Firearm Cleaning Tip: Use Interdental Brushes for Small Spaces

Firearm owners and gunsmiths are constantly looking for that right tool to do a specific job.

Cleaning firearms is a priority if you want your firearms to last and perform as the manufacturer intended.

A handy cleaning tool can be found at your local department store, like Walmart. It is an interdental cleaning brush that is available wherever toothbrushes are displayed. They are like a nylon bore brush except the brush is only 0.1 inches in diameter. Well made, they work well when cleaning small screw holes, firing pin holes, small cracks and grooves in a firearm. Especially important when cleaning a bolt mechanism in an AR rifle.

The brand names are DenTek and GUM. They are cheaper than brushes I find at gunsmith and firearm accessory dealers; so cheap that when they wear out and you use the package, it is inexpensive to replace.

GUM offers a Proxabrush with an angle and straight brushes. The straight brush comes in two sizes: moderate and tight. Tight, the smaller brushes come in a pack of 8, selling on Amazon for $23.20. Another style of GUM cleaner (tight size) sells an 8-count for $7.26 plus S/H. The wide model in 8-count package is $13.99. If you are a Prime member, no shipping/handling costs. Also available are Proxabrush handles, which you can replace brushes with refills (wide at $13.99).

Dentek sells cleaners in a pack of 6 for $22.78. The tight brush sells a pack of 6 for $24.54, no S/H, if Prime member. The ultra-thin brushes (soft) sell for $8.31 plus S/H in a 32-count package.

Wide brushes are conical and sell for $9.59 plus S/H at Amazon for a package of 16. Dentek is also a supplier for dentists, selling professional equipment and supplies. DenTek brushes can be bent to use as an angle brush.

You can decide which brand/style best suits your needs.

Here is an informative professional video from Down-East Gunworks YouTube channel that provides sound advice in cleaning your firearms ...