At the US Tactical Supply I finally got a chance to check out the SAIN Defense Firearm Cleaning System In person. The amount of thought, and work, that went into this thing is impressive.
It’s available in 5.56 and 7.62 versions. Either one come packed in a Coyote or MultiCam pouch. The contents consist of:
Rod Sections for the kit are 17-4PH Stainless steel and 360 Brass (7.62 sections). (NOTE: 5.56 sections do not have bore riders due to small bore diameter. Uses standard, commercial (COTS) 8-32 male bore attachments.) Brass bore riders (softer than the bore) keep rod centered, reinforce the section joints, and keep the stainless rod off of the bore. Rod sections are knurled for assembly/disassembly with wet hands and without the use of tools. The rod is extremely strong and precision manufactured.
Picatinny Rail Interface (Patented): 6061 aluminum. Allows the rod to spin freely, forms a conventional T-handle, and also allows the weapon fore grip to be used as a handle. Also equipped with a 3/8” drive socket attachment which may be used as a weapons maintenance tool.
US Tactical Supply has both versions on GSA schedule (GS-07F-0259N).
Tags: SAIN DEFENSE, U.S. Tactical Supply
The kit is $250? Is there a stripper that pops out of that pouch?
Yes there is. And you are required to tip her.
Great analogy! Do you want a $250 stripper or the $10.00 model clearing your bore obstruction? We don’t spend good money on cheap strippers … or cheap kit for life saving rifles worth thousands.
Precision riflemen are (wisely) cleaning their bores less these days. More rifles are damaged by improper cleaning than by shooting them. But a critical bore obstruction (stuck case, projectile, bore brush (or 3 inches of mud) will ruin your mission, match or hunt; and you aren’t clearing that with a snake, cable or multi-tool. Job 1 is getting the rifle up and running. Job 2 is doing so without damaging the rifle or driving a cleaning rod through the handle and into your hand. Carrying a full sized rod is a No Go. What is offered is a benchrest quality, sectional cleaning rod (heretofore an oxymoron) that will also serve as an expedient wrench. Housed in a mission-configurable, modular pouch, with cleaning mat that will morph into a data book, admin/map pouch or general purpose pouch. Removeable “pages” allow the configuration to meet the mission and a section of rods can be simply ripped out and stuffed in a BDU pocket to cut weight. Overbuilt for Mil/LE worst case scenarios … it will also routinely clean a Glock, M240, M107 or M2 BMG. Currently available in 5.56, 7.62 and .338. 6mm – .260 rod in the works. Lifetime guarantee. Berry compliant. Made in USA.
You had me at 6mm – will that have the brass bore rider?
JMAA:
A 6mm-6.5 OD is too small for the bore riders. The rod center would be too flaccid (rarely a good thing). So we elected to build the entire rod for the PRS crowd in a proprietary bronze (not brass).
We maintain good rigidity and the same strong joint construction as the 7.62/.338 rods but you lose the knurling to help get the rods apart and the full on strength of 17-4PH stainless. There is as they say … no free lunch.
NOTE: Our 5.56 stainless rods work perfectly for 6mm- 6.5mm but people are afraid of them because of the old reputation of a sectional. Ours however, are precision ground and machined (unlike the old GI rods that mismatch).
Benchresters have been using stainless steel cleaning rods for years. Ours is basically a benchrest quality sectional which heretofore was an oxymoron. This precision is one reason the costs is higher.
Again the 5.56 stainless rods work fine with a bore guide and careful use (just like any rod).
But regardless: 6mm/6.5mm/.243/.260 is on the way in a solid proprietary bronze rod.
SAIN Defence kits are available commercially at
https://www.triadtactical.com/SAIN-Defense-Firearm-Cleaning-System.html
Good to see you’re still around, Steve!
And Also @
7.62 Kit @ http://ustacticalsupply.com/saindefense762cleaningkit.aspx
5.56 Kit @ http://ustacticalsupply.com/saindefense556cleaningkit.aspx
I finally got one of these last year. It stays with my gear at all times and it travels to every sniper class we teach. It has come to the rescue at least 3 times since I received mine.
One class had a student manage to pull a bullet when clearing his extremely fouled rifle which left the 168MK lodged in the throat and powder everywhere else. All he (or the rest of the class) had was a Bore Snake. Nobody had a rigid rod. Pulled him off the line with this kit and he was back in the line up in less than 5 minutes.
2 classes later, student wiped out during a moving and setup exercise leaving the muzzle plugged with clay and mud. Same remedy because nobody had a rigid rod.
Last class had an officer with an inaccurate and malfunctioning gas gun that was suppressed. It looked like it had not been cleaned in the last 200 years. User had only rags and oil in his gear for maintenance. This kit allowed him to get thoroughly clean the chamber, bore and every corner of the BCG and upper. Gun started running reliably and accurately for the remainder of the class with the user repeating the same maintenance routine every day after class.
The compactness of this kit means that it is a no-brainer to keep with your gear. The versatility of it more than pays for any trade off for weight or space used.
I have used a lot of rods and maintenance kits in the last 35 years of serious rifle work and this one is the most thought out and well made one I have seen.
The rifle/optic combinations we are cleaning with these type kits are very expensive. Those rifles are counted on to perform on demand perfectly every time. 99% of the time, any issue with performance is user induced and/or lack of proper maintenance.
This maintenance kit is damn near bulletproof due to the quality of materials and manufacturing. It will outlast all of your barrels and most of your rifles, so it is more than worth the asking price.
Full disclosure, I’ve known and helped run a nonprofit with Brian Sain since OIF. Prior to that, I knew Brian professionally in the LE sniper circle (it’s not a large community.)
When this idea came to fruition, amongst working snipers it has been well-received due to the options we’ve had in the past. You either bring along a POS cheap MIL piece rod that is never straight and was certainly made by the lowest bidder out of scrap iron… or you hope your one piece Dewey doesn’t get broken in your drag bag or stepped on in an armored truck.
This kit gives the best of all worlds, MIL/LE/CIV and will be THE last kit you’ll ever need to own. It’s durability is unmatched, size plus quality is unduplicated and it will outlive the owner. No doubt the naysayers will freak on the price tag … but when your life depends on your weapon system, going cheap is not the road to travel.
It would be nice to have the rods available for separate purchase. That way if you have multiple calibers you wouldn’t have to buy multiple kits, just switch out the rods in the original full kit.
We are just up and running. Each individual component will have it’s own and price point. I believe Triad Tactical has the rod sections currently for sale separately. 6-6.5 on the way soon.
I picked up a Sain Defense multi cal Kit roughly 5-6 months ago. To be honest prior to that I personally had never had an emergency bore obstruction, seen a bunch but they weren’t really on my worry radar. Well shortly after getting the kit I had a minor one in an AR 15 platform in one of my courses and a crazy stuck case in a RPR in a private precision rifle lesson which would have ended that lesson. Since then I take my kit to everything. Of course like any new piece of gear there will be cloned or cheap imitations. I personally choose to buy American made products even if the cost is greater as there is no replacement for quality! That said I’ve already had a few customers show up with the junk clones and without a doubt there is no comparison! The Sain Defense kit is elite level equipment. So If you want to “play elite” save a couple bucks, but if you want to have a bomb proof kit the choice is clear…SAIN DEFENSE!
I’ve had one of each of his 5.56 and 7.62 kits since he released them and they haven’t left my range bag. They go with me to every match and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve helped other shooters or used them for maintenance on the road. They are the best field cleaning rod out there. They are worth every penny and will last you a lifetime