How to Clean a Pistol Gun
Like any other gun, a pistol or revolver gets dirty when you fire it. And like a rifle or shotgun, you will have to clean it to maintain its accuracy and reliability. In many cases, cleaning is more critical for a pistol than for other guns. For one thing, the components are smaller and more likely to malfunction due to fouling. Also, the average pistol owner fires more rounds in a given range session than does the rifle or shotgun owner, which creates more fouling in the pistol. All this results in a need for the pistol owner to learn how to properly clean the gun, especially if it is carried for personal defense.
Things You'll Need
- Old towel
- Gun cleaning solvent
- Cleaning rod and jag
- Tooth brush
- Cleaning patches
- Rag
- Oil
Instructions
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1
Unload the pistol and field strip it according to the owner's manual, placing the parts on an old towel. Open the cylinder if it is a revolver; most revolvers do not require field stripping.
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2
Insert a clean patch in the jag and dip the patch into the solvent to wet it. Run the patch through the bore with the cleaning rod. For a revolver, also run the patch through each chamber in the cylinder. Remove and discard the patch, and repeat with a fresh solvent-soaked patch.
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3
Wet the toothbrush with solvent and use it to scrub all fouled areas: inside the slide, the breech face and any place you see dirt or powder fouling. Then wet a corner of the rag with solvent and wipe down the inside and outside of the pistol.
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4
Wet a clean patch with oil and insert it in the jag. Then run the oil-soaked patch through the bore. For a revolver, run the patch through the chambers as well. Then follow up with a clean, dry patch, and repeat until a patch comes out clean.
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5
Look inside the pistol or revolver for shiny spots where one part rubs against another. Place a drop of oil on each such spot. The owner's manual contains in-depth information about lubrication points for each particular pistol.
Do not use more than one drop of oil per point, because excess oil attracts and holds dirt.
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6
Wet a corner of the rag with oil and wipe all internal surfaces to create a very light film of oil.
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7
Reassemble the pistol and wipe the exterior surfaces with the oily rag.
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Tips & Warnings
Always keep any gun pointed in a safe direction.
Always double-check to make sure the gun is unloaded before working on it.
References
- Photo Credit pistol image by AGphotographer from Fotolia.com
