"A Clean Gun is a Happy Gun" is a phrase I use often. "A Clean Gun is a Functional and Accurate Gun" are also words to live by in the shooting life. Cleaning firearms doesn't have to be a scary endeavor. Your gun's owner's manual will show you how to do a basic field strip so you can get to the working parts that will be in need of cleaning and lubricating. Knowing what cleaners, lubricants and tools you need to clean and lubricate your firearm is what I'll talk about today. One on one and small group classes are available from Safe Shooting Education for hands on cleaning education.
A few specialty tools and some household items are needed. A mat or cover for your working area will protect your table or workbench from solvents and dirt. It's good to have a grease rag, a clean rag and a microfiber towel handy for the various stages of the process (left). Paper towels are also good to have close by. Swabs on a stick or Q-tips (top center) are great for getting into the tight nooks and crannies.
From the specialty list you will need a cleaning rod (far right), preferably with carbon shaft. This will help protect the inside of your firearms barrel from scratches. To use the cleaning rod you will need threaded brushes and a threaded jag (right of center). Nylon and brass brushes only, as steel brushes can damage the inside of the barrel and any outer finish in contacts. Cloth patches (lower right of center) are used to get bore cleaner coated onto the inside of the barrel or in the case of revolvers inside the cylinder bores, also they are used to coat the inside of the barrel with oil if storing the firearm for a length of time. Other cleaning tools to have are nylon and brass brushes with handles to scrub stubborn areas (top right of center). A bore snake (top right) is good to have for revolver barrels if you like to keep brushes going in the same direction as fired bullets. You can easily drop this passed the cylinder into the barrel and pull it through and out of the muzzle end of the barrel.
As for cleaners and lube I'll start by saying it's simple. Hoppes and Lucas oil! After saying that there are many other reputable brands out there to use. I use Hoppe's No.9 Bore cleaner on all my pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns. It eats away the grime without any fear of damage from being too corrosive. Likewise, Hoppe's No.9 lubricating oil is all I'll use on the pivots, moving parts and wear areas of the action. I will shout from the highest mountain my love for Lucas Oil gun grease. It is amazing for semi auto pistols where the frame tabs and the slide contact each other. The resulting smoothness to which the gun cycles through rounds is awesome!
With this short list of essentials you are ready to make your firearm look and function like new again. For help with the process we offer cleaning classes in which we will teach you with your firearm the step by step cleaning method that will keep your gun functioning properly and smoothly. Visit our Training page and sign up!
Happy Safe Shooting!
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