Originally Posted by daddywpb

Boresnakes are the best things to hit the firearms market in a lot of years. A little Hoppes #9 on the bristles, and a couple squirts of WD-40 on the rest of it, and in a couple of passes you've got a clean bore. Rifle, shotgun, handgun - I use Boresnakes on all of 'em. Us shooters and hunters are a gullable bunch. We're willing to buy anything that says its "better". As an example, just look at all the camo at one of the big retailers. I just laugh when I see all the cleaning products on the shelves now, and laugh even harder when I see the prices. To people just geting involved in the sport, my advise would be to keep it simple. Don't waste money on gimmicks. Some Hoppes, WD-40, the right Boresnake, a toothbrush and a soft cotton rag is all you will need.

gonewest - anyone can make a mistake. Hopefully it isn't too bad. I know what that first blemish on a new stock feels like. A good rule of thumb is to keep any kind of oil or solvent off the stock as much as possible. I don't know about all the new products, but Hoppes #9 is very forgiving of wood and finishes.