Real Avid Universal Smart Mat - 43x16”, Long Gun Cleaning Mat, Red Parts Tray

(48" x 16" - 48" x 16" - 48" x 16" Purchased in January 2020)br>I purchased this despite several negative reviews about the fold in the packaging, and mine did have the crease. But for $20, I couldn't find another mat of this size, which is ideal for building and cleaning ARs, as well as working on/leaning pistols, rifles, and shotguns. br>br>HELPFUL BUYER TIPS:
1. CREASE: If you buy this mat, be prepared for it to have a crease. There are a dozen or more reviews about the seller folding and rolling the items before boxing them, and the seller hasn't changed their packaging procedure yet.
2. CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE CREAT Don't waste your time ironing because it won't help you. It should be hung completely unrolled from the tray's opposite end. The neoprene will stretch out over time as the weight of the tray pulls it down; I have several pairs of duck waders that I hang from studs in the basement and they always straighten out. Two clamps, as well as a shelf or stud, will suffice.
3. SCRATCHING SCREWS: The 5 screws that hold the tray together (bottom side) will 100% scratch any soft surface, i. e. a high-priced dining room table Painters Tape is a less expensive alternative to dirt and provides a long-lasting solution. I simply wrapped a piece of tape around each screw and walked away.
4. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, It works exactly as advertised once you make sure the screws don't scratch. Keep in mind that this is a $20 mat designed to keep dirt, oil, and grease off of much more expensive surfaces.

Madilynn Carney

| Jul 28, 2021

I like how the side tray is attached and magnetized; it's ideal for all of my rifles and handguns, and I've also used it for other projects. If you get one, a small velcro strap would be a great addition to it so that when you're finished, you can simply roll it up and you're done, son! I've polished barrels and used polishing compounds, and they simply wipe away without leaving any residue. My only regret is that I did not purchase it sooner.

Alicia Paul

| Jun 23, 2021

I bought this mat on the spur of the moment, thinking it was just a mat. How much time, effort, and money goes into a project like this? The whole point of having something like this is that you want something that protects the work surface, handles spills, looks sharp, and isn't just a free old towel. The ability of a'mat' like this to lay 'flat' is one of its most important features. It's ridiculous that they folded it in half and then rolled it into a box. It fit perfectly rolled up without being folded first, which leads me to believe that someone despises their job and decided to play a practical joke by folding all the mats before rolling them up so that they would end up with a permanent crease down the middle, knowing full well that they would drive the semi-truck over it. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who buy things like crazy. I was going to give it some time and just sit something heavy on it to see if it would go away, but then I noticed some of the other disgruntled reviewers indicating that the crease was permanent. I'm returning this mat as defective, and I'll give this company one more chance to send me a different version of the same style mat with a different package. The other mat I ordered hasn't received a single review out of 300 that mentions a crease in the middle. However, I'm not holding my breath. If the new mat has the same problem, I'll copy and paste this review onto it as well. br>br>UPDATE: br>br> I contacted the manufacturer, and a replacement was sent to me. Re-rating to 5 stars due to excellent customer service and the excellent quality of the mat.

Anahi Wheeler

| Mar 13, 2021

I don't shoot long guns very often, but I do 2 to 3 times per week with my pistols, and I like to clean them all at once once a month. I have a Glock mat that is essentially nothing more than an over-sized rubber mat. sized mouse pad, and I once folded it and rested something heavy on top of it, resulting in a bump that will not go away, which irritates me greatly, especially if I rest a spring on it and it starts rolling away. When I first saw this mat, I was ecstatic because it allows me to disassemble three or four pistols at once and clean similar parts in order, such as the barrels first, slides second, and so on. br>br>I received this mat today and planned to use it right away because I needed to clean the pistols but hadn't done so because I was waiting for it to arrive, but I was disappointed as soon as I took it out of the box. The mat may have been used/returned by another customer because it was rolled in two rolls (from both sides) and then boxed with a fold in the center, resulting in a bump similar to the one on my Glock mat that irritates me. I gave it three stars because of the unnecessary bump "defect" and because the mat is the same type of mouse pad as the Glock mat, which means that if you spray parts with solvent, the solvent will absorb into the mat unless it is immediately wiped clean. If it soaks up the solvents, the solvents will be transferred to the bottom of the mat when you roll it up for storage, defeating the purpose of protecting the table (the bottom is rubber, but you'll have to wipe it down every time you unroll it). Also, despite reading the top question in the Q/A section, where everyone claims it will lay flat, the end of the mat I received curls up. That isn't a deal-breaker for me, but it does curl up in the end. To summarize, it is a good mat for cleaning pistols on, but I would prefer a rubber mat that does not absorb the cleaning solution I use. This type of mat requires me to cover it with a cloth so that I can spray some areas to protect it from liquids, which defeats the purpose of the "cleaning mat. " In terms of the tray, I couldn't give a damn about it in my case. The pistol parts and cleaning supplies will be laid out on the mat, with the tray serving only as a means of rolling it back up. br>br>10/1/2018 UPDATED - I asked Amazon to send me a replacement. The new Mat arrived, and while it isn't perfectly flat, there are no noticeable bumps. The new one was also rolled in the opposite direction, and the end is attempting to curl up downwards in order to keep it flat. It's fantastic to be able to clean four or five pistols at once, so I'm pleased. I have a 17x12 rubber mat that I got from a local store that I use to apply cleaning chemicals so that it doesn't get wet. ███.

Caroline Bennet

| Dec 07, 2021