Every gun owner, collector, and enthusiast must own a high-quality gun cleaning kit. Many people already own them, but plenty who do have no idea how to actually use their gun cleaning kit. Many who do also make mistakes when maintaining their firearms due to improper training. If you are one of the many people who owns a gun cleaning kit, but don’t feel like you know how to use it properly, fear not. We’ll discuss why gun cleaning kits are essential and how you can use them to keep your firearms in tip-top shape moving forward.
How Hard is it to Clean a Gun?
Believe it or not, the process of cleaning a gun is more straightforward than you would imagine. There is no need to worry about having a quality gun cleaning kit. Most accessories come with detailed instruction manuals that tell you everything you need to know about cleaning a firearm. While there is nothing wrong with following these guides, you can go the extra mile to make your gun look as good as new.
Please keep in mind that you should take the appropriate time to clean your gun. Making mistakes can cause significant damage to your gun over time. You must avoid blunders to ensure your firearm remains functional and looks excellent too. Next, let’s take a closer look at gun cleaning kits and what typically is included in them.
The Basics of Gun Cleaning Kits
Gun cleaning kits are typically a collection of various pieces of equipment to prevent corrosion, metal fouling, and rusting of your gun. A top-quality maintenance kit, if used correctly, can assist you in preserving your firearm’s original condition for many years. Here are some advantages of these kits:
- They improve the lifespan of your firearm
- Gun cleaning kits prevent numerous harmful effects like corrosion and rusting
- Creating a gun cleaning routine will ensure your weapon remains in working condition
- Maintaining your firearm will help you spot faults beforehand
Essential Components of a Gun Cleaning Kit
Here, we’ve collected a variety of items that you can expect to find in a gun cleaning kit. These can be pre-purchased individually or in a package.
- Flashlight
- Nylon cleaning brush
- Bronze brush
- Slotted patch holder
- Bore snake
- Cotton swabs
- Cleaning rods
- Cleaning swab
- Cleaning jag
- Cleaning patches
- Gun oil
- Double-end brushes
- Gun cleaning solvent
A Word of Advice
Steer clear from buying gun maintenance kits with low-quality accessories or incompatible gauges. Cheap quality often leads to problems and difficulties when fitting your kit’s pieces together. The brushes in cleaning kits can sometimes destroy or bend during the cleaning procedure. You will find numerous kits in the market. We recommend that you research the kits before buying them, making sure that the kit suits your firearm cleaning needs.
How to Properly Use a Gun Cleaning Kit
Are you prepared to learn about the gun maintenance process? As discussed earlier, it is relatively straightforward. You would be surprised to learn that choosing a cleaning kit is more difficult than maintaining the gun. You may know some fundamental cleaning techniques if you are a long-time gun user, but the tips below will dig past the fundamentals to some more advanced cleaning techniques. We will also discuss some advice that will enhance your firearm maintenance skills. Therefore, without further ado, here are some tried and tested tips to clean your gun.
1. Maintain Your Gun in a Well-Ventilated and Safe Area
Keep all of your firearm equipment in a safe place before starting. Most gun maintenance kits contain various solvents that may contain toxic fumes. These can be harmful if inhaled. It would be best to keep children and pets out of the maintenance area. Place plastic sheets on your table or any other furniture before you begin the process. Also, recheck your kit and ensure that no items are missing.
2. Clean Your Hands and Wear Gloves
Wash your hands before using your firearm cleaning kit. It will prevent oils and other dangerous liquids from dirtying your fingers and palms. A pair of disposable rubber gloves would be ideal for gun maintenance, as the skin absorbs oil quickly.
3. Disassemble Your Gun
Take the ammo out before disassembling your firearm. Breaking down your gun with ammunition inside of it is highly dangerous to yourself and anyone around you. Always clear the chamber and unload your magazine before continuing. Next, go through the firearm’s instruction manual to ensure you are correctly disassembling your gun. It would be best to deconstruct every part of your gun, as it will enable you to clean its exterior and interior parts. Here are a couple of firearm dissembling methods that you can consider when disassembling your weapon:
Field Stripping
Choose the field stripping procedure if you are new to gun maintenance. It is a simple process and does not take an excessive amount of time. You will not require overly complicated tools for this technique, either. Field stripping isolates the firearm and its receiver action. It will expose the fire control group, but you will not need to disassemble it further.
Complete Disassembly
It would be best to choose this process if you want to clean your firearms comprehensively, ensuring that every part looks as good as new. As the name suggests, you can detach each part of your firearm with the complete disassembly process. However, choose the field stripping technique if you are a beginner or are short on time.
Read the manufacturer’s instruction manual when detaching your firearm’s parts. You may know the procedure by heart, but one can never be too careful. Most pros use the complete disassembly technique twice or thrice per year and follow field stripping for more frequent cleanings.
4. Utilize Your Gun Cleaning Kit
The cleaning process will commence once after you disassemble your gun. Most firearm owners start with cleaning the barrel. It is an essential part of your gun’s interior structure. All the powder and dust from the bullet remains inside the barrel. A bore brush is ideal cleaning equipment as it will tidy your firearm’s barrel like nothing else. Make sure that the brush is compatible with the gun’s size.
Attach the bore brush with a cleaning rod and dip it inside a solvent for a minute. Once the brush absorbs an adequate amount of solvent, clean the barrel. Move the brush in circular and in-and-out motions to ensure your barrel is free from dirt and debris. Next, you’ll want to put the barrel together again by using a patch and lubricating it.
Use a Patch
Connect a cotton patch to your cleaning rod. It will eliminate debris from your firearm’s barrel. The cleaning patch will also be handy to remove tiny materials that accumulate after you use a solvent.
Barrel Lubrication
Check your gun cleaning kit for a bottle of gun oil. It is an excellent lubricant to improve your firearm’s functionality. Invest in a high-quality firearm oil if your gun does not have one. The liquid will protect your firearm from corrosion, rust, and other unfavorable elements.
Cleaning the Revolver
Are you a revolver owner? If so, you’ll need to also clean your revolver’s chamber. Take advantage of cleaning patches and the solvent to clean the various parts of your firearm. It will help you remove the waste and debris inside the gun.
These patches are also handy to wipe away the solvent residue and dirt particles from the chambers. You must also pay attention to your revolver’s exterior. Clean it thoroughly to maintain its original shine. Apply a few drops of gun oil with cleaning patches to your revolver’s exterior. Your revolver will look like a million bucks and function optimally.
To Clean or Not To Clean: Handling New Guns
Many people do not clean their newly purchased guns. This is a novice error, however. Most new firearms don’t have all the proper lubricants in place for optimal shooting. Instead, manufacturers use grease and other sticky solvents to avoid rusting and corrosion. If you want to keep your weapon in top shape, we recommend cleaning it right away.
First, remove the greasy lubricant and replace it with a better one. Also, inspect your firearm before taking it to the shooting range. Look for broken pieces and worn components to ensure it is in perfect shooting conditions. You can only determine these things by dismantling and cleaning your gun.
Gun Cleaning Kit Precautions
Here is a list of must-follow safety precautions every gun owner should abide by while using their firearm cleaning kits.
- Make sure you are cleaning your gun in an open, well-ventilated, and lit area from distractions. You must pay undivided attention when maintaining your firearm as not doing so could result in injuries.
- Unload your gun before cleaning it and ensure the maintenance area is free from ammunition and explosive materials
- Wear protective glasses/goggles when cleaning your guns. As discussed earlier, gun oils and solvents can significantly damage your eyes, nostrils, etc. You could go permanently blind if a solvent enters your eyes.
- Do not watch or listen to anything when using your gun cleaning kit. Your entire focus should be on your firearm.
- Do not point your gun towards anyone or anything while cleaning it. Keeping your weapon unloaded is not enough as sometimes ammo can get stuck in your weapon and strike someone. Recheck your firearm twice or thrice to ensure maximum safety.
Final Thoughts
Follow these steps when using your gun cleaning kit, and you will return your firearm to its original condition. It would be best to follow the precautions discussed earlier before commencing with the maintenance process. Prioritize the safety of valuable items, and most importantly, yourself.
