We were recently sent a sample of the new Swab-It’s Bore Sticks for research and development purposes but weren’t allowed to tell you anything about it, until now. This past summer the folks from Swab-It’s reached out to us and asked if we would be willing to help them with the development of redesigned product lines, we of course agreed. The end result of our collaboration and conversations with Swab-It’s was the company sent us a sample of the final production grade Bore Tips to evaluate and let the world know about.
WHO IS SWAB-IT’S ?
Swab-It’s is a division of SuperBrush LLC, a Springfield, Massachusetts based company that for the last 65 years has specialized in making advanced foam technology for many Fortune 500 companies. The company produces dozens of different styles of reusable foam cleaning swabs in a wide variety of length and configurations to meet the expanding needs of shooters. All of the products made by SuperBrush/Swab-it’s are made right in their Springfield, Ma factory and use manufacturing techniques that meet ISO 9001:2008 , ISO 13485:2003, and exceed federal Food & Drug Administration standards. In other words the company uses a tight set of industrial controls that maximizes efficiency, and safety while meeting a dazzling list of federal oversight and regulation.
I mentioned the wide array of products and calibers that Swab-It’s supports, so lets look at the product they sent us and a little more of the other products they supply. They sent us a sample of their Bore Sticks, a washable and reusable replacement for the standard cleaning rod, and patch set up. This particular set is for .357, .38, and 9mm pistols.
Product: Swab-It’s Bore Sticks (#43-0909)
Calibers Available: 9mm, other calibers to follow
Length: 9″
Features:
- Caliber Specific
- Lightweight and Portable
- Shed resistant
- Reusable/Washable
- Saves time and money
- Four per package
Drawbacks: Not Available in all pistol calibers yet
MSRP: $ 13.00
Overall Performance:
The Swab-It’s Bore Sticks performed well on my dirty CZ-75B that I had recently put a few hundred rounds through. They aren’t complicated to use, or clean I mean its a cleaning brush not the space shuttle. The instructions for cleaning were a nice thought, they show three different ways for you to clean and reuse the Swab-It’s. When I first got these I thought it was some gimmick and wouldn’t work. To my surprise they did work very well, I used method I thought worked best for me. I used one Swab-It to apply the Slip 2000 to the inside of the barrel, and let it soak in for a few minutes. Step two I used a regular brass bore brush to scrub the CZ-75 barrel, and then ran a separate dry Bore Stick through the barrel to dry it. One thing I did to distinguish the “wet” from “dry” Bore Stick was I put red electrical tape on the end of the one I used to apply the Slip 2000. I know it’s not needed but it keeps the OCD from kicking in.
Cleaning your guns after shooting is rarely fun, it’s often time consuming and leaves your work bench with several piles of waded up small pieces of cloth and brushes. None of the conventional cleaning patches that you use are reusable, every time you clean you are essentially throwing that away money in a sense. Why not try to Swab-It’s line of reusable cleaning brushes ? In the very least you can shrink the amount of money you spend on cleaning patches and you can get rid of the array of cleaning rods that most of us have hanging in our garages. The Swab-It’s family of cleaning supplies covers all calibers of firearms from .17 caliber all the way to 12 gauge shotguns. This includes the popular calibers of .223/5.56mm, and the entire line of .30 caliber based cartridges, such as the .308, 7.62×39 and .300 AAC Blackout.
My only knock on Swab-It’s is that the Bore Sticks that we received are not yet available in .40 S&W, .45 ACP or any other pistol caliber aside from .357/.38/9mm. I don’t have a degree in marketing or advertising so I might not fully understand the reasoning for only rolling out one size. I realize 9mm is the most popular caliber on earth for handguns and that they might be targeting law enforcement and military sales but it just feels like a raw deal to anyone who doesn’t shoot 9mm. The other odd thing is that Swab-it’s makes their “Bore-Tips” which are reusable foam swabs that fit into traditional threaded cleaning rods or their “Bore-Whips” pull through cleaning system. These cover the entire range of pistol and rifle calibers like I mentioned above.
If you try Bore-Sticks be sure to let us know what you think of them by dropping us a line in the comments section below. The weather has cooled in many parts of the United States and many people are wrapping up their hunting seasons. Be safe on your hunts and let us know how things went. Finally The Arms Guide is looking for writers, bloggers, and gear reviewers. If you think this is easy or want to try your hand at it email us or reach out to us on The Arms Guide Facebook page and lets talk. Until next time, stay safe and have fun.
Rick
