Gun Cleaning & Kits for Cleaning

Gun cleaning helps your weapon hold its value.

Guns are expensive investments. Quality guns increase in value over time; routinely and correctly cleaning them permits the gun to hold or appreciate in value. Many gun owners enjoy taking care of unique specimens in their collections, some of which might have been handed down through generations or are one-of-a-kind examples. The proper equipment must be used to clean guns.

Reasons for Gun Cleaning

Even a gun that has never been fired needs to be cleaned. The weapon contains several moving parts essential to its operation, and its many nooks and crannies collect dust. Guns taken into the hunting fields are exposed to muck and mire, varying temperatures and rugged conditions; all these factors necessitate cleaning. Guns fired only on occasion at the shooting range must be cleaned and maintained.

Types of Kits for Cleaning Guns

Gun cleaning kits usually contain everything you need. They range from reasonably priced kits to very expensive custom kits. The latter are made specifically for specially ordered guns whose value sometimes run into seven figures. The usual kit contains gun oil, cleaning patches, cleaning rods with handles, cleaning brushes and cleaning solvent. Some of these kits are for pistols, shotguns or rifles. Others are generic for cleaning most any gun.

How to Use a Gun Cleaning Kit

Ensure that the gun is unloaded. Know how your gun operates so you can clean it correctly. It's best to work at a sturdy, clutter-free bench. Screw the cleaning rods together. Attach the brush at the end, and place a cleaning patch in the brush. Place cleaning solvent on the patch, and run it through your barrel. When the patch becomes dirty, replace it with a clean one; repeat until the patch comes out clean. Run a clean patch through the barrel, followed by a patch dipped in gun oil. Lightly clean and oil all moving parts.. You do not need to take the gun apart. if the stock is wood, you can clean and lightly oil that too.

Solvents in Gun Cleaning Kits

Place the solvent in the barrel of your gun; let it soak overnight. Clean the barrel the next day. These solvents help remove gun powder residue, copper and lead fouling and accumulated rust. Sometimes a copper barrel-brush must be used to scour out the gun if the solvent does not work effectively. Clean until the patches come out unsoiled. Re-oil the barrel after it has been scoured clean. Do not drip or spill the solvent on the bluing or stock of the gun; it will damage those parts. Wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning your gun.

References

• Red Rock Sporting Goods; C.B. Schauntz owner; Miles City, Montana