Whenever there's a new bore-cleaning product on the market that promises to make cleaning easier, faster or better, I'm usually eager to give it a try. Between those new products coming on the market, though, I typically don't clean my gun bores unless they start to shoot poorly.

Earlier this year, the subject of bore cleaning came up on the Guns & Ammo forums, and one of the members asked if I'd try his new bore cleaning product, Deaton's Deep Clean. Deaton's is an ammonia-based liquid solvent for removing copper, lead and powder fouling. It requires the use of a bore brush, should not be left in the bore for more than 15 minutes, and unlike most solvents, does not say to repeat as necessary. It also has lubricating and preserving qualities, although those claims are not made on the packaging.

Mayer wasn't out to gore anyone's ox, and the competing products were unknowing participants, so he called them products A, B, C and D.

Since there is no standardized "test" to my knowledge for cleaning products to pass or fail, I decided to do a comparative analysis between Deaton's and several popular, name-brand cleaners on the market. I'm not out to gore anyone's ox, and the competing products were unknowing participants, so I'll just call them products A, B, C and D. All of the products used, including Deaton's, recommend coating the bore with oil or other rust-preventing product after cleaning.

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Product A is a popular one-step foaming cleaner. Its claim is that you simply spray the foam down the bore, let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes, patch out the fouling and repeat as necessary.

Product B is one of the new biodegradable cleaning gels that claims to leave a chemically clean bore in minutes. It recommends the use of a brush, and like the gel, says to repeat as necessary.

Product C is a non-embedding bore paste that is aggressive on fouling, but will not harm the bore. Instructions say to patch the bore with a light gun oil before using this paste, and to repeat as necessary.

Product D is a new non-toxic, biodegradable, non-flammable formulation of an old favorite liquid solvent. The new formulation is applied from a pump spray bottle. Instructions recommend the use of a bore brush, and to repeat as necessary.