Guns are a common item that preppers keep stocked. Whether it’s hunting or protecting yourself, a gun is an incredibly efficient tool for its purpose. But with great power comes great responsibility. Proper gun cleaning is important to make sure it operates how it’s supposed to when you need it the most.
There is such a thing as over cleaning as well. Unless you carry concealed, you only have to clean a gun every 1000-5000 rounds. Every time you clean it, there’s a risk of something messing up. Doing it more than you need to can increase the likelihood of something not being done correctly, messing up your weapon.
Should the time come that you do need to clean your gun, here’s what you should do.
Get Your Stuff
You don’t need a factory of tools to do some cleaning. A simple yet effective kit should have a bore brush, a cleaning rod, a cleaning brush, a patch holder with cleaning patches, a polishing cloth, and your gun lubricant of choice. Alternatively, there are gun cleaning kits available online that should have what you need. I recommend the universal kit. It will contain everything you need (sans lubricant) for a rather nice price.
It wouldn’t hurt to place down a towel or some newspaper when cleaning as well. it can be a touch messy at times.
Unload Your Gun
I shouldn’t even need to say this, but please make sure both the magazine and the chamber are empty and before cleaning your weapon. Keep your ammunition away from any solvents, as well. Better yet, just put all of that somewhere else when cleaning to avoid issues.
Break it Down
It’s now time to take apart your weapon. The degree in which you disassemble it should depend on your manufacturer recommendation. When you purchased the gun, it should have come with a manual that says how to properly disassemble it for cleaning. If not, you can find digital manuals online. Take your time, and make sure you understand the process as you go.
Look Down the Barrel
You know that very important rule or never looking down the barrel of your weapon? That’s what we’re doing. Your weapon should be ammo free and in pieces, so it should be safe to do this. Though an extra check wouldn’t hurt, for safety’s sake. Examine the rifling in the barrel, see if there’s anything wrong with the spiral grooves inside. Make sure there isn’t any debris or flecks, either.
It’s important to note that shotguns do not have this spiraling.
Using the bore brush on a cleaning rod, drip some solvent on and run it through several times. then run it over with the swab tip. Repeat this process until the patch returns clean.
Now drip a few drops of oil on the patch, and run it through, this helps prevent corrosion.
Do this for each chamber of a revolver, as well.
Everywhere else
The same process can be done on the rest of the weapon as well. Though nowhere will be as dirty as the barrel. Wipe down metallic areas with a patch with solvent dipped on. After that, do it again with the oil.
Wherever there are moving parts, drip a very small amount of lubricant on. Too much lubricant can gunk up things like the firing pin, due to how easily it collects dust and dirt.
A double-action gun will need some lubrication on the cylinder ratchet and the ejector rod. A single-action requires oil on the cylinder, ratchet, and pin.
You’re done!
Put your weapon back together, and you’re all done. Now you have a nice and clean weapon ready for whatever challenges you give it.