by Jay Chambers
Cleaning firearms is not the most enjoyable part of owning them. However, it is necessary. You need to understand the assembly of your firearms and how to keep them properly maintained. Otherwise you will end up with rusted, jammed, and clunky firearms.
Disassembling Your Firearms
The first step in gun maintenance is knowing how to disassemble and reassemble your firearms. Every firearm is different, and some are more complex than others. An AK-47 can be disassembled in a few steps whereas a Henry Golden Boy can take a bit more time. You don’t need to know how to completely disassemble your firearms. You just need to know how to field strip them. In other words, they only need to be taken apart enough to access the parts that need regular maintenance.
You will also need tools to disassemble many firearms although it will vary from gun to gun. For instance, most of field stripping an AR-15 involves removing some pin. This can be accomplished with simple tools or even a bullet, anything that can be used to push it through. Not all will be that simple though. Brass and rubber hammers can be used to knock pins in and out of place. Screwdrivers and Allen wrenches may be needed to remove screws.
It will take a bit of effort to learn and memorize your firearm’s assembly, but it is not an insurmountable task. Your gun may have come with a manual for field stripping. There are a ton of online resources that can help you with this. YouTube videos can be the most helpful, as you can visually follow along with someone step by step.
Cleaning Your Firearms
Simply cleaning and lubricating the pieces is the most crucial aspect of gun maintenance. Firing firearms leaves all kinds of black smudge and other miscellaneous debris throughout the firearms. The bulk of it will be located around the chamber and down the barrel.
You will need a set of tools for cleaning. You need a bristled brush to stick down the barrel. You need a cleaning rod long enough to push all the way through. You need the right size of brush depending on the caliber of gun you are working with. You need some kind of oil. There are many types of gun oils, and there is no consensus on which is the best to use. Many from Hoppes No. 9 to 3 in 1 oil are all valid options. You will also need some form of cleaning solvent. You need cloth, paper towel, or some other form of wipes. While you can purchase these things separately, a beginner’s kit may the best option when starting out. It should include the basics to get you started.
When cleaning your gun, you are primarily doing two things. You are removing any built up residue and rust (more about rust shortly), and you are lubricating and preventing rust build up on your firearm.
Before you start, you should probably use some sort of mat. There are ones made specifically for the oily nature of firearms maintenance.
Once your firearm is disassembled, you will see the dark residue from firing. Use your wipes, with cleaning solvent applied, to go over the easily accessible areas. For hard to reach parts of the gun, you can use something like Q-tips to get in and remove the residue. It is worth noting that while cleaning your firearms, you can use this time and your wipes for your optics to keep them pristine.
You then need to apply oil throughout the gun. You don’t want to completely soak the gun in oil. Use enough to leave a shine. You can apply your gun oil to a wipe and use the wipe to apply it to the parts of your gun. They sell wipes with lubricant on them, but they aren’t necessary.
For the barrel, you should use some wipe and wrap it around the bristle. Make sure your bore brush is the exact size for your caliber. Otherwise, it either won’t fit or won’t create enough friction to actually clean it. Run it down the barrel to collect the debris. You can peer down the barrel (preferably from the loading chamber, be sure to practice proper gun safety) and view whether the debris is still there. If it is not perfectly smooth all the way through, or if you see black residue, continue running wipes through. Once it is clean, you can run the bare bristles down the barrel. The bristles will help to remove rust and clean it thoroughly.
If your firearms are beginning to rust, don’t panic. It can usually be removed with ease. You may be able to wipe them down with cloth and oil to remove it. If not, you can use steel wool. Do not use just any steel wool though, as if it is too rough you will be removing the finish of the gun. 4 ought wool steel is generally recommended. Apply some oil to the rusted areas and go over them with the steel wool.
Maintenance is Necessary
It will take some time, but maintaining your firearms is necessary. If you neglect your firearms, you will find them rusty and in a state of disarray. Cleaning and lubricating firearms makes them work smoothly and without the risk of malfunctioning. You can even feel the difference when shooting freshly cleaned gun.