To own a firearm or a gun, safety is important. Having a clean gun reduces the risk of accidental discharge. It would be good if the firearm is safely unloaded and nicely cleaned before proceeding with any disassembly work.
Knowing how to clean a gun is not only for having an attractive-looking firearm but also for safety. For a clean gun, the best gun cleaners should be considered which can reduce the risks of negligent discharges. This would be possible after knowing the basic tips and steps which need to be followed.
Basic tips to consider for cleaning
To properly clean the gun, it’s important to follow some tips. These tips can be very helpful if you are a beginner. It includes the basic ways to clean the firearm and keep it safer. Some of the basic tips are mentioned as under.
Having good preparation
Now cleaning the gun is not so simple, and it should be done with proper preparation. For starting you should choose a clean area with enough space to work.
The chosen area should be well-lit and well-ventilated to avoid any mistakes or side effects from the cleaning chemicals.
The chemicals, oils and solvents are included in the gun cleaning materials, so it’s important to do the procedure in an open or wide place.
It’s better to choose outdoors or in a garage and use a sturdy table. Along with these preparation things, you should also remember to remove all the live ammunition from the room or the area where the cleaning is performed.
This would prevent any possibility of mishandling and inadvertently introducing live ammunition.
Consulting the manual
It would be very helpful for you to understand the cleaning procedure if you keep your gun owner’s manual. Keeping it is not only the tip but make sure to read it in its entirety.
The owner’s manual has the detail and care information written in it. It will be a valuable reference if you consider it during your cleaning operations.
This will provide you with a safe and complete cleaning experience with proper knowledge of the tips. The manual will explain clearly the cleaning process, as well as disassemble and reassemble procedures.
Some of the manuals also come up with detailed pictures and colored diagram making it very easy to follow them.
Natchez Shooting Supplies also provides detailed instructions and videos on its website to help customers properly maintain and clean their guns. By purchasing from a reputable company, you can ensure that you are using high-quality products that are specifically designed for the type of firearm you own.
Get to work
After taking the right safety precautions to clean your gun, now it turns to discuss the particulars. There are different types of guns available, so the cleaning techniques would also be different. There are some essential tools that are highly useful in the cleaning process.
- Cleaning rod
- Cleaning jags
- Cleaning swabs
- Bore brush
- Cleaning patches
- Cotton swabs
- Bore snake
- Double-ended or utility brushes
- Cleaning chemicals, including bore cleaners and lubricants
A specific cleaning kit will include most of the above cleaning supplies. There are some other materials also which need to be considered.
You should always wear safety glasses to protect against any eye injury from any chemical splash. Solvent-resistant gloves should also be considered to protect your skin against harmful discharges.
Basic steps to clean a gun
Along with some tips, some steps must be followed to clean the guns. These steps would be much more effective if using the best gun cleaners. These steps will help properly and safely clean all types of firearms.
Clean the barrel and chamber
To clean the barrel and chamber, dry these with a copper phosphate bore brush to suppress direction. In addition, it would help lose and remove some large carbon and metal fouling from the bore.
To clean the barrel place a cleaning patch dipped in bore solvent on the tip of the cleaning rod. Allow the cleaning solvent to sit for 10-15 min to break down the bore fouling.
To scrub inside the barrel, use the bore brush and a new patch to remove any residue. Finally, clean the exterior of the barrel and chamber, barrel hood, barrel lug, and feed ramp.
Clean and lubricate the action.
Only cleaning the barrel of the gun is not enough. You should also lubricate for better cleaning. The slide, pump, or bolt, known as action, should also be cleaned using a nylon brush and action cleaner solvent.
Make use of spraying the action liberally from the top of the receiver which washes off the carbon and metal debris. For cleaning the lubrication points on the action and exterior of the barrel, make use of a needle applicator.
Don’t forget the magazines.
There is a source of ammunition known as magazines, which are responsible for properly feeding a semiautomatic firearm. The magazines can be cleaned, disassembled and reassembled as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
For the cleaning of these, special-purpose brushes are to be used. These should never be cleaned using petroleum products and never be lubricated. Rather these should be cleaned with a solvent or cleaning agent.
Reassemble firearm
The gun is disassembled many times for proper cleaning of the gun, and solvents are used. So it’s important to make properly reassemble the firearm. First, follow the manual instructions, which help in the right reassembling.
Perform functional check
A functional check should be conducted every time during the disassembled and reassembled process. This ensures that the gun still operates as designed following the disassembly.
During the check, ensure the trigger mechanism’s proper functioning and other safety and ejection systems. For the specific procedure of your gun, always observe the rules of gun safety.
Wipe down the outside of the gun
After cleaning and lubricating the inside of the gun and its parts, clean its exterior. For cleaning the outside of the gun, use a reel cloth which is perfect for this.
This cloth is pre-treated with silicone lubricant and helps in removing any leftover acidic prints. It also adds the shine of protection to your weapon. You can also choose CLP wipes if you don’t have a silicone cloth.
Important tools for cleaning the gun
Along with following the tips and steps, it’s also important to know some tools used to clean the gun. There are various tools used for cleaning your weapon which offer proper cleaning and safety to you. By knowing about these tools, you can avoid the dangerous condition to get worsen.
In addition to the essential tools mentioned above, it’s crucial to choose the right firearm for your home defense needs. Consider a reliable and effective option like a .410 Shotgun for Home Defense, which provides a balance of power and maneuverability for protecting your home and loved ones.
Multi-tool
The multi-tool is a small handy product which keeps any tool needed for disassembling in one place. The firearms come up with small tools that can be easily misplaced.
The multi-tool is useful in any situation which requires tools to accomplish. Therefore it is one of the most useful tools and can be required in any situation.
Right chemicals
Many chemicals or solvents can leave a waxy residue, making your weapon a bit sticky. Also, dust and grime can be easily collected over your weapon due to this stickiness.
So you must choose the right chemicals for cleaning your firearm. There are several chemicals available which can be used to keep the weapon in the best possible condition. Some of those chemicals can be:
- Solvent – these remove carbon and lead from the bore surface and are best used for bore cleaning.
- Degreaser – this is used for removing dirt and oil from the moving parts of the firearm.
- Protect and – it propels water against protecting your gun from rust and is especially handy if you use your gun in harsher movements.
- Lubricant – these are the most useful components in cleaning the gun and lubricate the parts and protect them from rust.
Cleaning rods
While cleaning the rods, you should be more careful as it can be easier to damage your firearm. You should purchase the cleaning rod, which uses metal which is softer than the metal of your gun.
You can try the bronze as well as the carbon fiber rod. Both these types of rods are used to clean your gun’s barrel. So it’s important to find the rods that do not bother the metal inside the gun.
Bore brush, jag or loop
The bore brush is attached to the end of the cleaning rod. For more brushes, there are two types: bronze and nylon. Bronze brushes are more abrasive than nylon brushes; nylon provides more longevity.
The main use of bore brushes is to break up any build-up inside the gun barrel. So the bore brush is also one of the major tools which need proper cleaning.
The jag and loop are also attached at the end of the cleaning rod. Both these are used to run a patch to clear any mess inside the barrel. Cleaning these parts is also important for properly working the gun and keeping it safe.
Ultrasonic gun cleaner
The ultrasonic gun cleaner is not a must-use tool but can be a smart investment. This can help cut down your cleaning time and provide you with better cleaning.
In addition, this cleans more thoroughly as compared to manual hand cleaning. So this can be very useful for those who often need to clean their weapon.
