A Clean Gun Is A Safe Gun.
Firearms, like any other things, undergo wear and tear after prolonged use. One of the main cause on why you should regularly clean your gun is to monitor the state of the small hidden parts of your weapon. Early awareness of cracks and metal edge can make a difference in a live or die situation. It is estimated that dirty guns cause 80-90% of malfunction and blockages. Dirt, rust, wear and tear are the number one enemies to proper gun functioning. Regular cleaning will ensure that these are detected early, and whatever parts need replacement are attended to in good time.
The following are reasons why regular cleaning and proper maintenance of your firearm is critical.
Ensures Durability: proper cleaning and storage assures you of longevity of your firearm. Guns have the potential to last through generations.
Give your weapon some tender loving care and you may just pass it down to your great grandchildren.
Frequent cleaning and lubrication deals with rust and protects your firearm from the disastrous effects that rust has on your weapon’s metal parts.
Reliability and Accuracy: Fouling build up through the years can greatly affect a gun’s reliability. A weapon that is not well maintained cannot be relied upon to fire when it should.
This may mean death on your part in the event of an attack in your home.
Copper build up inside the barrel of a precision rifle can greatly affect its accuracy. Rust is corrosive and eats away the metal of your gun. This creates pits in the barrel of your rifle. Regular clean-up of your firearm will give you accurate results every time.
Helps You Understand How Your Firearm Works: It is important to appreciate what is enclosed in your firearm. Consistent thorough cleaning entails dismantling and reassembling the parts of your gun. You get to learn how the various parts interact.
This knowledge is important as you may need to fix your gun during a shooting range. It may not always be possible to contact a gunsmith whenever your gun requires fixing. It also saves you money as you will learn how to do minor fixes on your own.
Learn to Lubricate: A well-lubricated gun performs with more precision and lasts longer as well. Lubrication however is an art that you need to master. Over lubrication causes light primer strikes and Failure to Fire.
As you interact with your gun during the maintenance, you will identify the parts where grime builds up due to over lubrication.
Over time, you will learn how to give your weapon enough lubricant without creating a slip and slide situation.
Pay a little bit of attention to your weapons. This will go a long way in preventing a whole lot of issues and prolong its life. Simple maintenance procedures can save your life and that of your loved ones.
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Steps In Cleaning A Gun
1. Select a well ventilated area for cleaning
Make certain that the room you choose for cleaning has good air circulation. The reason is solvent fumes in firearms are toxic and could make you sick. Also, the room must be spacious enough to keep the parts of the gun separate. A well ventilated, spacious area will allow room for toxic pollutants to get out from the room and help you to do the job in less time.
2. Always wear an eye protection
A chemical might splash on your eyes or a spring could come off of the gun. This can be dangerous to your eyesight. So put on safety glasses first before you start with the cleaning procedure.
3. Use a tray
Many guns have tiny parts such as springs and pins. If you lose any of these parts while dissembling, you might not be able to reassemble the gun after cleaning. Using a tray will help you to not lose these tiny parts in the carpet or flooring.
4. Unload your gun
Always take some time to unload the firearm. Double check to ensure that it is unloaded each time you pick it up for cleaning. Note that your gun may still have a bullet that is ready to fire even after removing the magazine. So check it out and remove the bullet.
To do this, open the chamber and look through the barrel from back to front. Confirm that no round (bullet) remains inside, either in the chamber or stuck in the barrel. You just can't say that a particular gun is unloaded unless you have looked through the barrel thoroughly.
5. Disassemble the gun as per the instructions of the manufacturer
While disassembling firearms is not a big deal, you ought to read the manufacturer's manual in case you have any questions related to disassembling. Bending a part of your weapon is the last thing you would like to have in your mind due to ineffective disassembling. So check the instruction manual and adhere to the directions to avoid any problem while removing the parts of the gun.
6. Use the right cleaning products
Remember that cleaning firearms is not a simple chore. Also, you need special items to clean the gun properly. Never use home cleaning products for cleaning a firearm; you will end up creating a mess. Instead, buy special solutions meant for cleaning guns. In this way, you will avoid any problem and ensure that the cleaning chore is done effectively as required.
7. Clean the barrel with cotton patches and a cleaning rod
Soak the inner part of the barrel with the help of the cleaning rod, suitable cotton patches and patch holder. If possible, start from the back side of the bore. In case that is not possible, use the muzzle guard. This guard keeps the rod from hitting against the muzzle, which might eventually cause your firearm to malfunction.
To clean the barrel thoroughly, insert a solvent-soaked patch through the bore's one end until it comes out of the other end. Remove the patch from the exit end of the weapon. Do not pull it back because pulling it back will redeposit the residues you just clean off.
8. Alternate the patches and bore brush to scrub the barrel thoroughly
Next, attach the bore brush after removing the patch holder. Move the bore brush back and forth along the full length of the bore three to four times to loosen dirt and debris. Now reattach the patch holder and push cotton patches (solvent-soaked) all through the bore. Remove the patches when they come out from the front. Do this process until a cotton patch comes out completely clean. Finally, push one more patch of dry cloth and ensure that there are no debris and dirt left inside the barrel.
9. Lubricate the barrel
Apply some drops of a gun lubricant or conditioner to the cotton mop. Add this mop to the cleaning rod. Run the rod through the bore to apply a light coat of gun oil in the inner part of the barrel.
10. Clean, lubricate the action with a solvent
Put some solvent on the gun brush, and brush all of the parts of the action smoothly. Use a clean cloth to wipe and dry the parts. Next, lubricate the moving parts of the action. A light coating prevents rusting; so apply the lubricant gently.
11. Clean the magazines
When you clean your weapon, clean the magazines you have used in the last 500 rounds. This avoids jamming of bullets in magazines. Also, cleaning magazines is pretty simple and do not take much time. So make sure you clean dirt from magazines too.
12. Wipe the rest of the gun and reassemble your firearm
Use a flannel cloth that is pre-treated with a silicon lubricant to wipe the gun. This will remove any leftover debris and add shine to the weapon. Finally, assemble the parts of the gun, and test it out without a bullet to ascertain that everything is in order.
Bottom line
Properly cleaning a gun after every time it is fired is imperative. Failing to do so can hamper your shooting skills. It can also lead to some kind of undesirable accidents resulting from poorly taken shots. The good news is you can avoid any such situation by cleaning your gun properly. Aside from time, you need to put sincere efforts to clean your firearm properly. If you are really serious about cleaning and maintaining your firearm, follow the above tips and you will be able to sustain your gun in good condition.
Buy the CZ 75 SP-O1 Shadow Orange pistol at P.B.Dionisio & Co., Inc. A license dealer of firearms and ammunition in the Philippines.
Sign up to receive the price of the CZ 75 SP-O1 Shadow Orange regular updates and tips on everything firearms from P.B.Dionisio & Co.
How Often Should You Clean Your Firearm
That depends on use. Cleaning your firearms after every time you shoot is probably impractical for most of us. Most would recommend cleaning your firearm after a certain number of rounds. Some firearms are better at functioning dirty and some ammunition leaves more debris, making your gun dirtier than others.
A safe, happy median would be to clean your firearm every 250 or so rounds. You can’t over clean your firearm, and if you desire to clean it every time you shoot it, you won’t be doing any harm. A dirty firearm can most certainly effect the way a firearm functions. A dirty magazine can cause failure to feed malfunctions. Failure to feed refers to the inability for a cartridge to enter the chamber. A dirty extractor can cause problems with casing extraction. Improperly oiled internals can wreak havoc on trigger operation. If any of these things happen to you in a deadly force situation it could prove catastrophic.
Additionally, rust can form on parts of your firearm from being in contact with perspiration. We all know rust and firearms don’t mix. When caring for your firearm, preventive maintenance is always easier than having to do a major cleaning.
Gun Cleaning Materials
Pro-Shot 1-Step Gun Cleaner & Lubricant
This gun cleaner / lubricant helps you remove lead, powder, plastic, & copper fouling which means you don’t have to worry about rust and corrosion on your firearm.
Pro-Shot Nylon Double End Brush
This double end nylon brush has large bristles which helps you tackle bolt carriers, cylinders, and everything else you need to scrub clean. And small brush on the other end for cleaning tight spaces.
Pro-Shot Bore Light
This UV Bore light illuminator is a fast and easy way to check barrels for cleaning or wear. You don’t need batteries for it uses ambient light. This also fits in most handgun and rifle chambers.
Pro-Shot Pistol Rod with Muzzle Guard and Brush
This micro-polished precision stainless steel rod is strong and is hardened dense jeweled mirror like finish, this type of rod doesn’t pick up and carry abrasive grit or dirt through the bore. Which means you don’t have to worry about reaching through tight spaces along the barrel.
Pro-Shot Universal Cleaning Kit
The Pro-Shot Universal Gun Cleaning Kit has everything you need to clean a pistol, rifle, or shotgun neatly organized in a heavy duty reusable carrying/storage case. This is perfect for 3 gun competition.
Pro-Shot Cleaning Patches
The Pro-Shot Cleaning Patches has a high thread count with tightly woven material along with our double napped on both sides creates a superior cleaning patch. It is a 100% cotton flannel fabric for purposes of absorbing foreign matter and residue, and in turn carry it through the bore with the least amount of abrasive contact to the barrel’s rifling.
Pro-Shot Cleaning Cloth
This Cleaning Cloth is a Tactical Wipe cloths that are 100% Cotton Flannel finished on both sides and are intended for wiping any excess oils from your firearm or parts during and after cleaning. Pro-Shot's Tactical Wipe Cloths are great to keep your favorite tactical gear for a handy clean cloth.
Pro-Shot Jag
This jag is a sharp pointed attachment at the end of your cleaning rod. Its major purpose is to hold the cleaning patch in place as you drive it through the barrel of your firearm for cleaning. This protects the barrel, gives you better cleaning and lubricating of the barrel.
References:
Buy the CZ 75 SP-O1 Shadow Orange pistol at P.B.Dionisio & Co., Inc. A license dealer of firearms and ammunition in the Philippines.
Sign up to receive the price of the CZ 75 SP-O1 Shadow Orange regular updates and tips on everything firearms from P.B.Dionisio & Co.
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