Gun cleaning aided by Hoppe's Bench Rest kit

Hoppe's Bench Rest cleaning kit in action

End of turkey season comes too soon

Vintage J.C. Higgins cleaning kit

 Tom Anderson, Curt Hall and I after our hunt 

With the end of turkey season on May 1, there is no traditional hunting season again until the Labor Day openers for dove and goose. The off season for hunting is embraced by those looking to get in some fishing, but due to our humid climate, firearms should be looked after before being stored for a few months. The Hoppe’s company has been making gun-cleaning products for 100 years, because they want sportsmen to preserve their guns for future generations to use. Their Bench Rest cleaning kit gives you all the tools needed for a simple and quick barrel cleaning, as well as an oil lubricant rub-down. The Bench Rest kit comes in an attractive hardwood box and is outfitted with #9 solvent, lubricant oil, cleaning pads and brass cleaning rod. A bore light is also included to check for fouling inside the barrel before and after cleaning. Then use the silicon cloth and gun oil to wipe down the outside of the gun. A utility brush in the Bench Rest kit will help to deal with any surface rust that needs removing, so that any problem area does not expand during storage. The kit also comes with a wipe-down rollout pad that serves as a barrier between gun oil and your work area. For more information visit the Internet at www.Hoppes.com. Of particular interest is an old antique shotgun-cleaning outfit I have from the old Sears brand called J.C. Higgins. This cleaning outfit came in a small tin box (which makes for a nice collectible) with a slogan on it that says “Keep your gun clean.” A cleaning rod, brush, cloth patches and a cloth swab are all of its contents. Although this kit seems primitive today, it demonstrates that cleaning firearms will always be a part of shooting sports, and that just a few essential tools can help to accomplish this task. Because whether the gun was purchased by you, handed down by your grandfather, or won at a local conservation banquet, the shooter always bears the responsibility of gun safety and gun cleaning.


Of particular interest is this article on gentleman turkey hunter Curt Hall.