A good quality gun cleaning mat is necessary to protect not only your work surface but also your gun. It's not exactly recommended, but if you plan on doing the cleaning on the dining table or any other work surface, you’re going to have to make sure you protect its surface from spills of the harsh chemicals and solvents.
No matter how careful you’re planning on being when you take out your gun cleaning kit and get to work, it’s inevitable that there will be some splashes and spills.
Working with strong cleaning solvents and even with a gun cleaning alternative like acetone or an auto brake cleaner it is important to provide protection.
That’s where a gun cleaning mat will prove very important.
A good gun cleaning mat will not only protect your work surface but will also protect the surface of your weapon too.
Moving your gun around on a hard surface is going to make nicks and scratches on the firearm surfaces a very real possibility.
The soft and padded surface of the mat is the perfect way of preventing this.
The non-slip backing will also ensure that it won't slide around and the gun will remain on top of the protective surface.
Rifle cleaning mats come in a selection of different sizes and thicknesses so it pays to choose from a selection to ensure that you get the one that best meets your needs.
That’s why we have put together a list of some of the most highly regarded cleaning mats for sale today.
The list of cleaning mats below have been arranged to give you a full range of options in terms of size and shape. The prices that are quoted are the manufacturer’s recommended sales price only. It is very likely that they can be found at significant discounts.
Rifle Cleaning Mats Selection Guide
Make / Model | Dimensions | Thickness | MSRP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 16 x 69 | 1/2" | $245.00 | |
 | 16 x 54 | 1/4" | $21.99 | |
 | 12 x 36 | 1/8" | $24.99 | |
 | 16 x 43" | n.a. | $19.99 | |
 | 14.75 x 52 | 3mm | $17.97 | |
 | 17.75 x 35.25 | 1/8" | $18.49 | |
 | 12 x 36 | 1/8" | $18.99 | |
 | 16 x 36 | 1/8" | $10.00 | |
 | 14 x 46 | n.a. | $17.62 |
Gun Cleaning Mat Reviews
Browse through the brief gun cleaning mat reviews that have been provided below to get a better idea of what features are available from each product. Different sizes is not the only factor to look for when trying to decide which mat will be the most suitable to buy.
Sage and Braker – Waxed Canvas Gun Cleaning Mat
This cleaning mat is a class above the rest and it commands a price tag to go with it.
For starters, the interior surface has a waxed coating to prevent oils and cleaning fluids from staining or damaging the mat itself. The quilted wool mat surface is soft and protective of the rifle as you clean it.
The mat is thicker than most others at 1/2” thick, it is larger than most others with dimensions of 69” x 16” and it is made from quality materials: canvas, wool, leather trims and tough metal hardware such as buckles and studs.
After the mat is unrolled you are presented with a range of storage pockets that may contain your cleaning products such as brushes, swabs, bore snakes and the like. It’s a very handy way of keeping everything together exactly where and when you need it.
This is a high quality piece of equipment that will continue to provide you with a large, sturdy and safe cleaning mat year after year.
Addressing the price issue, sure, this is a big upfront cost for a cleaning mat, but the reality is that it’s going to last way longer than its competition. Once you’ve bought it, you’re never going to have to buy another.
Find more information about the company and other products available by visiting the Sage and Braker website.
Customer Observations
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Tipton Gun Cleaning and Maintenance Mat
This mat features a dark gray felt surface and a neoprene non-skid back. The work surface of the mat is designed to withstand the damage that may be caused by the cleaning chemicals that may be spilled on it. In fact, the oils and solvents are absorbed into the mat leaving a clean work surface at all times.
The dimensions of the mat are 16 inches wide by 54 inches long. The thickness is roughly one-quarter of an inch.
When not in use the mat can be rolled up so that it fits into a range box. When it is next taken out you can be certain that it will roll completely out and lie flat on the table.
This has a manufacturer’s recommended sale price of only $21.99 which reflects the size and usefulness of the product.
Customer Observations
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TekMat Long Gun Cleaning Mat with AR15 Imprint
This is a good quality cleaning mat that has been specifically designed for cleaning AR-15s. It’s size caters for the AR-15 A2 so that you have plenty of room to move it around without risking it coming in direct contact with your work surface.
The mat top is made of polyester to protect the gun from becoming scratched while the bottom is neoprene to protect the work surface. The neoprene also means that the mat will stay in place without sliding around as you move the gun around.
It measures 12 inches wide x 36 inches long and is around 1/8 inch thick.
Apart from its functional use the mat also features exploded view drawings of the AR15 along with parts list and instructions on disassembling and repairing your firearm.
Customer Observations
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Real Avid Gun Smart Mat
The surface of this mat is oil and residue resistant so that it is easy to clean down after each use. It will also withstand the cleaning chemicals without getting damaged no matter how many times it is used.
A big bonus with this tray is the parts tray that is attached at one end that will provide you with a handy place to store your disassembled gun parts. To make certain bits don’t become lost it has a magnetic compartment that will hold the smallest parts in place.
The tray measures 43 inches long by 16 inches wide.
Customer Observations
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UTG Universal Firearm Cleaning Mat
This is a substantially sized cleaning mat that will be useful for cleaning multiple firearms. It is topped by chemical resistant materials and the back is a non-slip surface that is made from rubber.
A notable feature of this mat is the existence of a 4 inch side pocket that is closed with a zipper. This pocket allows you to safely store small components that may be stripped off the firearm.
The mat measures 14.75 inches by 52 inches and is 3mm thick. It can be rolled up and put away after it has been tied by the supplied side straps.
It has been given a manufacturer’s recommended sale price of $17.97 by Leapers, Inc.
Customer Observations
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Otis Sportsmans Cleaning Mat
The Otis cleaning mat that is made from neoprene making it completely waterproof. The material also gives it a non-slip quality so it will stay firmly in place on the work surface while you clean your guns.
The dimensions are 17.25 inches wide by 35.75 inches long.
The mat is soft enough to ensure that neither the table it is sitting on nor the guns you’re cleaning are going to get scratched or damaged.
The company has put a manufacturer’s recommended sales price of 418.49 on the mat.
Customer Observations
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Hoppe's No. 9 Gun Cleaning Pad
This cleaning mat has been created as a fully absorbent and padded mat that will protect the gun as well as the work surface upon which it sits.
The top of the pad is made from an acrylic fabric while the bottom consists of a non-slip neoprene. The result is a work surface that will absorb any spills of cleaning liquids and will prevent them from soaking right through.
The dimensions of the mat are 12" x 36' and the thickness is around one-eighth of an inch.
While this mat performs the job it is designed to do, it may be considered to be too thin to properly offer the padding effect required. However, the mat is one of the cheaper options on the market and for those who simply require a protective coating to work on, it does the job required.
Customer Observations
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Yes4All Gun Cleaning Mat
The top surface of the mat is a polyvinyl material that will not mark the gun’s finish when you place it on top. The back of the mat is a non-slip rubber material that will not mark the work surface.
The size of the mat is comparable to some of the other mats described above. At 16” x 36” it is suitable for use when cleaning medium-sized bolt action rifles, for example. The thickness of the mat is 1/8”.
It appears that the mat is absorbent to a point. But some people have commented that they have experienced times when the chemicals ate straight through to the table. This may depend on the amount of chemical that is spilled.
With a recommended retail price of only $10.00, this mat represents one of the cheapest gun cleaning mats available.
Customer Observations
Likes
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Allen Outdoors Gun Cleaning Mat
This is a soft mat designed for cleaning longer rifles and shotguns. The mat is made from a durable stain-resistant and washable material. It has a waterproof backing that is designed to protect the work table.
The dimensions of the mat are 14” x 46” which is long enough to hold most rifles and shotguns.
This is a handy soft gun cleaning mat that will roll up to a small size for easy storage in a range bag. It has a manufacturers recommended sale price of $17.62.
Extra Large Gun Cleaning Mats
To ensure complete protection of your work surface and so that the entire length and breadth of your rifle is covered, you should think about using an extra large gun cleaning mat. We consider a mat with the dimensions of at least 16” x 54” as being large enough for the maximum protection.
We have identified two mats that are made to these dimensions, the Tipton Gun Maintenance Mat which has been reviewed fully above and the Browning Gun Cleaning Mat. Both of them provide suitable surfaces with non-skid backs so they will sit firmly in place. The Browning probably costs a little more but it provides a soft felt work surface and a rubberized back. It is absorbent and will stop oils and fluids from soaking through.
The Browning mat retails for $29.99 and has proven to be one of the better large cleaning mats around. More information about the mat and the many other quality products can be found on the Browning website.
It All Comes Down To Your Unique Requirements
As can be seen by the selection that represents the most popular gun cleaning mats being sold today, they all provide a very similar experience.
It will be up to you to decide exactly what size mat you require and this could be the biggest factor that will influence your decision.
You would expect to be getting out the mat every time you work on your rifle, no matter whether it's when performing a regular cleaning or, if you haven't been quite so diligent, performing some rust removal.
If you own predominantly larger guns then you are going to require a larger mat.
The thing that becomes very clear when you scan the product list at the top of the page is that (for the most part) a gun cleaning mat is not expensive.
You can pick up a few that will cover all the different types of rifles and/or pistols that you will be cleaning.
The option of parts trays and storage is a nice added bonus that doesn’t really add a lot to the bottom line, but it can give you the ability to stay properly organized.
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