Ask a serious shooter what they run a cleaning rod through their barrel with, and a lot of them will say Pro-Shot. The Taylorville, Illinois company has spent four decades making some of the best American-made gun cleaning gear in the business — one-piece cleaning rods, brass jags, bore brushes, patches, solvents and complete cleaning kits — plus its popular reactive Splatter Shot targets. Here is who they are, what they make, and what is worth buying.
Who Pro-Shot is
Pro-Shot Products is a Taylorville, Illinois company, founded in 1982 by John E. Damarin, that makes premium, American-made firearm cleaning accessories — one-piece rods, jags, brushes, patches, solvents and cleaning kits — along with its reactive Splatter Shot targets. Family-owned across four generations, it is one of the most trusted names in gun cleaning.
The origin story is the kind you could not make up. Pro-Shot was born in 1982 in a one-car garage, after John Damarin watched a shooting buddy’s cheap plastic patch holder snap off inside a rifle barrel. Convinced he could make cleaning gear that would not fail like that, he started building better rods and jags — and a company grew from it. More than forty years later, Pro-Shot is still family-owned and operated, now into its fourth generation, and still making its products in Illinois. That made-in-America commitment is central to the brand’s identity: it bills itself as the world’s number-one brand of American-made firearm cleaning accessories, and the reputation is earned.
Where does it sit? At the premium, quality-first end of the cleaning market. Pro-Shot is not the cheapest kit on the shelf; it is the one a lot of experienced shooters and armorers reach for because the rods are straight and strong, the jags are proper brass, and nothing is going to break off in a barrel. If you care about your bore and want cleaning gear built to a real standard, this is the brand.
What Pro-Shot makes
Cleaning kits
The deepest part of the catalog. Pro-Shot’s cleaning kits range from caliber-specific rifle and pistol kits to the universal Super Kit that handles everything from .22 to 12 gauge, and soft-case field kits like the Coyote series. Each is built around Pro-Shot’s own rods, jags and brushes, so the whole kit is made to the same American standard.
One-piece rods and tools
The heart of the brand. Pro-Shot’s one-piece cleaning rods — coated to protect the bore, with proper handles and brass adaptors — are what made the company’s name, along with the jags, bore brushes, adaptors and other tools that make up a proper cleaning setup. A one-piece rod is gentler on a barrel’s crown than a cheap segmented rod, and Pro-Shot’s are a benchmark for the type.
Solvents and lubricants
Pro-Shot also makes the chemistry: bore solvents, gun oils, and its 1-Step Mil-Spec CLP that cleans, lubricates and protects in a single product. These are the fluids that pair with the rods and patches to finish the job.
Splatter Shot targets
Away from cleaning, Pro-Shot’s Splatter Shot targets are a genuine hit — reactive paper targets, printed in the USA, where each hit bursts into a bright ring of color so you can see your shots without walking downrange. Offered in bullseye and silhouette styles and peel-and-stick versions, they are a favorite for zeroing and practice.
Build quality and where it is made
This is Pro-Shot’s whole point. Everything is made in America, in Illinois, to a genuinely high standard — the rods are straight and durable, the jags and adaptors are quality brass, and the whole system is designed by people who clean guns seriously. The one-piece rods in particular are the kind of tool you buy once and keep, and the coated designs protect the bore rather than scratching it. The Splatter Shot targets are made and printed in the USA too. The honest trade-off is price: Pro-Shot costs more than the bulk bargain kits and the cheapest segmented rods, and for someone who cleans a gun twice a year, a budget kit will technically get it done. But for the shooter who values their barrel, wants gear that will not fail, and prefers to buy American, Pro-Shot is worth the premium — this is the quality tier of gun cleaning.
How Pro-Shot compares
In gun cleaning, Pro-Shot’s rivals are names like Hoppe’s, Otis, Tipton and Real Avid. Hoppe’s is the mass-market default — famous for its No. 9 solvent and affordable kits — and is cheaper but less premium on the hardware. Otis is the flexible-cable-system specialist, a different approach favored for field and semi-auto cleaning. Tipton and Real Avid compete on rods, vises and clever tools. Pro-Shot’s edge is the combination of one-piece-rod quality and American manufacturing: it is the brand for the shooter who wants a proper rod and jag made in the USA, not the cheapest option or the most gadget-heavy. It rarely wins on price; it wins on being the quality, made-in-America cleaning standard.
Who should buy what
- One kit to clean everything: the Pro-Shot Super Kit, .22 to 12 gauge.
- Caliber-specific cleaning: a Classic rifle or pistol kit for your bore.
- Protecting your barrel: a Pro-Shot one-piece coated cleaning rod.
- Simplifying the chemistry: Pro-Shot 1-Step Mil-Spec CLP.
- Field cleaning: a Coyote soft-case field kit.
- Zeroing and practice: Splatter Shot reactive targets for instant feedback.
Who should look elsewhere? A very casual owner who cleans rarely can save money with a budget kit, and shooters who specifically want a flexible-cable pull-through system may prefer Otis. For quality, American-made cleaning gear that protects the bore, Pro-Shot is the right call.
The Pro-Shot philosophy
Pro-Shot is a quality-and-country company. It started because existing cleaning gear was not good enough, and four decades later that same standard drives everything: make the rod straight, make the jag right, make it in America, and make it last. The family has stayed involved across four generations rather than selling out or moving production overseas, and that continuity shows in the product. The philosophy is simple and a little old-fashioned — build the best cleaning tools you can, at home, and let the quality speak. For the shooter who takes care of their guns, that is exactly the pitch.
How to choose your Pro-Shot gear
Start with how you clean. If you want one kit for everything, the universal Super Kit covers .22 through 12 gauge; if you shoot mostly one caliber, a caliber-specific kit gives you the exact jags and brushes for that bore. The single best upgrade for most people is a proper one-piece coated rod, which protects the crown far better than a cheap segmented rod. Add a CLP or a dedicated solvent and gun oil for the chemistry, and a pack of Splatter Shot targets for the range. Match the bore sizes to your guns, buy the rod once and keep it, and Pro-Shot gives you a cleaning setup that will outlast most of your firearms.
Born from a broken patch holder
It is worth remembering how this all started: a cheap plastic patch holder snapping off inside a barrel, and one man deciding he could do better. That small frustration in a one-car garage in 1982 became a four-generation, made-in-America company that a huge number of serious shooters now trust with their bores. Pro-Shot never chased the bargain bin or moved its manufacturing offshore; it stayed in Illinois and kept making the rods, jags and kits to the standard its founder set. It is not the flashiest corner of the gun world, but keeping a barrel clean is one of the things that actually matters, and Pro-Shot has spent forty years being the American-made name that gets it right. Not bad for a company born from a broken patch holder.
Shop Pro-Shot Cleaning Gear & Prices
Live Pro-Shot products and current prices, organized by department and updated automatically.
Cleaning Kits
One-Piece Rods & Tools
Solvents & Lubricants
Splatter Shot Targets
Target Stands
Where Pro-Shot Fits in Our Buying Guides
- The Best Gun Cleaning Kits
- The Gun Cleaning & Maintenance Guide
- The Best Gun Cleaning Solvents
- The Best Gun Cleaning Mats
Pro-Shot FAQ
Where is Pro-Shot based?
Pro-Shot Products is based in Taylorville, Illinois, where it has made its products since 1982. It is family-owned and operated across four generations.
What is Pro-Shot known for?
Premium, American-made gun cleaning gear — especially its one-piece cleaning rods, brass jags, kits and solvents — plus its reactive Splatter Shot targets.
Are Pro-Shot products made in the USA?
Yes. Pro-Shot is one of the best-known makers of American-made firearm cleaning accessories, all produced in Illinois.
Why use a one-piece cleaning rod?
A one-piece coated rod is straighter and gentler on the barrel’s crown than a cheap segmented rod, which can flex and scratch the bore. Pro-Shot’s one-piece rods are a benchmark for the type.
What is Pro-Shot 1-Step CLP?
It is a mil-spec cleaner, lubricant and protectant in one product — it cleans, lubricates and protects the firearm in a single step, pairing with Pro-Shot’s rods and patches.
What are Splatter Shot targets?
Reactive paper targets, printed in the USA, where each hit bursts into a bright ring of color so you can see your shots downrange without walking to the target. They come in bullseye and silhouette styles.
How does Pro-Shot compare to Hoppe’s?
Hoppe’s is the affordable mass-market default, famous for its No. 9 solvent. Pro-Shot is the premium, American-made choice with higher-quality rods and hardware for a bit more money.
What tier is Pro-Shot?
Premium tier — quality, American-made gun cleaning gear for shooters who value their barrels, not the cheapest bulk option.
Related Gun Care, Tools & Shooting Gear Brands
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- Real Avid Parts
- Boyds Gunstocks Parts
- Carlson’s Choke Tubes Parts
- Otis Parts
- Wheeler Engineering Parts
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