Instructions say to only use the special round patch with the cut-outs/do not use regular square patch???

Sorry but I don't have the money to drop on special patches. I usually use a cut-up T-Shirt. Is that okay to use with my Otis cable or will the gun self-destruct?

I only use quality Motorcraft ® brand motor oil in my Ford Motor Company products.

Go to Amazon, look for the round patches, I bought a case of them for like $20, has lasted me a year now with 4 AR's, 2 pistols and now the rack-em and scare-em shotgun

I have ran other folks patches thru the Otis.

Otis.  You can buy better, but you can't spend more.

You don't need the "special" patches. Otis uses the standard cleaning rod threading, so just get yourself a .223 patch slot tip and mate it to your Otis cable. That's how I use mine.

FWIW I personally try to follow the directions on some things initially and modify things as I see fit, just sayin.

Are the patches tight enough if you just use a standard slotted tip and don't cut a slot and fold them like otis recommends?

Sure. Just buy the appropriate size for your bore diameter. You don't even need a new attachment.

I have used square patches, and my gun did not die. It may have been on life support, but it pulled through. Just like the round Otis patch will.


Eta:autocorrect

The barrel will expand if you use square patches.

same here, and I was surprised that the bore got just as clean and they did not stick. Hell, from time to time I've used old cut up Tshirts.......they worked too.

I bought a couple of yards of flannel at Wal-Mart about four years ago.  Still using it.

The military issues Otis kits, then issues square patches. I've never been issued Otis patches for refills.

Do you guys cut a slot in the patches and fold them or just use them in the conventional way?

Conventionally.

I use t-shirt material, maybe doing the last pass or two with an Otis patch.  With my home-cut I snip a little slot in the middle and rig them much the way I would an Otis patch.

I haven't put a cleaning rod down my barrel in 10 years. Bore snake for me. Not only is it easier, but I've damaged the crown of a 10/22 using a cleaning rod. Not repeating that mistake. The clearance between rod and bore is just too tight on .22 cal rifles, IMO.

For awhile I cut up my own patches and tried to replicate the slots cut into the patches like Otis does.Now I just use patches like I would with any looped rod attachment,and I prefer the Pro Shot patches overall.....

That said I do still buy the Otis patches whenever I find them locally.I don't do special orders just for the patches.I like the way they come packaged in the little film canister like thing....handy for the pack.

Also don't forget the reason Otis does their patches the way they do is so the two patch sizes they offer will cover most any caliber,and each patch can be reused for another pass by adjusting it to present a clean surface.I keep a pack of Otis patches in my Otis 3-Gun kits just because of that reason.Makes it handy to clean rifle and pistol and only need one size patch when out and about hunting,the range etc..At home I use whatever is in the cleaning station.

I use patches made from old t-shirts. I still have a few  Otis patches. So far I have not had a divide by zero event.

It depends on caliber. For the Otis, you need the special small size patches that has the cut out on them if you want to use it on a .22 caliber weapon like an ar15. I really like the otis kit and have been buying 1000 patches from Amazon as well. They are not overly expensive. I get the normal/universal size patches and the small caliber patches. However, there is no such thing as having TOO much patches. I have small size caliber square patches as well as normal square patches. I used all of them. The otis patches are really good for absorbing the oil / solvent from outside of the firearm while cleaning. For the barrel, the patches work well if you use them right. However, as the caliber gets smaller, I found the otis patch is not quite easy to use unless you properly install the patch on the cable. I found it makes cleaning rifles really easy. I don't use the otis patches/rods for pistols, though. I still use the old rod system on them.

However, my opinion is to be careful using the otis patches. I have heard of a few folks using it out on the field, and the otis patch come undone and get stuck in the barrel. Unless they had a rod to push it out, it was a done hunt or range trip. During my cleaning, I never had the patch undone in the barrel but I did once get it stuck in the chamber of a ar15 and had to push it out with a rod. I was very fearful that I might have dinged the chamber. For me personally, I carry the otis pack with me on a range/hunt trip, but I also have the boresnake in it to use in case I want to give the rifle a quick clean.

To answer your question, you can use whatever patch you want. The otis cable has the same threads as most brushes and the kit you got has the hole cutout to insert a patch if you wish or install the otis patches easily.

I don't use Otis stuff but I do buy packs of patches. A pack will last a while and the last thing I want to spend time on is cutting little squares out of an old t-shirt.

I use the Otis round patches for .22 caliber and I also have bigger Otis patches for my shotgun and use the 10 gauge plug for cleaning my 12 gauge shotgun. I use the Otis patches for cleaning the barrel only. I buy 12 gauge shotgun patches for my general cleaning for everything else.

My Otis kit had instructions on how to modify the square patches for the Otis kit. That's all I use now.

duped myself......

Can't you use regular square patches with the Otis kit?  I think that is what I do and just save my Otis patches that come in the kit for when I need something really compact to take with me.  Haven't had problems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ2zxnMzhTk



I took the barrel off before the bore snake days..

Can you use an Oral-B toothbrush with Colgate toothpaste?

If you spend several hundred hours in quiet contemplation, the answer will reveal itself.

B

Do they have the extra special proprietary  extra slits in them? I mean they just won't work with out them.......if you know what I mean

Lawd no, you do that and the world might just stop spinning on it's axis and we'd all spin off into space.

I only use square patches with my Otis cleaning kit.