The Tipton Gun Butler

By Dr. Jim and Mary Clary

Tipton Gun Butler
Illustration courtesy of Tipton Gun Cleaning Supplies.

Most of us have our gun cleaning tools somewhere on our reloading bench. When it comes time to clean our firearms, we gather up everything, lay the gun on the bench and begin the task. More than once, we have tipped over a bottle of solvent, dropped a brush on the floor or scraped the gun on the bench (before we started using a piece of carpet). Taking everything to a competition or the range was an adventure all by itself. We have used cardboard boxes, ammo cans and wooden crates to get our cleaning gear to the range or motel room (for cleaning our F-Class rifles after a day of shooting). We have even resorted to taking our Caldwell 7 Rest along to hold the rifle for cleaning. It worked, but it was just another piece of equipment to haul along.

When we saw the Gun Butler, it became obvious that this was what we needed. We could keep it loaded with our cleaning supplies on our bench at home, fold it up for range duty with the liquids safely stored in an ammo can and quickly set it up for cleaning in the field or back at our motel room.

This is a very well designed unit. The removable forks are heavily padded and will not mar any stock finish. They snap into the base for storage, should you want to hang it on the wall or slide it under your bench. However, if you wish to carry the Butler with all of your jags, bore solvent, brushes, etc in the compartments, there is a lift-up handle for carrying.

Since getting this handy device, we have been able to leave our Caldwell 7 Rest at home. When you place your gun in the forks, the barrel will be angled slightly down, which allows any excess solvent (and dirt) to flow out of the muzzle and away from the action. Not sure whether they did this on purpose, but it is cool. The frame is constructed of a very rigid, solvent resistant polymer material with non-slip rubber feet.

The only minor problem we experienced with the Gun Butler was not with the unit itself, but with the cavity sizes. Oversize bottles/cans of cleaning fluids will not fit in the circular cavities. However, that is not the fault of Tipton, as every manufacturer on the planet seems to want to market their stuff in unusual sizes and shapes. We solved that problem by locating a couple of poly bottles (solvent impervious) that fit snuggly into the cavities and filled them with our cleaning fluids. Add in a couple of inexpensive plastic boxes to fit in the fork tray for our patches, jags and brushes and we have done away with the ammo cans. Now, we grab the “loaded” Gun Butler when we head to the range and everything is onboard.

For most hunters and shooters, gun cleaning is enough of a chore without having to keep track of all the tools and supplies required. The Gun Butler offers an affordable, convenient solution for storage and transportation of supplies, as well as a secure gun holder for cleaning.

The dimensions of the Butler are as follows:

  • Length – 23.5”
  • Width – 9.25”
  • Depth – 4.25” or 11.3” to top of the forks

With an MSRP of $34.99, the Tipton Gun Butler is not dirt cheap, but it is worth every penny.




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Copyright 2012 by Jim Clary and/or chuckhawks.com. All rights reserved.


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