Snip3o wrote:It's so damn expensive, haven't checked in my local store yet but online, everything is overpriced. I'm tempted to just use normal machine oil, like sewing oil. But I don't know if that will protect my .22 from rust.
It is expensive, but a can does last a few years, even with lots of maintenance. I go through more oil than solvents or grease so I bought a bulk bottle of gun oil, and use it to refill small squeeze bottles. One lives beside my keyboard and gets used for anything that needs oiling, another lives on my reloading bench to keep my press, dies and tools lubed. I prefer spray packs for solvent. I bought a large can of copper/lead solvent five years ago, and it'll likely last another five at least, so maybe $5 a year or so. I really only use solvent in the bores, and only clean the bores when accuracy drops off, around 300rds to 2000rds depending on the rifle.
For black powder I bought a large squeezebottle of solvent that I drench the barrelled action with immediately after use, but that'll last me years the amount of black I shoot. Oddly, it's the required cleaning that limits how much black powder shooting I do, if I didn't have to worry about the cleaning I'd shoot black a hell of lot more often, it's damned good fun.
As long as you keep it oiled it won't rust. I rub gun grease over the rifle if I'm going out in the rain, or leaving it in the safe for a few months, but tube of grease will probably last ten years as well.
Patches I mainly use rolls of two-by-four, but I bought thousands of .22-caliber patches - I won't need to buy more patches in my lifetime.
Brushes I have dozens of every caliber from .17 to 12ga.
The real expense is the ten or so cleaning rods, some of which cost me $70+.