How To Properly Clean A Gun.
How to Properly Clean a Gun
Being a responsible gun owner means taking care of your guns. This isn’t just a matter of
keeping your guns safe – it’s also a matter of keeping your guns clean. Dirty
guns have reduced accuracy and are more prone to failure, and failure to keep a
gun clean can reduce its useful lifespan significantly. If you want to make
sure that you’re getting the best performance from your guns as long as
possible, make sure to follow these basic cleaning steps.
Step One: Gather Your Materials
The first step in cleaning your weapon is
gathering all of the right materials. You’ll need a cleaning rod, lubricant,
patches, and a brush at the bare minimum to get the job done right. Don’t go
cheap with any of these materials – you’ll want to ensure that you use
high-quality lubricants and tools to avoid damaging your gun during the
cleaning process.
Step Two: Ensure Your Safety
The next step is to make sure that your gun is
safe to clean. Make sure that it is completely unloaded, that there are no
rounds chambered, and that you still have the safety on when you’re cleaning.
There’s no such thing as being too safe, after all. Even after you’ve unloaded
your gun, follow the best safety practices by still treating the weapon as if
it is loaded.
Step Three: Clean Individual Parts
You’ll want to break your gun down as much as
possible before you start cleaning. Once you’ve got it disassembled, you can
clean each part. It’s generally recommended that you grab some kind of gun
brush (or even a toothbrush) to clean those parts that are too hard to reach.
Never skip cleaning a part – guns are precision machines and every part plays a
role in ensuring that your gun works up to its specifications.
Step Four: Wipe it Down
Take some time to wipe every metal part of your
gun down with a well-oiled rag. This is a necessity if you want to protect the
metal and prevent damage from occurring due to heat or moisture. You don’t have
to spend much time on this step, of course, but you should make sure that you
do it every time you clean your gun.
Step Five: Clean the Bore
Your final step should be to clean out the bore.
There are a number of tools made specifically for this process, including
brushes and patches. You’ll want to use each to make sure that the bore is
clean and maintained. Make sure to rub down the bore with your cotton patches
to finish the job. Be careful during this process, though, as even a small bit
of damage to the bore can have a huge impact on your weapon’s accuracy.
Once you’re done cleaning, make sure that your
weapon is put away safely. The amount of time you need to spend on cleaning
your weapon is going to vary greatly depending on the weapon itself and how it
is stored, so choosing a temperature-controlled, dry area will always be the
best way to reduce your maintenance. Make sure you clean your guns after using
them, and always take your maintenance seriously. If you follow the basic
instructions, you’ll have a weapon that shoots more accurately and that lasts
much longer.
