Cleaning Guns

[JimP]

I overheard a conversation last night on gun cleaning........ how often does everyone clean their guns here? Tricks and tips?

I mention it because the guy asking about it was a first time gun owner, and the the guy telling him how to do it wasn't doing him any favors- pushing a patch through the bore and pulling it back through is just moving the crud around. I was taught to to clean from the breach to the muzzle, and remove the dirty patch so you aren't pulling the fouling back into the bore. No mention of cleaning anything except the bore...........   Thoughts?

[Jay]

This is a really good post. What might seem pretty elementary to some of us is actually a very good topic to discuss, especially with new shooters. Proper cleaning not only affects a firearm's longevity, but also its accuracy. Immediate cleaning after a day at the range is not as crucial with today's non corrosive ammo as it once was, but it is still important to routinely clean, inspect, and lubricate your guns to ensure they will not fail you when called upon.

I am just checking the forums on my way out the door, but I'll chime in with some of my thoughts and maybe some links later on. I am probably a little more lax in my cleaning than some members here (1hickey) so I am interested to see what kind of regimen people use.

[Administrator]

I try to wipe down my guns after use, but the only guns I own that get a detailed cleaning after every range session are the surplus rifles firing corrosive ammunition. All my other guns' cleaning regiments are based off of what I find works best for them through real life use. My 1911 requires more frequent cleaning than my other guns to function properly, so it gets cleaned every 250-500 rounds. My ar's can go over 1,000 between cleaning depending on the conditions and ammo used, same with the ak's. (except my Russian VEPR due to it's value.) I've also had handguns that I've purposely gone over 2,000 rounds between cleanings just to see how it would turn out. Bottom line is, every gun is different, and you need to figure out what's best for it, and stick to it.

[1hickey]

This is a great post, perhaps something we should eventually move over to a more permanent home.

Yes, I can be fairly retentive about weapons cleaning, but just go figure, my weapons background.   Getting smoked by Drill Sergeants a time or two ensures spotless weapons.....

In all truthfulness, different weapons are effected differently by levels of cleanliness.  Some weapons are just pigs no matter what you do.  The M16 series and most modern gas operated semis are like this.  They all generally function best when thoroughly cleaned after each use.  Others can be stored in a sandbar overnight and be fine.

In order to instill good habits, common sense prevails to teach new weapon owners to disassemble and clean thier weapon after each use.  Not only will this maintain the weapon, it increases thier familiarity and confidence with the weapon.

How to clean a weapon, as far as technique is concerned can be opportunity for some serious internet flaming.  Sam is right on, though, and perhaps we should clarify "just the basics" and explain why to use these techniques.  As we all know, the end condition of the clean weapon as far as lubrication goes, can also change from condition to condition.  You would obviously leave a different level of lubricant on all exposed parts depending on if you are using it in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, or Missouri.

Anyone brave enough to post up the basics of weapons cleaning?

[JimP]

Since I have not only cleaned guns(ranging from .177 Daisy Red Ryder BB Guns to M110a2 203mm Self Propelled Howitzers) for the last 30+ years, but am nearly flame proof (not much left to burn!), I'll bite.

Into the Valley of Death Rode the Six Hundred........

Step #1. and undoubtably the MOST Important Step: Ensure the gun is unloaded. And then double check. The mishap at TheBulletHole recently was a direct result of this. Drop the magazine, open the action and ensure the chamber is empty, both visually and by putting a finger in the chamber, if possible.

Step #2. Before you start dissasembling the gun, ensure you have: a suitable place to clean the gun (where small parts won't be lost if you drop them, for instance.), a manual or knoledgable person around to ensure what is disasembled can be re-assembled (both is better- manuals won't answer questions if asked- they always say the same thing, and don't care whether you don't understand it the way it explains it. Also, military manuals are full of acronymns and other Armish terms which are confusing to folk that don't speak Armish. Persons deemed knoledgable may be, or may have been, or may not be. Nobody can remember everything. Both is better. ......but I digress.), appropriate cleaning supplies (while you CAN clean a 1911 with nothing more than light oil or ATF, a T-shirt, a 3/8" dowel and elbow grease, there ARE more user friendly tools!) and no interuptions (leaving a gun dissasembled is an invitation to lose parts. That is a BAD THING. Not as BAD as dissasembling a loaded gun in a public place, but still....).

Step #3. After unloading and clearing the gun (yes, I KNOW you did that in step #1. Do it again, just to be sure.), disassemble it by following instructions in operators manual/instructions from knoledgable person or both. If this is the first time (or one of the first few times, or you think you might be a little fuzzy or rusty in how to reassemble the gun) you have taken the gun apart, put it back together while how you took it apart is still fresh in your memory. Once you are comfortable taking it apart and putting it back together (ensuring it functions correctly when you put it back together each time!), take it apart and lay it out in front of you.

Step#4. Put a patch (of the correct size) in a slot tip (on a cleaning rod) and put some cleaning solvent (I like Hoppe's #9, but use Invisible Gun on my deer rifles and carry guns, due to the smell. It's a good smell, but nothing advertises that there is a well maintained gun in the vicinity than the smell of Hoppe's. Not something you want on the deer stand or at the Supermarket.)on the patch. Working from the breech end (where the cartridges go in to the chamber) to the muzzle (where the bullets come out at high speed), coat the interior of the bore thoroughly. Take care not to get solvent on the stock (wooden or otherwise). Solvent is bad for most wood finishes and some are very bad for plastics. Do not stand rifles up on their butts at this point. Solvent will run out of the bore and back into the action, gettin onto the stock, eventually.  Set the barrel/barrelled action/gun aside and let the solvent work in the bore. (Not that some firearms - revolvers, for instance- cannot be cleaned from the breech with a conventional cleaning rod. Use a Boresnake or a string and patch set-up. If you MUST use a cleaning rod from the muzzle, take care not to damage the rifling at the muzzle. A brass bore guide can help.)

Step#5 Get a brush (an old toothbrush works, or you can buy a gun cleaning toothbrush-It's your money, waste it if you want)and get some solvent on it. (Safety glasses are not a bad Idea at this point- A very tint droplet  of solvent flung off a toothbrush bristle landing in you eye is not a Pleasant Thing. Just remember not to use your good shooting glasses, as some solvents are BAD for plastic.) Scrub all the gun parts laid out in front of you that are not made of wood or plastic. (Those of you cleaning a Glock go ask someone who owns one what to clean plastic with. I've heard rumors that they put them in the dishwasher. Then again, I've heard alot of things about Glocks, and they all can't possibly be true. For instance, I don't believe the Glock's  hi-cap magazines simply allow you to miss faster.)Pay special attention to the breech/bolt face and inside of reciever/slide. Done Scrubbing? Wipe down all the parts you scrubbed with a clean rag. Lightly oil parts. Wipe off as much oil as humanly possible with another clean rag. Excess oil attracts dirt, which when mixed with the oil, becomes crud, which gums up the works and causes things to go "click" when they should go "Bang!"

Step #6 Get a chamber brush of appropriate size and scrub chamber (When using chamber  or bore brushes, DO NOT reverse direction- this is BAD) by rotating brush in chamber. Do not reverse direction. Put an oversize patch on a slot tip and wipe chamber clean. Repeat as necessary.

Step #7 Put an approriately sized bore brush on an appropriately long cleaning rod and push through the bore from breech to muzzle. Remove brush, or you will be dragging crud into your clean chamber. Work smarter, not harder. Repeat 2 or 3 times.

Step #8 Push a clean patch through the bore on an appropriately sized spear-point jag or slot tip. Remove patch at muzzle. Repeat as necessary until patches come through clean. Saturate a patch with solvent and run it through the bore. Run a clean patch through the bore. If it comes out blue or green, you still have copper from bullet jackets in the bore. If it's grey or black, it's still got powder residue (or lead/ bullet lube if you wereshooting cast bullets....) go back to Step #7. You may want to let the solvent  work overnight. I use a 3 day cleaning plan with my high powered rifles, when I fire more than a box of ammo. Step 1 thru 8 with Hoppe's #9, let it work overnight, repeat on day 2, and use Invisible gun on day 3. Just dont stand it up on it's butt so solvent runs down onto the action and stock. And standing it up on its muzzle so blue-green copper stained Hoppe's #9 runs out onto the carpet will not make your wife happy. Just a warning.......... an ounce of prevention and all that......

Step #9 If you are planning on storing the gun for a long period, a light coat of oil in the bore is not a bad idea.(Why would you do THAT? Guns are made to SHOOT, and skills are perishable! Just clean it before you shoot it- oil attracts dust, which makes crud.......Re-assemble the gun, again following the manual's/knoledgable person's (or both's) instructions.


Step#10 Check the gun for proper function: all controls work, and it feeds and ejects as it is supposed to. Dummy rounds (Homemade, A-Zoom Ammo, Tipton or Pachmayr Snap Caps) make this safer and easier. Store the firearm appropriately.

You're done. Did I miss anything? or as my 1STSGT used to put it:

"Questions? Comment? *****es? Complaints? Battery! <Platoon SGTs:"Platoon!">  Dismissed!"

[1hickey]

That was an excellent post, Jim.  Jay, I think we should move this over to the main site.  What do you think??  Maybe with some photos showing techniques?

[Jay]

An excellent post indeed! With JimP's permission, I would like to post it on the main site and possibly place it in this month's newsletter (which I am just putting the finishing touches on by the way).

What say you, JimP?

[JimP]

Sure! Be sure to include a pic of the ATF, rag and dowel cleaning kit!!!! ..... and I'm glad you liked it!

[Jay]

Cool! We have many members that don't utilize the forums so an article in the newsletter will be good. Actually, I know off the top of my head of a couple members that don't even have the internet at home. Not that it's a bad thing, just that it wasn't that long ago when having the internet was unusual, not the other way around... But I digress.....

....now off to clean my gun, I hope I didn't use up all the ATF in the suburban   

[JimP]

Not having the internet would be a good thing.......I'd be asleep like anormal person..........

[Mulligan]

there's a few links here about cleaning different weapons
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/educational.htm

I dunno if this is helpful or not since most of my personal experience is limited to the basic training / rainy day variety.. clean weapons or do pushups.


some info on different cleaners http://www.frfrogspad.com/cleaners.htm and a 'how-to' for home built solvents/lubricants http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm. Lots of good stuff a FatherFrogs.