Gun-cleaning Tool and System

Abstract

A gun-cleaning device deploys a plurality of different tool pieces that connect to a rod or shaft that is inserted down the gun barrel. The tool pieces are adapted to be received by a latch mechanism disposed at the distal end of the rod or shaft. The latch mechanism does not protrude beyond the diameter of the shaft, yet is readily actuated with one finger to release the tool pieces without touching the tool itself. The tool pieces themselves are optionally configured to be either freely rotating or fixed with respect to the shaft axis when engaged by the latch mechanism.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application for a “Gun-cleaning Tool and System” filed on May 10, 2006 and having application Ser. No. 60/746,975, which is incorporated herein by reference

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to improved tools for wiping and cleaning the inner walls of gun barrels, and in particular to a system for rapidly exchanging the various of tools used in the cleaning process.

Varieties of tools are deployed to clean deposits from the inner walls of gun barrels. The deposits are the residue of burning gunpowder and metals from shell casings and if not removed build up to the extent that they affect the accuracy of the gun, as well as clog the barrel. Such tools include wire brushes for scraping hard deposits, as well as various configurations of soft fabrics that aid in the application of liquid cleaning agents. Other types of tools known to gun owners are a jag, mop and patch holder. In all cases, the tool is passed multiple times through the barrel. Such tools are generally mounted on a stiff rod that is as least as long as the gun barrel so the tool can be inserted through the entire barrel from one side. The rod, while being stiff and rigid to support the tool as it encounters the inner walls of the barrels, must be smaller in diameter to fit the barrel.

Competition marksmen use many different styles of guns and rifles depending on the specific venues today. Serious marksmen purchase for competitive use very expensive guns and barrels that frequently are custom built. These barrels often are more expensive then the rest of the equipment used by a marksmen. For accuracy reasons, these barrels often only have a certain life expectancy of a certain number of rounds or bullets that can be fired or discharged through them and accuracy is of the utmost importance to today's competition marksmen.

It is of paramount importance in cleaning the barrel of a gun to avoid damaging the barrel. The brush and jags can and will damage or wear out the lands and groves of these barrels. This in turn will decrease the accuracy and life of a barrel. It is for this reason that almost all competition shooters have a very rigorous cleaning routine that is followed to the letter for cleaning and maintaining the barrel of a gun. This routine is not limited to, but does include the following practice of only pushing a cleaning jag and brush through the barrel of a gun in one direction and one direction only. The wire brush is then removed from the supporting rod so that the rod can be withdrawn from the barrel in the backwards direction without the tool. After the supporting rod is removed from the barrel, the brush is re-attached so that is can be re-inserted through the gun breech. This process can be repeated as many as 25 to 75 times per each barrel cleaning. Thus, with every pass through the bore of the gun barrel, at the end of the pass made, the shooter will then un-screw the brush or jag from the cleaning rod to then pull the cleaning rod back out of the barrel. The user must also unscrew the brush or jag when changing to a wiping tool used to add liquid cleaner or lubricant. Accordingly, it should be understood that thoroughly cleaning a gun properly is messy and tedious process.

Some guns deploy smooth bore barrels, while others utilize a helical grooved pattern known as riffling. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,218 to Bottomley (issued Jun. 23, 1987), which is incorporated herein by reference, it is desirable in some instances that the tool rotate freely to follow the barrel riffling, rather than depends on the user rotating the tool as it is pushed down the barrel. As taught by Bottomly and others, the tools themselves have a threaded end for engaging a mating threaded coupling at the end of the supporting rod. Likewise, the opposite end of the rod is threaded for engagement with mating threads of a handle.

Further, as the cleaning agents and the residue removed from the barrel is frequently a harsh if not somewhat toxic materials, the user should wear protective gloves when handling the tools. The need to wear and change gloves, to prevent recontamination of the barrel with residue left on the gloves, make the cleaning process even more tedious.

While others have recognized the need for providing a quicker method of disconnecting cleaning tools from the supporting rod, these methods have not enjoyed commercial success due to several deficiencies. For example, in the cleaning tool system taught by Hayes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,000 (issued Aug. 10, 1999), which is incorporated by reference, the tool attaches to the supporting rod via pins extending a right angle from the tool axis. The two pin fit into bayonet style L-shaped cutouts in hollow wall of the supporting rod. A bayonet mount is generally operative to lock by a combination of rotation and sliding movement to engage the pins extending from the cylindrical end of the implement in the end of the L-shaped cutouts of the holder. Thus, it should be appreciated that given the repetitive combination of rotation and sliding motion used to clean the barrel of a gun, a tool can come loose from such a bayonet mount in the cleaning process. The precise bayonet style configuration shown in the '000 patent might avoid this consequence, as the tool is first rotated and then slide down to a locking position. However, this bayonet style configuration then leaves several gaps in which cleaning residue could accumulate. Further, the user must still grip the tool to remove it from the rod. Hence, the need to protect ones hands and frequently changes gloves.

In the cleaning tool system taught by Sipple et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,223 (issued Apr. 9, 1985), which is incorporated by reference, the cleaning tips, though not intended for inserted in a gun barrel, do mount in a holder with a larger diameter. The end of the holder has a latching mechanism in which a detent lever snaps into a recess in a plate at the mounting end of the tip. The detent is removed by pushing a trigger recessed into the holder. While such a mechanism could be used on the end of a supporting rod, the mechanism would not allow the tool to rotate. Further, as the trigger is flush with the exterior diameter of the holder, it is not apparent how it could be recessed downward without the aid of an additional small tool.

Rivers in U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,871 (issued Sep. 19, 1989), which is incorporated by reference, discloses a compact telescoping supporting rods and cleaning tool system. An internal rod has a cleaning tool engaged by a threaded attachment at one end, with the other end of the internal rods in sliding engagement within the external storage sleeve. A latching mechanism is associated with the storage tube to lock the internal rod to the interior of the sleeve when the tool is fully extended. There is no suggestion of how to use such a mechanism to attach the tool to the internal rod.

Given the above and other deficiencies of the prior art it is a general object of the invention to speed up the gun barrel cleaning process, encouraging more frequent gun maintenance.

In doing so, it is a first and more specific object of the present invention to provide improved gun-cleaning tools and implements that tightly and securely hold a variety of alternative tools or probe ends, such as the brush, jag or mop holder, on the end of a shaft that is inserted into the gun barrel

It is another object of the invention to do so in a manner that avoids damage to the gun barrel during cleaning.

It is a further object of the invention to do so in a manner that avoid the accumulation of dirt and/or cleaning residue on the portion of the shaft that repeatedly enters the gun barrel.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a means to easily remove, replace and interchange the alternative gun-cleaning tools and implements.

It is still another object of the invention to remove spent gun-cleaning tools without touching the residue with the hands, and thus avoid the need to wear and frequently change gloves.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the option to have a wire brush or any other gun-cleaning tool or fixture rotate freely as it is advanced through the gun barrel so that it follows the gun barrel rifling.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In the present invention, the first and other objects are achieved by providing a smooth elongated shaft with an inner bore and a recessed latch to hold a variety of gun barrel probes or implements. Each tool adapted to be received by the recessed latch has a different probe at the opposite end. The latch release is a lever or armature normally flush with the outer diameter of the tool but is readily depressed with a single finger on a trigger portion that is accessible by a surrounding concave recess in the shaft or rod surface.

Another aspect of select embodiments of the invention is that the portion of the cleaning tool engaged by the detent portion of the latch is a circularly symmetric barb so that the tool can rotate about the supporting rod axis. This permits the cleaning tool to follow the barrel riffling as it is advanced down the barrel.

Another aspect of the invention is a kit for converting existing gun-cleaning tools and components that attach to a support rod by a threaded screw connection. The kit includes first latch adapter for threaded engagement with the support rod and a second latch adapter for threaded engagement with the gun-cleaning tool. The first adapter once attached to the supporting rod is intended to receive in latched engagement the end of second adapter that is not attached to the gun-cleaning tool.

A further aspect of the invention is a kit that includes a smooth elongated shaft with an inner bore and a recessed latch to hold a variety of gun barrel cleaning tools. Some of the tools are configured to freely rotate about the supporting rod axis, with others that do not rotate about the support rod axis, but can be rotated by rotating the supporting rod. Tools adapted to rotate in the latch terminate with a circularly symmetric barb connected to the tool body by circular shaft that is held by the rectangular detent of the latch mechanism. In contrast, tools adapted to not rotate in the latch still terminates with a circularly symmetric barb, but this barb is connected to the tool body by a flat plate which is prevented from rotating as well as lateral motion by the rectangular detent.

The above and other objects, effects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an elevation showing the discrete components of one embodiment of the gun-cleaning system prior to assembly.

FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of the patch tool or probe from FIG. 1A

FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of a brush tool or probe that can be substituted for the patch tool from FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 1D is an enlarged view of a mop tool or probe that can be substituted for the probes of FIG. 1A-C.

FIG. 1E is an enlarged view of a jag tool or probe can be substituted for the probes of FIG. 1A-D.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tools in FIGS. 1B and 1C after insertion in the supporting rod in FIG. 1 to show the external latch release at the end of the supporting rod.

FIG. 3A is a partial cross sectional elevation to illustrate the operation of the detent portion of the latch mechanism that engages the tool in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3B is a cross sectional elevation of the portion of latch mechanism that engages the tool in FIG. 2 that includes the latch release portion and illustrates the section positions shown in FIGS. 3C, D and E.

FIGS. 3C, D, E and F are various sectional elevation of portions of the latch mechanism and tool shown in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4A is a plan view of an adapter system for using screw mounted tools and/or supporting rods with the previously illustrated embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4B is an exploded view of an adapter system for using screw mounted tools comparable to that illustrated in FIG. 4A showing details of the armature and spring biased assembly in the latch mechanism.

FIG. 5A is a cross sectional elevation of the portion of the latch mechanism that engages an alternative embodiment of the tool taken orthogonal to the section shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5B is a plan view of the alternative embodiment of tool in FIG. 4A.

FIGS. 5C and 5D are various sectional elevation of portions of the latch mechanism and tool shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 illustrates in plan view a gun-cleaning kit that includes rotating and non-rotating tools.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, wherein like reference numerals refer to like components in the various views, there is illustrated therein a new and improved gun-cleaning tool and system, generally denominated 100 herein.

In accordance with the present invention, FIG. 1 is an elevation to show the discrete components of one embodiment of the gun-cleaning system prior to assembly. A shown in FIG. 1A, the system 100 comprises a shaft or supporting rod 105 with handle 110 and a tool 120. In use, the handle 110 is preferably attached to the proximal end of the supporting rod 105 wherein the distal end of the supporting rod 105 includes a latch mechanism 115. The tool 120 is a shaft that terminates with a probe at the proximal end that is inserted to scrub, clean and/or lubricate the gun barrel. The supporting rod 105 has an interior bore 104 that receives the coupling portion 122 of tool 120. The coupling portion 122 preferably terminates in a circularly symmetric barb 127. The tool 120 is connected with rod 105 by the releasable engaging latch 115, which engages the rear of the barb 127 at minor shaft 126.

FIG. 1B-E are enlarged from FIG. 1A to more fully explain the structure and function on the coupling 122, as well as illustrate the various types of probes that can be used on the tool. In FIG. 1B the probe 1201 is flat member with a slot, known as a patch holder. In FIG. 1C the probe 1202 is a wire brush. In FIG. 1C the probe 1204 is a cylindrical soft brush, known as a mop. In FIG. 1 D, the probe 1203 is a series of concentric disks with a spike at the end known as a jag. Both the patch holder 1201 and jag 1202 are intended to hold disposable fabric pieces that apply cleaning or lubricating fluid, and/or scrub debris from the gun barrel.

Any of the tools in FIG. 1A-E are rapidly interchanged or quickly removed using latch mechanism 115. The coupling portion 122 has cylindrical ballast 123 that is connected to the probe portion. The ballast 123 preferably has the same diameter as the supporting rod 105. The probe is connected to the ballast at the tapering end 123a by the tool shaft 124. The opposite end of the ballast 123b has a smaller diameter cylindrical shank 125. The coupling 122 terminates with a barb 127 that is connected to the shank 125 by a minor shaft 126. The minor shaft 126 has a smaller diameter than the shank 125 and barb 127. The exterior end 127b of the barb 127 preferably tapers to a point, whereas the interior end 127a is preferably perpendicular to the surface of adjacent minor shaft 126. The ballast 123 is intended to be less than the inner diameter of the gun barrel to be cleaned and preferably has the same diameter of the supporting rod 105.

The shank 125 of tool 120 slides into the bore 104 in the shaft 105 at the latch end 115. The outer diameter of the shank 125 is just slightly less than the inner diameter of bore 104. The tight fit of the terminal end of the coupling portion 122 up to ballast portion 123) into the bore 104 in rod 105 secures the tool 120 and prevents debris cleaned from the barrel from reaching and fouling the moving components of latch 115.

The probe will vary in diameter depending on its purposes. Typically the brush probe 1202 shown in FIG. 1C is at least the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the gun barrel. In contrast as the patch probe 1201 in FIG. 1b is intended to secure a fabric patch in the longitudinal slot 121a that wraps around the diameter of the probe the probe will be somewhat smaller to accommodate the fabric, forcing it to compress so that strongly contact and then cleans the interior of the barrel.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the exterior of the latch portion 115 on rod or shaft 105 showing how the trigger portion 116 that releases latch 115 is accessible, being surrounded by exterior depression 114 in the outer wall of the rod 105. A slot 113 in the exterior wall of rod 105 extends the length of the armature 112 from trigger portion 116 to detent 117.

FIG. 3 further illustrates how pressing trigger portion 116 of armature 112 lifts detent 117. The armature 112 has a short pivot arm 118 descending from between the end of the trigger portion 116 and the detent 117. The pivot arm rotates about axle connection with the inner diameter of the rod 105. The axial rotary connection is preferably made by a roll pin 119 inserted in cross-bore holes 108a and 108b in the walls of rod 105. The armature 112 is biased by a spring mechanism 111 that forces the detent 117 downward to engage the end 127a of barb 127 on tool 120. Thus, when the trigger portion 116 is depresses the force of biasing spring 111 is overcome so that the detent pivots upward releasing barb 127. An exploded view of a comparable armature for assembly in the latch 115 is shown in FIG. 4B. Spring 111 is retained in place by a footing 109 that extends downward from armature 112, just forward of trigger portion 116. The coil opening of spring 111 fits surrounds footing 109 so that it is retained in latch 115.

As the barb end 127 is angled slightly to form a point at apex 127a, inserting it into the bore of coupling 115 will urge detent 117 to tilt upwards as it acts on similarly sloped outside edge 117a.

With reference to FIG. 3C, it should be noted that while the detent 117 is a flat plate, the barb 127 and minor shaft 126 are preferably circularly symmetric. Thus, the square or rectangular detent 117 prevents lateral and outward movement of the tool 120, by grasping the barb 127. However, as the detent 117 only contacts the cylindrical minor shaft 126 at a point it does not prevent rotation of tool 120 in bore 104, about the x-reference axis in the figures. Likewise, the shank 125 is also cylindrical so that it freely rotates with the cylindrical bore 104 of the supporting rod 105.

It should now be appreciated that in contrast to prior art cleaning devices for gun barrels, the tool 120 and latch 115 combination of the invention also has the benefit that is a flush assembly. Thus, there are no edges or corners at the latch that would trap or entrain cleaning debris, which could re-contaminate and damage the barrel during a latter stage of cleaning. Further, though the latch detent 117, securely holds the coupler portion 122 of tool 120, it allows free rotation of the probe with the barrel riffling when desired.

Further, the depression 114 around trigger 116 provides space for the user insert their fingertip and press on the trigger 116 so that the detent 117 rotates upward and releases barb 127 of tool 120. In addition, the ballast 123 increases the mass of the tool 120 beyond that of the probe to overcome the frictional between the shank 125 and the inner wall of the support rod 105 so that gravity will urge the tool 120 free of the rod 105, minimizing the need for the user to handle a dirty tool until all stages of the cleaning process are completed. It has been found that that merely lift the rod 105 by the handle end, such that the latch end 115 points downward, while depressing the trigger 116 will release the tool 120 so that it rests on a surface. Apparently, the mass of ballast 123 along with the probe overcomes the frictional resistance between the bore and the shank 125 to readily release tool 120 with minimal user intervention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention in the form of a kit for converting threaded tool gun-cleaning system components to the previously described latching tool system 100. The first component of the kit is a tool adapter 120′ that has a front face with a threaded bore 130 for receiving the threaded shank 132 of a conventional cleaning tool 1200, of which only the treaded shank portion is shown. The coupling 122 of tool adapter is otherwise constructed according to the description provided for same portion of the tool 120 in FIG. 1B. The kit also included latch adapter 115′ that has the latch mechanism described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, but with a threaded shank 131 extending from the end with trigger release 116, as previously described for latch portion 115 with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3. The threaded shank 131 is intended to engage the threaded bore 106 of a conventional support rod 105′. Absent the kit components 115′ and 120′, the threaded shank 132 of tool 1200 would be attached to the threaded bore 106′ of supporting rod 105′. It should be understood that the threaded shank 132 and the threaded bore 130 could be reversed with respect to components 120′ and 115′ depending on the gender of the threading on the rod and tool portion of the cleaning components being converted.

A further embodiment of the invention is the tool 120″ shown in FIG. 5A. The fixture portion of tool 120″ is omitted in this Figure, as it can be any of the tools shown in FIG. 1B-E. The coupling 122 is intended to latch with the latch portion 115 described with respect to FIG. 3. The coupling 122 terminates at cylindrical ballast 123 that preferably has the same diameter as the supporting rod 105. The probe, such as 1201 and the like, is connected to the ballast 123 at the tapering end 123a by the tool shaft 124. The opposite end of the ballast 123b has a smaller diameter cylindrical shank 125. The coupling 122 terminates with a barb 127 that is connected to the shank 125 by a plate 136. In one direction, shown in FIG. 5A the height of plate 136 is narrower than the diameter of shank, 125, whereas in the other orthogonal direction, shown in FIG. 5B, the plate 136 may as wide as shank 125. The exterior end 127b of the barb 127 preferably tapers to a point, whereas the interior end 127a is preferably perpendicular to the surface of adjacent minor shaft 126. Thus, tool 120 in FIG. 3 can rotate freely about the axis of tool shaft 124 while latched to rod 105 by detent 117. In contrast, tool 120″ would be fixed with respect to the axis of rod 105, as the detent 117 having a flat bottom prevents the rotation of plate 136. Thus, latch mechanism 115, supports tool portions 120 and 120″ that are selected to rotate either freely or under control of the user as the handle 110 is rotated.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 6A-E, a kit 100 includes a handle 110 with either integral or detachable supporting rod 105. Supporting rod 105 terminates in the latch mechanism 115 that has previously been described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3. The kit includes at least one pair of tools, such as patch tool pair 600 or brush tool pair 601. One tool of the pair 120 is comparable to that described with respect to FIG. 1B, in which a cylindrical minor shaft 126 connects the barb 127 to the shank 125. In contrast, the other tool in the pair 120″ is comparable to that described with respect to FIG. 5, in which a plate 136 connects the barb 127 to the shank 125. Thus, with the kit 100 shown in FIG. 6, the user can select a tool 120 that can rotate freely when inserted into the gun barrel, or tool 120″ that will be fixed to prevent such free rotation when inserted into latch mechanism 115.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gun-cleaning device comprising:

a) a smooth elongated shaft having at the distal end a circular opening to an inner bore and a recessed latch,

b) a gun-cleaning tool adapted to be received by the recessed latch,

c) wherein the elongated shaft has a concave external recess for accessing an actuator portion of the latch to release said gun-cleaning tool.

2. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 1 wherein the end portion of said gun-cleaning tool to be received by the recessed latch is a circularly symmetric barb attached to the probe portion of said gun-cleaning tool by a circular minor shaft such that said gun-cleaning tool can freely rotate independent of the rotation of said shaft.

3. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 2 wherein said gun-cleaning tool terminates at the end distal from the barb with a probe selected from the group consisting of a mop, a jag and a patch holder.

4. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 1 wherein the latch is an armature that pivots about a rotary axle disposed transverse to said shaft to engage and disengage a detent portion at the end of the armature.

5. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 4 wherein a detent portion of the armature is biased by a spring to engage a mating feature of said gun-cleaning tool to be received by the latch.

6. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 5 wherein the spring is a coil spring disposed under the portion of the armature that is within the concave recess.

7. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 1 wherein said gun-cleaning tool has a cylindrical ballast portion that extends outward along the circumference defined by the outer diameter of the shaft.

8. A gun-cleaning tool according to claim 1 further comprising a handle for attachment to the portion of said shaft distal from the latch.

9. A gun-cleaning device comprising:

a) a smooth elongated shaft having at the distal end a circular opening to an inner bore and a recessed latch,

b) a gun-cleaning tool having a circularly symmetric barbed end to be received by the recessed latch such that said gun-cleaning tool can freely rotate independent of the rotation of said shaft.

10. A gun-cleaning kit according to claim 9 wherein the latch is an armature that pivots about a rotary axle disposed transverse to said shaft to engage and disengage a detent portion at the end of the armature.

11. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 9 wherein a detent portion of the armature is biased by a spring to engage a mating feature of the gun-cleaning tool to be received by the latch.

12. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 9 wherein the elongated shaft has a concave external recess for accessing an actuator portion of the latch to release the gun-cleaning tool and the spring is a coil spring disposed under the portion of the armature that is within the concave recess.

13. A gun-cleaning device according to claim 9 wherein the tool has ballast that extends co-linearly outward along the circumference defined by the outer diameter of the shaft.

14. A gun-cleaning tool according to claim 9 further comprising a handle for attachment to the portion of said shaft distal from the latch.

15. A kit for adapting a gun-cleaning device to receive quick disconnect gun-cleaning cleaning tools, the kit comprising:

a) a first smooth elongated adapter having a first threaded coupling at the distal end to attach to a rod for insertion in the gun barrel,

b) a second smooth elongated adapter having a second threaded coupler at the proximal end to attach a thread terminated gun-cleaning tool,

c) wherein the proximal end of said first smooth elongated adapter has a circular opening to an inner bore and a recessed latch,

d) wherein the distal end of said second threaded adapter is configured for releasable engagement within the inner bore of said first threaded adapter.

16. A kit for adapting a gun-cleaning device according to claim 15 wherein the recessed latch in the first adapter has a concave external recess for accessing the actuator portion of the latch to release the gun-cleaning tool.

17. A kit for adapting a gun-cleaning device according to claim 15 wherein the distal end of said second threaded adapter that engages the recessed latch has a circularly symmetric barb such that the tool can freely rotate independent of the rotation of the rod or shaft attached to said first adapter during the cleaning process.

18. A kit for cleaning a gun, the kit comprising:

a) a smooth elongated shaft having at the distal end a circular opening to an inner bore and a recessed latch,

b) a first gun-cleaning tool having a circularly symmetric barbed end connected to the probe portion of said first gun-cleaning tool by a circular minor shaft, the detent portion of the latch grasping the portion of the barb adjacent the minor shaft such that said first gun-cleaning tool can freely rotate independent of the rotation of said smooth elongated shaft.

c) a second gun-cleaning tool having a circularly symmetric barbed end connected to the probe portion of said first gun-cleaning tool by a plate, the detent portion latch grasping the portion of the barb adjacent the plate such that said first gun-cleaning tool is restrained from rotating with respect to said smooth elongated shaft by the detent.

19. A kit for cleaning a gun according to claim 18 wherein the elongated shaft has a concave external recess for accessing an actuator portion of the latch to release the gun-cleaning tool.

20. A kit for cleaning a gun according to claim 18 wherein the latch is an armature that pivots about a rotary axle disposed transverse to said smooth elongated shaft.