollars) on 'Naturabuy', the French online gun enthusiasts website? Ok, they are all cut very nicely into a perfect circle. But - 8 Euros??

My wife is a quilter and gives me all of the cotton flannel scraps from her backings. I use her rotary cutter and make up a few hundred patches at a time. A single patch for everything under 50 cal and doubled up for 50 +. That way, I only cut one size @ 2". I also cut smaller for non-BP. Nice not having to be frugal about at least one thing in life.

I have piles of cotton t-shirts because I got fat, or actually fatter, so had to buy all new ones. Industrial scissors will make a big pile of cleaning patches real quick. I wipe between shots so I go through a lot of patches. Before that I'd save thirty new and warm them in the garage sink and reuse them. For a final clean after shooting, use white patches so you can easily see whether the bore is truly clean or not.

I bought used cotton flannel baby blankets from a local thrift store for $1.25 each. For an investment of $10 USD I have more cleaning patches than I will ever be able to use. The bonus is that 100% of the thrift store proceeds go to the animal shelter that runs the store. Yet another bonus is that my cleaning patches are decorated with colorful little ducks, ballons, stars, etc.

Tacitus said:

I bought used cotton flannel baby blankets from a local thrift store for $1.25 each. For an investment of $10 USD I have more cleaning patches than I will ever be able to use. The bonus is that 100% of the thrift store proceeds go to the animal shelter that runs the store. Yet another bonus is that my cleaning patches are decorated with colorful little ducks, ballons, stars, etc.

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That was a good find. A great part of my money goes to thrift stores. It's amazing what can be discovered in those places. My best find (actually my wife's) was a thick and soft elk hide ladies large purse. I cut it open at the seam and got a huge piece for making m// stuff. Actually most of my leather comes from thrift stores.

Best cleaning patch story takes me back to the '60 or '70's. My dad loved shooting, especially Bullseye competition that he did a few times a month. He needed to do a lot of cleaning so he answered an ad in The Shotgun News and bought a box of surplus .45 patches. When I say box, I mean a huge case of 10,000 precut cotton squares. My mom and I would kid him that if worse came to worse he could always use them up by balancing one on the tip of his thumb and another on his index finger and then touch them to his nostrils for a quick nose blow! Sadly, dad passed away several years ago, mom too, and I took possession of the remainder and used them for years. I only have about 5 or 6 left and those are keepers.

Tacitus said:

I bought used cotton flannel baby blankets from a local thrift store for $1.25 each. For an investment of $10 USD I have more cleaning patches than I will ever be able to use. The bonus is that 100% of the thrift store proceeds go to the animal shelter that runs the store. Yet another bonus is that my cleaning patches are decorated with colorful little ducks, ballons, stars, etc.

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second chance thrift store?

deerstalkert said:

second chance thrift store?

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"Better Together Animal Alliance Thrift Store"
Ponderay

T-shits are good for stabbing at the range but for cleaning I use cotton Flannel and tow.
I just this us while watching "Tall tales of Jim Bridger" (under 30 min counting a smoke break)

I cut them into three sizes: large bore (72cal), medium (44, 45cal) and tiny ones (we don't mention here else end up in ML Jail).

They are pretty, I don't even measure, they don't look pretty after dragging through a dirty barrel; and as one mentioned above, I can wash and reuse them too.

This batch cost about $14 at Joanns for three yards.

Mad L said:

T-shits are good for stabbing at the range but for cleaning I use cotton Flannel and tow.
I just this us while watching "Tall tales of Jim Bridger" (under 30 min counting a smoke break)

I cut them into three sizes: large bore (72cal), medium (44, 45cal) and tiny ones (we don't mention here else end up in ML Jail).

They are pretty, I don't even measure, they don't look pretty after dragging through a dirty barrel; and as one mentioned above, I can wash and reuse them too.

This batch cost about $14 at Joanns for three yards.

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Just wiping at the range they don't even need to be 100% cotton. Don't fret over thickness as long as they stay on the jag. Color sure doesn't matter. I do use 100% cotton for through cleaning after shooting

Mad L said:

T-shits are good for stabbing at the range but

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That sounds painful!!!

my sister in-law works for EMS, she brings me bags of old Cotten T-shirts. live is good,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Butch Martin said:

I get patch material from International Military Antiques. It comes in rolls, and you cut off what you need. The cloth is flannel textured and very absorbent. I forgot what I paid for it, but the cost is low. The British Army uses it, so you know it works.

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Here's what I use for all calibers .30 and larger. You can vary the number of strands and cut to length as needed. Scrubs rifling much better than flat patches. They do use a good bit of solvent, but if you're a water using guy that won't be a problem.

I just use pillow ticking…
The same stuff I cut my shooting patches from….
7 or 8 patches and I’m done… including one for Barricade in the bore.

SOLANCO said:

If your store has a fabric labelled diaper flannel try that. I like it better than the flimsier flannel fabrics. I wash my flannel before cutting to get rid of sizing. Makes it easier to work with.
The diaper flannel is also good for cleaning your eyeglasses. No scratches.

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Probably works better than a corn cob for other tasks as well.