Cleanliness On The Range

Over the past few weeks, it seems I have had discussions with a half-dozen people concerning how to keep a firearm clean. The questions have ranged from how often should a gun be cleaned, to what is the appropriate cleaning solution. The advice you’re about to get in this newsletter may differ from what you’ve thought about weapons cleanliness, but I can tell you from experience, it works wonders on every handgun or rifle I’ve ever tried this on! I’ll focus primarily on the pistol since there are more moving parts than a bolt-action rifle or revolver. A semi-auto weapon will follow the same principles.

First let’s answer the question, how often should you clean your gun? There is an old saying that if you want to treat your gun like a lawn mower, buy a Glock; all others take a little care. While it does seem the Glock is virtually indestructible and will shoot even when it looks like a pig that has rolled in the mud, they will still fire much better when they are clean. Some say if you fire a single shot through the barrel you need to break out the bore brush; others will say after every 500 or 600 rounds. Most hate cleaning their guns. I would be willing to bet that the one who came up with the lawnmower-Glock idiom was one of those. I like to clean them when I have the time to do it properly; otherwise, I’d rather give myself my own root canal!

What we are trying to accomplish when we take the time to scrub off the grime is prevent rust! The gas, gun powder particles, and copper from the projectile leave residue on the inside of the barrel (and many other places). The copper oxidizes with the air and if left untreated, the inside of your barrel will start to look like the Statue of Liberty. The potassium nitrate in the gunpowder that has collected in your receiver also begins to oxidize. This is rust. Rust is a sign of neglect. It will destroy your weapons accuracy, make springs fragile and break, and make your weapon unsafe to shoot.

I’m of the opinion that if you are going to take the time to invest in a gun, you should take care of it appropriately. For many of us on the ATF staff, we subscribe to the idea that a single round left untreated has the potential to damage the firearm; cleanliness, therefore, is next to Godliness. I’ve seen the acid of fingerprints damage the bluing of a Remington 870 after only a week’s neglect.

Let’s get to the cleaning*! Here is what we recommend:

1. Bore brush, pads, and a toothbrush you don’t plan on using in your mouth.
2. A bottle of Simple Green All-Purpose cleaner.
3. A dropper full of 5w30 motor oil (your favorite brand).
4. A can of bore scrubber.
5. Rags, paper towels, or bath towel that won’t get you in trouble with the misses when you dry off your firearm.

After unloading and field stripping your weapon**, spray the parts with Simple Green and let it soak for a few seconds. There are some nice things about Simple Green. The first is the smell. It doesn’t stink like all the other chemicals that we have used over the years. Cleaners stink, and stink bad! The second benefit is it’s one of the few cleaners that quickly destroys the dirt and oil without marring the finish. Add the rapid action of the toothbrush, and you’ll see excellent results in a short time frame. That being said, when you wipe the gun down, be certain to get all the places the grime will hide, and be sure you get all the Simple Green off. If you have an air compressor, you may want to spray air in those hard-to-reach spots.  When you lubricate the parts with oil, residual cleaner will break down the lubricant so it’s important to get all of it off of your weapon.

While your parts dry out, take the time to attack the crud in the barrel. Squirt your choice of bore cleaner down the bore and let it sit for a minute or two. This allows the cleaner to break down and loosen up those bits of copper and gun powder that are stuck to the lands and grooves of the bore. A good bore cleaner for my weapons has been either the Hoppes #9 Elite Foaming Bore Cleaning Solvent or the Smith & Wesson Heavy Duty Bore Cleaner. The foaming cleaners are usually very good since they will fill the bore with solution and not force you to keep turning the barrel over to get coverage.

With the proper copper bore brush for your caliber, run the brush from the chamber side and then pull it back after the brush has passed completely through the barrel; do not do that in the middle of the barrel. It is advisable not to start the brush from the muzzle end of the barrel. Some of the wisdom says it could damage the crown on some firearms. Pass the brush through the barrel several times to break the goo loose, then replace the brush with a bore swab. Using the same method, pass the swab through the bore until the swab is clean. You may need to use some more bore cleaner to assist in the cleaning. Polish up the breech face, linkage, and ramp to be certain of smooth feeding. Once the barrel and receiver are clean, it’s time to break out the oil.

I know many of you readers are saying to yourself, “Motor oil? Really? Don’t I need something specifically for guns?” To answer that question, yes, really. Motor oil works very well for this application. Remember, whichever oil you choose to use, it’s going to be lightly oiled. A heavily oiled weapon only attracts dirt, which in turn, wrecks the tight tolerances of the parts. One of the great benefits of 5w30 is that it’s designed for the high temperatures of automobile engines and will begin to bond with the metal for added protection. If you have ever shot more than 100 rounds through your pistol, you’ll find that the barrel (and brass) becomes pretty hot. Experience with the light weight gun oils has shown that they evaporate and break down under that stress. Once that lubricant is gone, you have metal on metal and it wears out your finely tuned firearm. The motor oil will stay put even under the high temperatures of discharging weapons. I have shot over 1000 rounds in a sitting and was not required to re-lube. Can’t say that with many other gun oils. Again, lightly oil your parts is key!

So where do you drop this liquid gold? On a pistol, you’ll want to place drops on the slide rails, slide, inside and around the barrel, inside the slide, and a couple drops around the magazine release and trigger linkage mechanisms. If you put a couple drops of oil on the slide rails and inside the barrel, start at the back and then stand the part up on its end. Gravity works on guns too, and it will pull those drops along the length of the part. As a rule of thumb, any place where metal touches metal or frequent movement is required, a thin coat is a good thing. The oil around the barrel will prevent rust from forming, and the oil around the other parts makes them run smoothly. A revolver has similar lubrication points, but not as many. A drop or two on either side of the hammer, inside the barrel, and the ejector pin will keep the firearm nice and slick. Be sure to run a bore pad back through the barrel to soak up excess oil and spread it around the diamter of the bore.

For the oiling part, you may want to use a dropper of some sort; one that has a long applicator and the ability to let you refill the bottle. I use an old Browning Gun Oil bottle that I’ve refilled with Valvoline. It works very well and is small enough to fit in my range bag.

Finally, reassemble your weapon. Check for functionality with a handful of dry fires. While you check the fire controls, do not fail to test the safety features. It’s just as easy to injure yourself or someone else with a clean gun as it is a dirty one. Always verify the safety systems operate as designed. After you have completed the reassembly, apply a thin layer of oil around the metal exterior of the weapon. On a pistol, be certain to wipe it down so it’s not so slick that you can’t rack the slide, but slick enough to keep the crud and your fingerprints from marring the finish. This is almost like putting Armor-All around your tires. It makes them look great, but if you put it on the tread, good luck trying to stop your vehicle!

The more care you put into cleaning your weapon, the better it will function. Keep it clean, and your firearm will be around for a long time. If you neglect her with rust, grime, and filth, don’t be surprised if your once well shooting firearm decides to not shoot well anymore.

Shoot.Straight.Accurate.

* Before cleaning, always verify that your firearm is unloaded. It’s your responsibility to handle a weapon safely.

** If you are unfamiliar with field stripping your firearm, please consult your firearm’s owners manual or seek the advice of a qualified gunsmith.