California family ships gun cleaning tool to troops

By DENNY BOYLES
Fresno Bee
Wednesday, August 08, 2007

A Madera, Calif. family believes it can save lives with a Web site, a little money from strangers and advice from soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Project Bore Snake, run by the Kochheiser family, is a home-based effort that -- with contributions from people all over the country -- ships Bore Snakes, a cleaning tool that many say makes it easier for soldiers fighting in the desert to keep their gun barrels clear and ready to fire.

"Clean weapons are vital, but they are running around in the middle of country that is a desert, with flying sand and dirt," said Jim Kochheiser, who runs the project with his wife and children. "The cleaning kits that the Army and Marine Corps provide work but are nowhere near as efficient as these Bore Snakes."

A letter from a Marine in Iraq to his mother in the San Francisco Bay Area sparked the project, the latest in what has become an American trend: When service members go to war without what they consider vital tools, citizens rally to provide the equipment themselves.

It's not unusual for soldiers to receive support from the home front. During World War II, families bought savings bonds to finance the war effort and collected metal pots and pans that could be melted down for military uses. And care packages for soldiers is a tradition dating back generations.

But unlike efforts to send cookies, socks or baby wipes to help soldiers feel more comfortable day to day, the focus of the Madera-based Project Bore Snake is much more serious -- keeping weapons clean.

"Baby wipes are nice," Kochheiser said. "But Bore Snakes may save their lives."

Kochheiser points to the rough environment of Iraq and Afghanistan to support that claim.

The region has extreme heat and frequent sandstorms. Sand can prevent guns from firing, and in extreme cases can lead to injuries if weapons misfire.

Many soldiers are happy with the gun-cleaning equipment provided by the Army -- a more complicated kit made by Otis Technology Inc. of Lyons Falls, N.Y.

But many say they prefer Bore Snakes, made by Hoppe's Gun Care company of Overland Park, Kan. Army officials say Hoppe's didn't offer the product when they sought bids to supply gun-cleaning kits in 2005.

Dozens of e-mails on the project's Web site seem to support Bore Snakes, with soldier after soldier praising the cleaning tools.

"The sands and elements are hell on weapons and the Bore Snake (is) excellent for getting my weapons clear quickly," wrote one soldier.

Project Bore Snake ships a box of eight cleaners at no charge to any soldier or Marine who is nominated on the Web site, in the order they are nominated. For $56, the box will be shipped immediately. Retail Web sites offer Bore Snakes for between $15 and $19. Hoppe's offers them to the project for half that price.

Demand has been high. Since the project started in 2004, nearly 2,000 boxes containing 16,000 Bore Snakes have been mailed from Madera County to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Morgan Hill, Calif. Realtor Mary Ellen Salzano had never heard of a Bore Snake when her son Ethan wrote her from Iraq asking for the cleaning tool, along with heat-resistant gloves. Salzano turned to a friend in the local National Rifle Association chapter for help. Within a short time, hundreds of Bore Snakes, gun oil and and gloves were on their way from the Bay Area to Iraq.

The effort might have ended there, but several business people who had taken part, including Kochheiser, thought it would make a good project for either the Kiwanis or Rotary clubs. In the end, both organizations in Fresno got involved.

Three years after the first shipment went out, the Kochheiser family sends out between 70 and 80 boxes each month, with eight Bore Snakes per box. Since 2005, the project has mailed nearly 16,000 Bore Snakes to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Soldiers, Marines or their families can visit www.project boresnake.org and nominate recipients, as well as specify the size of Bore Snake they need.

Salzano, whose son is now out of the Marines, said it is gratifying to see that so many people nationwide are still trying to help service members overseas.

"It's absolutely a gift," Salzano said. "It's amazing to read where the donations are coming from, to see names and cities from across the country on the list of donors."

Bore Snakes join a list of other battle-related materials that citizen groups have supplied when the military did not issue them, including body armor and gloves to protect soldiers' hands from the heated barrels of their weapons. There has also been a shortage of properly armored equipment.

Holden said he understands why the military can't supply every product soldiers want, or need.

"In my heart, I know there are a million little things that could make my job easier, and the soldiers' jobs easier," Holden said. "The fact is that the military just can't provide them all. There just isn't enough money. This is something that we can provide instead. This is so inexpensive that anyone can help."

The reporter can be reached at dboyles(at)fresnobee.com.