Industry Day at The Range during SHOT Show always has a section of vendor tents in addition to the live fire ranges. I always make sure to hit that area early, as I’ve found some great products there over the years. This year was no exception when I came across the Breakthrough Clean Technologies SHIELD Mat.
The handgun sized 18×12 inch SHIELD Mat from Breakthrough Clean Technologies is a durable, heavy-duty PVC mat designed for handgun maintenance. It features molded textured compartments to organize and contain components and tools, and a universal size that fits most handguns. It protects both your work area and your firearm from damage when you’re cleaning your guns or doing maintenance. The surface is easy to clean, too.
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What sets it apart from other bench mats, though, is that it has two embedded magnets to securely hold small parts. That’s a game-changer for me. You have no idea how many springs, screws, and pins I’ve lost over the years working on guns. Someday, when I’m gone, my kids are going to move my 400-pound workbench and find a hardware store’s worth of small parts behind it.
Breakthrough also makes a rifle mat that’s 36×12 inches. My workbench never has that much clean space, though, so I went with a pistol mat to try out.
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The SHIELD Mat in Use
I’ve been using the SHIELD Mat for the past month or so, since I got back from the SHOT Show. I’ve had it on the bench through a couple AR builds and upgrades. I’ve also used it while cleaning guns, and while doing a spring swap on a Zastava .357 revolver.
The handgun mat is a good size for working on handguns and with AR receivers. The rubbery PVC surface helps keep parts in place and protects their finish. In general, the compartmentalized sections are handy to sort out and store parts while you’re working on a project. The magnets are what is special, though.
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As noted, I’ve lost tons of springs and small parts over the years, especially on my always messy workbench. Being able to drop those small parts on the two bright green magnetic sections of the SHIELD Mat was great. The magnets are strong enough to keep the parts from rolling away or getting knocked off the bench. At the same time, they aren’t so strong that you have trouble grabbing them when you need them. It’s a good balance of security and usability.
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Affordable Practicality
The SHIELD Mat from Breakthrough Clean Technologies has an MSRP of $35.99 for the handgun size and $46.99 for the rifle size. It’s a good work mat in general, and those prices are competitive with similar products that don’t have the dual magnetic sections. The magnets are what really set this one apart, though, and the way I lose parts it’ll pay for itself in saved parts and time spent looking for them, in no time at all.