Shooters tend to be a particular breed. They’re picky about what gun they buy, the ammo that goes in that gun, how they will carry it, and how they will clean it. At least they should be picky about how they clean it… A clean weapon tends to work better than a dirty one.
Many shooters and gunsmiths have relied on Birchwood Casey (BC) products since 1948 to clean and repair their guns, but if I were a betting man (which I’m not), 5 would get you 8 that many shooters have no idea about all the products BC makes. I conducted a very quick, informal survey among a few shooter friends and relatives, and the standard answer I received about what BC makes was: cleaning kits, Tru Oil, and cold blue solution. They were surprised to hear about everything else they make. This is as good a place as any to list their product from their website.
They list the following categories of items for sale. I’ll show that here and then use a few words to describe what those categories consist of.
- Targets
- Gun Cleaning
- Gun Refinishing
- Shooting Equipment
- Gun Cases
- Holsters
- Resources
Targets
From the popular Shoot-n-See reactive targets to paper to steel, BC has a target for just about every shooting pursuit. Whether you are training someone with a .22 rifle or trying to increase your clay pigeon count, you will find helpful targets at BC.
I counted 218 items in the Targets section (approximately 18 web pages’ worth). That includes all types, as well as accessories for hanging steel targets. You can start your target search here.
Gun Cleaning
BC makes some very popular gun cleaning concoctions. They offer a range of helpful products in their cleaning kits, which combine their most commonly used cleaning products and solutions for your convenience. They also sell some interesting gun-related tools. They lump their tools in with the Cleaning items. I counted 51 items in this overall category. I did get a couple of tools in my shipment – a gun multi-tool:
… and a screwdriver set:
I am well pleased with both of those, and also with the spray solvent, oil, and rust protectant I received.
Their rifle and pistol cleaning kits are legendary – I got one each of those, and also a range cleaning kit packed in a small, range-bag-size, ballistic nylon zipper case.
Like their cleaning supplies, they offer some of the more common refinishing products in kit form, or you can order them a la carte. The 29 listed refinishing products include bluing solutions for steel, brass, and aluminum. The Lead Remover Polishing Cloth is very popular, as is their gun stock protectant, Tru Oil.
Whether you want your bluing solution in a bottle or in pen form is up to you – they sell both. Do you need to darken your brass grip frame? They have the stuff. How about getting ol’ Betsy ready for her Revolutionary War re-enactment? Get your Plum Brown solution here. Need a one-size-fits-all? There’s a kit that includes both bluing solution and Tru Oil, so you only need to buy one item. They truly have what you need to make your gun look better and be protected from the elements.
What about when you need your plain front sight to be a different, vibrant color? I used to use bright fingernail polish, but now I use actual front-sight paints that are highly reflective.
Shooting Equipment
Here’s where you can get shooting benches, rifle and pistol rests, shooting mats, shooting bags, supports, and clay pigeon throwers. I had them send me a set of filled shooting bags (very heavy), an Xtreme shooting bench, and an ambidextrous Alpha rifle rest. All of these items are heavy-duty and are designed to last for years. Whether you are looking for leather fore-and-aft bags, a pistol rest, a very substantial rifle rest, or a complete shooting bench, here is your happy place.
Nice range bag!
Xtreme Shooting Bench
Table height is adjustable, as is the angle… it swivels.
The Xtreme Shooting Bench is well thought-out. You have a comfortable backrest (adjustable), a hook to hold an upright gun, a cup holder, and a mesh container for brass. Handy!
The Alpha shooting rest. This thing is a monster and is totally adjustable. You even have windage adjustment knobs on the front rest.
Gun Refinishing
For decades, the only cold blue solution and gun stock oil I used was BC’s. They might have been the only maker of such things… I never used another brand. My engineer/shooter son was amazed to discover that they had developed a bluing solution for aluminum… That would come in very handy for aluminum-framed handguns.
Conclusion
It would seem that Birchwood Casey has just about whatever you might need to help you become a better shooter. There are other companies out there – I will be looking at a couple of other shooting supply companies soon – but BC has been around a very long time, and they have quality products to enhance your enjoyment of the sport.
From refinishing your guns, to cleaning them, to supporting them when you shoot, to the targets you shoot at… they have you covered. I know I learned a great deal about the company through my research for this review. I had no idea they made shooting benches and rifle rests, and I am very glad they do. These are some of the heaviest-duty products I’ve ever seen. You might want to give them a try the next time you need to order anything from targets to solvents!
Read the full article here