Tipton's New Gun Cleaning Products

Tipton is synonymous with gun cleaning tools, but for several years, cleaning products have been missing from their lineup. Their Truly Remarkable Bore Solvent was a favorite among rifle cleaning freaks, but it is discontinued. In August of 2025, they’ve hit the ground running again and launched a series of cleaning and lubricating products that make cleaning as easy as 1-2-3. That’s the concept of their Best series of cleaners and lubricants, and it says so on the containers. The products include a Best Gun Degreaser (1), Best Bore Cleaner (2), Best Gun Oil (3), and an all-in-one Best CLP.

Overview

Per their namesakes, the line includes degreaser, bore cleaner, gun oil, and CLP. The degreaser removes grease, oil, and gunk. It is formulated to be safe for all firearm metals, plastics, and polymers. The bore cleaner is not a rebadged Truly Remarkable Bore Solvent, but a new product that is colorless and odorless. It is designed to dissolve carbon and copper fouling. The gun oil is a petroleum-based lubricant that protects against surface rust and corrosion. All of the chemicals are made in the USA.

To test the effectiveness of the products, I enlisted a US Arms Corp AR-15. ARs get filthy even with only a few mags of shooting, making it an excellent testbed. I was curious how well the system would wash the carbon and filth away from the bolt carrier group (BCG). Carbon buildup on the BCG is a challenge for any cleaning product.

Tools of the Trade

To keep the focus of the article all-in-the-family, I enlisted a variety of Tipton products, including the Best Gun Vise 360 which held the AR upper receiver while cleaning.

For a cleaning rod, I utilized a MAX Force cleaning rod. I’ve been using this carbon fiber cleaning rod for years and love that the handle slides along the rod and can be clamped down anywhere along its length. Typically, some patches are tight-fitting and need a little umph to start their journey in the bore. Long cleaning rods will bend under the pressure. With the MAX Force cleaning rod, I clamped the handle a foot from the jag making it stiffer and easier to push the patch through the bottleneck of pressure. For a jag, I have Tipton’s nickel-coated Ultra Jag Set. I prefer nylon bore brushes, as they are less likely to roughen up the fire cracking if it is present in the chamber.

Despite the Tipton degreaser and bore cleaner being safe for polymers and metals, I covered the stock and scope with clean rags to prevent any possible contact, just in case. To catch the dirty patches on rifles, I usually tape a small disposable water bottle to the barrel, but I recently discovered Titpon’s Patch Trap. It is threaded on one end for a water bottle while the other end is strapped to the barrel, which results in it holding onto the barrel much better than a piece of tape.

When cleaning rifle bores, I always use a bore guide to keep the rod centered in the bore. In this case, I’m using the RAPID Bore Guide Kit, $41.19. The unique aspects of this bore guide are that it has a built-in patch holder and can be used for bolt-action rifles and AR-15s. The kit includes a special metal collar that fits AR15s. Typically, you would have to buy a dedicated AR-15 bore guide. I placed a patch in the guide, soaked the patch with bore cleaner and pushed a jag through it.

Best Bore Cleaner

When cleaning a firearm, I like to start by cleaning the bore. This entails field stripping the firearm and putting the small parts in a small stainless-steel tub. In this case the small parts are the BCG. Starting with the Best Bore Cleaner may be out of synch with Tipton’s 1-2-3 order, but you’ll see why it makes sense later.

I have a slew of cleaning products ranging from those whose vapors singe my nose hairs to those that have a citrus smell. Both permeate my workshop/photo studio even with the windows open. I’m sensitive to strong odors, so I favor low odor cleaners. Opening the Best Bore Cleaner surprised me, it is odorless and colorless with the consistency of water. Only by putting my nose to the liquid did I detect a very faint odor. This is a huge plus for me. The bore cleaner is 100% ammonia free which is a good thing. Ammonia is highly effective at removing copper fouling but if it’s not cleaned out thoroughly it can corrode steel.

Here’s a tip I learned when using the Best 4-ounce liquids, do not remove the seal. Simply punch a hole in the center of the seal. The seal prevents the liquid from seeping under the cap.

To clean the bore, I wet the patch with the Best Bore Cleaner and sent it down the bore. I repeated this again, doing it a third time doesn’t hurt. The goal is to coat the bore with the cleaner so it can attack the carbon and copper fouling. I then follow it up by wetting a nylon brush with the Best Bore Cleaner and passing it back and forth about 15 times. I’m careful to gently ease the brush out of the muzzle so the rod doesn’t slam the crown on the return stroke. I wet the brush every 5th pass. Once I’ve scrubbed, remove the brush and let the bore cleaner do its work for about 10 minutes.

Here's another tip. If you find that the jag and patch require too much pressure to push through the bore, the patch may be too large or thick. The solution is simple in either case, trim down the patch on two sides. You want some resistance, so the cloth forms to the rifling.

Best Gun Degreaser

While waiting for the bore cleaner to do its work, I turned my attention to the BCG. I sprayed them with the Best Gun Degreaser. Like most petroleum-based degreasers, this one is flammable and a health hazard, so use it in a well-ventilated area and wear appropriate protective gear. The propellent-powered degreaser blasts away top layer of grease, oil, and carbon even in the tiny crevices. It’s like a brake cleaner in that it evaporates quickly. The major difference is that the Best Gun Degreaser is safe for all firearm plastic and polymers. One spray maybe all you need, but if the BCG is showered with carbon, spray it multiple times. I use a rag to swipe off all the outer grime off. I hit the harder-to-reach areas with a nylon brush and use Tipton’s Power Swabs to get the inside of the bolt body and carrier key. The degreaser gets the surface carbon and grime off the parts, but it will still be somewhat dirty, hence Tipton’s numbering system.

Once I wipe off the parts, I douse the parts in Best Bore Cleaner and let them sit. This removes the stubborn carbon. After 5 minutes, you’ll see the carbon pooled in the liquid. I use a brush and plastic picks to remove the packed-on carbon. The rest of the carbon should come off without using a metal scraper. That was the case with the BCG, the bore cleaner did a great job at removing the carbon that cakes up below the gas rings, no metal scraper was needed.

Back to the Bore

Now we’ll see how well the bore cleaner did its job. I pushed a series of clean patches through the bore. If the fourth patch has a few spots of carbon, I call it good. If the carbon is spread around the patch, it shows that the barrel is dirtier than expected. The latter was the case here so hit the bore the wet brush, let it soak again and hit it with dry patches. This time the third patch only had a smidge of carbon. I was good with that. Even with my precision rifles with thousands of rounds, I have not found a need to strip all the carbon away like the barrel was new.

Once the bore was clean, I cleaned out the chamber by wetting a chamber brush with bore cleaner. For the chamber I prefer Tipton’s 12-inch Deluxe 1-piece carbon fiber cleaning rod. The $48 short rod is better suited for scrubbing the chamber. I spin the rod as I push it back and forth for a good scrubbing. I then wrapped a large patch around the chamber brush and swirled it around the chamber. I change out patches until they come out clean. You don’t want any cleaner residue in the chamber, or it can lead to high pressures when firing.  While I’m at it, I clean the internal of the upper receiver using a Power Swab coated in bore cleaner.

For the final leg, I reinstalled the bore guide and run one or two or three more dry patches down the bore to catch any extra reside left in the bore.

Gun Oil

Now that the parts were clean, I lubricated them using Best Gun Oil and reassembled the bolt carrier group. Although the Best Gun Oil is petroleum-based, it has a low odor and is light tan. It is easily distinguishable from the Best Bore cleaner. Its operating temperature is between -35°F and 345°F, which makes it ideal for all but those who love to do mag dump after mag dump. In addition to lubricating, it offers rust and corrosion prohibitors.

If I know the firearm is not going to be shot for a while, I’ll put a few drops of gun oil on a patch and run it through the bore to prevent rust. Once everything is cleaned and lubed, I’ll button the rifle back up. I clean my rifle around every 300 to 400 rounds, so they never get fouled badly and don’t need heavy scrubbing.

Best CLP

CLP (Clean, Lubricate, Protect) are initials for a general category of liquids that provides a cleaner, lubricant, and protection against rust and corrosion in one formula. This all-in-one maintenance liquid was designed for the military to keep a firearm operating under a wide range of conditions. The CLP meets the latest US military requirements (MIL-PRF-63460F Type B). It is safe for metal, polymer, and plastic. This is the bottle you put in your range bag, to maintain a firearm in between cleanings.

Summary

The Best line of cleaning liquids is a welcome sight. Shooters now have the option to stay within one brand if they choose. All the products performed well. The Best Bore Cleaner was outstanding though and has replaced the water-based, low odor bore cleaner I have been using for the last 7 years.