Cleaning a gun is a dirty business, but somebody’s gotta do it. Meaning you. This task must be done regularly in order to keep your firearm in top working order. By regularly, I mean every time you come back from the range, the field, or a competitive event.
Setting Up the Cleaning Area
To do this properly, you should set up a cleaning station in your garage or basement. This station will have storage space for the different solvents required to clean both powder fouling and copper fouling, and cleaning rods with the correct-sized slots and jags that hold cotton patches and brushes. You should also have a mat on which to work, and don’t forget adequate lighting and ventilation.
My workstation is in my garage and consists of an old Sears three-drawer workbench that also has open shelf space underneath the countertop. Two independent shelves above the bench can also hold accessory gear, such as my collection of different-sized nylon and brass brushes. Each drawer is labeled with the caliber of brush, so I can find the proper tool in an instant. Under the lower shelf, I screwed in two eye hooks that hold my cleaning rods—one for rifles, one for handguns, and one for shotguns. An old desk lamp provides illumination for close-up cleaning work. I attached a serious gun vise to the bench, and my shotguns and rifles get locked in it for a thorough cleaning. (Trust me, hard experience taught me the utter futility of trying to push a tight-fitting brass brush through a long gun without that vise.) I have a paper towel dispenser within easy reach, too.
Depending on the size of space available to you, you will arrange your cleaning station accordingly. The main idea is to actually create a cleaning station. Do that and you will clean your guns regularly. What follows is a list of essential materials you will need to do a proper job.
Solvents
The following is a list of some of the chemicals that will remove powder and copper fouling. You’ll find some will do both, but others are specific to copper fouling. You can buy in bulk to save money, but if you do so, also purchase smaller (3-ounce) needle oiler bottles. These provide a small, measured amount of solution to a cleaning patch or brush. Whatever you do, don’t dip a dirty patch or brush into a larger bottle of solution. If you do that, you’ll contaminate the bigger bottle.
- Hoppe’s No. 9
- M-Pro 7
- Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber
- J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound
- Break-Free CLP
- Sweet’s 7.62 Bore Cleaner
- Shooter’s Choice
Lubricants and Protective Oils
After the gun is clean, you need to wipe all the metal surfaces with a rust-protection agent. I run a lightly soaked cotton patch (using Kroil) through the bore, and I use either Rem Oil or Ballistol for a quick wipe of external parts. These two also displace water, a nice attribute if you happened to use the gun in rain or snow.
Patches and Brushes
You’ll need both, so buy in bulk. Large cotton squares are perfect for my shotguns. I buy smaller patches sized to match the caliber of the rifle or handgun I intend to clean. I know some people prefer to buy the larger patches and then cut to size when they need a smaller patch. I find this a needless, tedious task. Having the right-sized patches instantly on hand makes the process go a lot faster.
Brushes are available in nylon and phosphor-bronze in various configurations, all of which are sized for particular calibers or gauges. Don’t use a nylon brush with copper solvent. It pays to buy quality brushes—you won’t regret the investment. You’ll notice that it will take a fair amount of elbow grease to push that brush through the bore. That’s why you bought that vise. If you think the vise is overkill, you can opt for a gun cradle.
The Tipton Bronze Bristle Bore Set—available for rifles, handguns, and shotgun—is also a good way to keep these accessories organized and always at hand. Tipton, Real Avid, and Brownells all offer these items. And don’t forget a bore guide. It’s designed to align the cleaning rod so it doesn’t damage the bore. The design also prevents solvents from leaking backward into the chamber or action. Bore Tech is a good choice.
Cleaning Rods
I rely on stout, one-piece cleaning rods. Dewey is my preferred manufacturer. Their nylon-coated rods won’t scratch the bore, and the easy-turn ball-bearing handle makes it easier to work the rod through the bore. You need to use a caliber-specific cleaning rod. This is to keep a smaller-diameter rod from flexing in the bore of a larger caliber gun. My handgun rod is a much shorter version of my rifle rod. My shotgun cleaning rod is also a Dewey, but in this case, it’s brass so it won’t scratch the inside of the barrel.
Patches attach to the rod via a jag (for rifles and handguns) or a larger slot (to accommodate the larger shotgun patches). They are also sized for caliber and gauge.
Prepackaged Kits
Several manufacturers—Otis Technology, Birchwood Casey, and Hoppe’s, to name three—offer compact kits with basic tools. I have found that such kits are valuable when you’re at the range or in the field, and they are a nice adjunct to a more fully stocked home-cleaning station.
Conclusion
If you set up a well-organized, fully stocked gun-cleaning station in your garage or basement, you’ll find the tedious chore a whole lot easier to accomplish. And if you clean your guns on a regular basis, it will take far less time to do the job.
FAQs
Q: Can I use a three-piece cleaning rod?
A: These rods are flimsier than one-piece rods. That said, broken down, they are very portable, which is why I carry one in my range bag for emergency use.
Q: What about bore snakes?
A: For a quick clean at the range or in the field, they’re fine. But they are no substitute for a thorough cleaning at home.
Q: I’ve been told that bronze brushes are not good for my rifle bore? Is this true?
A: No. A properly fitting bronze brush will clean out the accumulated crud more efficiently than a nylon brush, and it will do so without harming the bore.>
