There’s nothing better than supporting American manufacturing by exclusively looking at USA made gun cleaning kits to keep your guns in tip-top shape. Unfortunately, finding USA made products is a bit of a task nowadays, with more and more manufacturing taking place abroad. But don’t worry; that’s where we come in. Here is our list of gun cleaning kit brands made in the USA and tips and tricks for doing your own research.
Complete List of Gun Cleaning Kit Brands Made in the USA
Otis Technology is a premier American brand for hunting and shooting. This company was founded in New York, and they are passionate about keeping everything super high-quality. Otis Technology is all about giving back to the community and supporting our military, and for this reason, they keep all their manufacturing in the USA, including their gun cleaning kits.
A company created by shooters for shooters, Bore Tech is one of the top brands of gun cleaning products and kits, as well as firearms accessories. The company is passionate about providing shooters with the best quality products and setting the standard for all gun care and maintenance products. They proudly make all of their products in the USA.
Skyline Center produces medical cleaning, industrial cleaning, and, of course, gun cleaning supplies. The company is a non-profit organization passionate about serving and helping Americans with disabilities. In fact, the company produces all of its products in the USA, all of which are packaged by Americans with disabilities in their facility in Iowa. Their gun cleaning kits are comprehensive and contain everything a shooter would need to keep their gun in good shape.
In 1982, an avid shooter founded Pro-Shot Products to make quality firearms cleaning products that were a step above everything else on the market. A true family business with a whopping four generations of Americans working together, Pro-Shot makes all its gun cleaning products in the USA, including its gun cleaning kits.
Known for their solvents and lubricants for gun cleaning, Shooter’s Choice is a premier brand in gun cleaning products. The company’s in-house chemists custom-blend their products to ensure a high-quality product that serves everyone from amateurs to professionals in the U.S. military. All Shooter’s Choice products, including their kits, are made in the USA with a mix of domestic and global materials, depending on the product. Of their cleaning kits, their brass case cleaner specifically is 100% made in the USA.
How to Find Gun Cleaning Kits Made in the USA
Want to learn exactly how to find gun cleaning kits made in the USA? Here is our handy guide.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s define what it means for a gun cleaning kit to be “made in the USA.” The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines it as: “all or virtually” all of the product is made in the USA. That means virtually all the materials must come from the USA, and every part of the manufacturing process must also take place domestically. For more details on this, check out our complete labeling guide.
Materials
The first step to finding gun cleaning kits made in the USA is to look at the materials used in the product’s construction. Not all materials are made in the USA, and it’s important to know where these materials come from.
Unlike other products, breaking down every component of a gun cleaning kit is more complicated, as there is a wide range of different products that could fit inside the container. But many gun cleaning kits generally contain a brush, cleaning rods, patches, and chemicals, as well as a case to hold everything in.
Brushes
Gun cleaning brushes are typically made of nylon, copper (brass and bronze), and/or stainless steel. China produces a high percentage of the world’s nylon, copper, and steel. However, finding USA-made nylon, copper, and steel is not as difficult as you might think. US production does not fall too far behind, and the country produces a significant amount of these materials every year.
Cleaning Rods
Cleaning rods for guns can be made of aluminum, copper, or stainless steel. As with many other materials, China is also the leading producer of aluminum. While the USA does produce some aluminum domestically, most aluminum found in the USA is from abroad, so you’re more likely to find USA-made gun cleaning rods that are sourced from copper or stainless steel, both of which are produced to a greater extent domestically than aluminum.
Patches
Gun owners use cleaning patches to apply solvents and oils, and these patches are typically made of cotton. Cotton is easily sourced domestically, with the USA coming in third worldwide in terms of cotton production. This material is a 21 billion dollar industry in the United States, but keep in mind that it is just as easy to find cotton made in China or India.
Oils and Solvents
You can’t clean a gun without the specialized oils and solvents. These chemicals can be produced worldwide, but you can certainly find oils and solvents made in the USA, with the country boasting a strong chemical manufacturing sector.
Case
Finally, a gun cleaning kit is not complete without a case to put everything neatly in one place. The case can be made of a wide variety of materials, including hard plastic, aluminum, and nylon.
It comes as no surprise that China takes the crown as the number one manufacturer of plastic. But surprisingly, the USA still produces 20% of the world’s plastic, which means finding hard plastic cases made in the USA may not be as difficult as you think. Nylon is another material that is relatively easy to find in the USA, with the country coming in fourth worldwide for the production of the material. On the other hand, aluminum may be more difficult, but not impossible.
So, when searching for American-made gun cleaning kits, your best bet is to opt for hard plastic or nylon over aluminum,
Labeling
The second step to finding gun cleaning kits made in the USA is to look at the label. Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US Code tells us that all imported products must be labeled as such. In addition to the FTC’s protection of the “made in the USA” label, this makes it easier for us to find USA-made gun cleaning kits.
While, in some cases, it’s as easy as looking for the “made in the USA” label, you’ve got to keep a few things in mind:
- No pre-approval: The “made in the USA” label does not require pre-approval, so theoretically, anybody could affix the label to their product, hoping not to get caught.
- Similar labels: Some companies use similar language on their labels that is not synonymous with “made in the USA,” such as “made in America,” “assembled in the USA,” and “designed in the USA.”
- Online and promotional materials: No law requires companies to disclose the country of origin of their products on their online or marketing materials, so this is a huge hurdle if you shop online.
Other Tips
Here are our other tips for finding gun cleaning kits made in the USA.
Peruse the Website
As mentioned, companies do not need to state the country of origin of their products on their website, but “made in the USA” is a huge selling point. So, if this is indeed the case, the company is very likely to put this information somewhere on their website, such as their Home page, About Us page, or the product page.
It’s worth checking their social media as well.
Check Amazon
Some major online shopping websites, such as Amazon, sometimes list the country of origin on the product description section of the product page. You could also take a look at the FAQ section to see if someone has asked a question regarding the country of origin.
Call the Company
Take it old school and simply ask the company! They can answer your questions about whether a particular gun cleaning kit is made in the USA.
Gun Cleaning Kits Not Made in the USA
During our research, we also found some gun cleaning kit brands that are not made in the USA. So, if you come across any of these brands, skip them and keep looking if you’re looking for something American-made. We’ll keep adding to this list as we go.
- Tipton – Made in China
- Gloryfire – Made in China
- Allen Company – Made in China
- Real Avid – Made in China
