For me gun cleaning is a love/hate kind of thing. I can put it off for as long as anyone else. But when I do it, I want it done well. I have spent considerable time scrubbing bores and considerable money buying various potions and witches' brews. My cleaning bench is covered with their cans and bottles. Some years back I found what I thought would be the end all and be all of bore cleaning, the Outers Foul-Out system.

Something has changed my mind. It's called "Wipe-Out" from SharpShoot-R Precision Products and it really works. (Note that this is not a paid advertisement.) Wipe-Out comes in a pressurized can typical of spray-on products. However, it's not a spray; it comes out as rapidly expanding foam that fills your gun's bore from end to end. I won't reprint the directions for use; you can follow them if you buy the product. I will add, though, that when applying it you need to press the can's button for only a fraction of a second. Any longer than that and you'll have foam all over your gun, bench, and self. You might also want to use a six- or eight-inch length of vinyl tubing of a diameter to fit over the can's spout. If the retailer hasn't lost it, the product will come with a soda straw. The straw works, but I prefer the tubing.

For a test of Wipe-Out my subject was an old 1896 Swedish Mauser military rifle. The gun had been 'rode hard and put away wet' when I acquired it and the bore was testament to neglect. My trusty Outers system had removed a lot of bullet fouling and I thought that the bore was as clean as it would get. I applied the Wipe-Out following directions and left it to soak for the prescribed time for dirty bores. At the end of that time I ran a clean patch through and became an instant convert. The Wipe-Out removed bullet fouling which might have been in there for decades. My third patch came out clean, and that means no more endless scrubbing with bore brushes and patches.

The Outers equipment cost enough that I hesitate to throw it away, but all of those other cans and bottles are going to HAZMAT disposal. Wipe-Out is all that I need from now on to clean bores.

I found this product at Sportsman's Warehouse, and I understand that Cabela's also carries it. If need be you can order direct from the manufacturer at: www.sharpshootr.com

You might find a little can of Wipe-Out to be high priced, but buck up and try it. If you want your bore cleaning efforts to produce results you won't be disappointed.