If you have more than just the most basic cleaning supplies, you know what a pain it can be to store gun cleaning supplies.
Gun cleaning kits tend to come with a case, but those cases don’t provide enough room for the other cleaning supplies that you inevitably end up having to purchase, like a cleaning cloth, cleaning solvent, and gun oil. Speaking of which, bottles of oil and solvents tend to leak if stored on their side, so you have to make sure they stay upright.
Table Of Contents
Our Best Gun Cleaning Cases
- MTM Shooting Range Box (Our Top Pick)
- Plano Three-Tray Tackle Box (Best Budget)
- MTM Case-Gard Rifle Range Box (Best High End)
- Hoppe’s Range Kit With Cleaning Mat
- Plano Shooter’s Case
Plus the quality of the cases that come with gun cleaning kits is typically low. Manufacturers (understandably) sacrifice case quality in favor of tool quality in order to keep cost low, but unfortunately, that means the cases tend to leave something to be desired in terms of durability and organization.
But you can solve those problems by just getting a new case.
Gun cleaning cases are designed with the troubles of gun cleaning supply storage in mind. In this guide, we’ll talk about what exactly makes gun cleaning cases different from other storage options, what types of gun cleaning cases are available, and how to choose the right gun cleaning case. Then we’ll finish up by going over a few of our favorite gun cleaning case.
Let’s get started.
What Are Gun Cleaning Cases?
Gun cleaning cases, also called gun cleaning boxes, provide a carrying case and convenient, organized storage for your gun cleaning kit and other gun cleaning supplies.
A gun cleaning case isn’t a gun cleaning kit itself, though some cases do come with cleaning supplies.
They do, however, provide plenty of room for the contents of a gun cleaning kit plus extra cleaning items like brushes, scrapers, picks, cleaning cloths, and more. Particularly large cleaning cases will also have room to store other gun-related gear, like maintenance tools, eye, and ear protection, ammo, or reloading supplies.
Gun cleaning cases will have lots of features to help you keep whatever gear you store inside, like trays, dividers, and holes for cleaning rod attachments or screwdriver heads.
They also often have features that make the actual cleaning process easier, like built-in gun rests or cleaning mats.
What Are The Different Types Of Gun Cleaning Cases?
In this guide, we will primarily be talking about purpose-made gun cleaning cases. These are cases designed specifically for cleaning firearms and they tend to have firearm friendly features like a vise or cleaning mat, holes for stowing brushes, a caliber guide, liftable trays to give easier access to all of your gun cleaning gear, and more.
However, there are also other types of containers that can be effectively used as a gun cleaning case. Ammo boxes, tackle boxes, and plastic shoe boxes are all common choices. Because they’re designed for different purposes, the sort of features they include vary widely, but they won’t have gun-friendly features.
However, depending on the type of container you go with, you can still have lots of dividers for an organization (such as in a tackle box) or you can take advantage of the open space to add your own organizers and smaller containers.
All but one of the cases we recommend here were specifically designed as gun cleaning cases.
What Do You Look For In The Best Gun Cleaning Box?
First and foremost, your gun cleaning case needs to provide enough room for all of your gun cleaning supplies. Ideally, it will even have enough vertical space to store bottles of cleaners and lubricants upright, so there’s less risk of spilling. (How to keep them upright might be trickier though.)
It should also have organizational features that help you keep the inside of the storage box neat and organized, as well as to keep your supplies convenient and accessible while you clean.
Look for gun cleaning boxes with lots of dividers, but more compartments aren’t necessarily better. You want compartments in a variety of sizes to work with all the various sizes of cleaning supplies. Holes for storing bore brushes and mops or screwdriver heads are also very useful.
Additional handy, but non-essential features include a gun vise or stand and a cleaning mat.
We already mentioned that the cases that come with most cleaning kits aren’t the best quality, so to address that issue you’ll want to choose a gun cleaning case that features high-quality construction and durable materials.
That’s especially true if you want to be able to take your gun cleaning case with you to the range or field. In that case, look for additional features that help with portability, like comfortable, sturdy handles and a lightweight design.
Best Gun Cleaning Cases Reviewed
Now let’s move on to our favorite gun cleaning cases.
1. MTM Shooting Range Box (Our Top Pick)
Our overall favorite gun cleaning case is the MTM Shooting Range Box.
It measures 25 x 11.5 x 8.75 inches and has a gun stand with over-molded rubber padding to protect your gun’s finish while keeping it in place while you clean. These features make it great for a rifle or shotgun cleaning kit.
It has 18 total compartments and a lift-out tray top with a couple of smaller lift-out trays of its own. The large bottom compartment provides space for storing bigger items. It will fit MTM’s largest ammo box and most solvent bottles upright.
Pros
- Handle on top for portability
- Top piece can latch closed when not on the bottom, so you can take it with you when you don’t need everything
- Bore brush guide helps you ensure that you’re using the right one every time
Cons
- Plastic isn’t as rigid as we’d like
Buy The MTM Shooting Range Box On Amazon
2. Plano Three-Tray Tackle Box (Best Budget)
Next is our only recommendation that’s not designed to be a gun cleaning case, the Plano Tackle Box.
As a tackle box, it has a ton of little compartments to keep your various odds and ends neat. The three cantilever trays maximize tabletop space efficiency while also keeping all of your gear accessible, also available in one and two-tray versions.
Measuring 16 x 8 x 8 inches, it’s the most compact box on this list. There’s also no vise or stand, but you typically don’t need one for a handgun anyway, so it’s great for a pistol cleaning kit.
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- 22 to 34 compartments with adjustable dividers
- Two small top access compartments in the lid of the box for storing small items for quick access without opening the whole kit
Cons
No cleaning mat or stand
Small compared to other cleaning cases
Buy The Plano Three-Tray Tackle Box On Amazon
3. MTM Case-Gard Rifle Range Box (Best High End)
Our top high-end pick is the MTM Case-Gard Rifle Range Box. It’s especially handy for AR-15s, but can be a great option for any rifle cleaning kit. This is because, in addition to the standard gun rack, it also has a .223/5.56 NATO magwell fork.
The removable tray top has 18 compartments so you have places to organize all your bits and pieces like jags, swabs, bore brushes, utility brushes, and more. There’s even a 16 screwdriver bit holder. There’s plenty of room underneath to store even large bottles of lubricant, solvent, and CLP.
Pros
- Top tray lifts off and has a couple of smaller removable trays within
- 24.6 x 11.3 x 8.3 inches, so a little bit smaller than the other MTM box
- Large handle
Cons
- Plastic isn’t as rigid as we’d like
Buy The MTM Case-Gard Rifle Range Box On Amazon
4. Hoppe’s Range Kit With Cleaning Mat
Our next recommendation is a little different from the other options on this list.
For one, the Hoppe’s Range Kit includes a few cleaning supplies with it, including a universal cleaning kit, including a cleaning rod, bronze bore brushes, cleaning patches, picks, and general-purpose nylon and bronze brushes.
The main difference, however, is that it’s not a box at all. As the name suggests, it comes with a cleaning mat, which has elastic tool pockets, a zipper pocket, and a slip pocket for storing your cleaning supplies. When you’re ready to put it away, fold it back up into quarters and slip it into the soft case that’s also included.
Pros
- Designed to be very lightweight and portable for convenient gun cleaning at the range or in the field
- Cleaning mat is resistant to cleaning solvents and gun oils and has a magnet in the corner to keep small pieces in place
- Great for field cleanings and can be thrown into your range bag or even into one of the larger gun cleaning cases on this list
Cons
- Not great to use as your primary gun cleaning supply storage because there’s not a lot of space for cleaning supplies
Buy The Hoppe’s Range Kit With Cleaning Mat On Amazon
5. Plano Shooter’s Case
Last up is the Plano Shooter’s Case.
It comes in two different sizes. The larger one measures a massive 22 x 14.25 x 11.5 inches, so it’s a good option if none of the other cases so far were big enough to meet your needs. The smaller size is 18 x 13.5 x 9 inches, making it a bit smaller than the MTM Case-Gard Rifle Range Box.
Both sizes feature rifle holders, a tongue and groove lid system for water resistance, and a lift-out tray.
Pros
- The larger size is great for those who need to store a particularly large collection of gun cleaning supplies
- The tray in the larger size has a brush holder and size guide and both sizes have dividers in the tray and large lower compartments
- Has the heavy-duty, high-quality plastic and construction that Plano is known for
Cons
- Some people may be put off by the camo finish and only the larger size is available in a different color, olive drab green.
- Trays don’t have as many dividers as some of the other options here, especially with the smaller size
Buy The Plano Shooter’s Case On Amazon
Final Thoughts On Gun Cleaning Cases
Each of these cases is a great option. None of them is a bad choice, so just select the one that has the best size and features for your individual needs.
And, of course, if you need something to feel your new case, you can check out the Best Gun Cleaning Kits for some options.
You can also put together your own kit or just fill any gaps in your cleaning supplies using our recommendations for particular types of cleaning products: