Gun Cleaning

Equipment

As I mentioned earlier, most shooters purchase some sort of "kit" that stocks all that the shooter needs. I understand America's desire to buy a kit instead of individual components, but while the kit will be adaquate, if you purchase the components seperately the kit will be better and more versitile.

Rod

The only rods that should be used in your Handguns and Rifles should be constructed either of stainless steel or have nylon coating. The main problem with the economy aluminum rods is that they will get scratched. This scratch will start to pick up grit and grime, which will then turn the cleaning rod into an abrasive stick. Stainless Steel is too hard to scratch like that and it is easier to clean off after cleaning a gun. The nylon rods are soft and will not scratch the bore, the dirt build up on the rod is easily wiped off.

My personal preference is to use the Stainless Steel rods for everything but .22 and .17 caliber. On those two calibers I use the coated rods. I do this because a .22 rod is very close to a .22 bore so some rod/barrel contact occurs. The soft nylon will not harm the bore there.

I use a single piece brass rod for shotgun cleaning. It is sturdier than the aluminum rods, although shotgun rod material is not as important as it is for rifled arms.

Stay away from segmented rods. They are okay to have in a kit for travel and such, but for every day cleaning they can be harmful. The rods will flex at the joints and possibly break.

With the rods it is important to have muzzle and chamber guides. On arms that must be cleaned from the muzzle, use a muzzle guide. It is a cone-shaped affair that goes into the muzzle and guides the rod past the crowning. The chamber guide goes into the chamber and guides the rod past the chamber and into the throat. It also keeps solvents from getting into the action. These two items are vital pieces of equipment.

Jags/Brushes

Most folks use the plastic or brass loops that hold patches. These loops hold the patch and will clean the bore in a random, haphazard manner. The patch will not contact the bore uniformly and it will take many trips down the bore to clean it.

The brass jag is a slightly under caliber sized brass tool that is ridged to hold a patch. The patch is placed over the jag and inserted in the bore. As the patch over the jag is almost exactly the size of the bore it contacts every land and groove so it will quickly and efficently remove fouling and grime. Shooters who go over to the brass jag find that they do not nead to use the bore brushes nearly as much.

As the reader can see, the fitted jag reduces the number of trips a patch must take down the bore and it reduces the amount of time scrubbing with a bore brush. This will help extend the life of your arm.

There is a fitted jag for shotguns, called the Dan Allen Jag. It is a nylon tool that contracts to go through shotgun chokes. This is a must-have for all shotgun shooters as you will be able to clean a shotgun and keep it clean faster and easier.

There are three materials commonly used in bore brushes; bronze, stainless steel, and nylon. Each brush has its use, and its frequency of use.

Bronze brushes are the workhorse of brushes. They are soft enough not to harm the bore, but hard enough to remove almost all fouling. They are good for removing copper and lead fouling. Their drawbacks are, they wear out after only a few cleanings, and certain bore and copper solvents (like Hoppes #9) will eat away at them.

Nylon brushes are stiff, resilient, and non harming. They are unaffected by solvents and they last longer. They are great for removing powder resudue and light leading. They are not as good for copper fouling and heavier lead fouling. I use bronze brushes on all my .22LR rifles and pistols, as they are strong enough to clean the bores. I use nylon brushes on my pistols and rifles for light cleaning, reserving the brass brushes for the heavy fouling. Doing this keeps bore wear to a minimum.

Most of the Stainless Steel brushes out there are of the bristle variety. They are dangerous to most guns because the stainless bristles are harder than the barrel so the brush scratches the bore. So what to do when you need more cleaning that a bronze brush can give? Try the Hoppe's tornado brush. It is a stainless steel brush that will not harm the bore. This is because the bristles are spiriled (like a tornado) so that the bore is touched by round windings of metal and not bristles. Very efficient, and safe to your gun.

Patches/Solvents

Most shooters buy any old patch and usually this will serve them well. Be sure that the patch is lint free and that it is cotton. I use a special synthetic patch called Pro Patch that is more absorbant than cotton and they seem to clean better too.

"The best bore cleaner" is one of the hottest debates on rec.guns and elsewhere on the internet. People promote dozens of commercial products, and several homemade products. Most of the products out there will do a good job, it is only a matter of experimenting to find one that suits you.

I use a product called Eezox. This product handles almost all of my cleaning needs. It is a Cleaner, Lubricant and Preservative in one. This is not new, as CLP has been around a while. Eezox takes the premise of CLP to the next level; it cleans better, lubricates just as well, but Dries To The Touch. This makes it excellent for defensive and hunting guns. Eezox will also clean corrosive ammo residue and will clean and protect black powder guns. Very versitile - and good.

In my cleaning kit you will find a bottle of copper solvent (eezox doesn't clean copper fouling) and a bottle of Hoppe's #9. I keep the #9 around because; 1) I like the smell, and 2) It is handy to detect copper fouling as it will turn a patch blue if run through a copper fouled bore.

Other Equipment

I keep on hand old toothbrushes, bronze toothbrush, dental picks, an old rag, screwdriver, scissors (to cut patches smaller as needed) and a beral pipette. The pipette is a great tool for transfering solvent to a patch without contaminating the solvent. I borrowed mine from chem lab but resonable substitues can be found elsewhere.

Rifles

To clean a rifle you should first anchor it so you can work safely. I have a wooden rifle stand that was purchased at a gun show. Midway, forster, and a few other companies sell such a stand.

Place the rifle in the stand and remove the bolt (Where applicable) Fieldstrip as necessary. Determine the approach needed to clean the arm.

If you need to clean from the muzzle be sure to have the proper bore guide to protect the crowning. Get your rod and jag ready and apply solvent to the patch. Off you go.

If you need to clean from the breech be sure to have your chamber guide installed on the rifle. Get your rod and jag ready, and apply solvent to the patch through the solvent port on the chamber guide. Off you go.

The exact method of cleaning an arm varies from shooter to shooter. I wrote this paper with the idea that I wanted to show people the right equipment and general technique needed to clean a gun properly. I was not going to make this a "start-to-finish" guide to cleaning. Cleaning technique changes as you learn more but I will offer some suggestions.

I always start with lightly soaked patches through the bore. From the amount of dirt and fouling removed I determine the amount of brushing and copper solvent needed. I run a dry patch or two down the bore and look at the rifling. If fouling appears heavy, then I get the brush out.

I try to brush as little as possible, but with some guns and types of shooting, it is a must. With most rifle shooting I find the need to use a nylon brush and copper solvent after a day's shooting. With rimfire shooting (I always use lead standard velocity ammo) I find that Eezox and a nylon brush is enough. If I have shot a lot or have cleaned lightly I then break out the bronze brush and clean away.

After I remove the fouling I use a soaked patch or two and then use dry patches until they come out clean. As Eezox is a one step product, I am done here. If I am not shooting the gun for a while, I will put one more very lightly soaked patch through and put it back. If you use Hoppes or the equivalent this is where you will oil. I then very lightly coat the arm with Eezox and wipe the stock down with a dry rag. The gun is clean.

Most of the times shotguns are used they are fired often and for a few hours. (like at skeet and trap clubs) Because of this, they have a lot of powder and plastic fouling on the bore.

I take the Dan Allen jag with a soaked patch down the bore. After the bore is wet I work with the bronze brush. If the fouling is real bad, I break out a tornado brush. After the fouling is removed, I use a few soaked patches, followed by dry patches until they come out clean. One lightly soaked patch of Eezox (or oil) and the bore is ready.

On doubles that is pretty much it. You take the barrels off and clean the action. Wipe off the fouling and oil (if you aren't using eezox) If you want to keep the gun tight apply a grease like Kilimanjaro to the hinge pin and knuckle. Wipe down the outside of the barrels and clean off the wood. The gun is ready for the safe.

On pumps and autos the chamber & receiver must be cleaned. A tooth brush and oversized patches take care of this. Do not bother to take out the trigger housing, on most guns it is easy but should not be done often. Once every year or two, or if the gun gets exposed to the elements. Remember the more you take something apart the more likely you are to have problems with it. (Murphy's law of Plumbing /Shooting #2)

Most autos need to have their gas ports, recoil springs, etc. taken care of. Refer to the manual for exactly what needs doing.

I love shooting revolvers more than any other kind of gun. But this pleasure comes with a price; with six chambers the revolver is a pain to clean. Add that to the fact that mostly cast bullets are used in the wheelgun and you better roll up your sleeves.

I clean the chambers first. The cleaning procedures for the chambers are the same for a barrel. Soaked patches, brushing when necessary, soaked patch, dry patch, lightly soaked patch. You just have to do it six times. I have a stainless steel cleaning rod that was marketed for snub nose revolvers. I find it easier to use the short rod on the chambers.

After the chambers are clean I do the bore. Same procedure here.

If fouling is bad I break out the Lewis Lead Remover. It is a useful tool that uses brass patches to clean out the bore & chambers. A little trick, if you plan to clean a revolver's chambers with the Lewis Lead Remover, remove it from the gun to prevent stress and damage to the crane.

Next, clean the outside. A toothbrush will be required to get grit and lead off the frontstrap and frame. Sometimes a dental pick helps to clean around the barrel and frontstrap. Make sure that the extractor is clean and that underneath the extractor star is clean and dry. Do not lubricate that area too much or powder residue will collect there and eventually push the star out of alignment a tad. This will cause the revolver to jam.

You are done with the revolver. Wipe off the exterior and put it in the safe.

Dissemble the pistol according to the instruction manual. Read the Freaking Manual (RTFM) before shooting or cleaning the pistol. On a clean flat surface, spread apart the field stripped components of the pistol. Clean the barrel from the breech, using the same process as for any gun. Wipe all residue from the frame and other components, using toothbrush as needed. When cleaned, reassemble the arm and oil as indicated in the manual.

With Self-Loading pistols and rifles it is very important to RTFM when it pertains to loading, unloading and cleaning. Keep this in mind.

Black Powder is the ultimate in corrosive ammunition. BP fouling and residue cannot be left on the barrel long before corrosion sets in. BP cannot be cleaned with most modern bore cleaners, with Eezox one of the few exceptions. While there are many commercial bore products out there, the finest BP cleaner out there is good old soap and hot water, just like our ancestors used.

While you are shooting muzzleloaders, you will learn the value of swabbing the bore every several shots. Commercial patch lubes soaked into a patch will do well here. When you are done shooting for the day, it pays to do a preliminary cleaning right at the range. I wash the barrel out with patches soaked in patch lube. I use "moose milk", a recipe as old as time. It is 1/3 Murphy's (good name eh?) oil soap, 1/3 water,and 1/3 hydrogen peroxide. There are thousands of variations of this recipe, but this is what I use.

After I clean out the gun with the moose milk I oil it with some gun oil reserved for this purpose. (any will do, I use Rem Oil) The gun is then cased and I go home.

A gun cleaned this way will PROBABLY be good until your next range trip (as long as you shoot within a week or three) but I do not chance it. Our forefathers said solemnly "never let the sun set on a dirty barrel" and they meant it. Today, it means a rusted gun, in the days of the settlers, it meant a bald spot that rogaine won't be able to cure.

Never the less, I clean the gun the minute I go into my home. (Well, after the bathroom trip anyway) I have a special bucket in which I fill with liquid soap, not detergent and very hot water. Some BP shooters go as far as to use boiling water, I don't. Lately I have been using Simple Green soap and it cleans faster than soap and just as good.

Fill the bucket about 2/3 high. Remove the barrel from the breech and remove the nipple or flash plug. Place the breech end of the barrel in to the bucket and get your wiping stick. (buy one, don't use the ramrod here) Install the cleaning jag on the stick and place a patch over the jag. Insert the rod into the barrel (be sure the muzzle guide is in place) and push down. Air will be expelled out of the barrel and you will see bubbles in the bucket. Pull the rod back through the barrel but not all the way out. The piston action will suck water up through the nipple/vent hole and fill the barrel. Keep the piston action going, in and out for a while. This will help clean the barrel. Dependind on the quantity of shooting and lube used, you may have to freshen up the bucket. After the bore is clean, (and don't be afraid to use a bore brush) rinse with a bucket of hot clean water.

Now you have a clean, hot barrel. Wipe the bore with a dry patch or two and let it sit. The hot barrel will dry off relatively quickly, so keep an eye on it. As soon as the barrel is dry, follow up with several dry patches until one comes out completely dry. When you are convinced that the bore is dry, it's time to oil. Be thorough, but don't overdo it. Sometimes you can see light rust on the bore after it dries. This should be a reminder that a preservative is needed. Coat the barrel inside and out.

If I more than 75 shots or so in one day, I do not reassmemble the gun that day. On the following day I clean it again. You will be suprised how much more dirt appears when you do this. I always clean the gun two, sometimes three times like that before putting it away for long term storage.

Now you may be asking about commercial solvents instead of hot water. Eezox is an excellent solvent and I do use it on BP guns if I'm using the gun every weekend & during hunting season. I believe that Eezox would probably do a good job all the time. I still use the hot water though, for several reasons: 1) it is cheap, 2) it is fun, 3)It is the way our ancestors did it, 4) I still believe you get a better clean that way.

Parenthetical note: Sometimes I wonder if a hot water & soap cleaning would benefit more modern arms. Anyone out there who has experience in this drop me a line on that.

I have a few guns that I don't shoot very often, like once every month or three. Those guns I clean completely after use and store. Other guns I shoot two times a week or so. Those guns get cleaned at predetermined intervals; some once every five hundred rounds, some once a month, some when they start to jam. On the guns I shoot often I am more concerned with wear from frequent cleaning than I am from internal corrosion from uncleaning gun. With modern primers and modern gun care products, not too much will happen I just wipe down the exterior and wait for the next interval. Find out what works for you.

On my carry guns, I clean them after each range trip. I like the idea of having them clean because it should help with reliability, and (farfetched, but possible) if I am a witness to/involved in a shooting but did not fire my gun, it will be easy to be discounted as the shooter when they see that the gun is unfired. This idea could be disputed, but that's what I think. I also hate powder residue on my clothes, it's dirty.

If I am putting away a gun for the season I clean it fully, remove the bolt (if applicable) and wipe off all oils. I then take a heavy rust preservative like RIG or Bear Grease and coat the metal products fully. The gun is placed in a silicone sock and stored in the safe. I store the bolt somewhere else.

If the gun is to be put away for a time longer that that I remove the action from the stock, clean the gun, and coat with the preservative. I then wrap the action in preservative paper, wrap the bolt in preservative paper, and then wrap up the components into one package and store. If the gun has many parts and springs, I would relieve any spring tension, and package the parts. The military takes the gun apart, cosmolines the gun, reassmbles the gun and beds it to the stock, and wraps it in craft paper. The guns are crated and put into storage. That works well too. I take the stock off so the preservative doesn't creep in, but some say that a stock alone will warp. I'm working on my ideas on the matter, but they may be right.

Here are my thoughts on cleaning and preserving firearms. I don't have all the answers, but you'll find the advice given here to be accurate and useful. If you have any additions/omissions/sins to point me out, drop me a line. I appreciate any polite, constructive critism you have to offer.
Ted