Just a couple of notes to think about:
1. If you ever decide to shoot a field match or any match where you need to only use what you carry, a cleaning rod can be as important as any tool you might consider carrying. Way up there next to your ammo if you reload.
My cleaning Rod has saved more than a handful of guys matches and mine at least twice.
5 common uses other than cleaning:
1. Removing a stuck case- you need a strong rod that you can tap from the muzzle end.
2. Damaged round - strang as it sounds, you be surprised how little of a deviation will stop a round from chambering. Just like above you need something solid-of course this one is a bit spooky to deal with.
3. Case head separation- maybe more common than people think. This one kinda freaks people out when they pull their bolt back and the next round doesn’t chamber. The main body of the case remains in the chamber. The lightest simplest tool and way to extract it is with a small section of the rod like you’d use for a pistol with the 12 gauge thread adapter and brass 12gauge brush. Again, you need a solid rod to push from the chamber end with a bit of effort, then pull back. The brass in the case locks as the bass brush try’s to reverse and comes right out. Of course, I have also seen people sometimes get lucky and just tip the muzzle up.
4. While loosing control of your gun can cause a DQ, I’ve seen guys a couple times drop their gun or otherwise get crap in their muzzle usually when unslinging arriving at a stage. Once my front flush cup disingauged and my gun stuck barrel frist in the dirt.. again solid rods needed.
5. Lastly and I have only seen this a couple of times a lone bullet. Once was a squib and another after a guy timed out and extracted the unfurled round; a bullet stuck in the lands.
Even if your a hunter think about falling etc.. you’ll want a rod
BTW I carried the rapid rod and it worked the first time I tried to bang a stick case out of a guys savage... then the soft aluminum was 100% trashed.
@kortik has a longer kit than I think offered and it packs even shorter. It is very nice along with his field kit.
Either way get a strong rod if you ever plan on shooting field matches or away from the truck of your car... think of it as a first aid kit; it just sits there, but when you need them your super happy you had it.
Hope the info helps someone... you can’t image the look on someone’s face when they think their match is over because of something so simple...
