Pistol Cleaning: It’s a Snap with TALON Grips

By Linda M. Gilbertson

Cleaning a pistol should only be a 10-minute job, and ladies, if your husband is taking more time than that, he is not cleaning the pistol(s); he is avoiding the “honey-do” list! When I cannot find my husband, I know he must be in the man-cave, either reloading or cleaning his firearms. Another point ladies: cleaning your pistol is like baking bread. When things are done in steps and with the proper ingredients, success is right around the corner.

What You Need

The steps and ingredients (in this case, solvent and gun oil) assure that you have removed all the “products of combustion,” and parts are properly lubricated. Solvent is applied to a brush threaded to a cleaning rod, which is inserted into the cylinder chambers and the muzzle end of the barrel of a revolver or the chamber end of a barrel for a semi-auto. This brush scrubs from the “lands and grooves” in the bore, lead byproducts left behind. When you are ready to clean the bore with patches, you unthread the brush from the rod and thread it on the jag or patch loop. With the patch, you polish the bore. Whereas a revolver is now clean, a semi-automatic, like a car, runs with a certain amount of lubrication (gun oil) that is applied as the semi-automatic is reassembled. Now this seems quite simple, and it is; however, there is a quicker method designed by TALON Grips that will save you time.

The 8 ½-inch cleaning rod is a non-metal, glass-reinforced nylon, designed to NOT damage a breach or a barrel. Its “T” handle rotates easily following the grooves of the bore. The T handle is oversized, so you don’t “bash” your knuckles while cleaning your pistol. At the end of the rod is the yellow connector which snaps and unsnaps the brushes and jags into the rod. The brush and jag of each caliber is contained within a packet made of TALON grip material. A slit down the back side gives you access to both items. It is also a handy storage packet.

The brushes are easily identifiable because the brush holder and its jag are the same color. The caliber is imprinted on the brush holder: .44 and .45 are lime green; .40 and .41 are rose pink; and .38 and 9mm are sky blue. These are my color choices; you can name them whatever color you choose. A lime green loop is also included in the packaging as an alternative to the jag.

You will notice that on the end of the brush, jag and loop distinct notches are part of the design. These notches are what SNAP into the end of the rod. You line the notches with the yellow lever on the rod, which tilts like a teeter-totter to allow the attachment or release.

At the end of our pistol classes, the ladies clean a pistol of their choice. For many, this is the first time they have cleaned a pistol, and their introduction to the required parts generally includes one cleaning rod, one brush, one loop, some patches, solvent and oil. We advise them to be selective in their cleaning materials to avoid spending more money than is necessary.

TALON SNAP Cleaning System

Traditional methods of cleaning pistols involve touching the brush and the jag/loop several times. Now I am not chemical sensitive, but I’ve had students with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), and they become uncomfortable as a result of either physical contact with the chemicals and/or the chemical odor. In these instances, in order to avoid as much contact with the chemicals as possible, we use the TALON SNAP Cleaning System. It is quick and easy and gets the job done with limited exposure to the chemicals.

The TALON SNAP Cleaning System kept hands cleaner and reduced the amount of chemical exposure. The cleaning of my Smith & Wesson .38 was easily completed in 5 minutes, cutting in half the time mentioned at the beginning of this article. Of course, cleaning a semi-auto will take more time as lubricating parts prior to assembly is necessary; however, no more threading and unthreading of the brushes and jags. Also ladies, the firearms only need to be “Guy Clean.” No one is going to eat off it or do surgery with it. We may clean to the point of sterility, whereas guys will clean it “just enough” to get by.

Utilizing a new “quick connect system,” everything snaps into place, and you spend less time at the bench cleaning and more time at the range shooting. Everything you need is contained in one small package when you receive it from TALON Grips. In addition, you can include in your order a SNAP stand to organize your brushes and jags.

Include a small bottle of solvent, oil and a few patches with the SNAP System, and you are ready to throw it in your gun bag or in a backpack for hunting. The TALON SNAP Cleaning System will make cleaning pistols a SNAP!