You may not know it yet, but you want a TekMat.

TekMat is a company making gun bench mats with printed diagrams of various guns on them. They serve a practical purpose, but the darn things are just a cool way to add a little character to your gun bench or kitchen table.

The TekMat line of gun mats are of good quality, and have the feel of a high-end mouse pad. The bottom of the mats are rubber, which provides good cushion for your guns. The rubber backing also provides excellent traction so your mat will not slide across a table top.

The mats have an assembly diagram printed on them, along with a parts list. For the average shooter, this is probably not useful, but cool to look at. And they are a great way to accessorize your man (or woman) cave.

For the budding gunsmith, it may help you figure out how things go back together once you have knocked all of the pins out and you are staring at a heap of parts. I know – that would never happen to you. It’s never happened twice to me either.

Many of the mats have other assorted information, such as specs or historical facts.

Almost all of the TekMat mats are black or black and gray with a white or silver print. There are a few mats that are in other colors, but those mats do not depict specific guns on them, rather make RKBA statements.

I purchased two mats: one for the SIG P226 and one for the Smith & Wesson M&P pistols. Both mats arrived in a timely manner. The edges of both mats were cleanly cut and the surface was without any observable blemishes.

The P226 mat had a black and gray background with an off-white color for the text and diagram. The text and illustration had an acceptable sharpness.

The M&P TekMat had an all-black background and a bright white color for the text and illustration. I found this to be more pleasing, yet the text and illustration seemed less sharp. Some areas of the diagram used lines that were so thick (or double printed?) that all detail was lost. I found this to be disappointing.

Here is a list of all of the mats:

11”x17” (handgun sized)

• 1911
• Beretta 92/M9
• CZ-75
• Gadsden Flag (colored)
• Glock
• Heckler & Koch USP
• Right to Bear Arms (Second Amendment)
• Ruger Mark II
• SIG SAUER P220
• SIG SAUER P226
• SIG SAUER P229
• SIG SAUER P250
• Smith & Wesson M&P
• Springfield Armory XD
• Springfield Armory XD(m)

12”x36” (rifle/shotgun sized)

• AK-47
• AR-15
• M1 Garand
• Mossberg Shotgun
• Remington 700
• Remington 870
• Ruger 10/22
• Ruger Mini-14
• SKS
• Winchester 1894

I compared the TekMat products with the Glock gun mat that I acquired some time ago. The Glock mat is clearly a superior product: it has a “stickier” rubber, much crisper printing and the mat is at least double the thickness of the TekMat products.

Even though the TekMat mats are inferior to the Glock product, they are still a very good product. They do a fine job of protecting your table surface and your gun’s finish. If you are working on a metal table, the mats also absorb a lot of the clanking sounds that you would normally be stuck with.

The TekMat pistol mats retail for $12.95, while the long gun mats go for $23.99. Even with the less-than-ideal print quality of the M&P mat, I think the asking price is fair. Your mileage may vary. I just wish they would hurry up and release a mat for that Marlin Model 55 bolt action shotgun I bought at auction last week. There’s a huge market for those, right?

I recommend getting the Glock mat instead of the TekMat equivalent if you are looking for something to match your Austrian pistol. However, for any gun other than a Glock, the TekMat is clearly the way to go.

The mats aren’t going to turn you into a gunsmith, but they do serve a practical purpose. That they also are a tacti-cool accessory for your gun cleaning is just icing on the cake. After all, who wants one of your spouse’s Egyptian cotton towels on your gun bench anyway?

Side note for those men in the audience: Most wives will not allow you to use one of the TekMat pistol mats as a placemat when having guests over for dinner. Ask me how I know…