How to Use Otis Gun Cleaning Equipment

The Otis 3-step gun cleaning process—often summarized as "Wet Patch, Bore Brush, Dry Patch"—is designed to thoroughly clear carbon, copper, and lead fouling from a firearm's barrel. It uses Otis's signature Memory-Flex cable to clean from breech-to-muzzle to protect the barrel's crown.

The Otis 3-Step Gun Cleaning Method

1. Wet Patch: Attach a slotted tip to the Memory-Flex cable, thread a patch onto it, and apply a few drops of gun solvent or CLP. Pull the patch through the bore from the breech to the muzzle to loosen fouling and wet the barrel.
2. Bronze Brush: Replace the patch with the correctly sized bronze bore brush on your cable. Pass it through the bore (again, from breech-to-muzzle) to scrub away carbon, copper, and lead residue.
3. Dry Patch: Switch back to the slotted tip with a clean, dry patch. Pull it through the barrel to remove the loosened debris and any remaining solvent. Note: You may need to repeat these three steps multiple times until a patch comes out completely clean. Why Breech-to-Muzzle? Unlike traditional rigid cleaning rods pushed from the muzzle end, Otis cables are pulled through from the chamber (breech) out toward the barrel tip. This method pushes all debris and dirty solvents out of the barrel rather than scraping them into the chamber, and protects the delicate rifling at the muzzle from being damaged by the cleaning too

Otis round gun cleaning patches are designed to provide a 360-degree cleaning swab. Made of 100% cotton, they are lint-free, absorbent, and engineered to be rotated multiple times so you get up to six fresh cleaning surfaces per patch.

Proprietary Tie Method: When properly threaded and "pinched" onto an Otis slotted tip, the patch transforms into a circular swab that uniformly scrubs the bore

Universal Compatibility: Otis patches clean a wide variety of calibers and are available in 2" (for .17 caliber - .223) 3" (for .243 to 12/10 Gauge Shotguns. Use the outer slots for .243 caliber and larger and the inner slots for .30 caliber and larger. For shotguns be sure to use the correct size Patch Saver.  Panoply 3" are a thicker material designed for use on large calibers .30 caliber and up

To use an Otis Ripcord on your unloaded firearm with the action open, you simply feed the narrow, threaded tip into the chamber and pull it completely out through the muzzle. Because it is wrapped in heat-resistant Nomex®, you can use it dry at the shooting range while the barrel is still hot to quickly clear out loose carbon.

Follow the process for cleaning the bore using the Otis 3-Step Cleaning Process detailed above. You may do so with the pistol assembled or disassembled. Disassembly is recommended to clean fouling build-up and debris from the slide, feed ramp, recoil spring, and frame. Picks and scrapers, included in many Otis kits, can be used to remove build up. A gun cloth, pre-saturated patches/wipes or patches to wipe out loosed debris. Follow up with lubrication – check your owner’s manual for recommended lubrication points. For more detailed cleaning instruction, click on one of the pistol specific videos in this section.

Follow the process for cleaning the bore using the Otis 3-Step Cleaning Process detailed above. You may do so with the rifle assembled or disassembled. For limited breech, it is recommended to break down or back-feed the cable to clean properly from Breech-to-Muzzle®. Disassembly offers more detailed cleaning of internal parts of your rifle. Depending on your rifle’s action, the process for breakdown and cleaning varies and the rifle specific videos in this section will provide more detailed instruction.

Follow the process for cleaning the bore using the Otis 3-Step Cleaning Process detailed above, making sure to use the Patch Savers® for creating a patch for shotguns. You may do so with the shotgun assembled or disassembled. Disassembly offers more detailed cleaning of internal parts of your shotgun. Depending on your shotgun’s action, the process for breakdown and cleaning varies and the shotgun specific videos in this section will provide more detailed instruction.

To clean your suppressor closely follow the included instructions. The basic steps are to soak, scrub, rinse, dry and lubricate. Watch the Suppressor Cleaning Video above or Download the Suppressor Cleaning Printable PDF below for complete video tutorial or written instructions.

Follow the process for cleaning the bore using the Otis 3-Step Cleaning Process detailed above. You may do so with it assembled or disassembled. Disassembly is recommended to clean fouling build up and debris from hard-to-reach internal areas. Picks and scrapers, included in many Otis kits, can be used to remove build up. A gun cloth, pre-saturated patches/wipes or patches to wipe out loosed debris. Follow up with lubrication – check your owner’s manual for recommended lubrication points. Otis offers a variety of tools to make cleaning MSR/AR-style rifles easier and quicker. The B.O.N.E.® Tool cleans the bolt, bolt carrier & firing pin; the Star Chamber Cleaning Tool cleans the barrel extension/star chamber area and the AR-15 Lock Block makes the removal/installation of barrels and hand guards quicker. The videos in this section give step-by-step instruction on utilizing these tools – or view the downloadable instructions at the bottom of this page.

The Otis FLEX System® is built around modular cases and interchangeable organizers that can be configured to fit your preferred setup. Cases connect using integrated locking tabs, allowing multiple FLEX cases to securely snap together for storage and transport.

Inside each case, removable parts organizers hold cleaning components in place. Organizers can be moved, removed, and exchanged between compatible FLEX cases, making it easy to reorganize your kit as your needs change.

Additional attachment points throughout the case allow organizers to be positioned in different locations, while select organizers can also be installed in the case lid to maximize available storage.

All FLEX cases and organizers are designed to work together, so components can be mixed and matched across the entire Otis FLEX System®.

For more information visit https://otistec.com/otis-flex-system-faq/