Firearm Maintenance

The key to keeping you firearm safe and in proper working order is maintenance. This is simple to do by remembering to clean it after each time you shoot. This should not be seen as an imposing task or a deterrent to firearm ownership as cleaning a firearm is just like cleaning anything else, only some of the products are more specialized. The products, while many in number, are easily had and relatively inexpensive. Here is an example of a basic cleaning kit.

 Starting from the top you have cleaners, lubes and protectants. Some come in an all-in-one solution and some only perform a single function. A good cleaner is essential as gunpowder residue gets inside the gun and combines with the lubricant to make a gummy mess that will eventually build up and cause problems with the guns function. A lubricant is important as it slows down wear on moving parts and extends the life of the gun. And protectants help seal the firearm's finish in and stop corrosion. Try a few different brands and types out until you find one that you like.

Below those you have the cleaning rods and brushes. The barrel must remain clear of any obstructions to maintain accuracy and proper operation. To clean the barrel out, you will need a rod long enough to reach throughout its length. At the end of the cleaning rod you attach a cleaning brush dipped in solution and then you take off the brush and attach the swab brush to wipe the dirt and excess cleaning solution. These products are made by a few different manufacturers and can be bought at just about any sporting goods store. The brushes and swabs come in different calibers and you need to make sure that yours is suitable for your gun's caliber.

 You will also need a good screwdriver/Allen wrench set. Some firearms require minor removal of parts for regular maintenance (grips that need to be removed etc.) and depending on the type of screw your gun uses, you will need to acquire the appropriate tools.

 On the right hand side you�ll see barrel swabbing patches. These attach to the swab on the end of your cleaning brush for running through the barrel. Q-Tips are handy for getting to those hard to hard to reach crevices inside a gun. A used toothbrush is also handy to keep in your cleaning kit for this purpose.

 And finally, in between the screwdriver and the Q-Tips is a silicone cleaning cloth. Once you are done cleaning the gun, you will want to wipe it down one final time to get any excess cleaning solution off the gun and seal its finish.

 These cleaning solutions contain deadly chemicals and need to be put away where they cannot be gotten to by a child. I keep mine locked in a box which goes on a shelf in the closet. It�s orange color makes it both easy to find and serves as a warning.

 Cleaning your Firearm

 While the number of different firearms prevents me from giving disassembly/reassembly instructions here, I can start you on the path to finding them, if they weren�t included in your owner�s manual. Thankfully, you are already using the best tool yet discovered for this, the internet. Click to your favorite search engine and type in your guns make and model and you will probably be connected to the manufacturer�s web site. Some gun makers have printable instructions available there and others will ask you contact their customer service department and let them mail them to you.

If you cannot connect to your firearms manufacturer, there are books available that list instructions for many different types of guns. These can be had from most bookstores and don�t cost much. If you do look for a book, try to make sure you are buying the most up to date book and that it has your exact gun in it. A Smith & Wesson Model 37 and a Smith & Wesson Model 19, while both double action Smith & Wesson revolvers, have different parts and disassembly instructions

Either way, instructions are very important as you can damage parts while you are disassembling/assembling the gun or, reassembling the firearm incorrectly could lead to a dangerous malfunction.

With all of the cleaning products available, the best solution for general cleaning of a firearm is no different from your hands and hair, warm soapy water. Yes, cleaning your gun parts in water will not hurt them, provided that you do not let them sit in there for days.

You should get a pan or tub large enough to hold your gun, and as you disassemble your firearm, take the removed part and spray it with your preferred solvent and set it in the water. Once you have the gun disassembled and all the parts immersed, start picking them out of the water and cleaning them one by one and set them onto a towel to dry. You can use a separate towel to wipe them dry first if you wish.

As you go through the parts and get to the barrel you will need to get your cleaning rod ready. Your first attachment should be the cleaning brush. You can either spray cleaner directly into the barrel or dip the brush in solvent and then run it through the barrel. It is best to start from the backside of the barrel (chamber) and work your way out to the end of the barrel (bore). The bore is the last part of the barrel the bullet has contact with and if it is marred by the cleaning rod, this can affect accuracy. There are tools called bore guides that come with most preassembled cleaning kits that you can buy or they are available separately that will help you with this.

After running the brush and solvent through, you want to run the swab through to mop up. Repeat this process (brush/swab) until the swab comes out clean.

As you reassemble the gun take a look at each piece for wear and damage. Parts will need to replaced periodically as they wear (springs especially) to keep the gun fresh. If you have a question about a certain part, take the gun to a qualified gunsmith and have them take a look at it. If it needs to be replaced they will either have the part or can order one from the manufacturer. You also need to lube the moving parts of a firearm with a good lubricant as you reassemble it. There are many on the market and you should ask around to see what others use.

Even if you do not shoot the gun you will need to clean it periodically. Dust works the same as gunpowder residue inside a firearm.

 Once you have the gun reassembled, test it for proper function. You can safely dry-fire (firing of an unloaded firearm) the gun if you have items called �snap caps�. These are made to resemble your guns caliber of ammunition and will not go off. They protect the firing pin as it goes forward during dry firing. 

The last thing you want to do to your firearm before re-holstering it or locking it up is wipe it down with a protective cloth. This will remove any excess oils from the outside of the gun. Your skin oil is destructive the finish of your gun and needs to be removed whenever possible. This is true even for �stainless steel� firearms. True stainless steel will not stand up to the pressures exerted by most calibers of firearm and is usually an alloy metal of some sort. Bluing is probably the most popular finish for guns. Bluing is a type of controlled rust that is cooked onto the metal of the gun, which is why you will see older firearms start to take on a brown patina of a finish. Since it can destroy the monetary value to reblue a collector firearm, this finish is prized among most. There are a few different manufacturers of these types of cloths. Most use a silicone base and work very well.