“Oh cool, a cleaning kit.” That was what I thought when Sentry sent me the Sentry Armorer’s Kit. I can always use a cleaning kit. Sentry makes all sorts of stuff in the tactical world, this includes the Gunnar belt, a fabulous shotgun pouch, and now I realize some awesome firearm maintenance gear.
When you hear “armorer’s kit,” you might think of a bunch of tools made for working on guns, but this is more about preventative maintenance.
The Sentry Armorer’s Kit comes in a semi-transparent plastic box that keeps everything organized and well contained. The box itself fits nicely in a range bag and can be easily carried to the range or stashed in a cleaning kit box. What surprised me most was when I started sifting through the kit and pulling out the goodies packed inside.
What’s Inside
The cleaning kit I got turned into the cleaning kit I didn’t know I wanted. The big theme is that most of the kit is oil-free. Oil is great, but it does attract dirt and debris, which is always a fun mess to clean up. Inside the kit, we get the following.
- Hi-Slip Synthetic Grease
- BP-2000 Trigger Tuner and Bore Treatment
- Tuf-Glide Dry Lubricant
- Smooth Kote Barrel and Bore Treatment
- Tuff-Glide Rust Inhibitor and Lubricant
- 1 Tuff-Cloth
- AP Brush
- 1 Pair of Gloves
- Several Pipe Cleaners
- Small Dust Brush
- Barrel Swabs
- Several Large and Small Qtip style cleaners
- 4 Alcohol Prep Pads
That’s a lot for the small box it comes in. This kit lets you go well beyond a basic cleaning. The Armorer’s Kit gear can certainly clean your gun after a day at the range, but to me, this kit is best used after high round counts. Save your basic kits for basic cleanings.
If you attend a two-day training course with a 700-round count, that’s when you whip out the Armorer’s Kit and start a deep cleaning on your rifle, handgun, or shotgun. It might be smart to also strip your gun and whip this kit out before the class to ensure everything is in tip-top shape before you start pulling triggers for an extended period.
High-Performance Cleaning Kit
A few things stand out to me, the first of which is the Tuf-Cloth. This 12×12-inch lint-free cloth is wet and, according to Sentry, leaves behind a micro-bonded barrier when it dries. I don’t know about all that, but I find it super handy to chip away at baked-on carbon.
As a wipe, it’s really easy to scrub out stuck-on carbon, clean dust, and all the other crap that sticks to your gun. The Tuf-Cloth can be used more than once, so save its pouch. You can shove it back in and tape it down the top to preserve it. I used mine over and over and eventually tossed it.
I’ve since bought a new Tuf-Cloth. I figured I might need one to complete this review after I tossed my original.
In general, the applicators of various formulas allow you to get into the deep crevices of your gun and avoid spilling a ton on your hands and working area. The design of the bottles is good for precise application, especially at the range.
The Hi-Slip synthetic grease makes it super easy to apply grease to the rails of pistols inside of rifles, shotguns, and beyond. The powdered Molybdendum BP-2000 promises to tune a trigger and seems to really smooth things out without the need for oil and the debris it can catch.
Molybdenum?
The key to most of the products in Armorer’s Kit is molybdenum. This is an oil alternative and is specifically made for metal-to-metal friction reduction. It’s a ‘dry’ lubricant that won’t get sand and debris attached to your gun. The downside seems to be that it doesn’t resist corrosion like oil.
However, the Armorer’s kit also comes with the Tuf-Cloth, which protects against rust and corrosion, as does the Tuf-Glide rust inhibitor. You get a lot of everything to protect and maintain your firearm.
With Christmas around the corner, the Sentry Armorer’s Kit would be a fantastic gift. Plus, it comes in an easy-to-wrap box. It’s an affordable (about $38), all-in-one kit. The only thing I might add would be a bore snake. Other than that, the Armorer’s kit is quite nice and it certainly doesn’t suck.