Montana Hunting and Fishing Journal

Clarke's Firearm's Maintenance Tips

by John R. Clarke, Shooting & Firearms Editor ©

Firearm's maintenance is really a tough topic. Not "tough" because it is hard to do, but "tough" because all of us "hate to do it." The following are guidelines that should help maintain your firearms in good working order.

Clarke's Rules for Firearm Maintenance

Firearms should never be just stored away after use. They should always be cleaned, lubricated, and protected from rusting after any use. This is especially true when they will not be used for an extended period of time.

Firearms should be stored at room temperature, preferably in dry locations away from any heat source. Do not store firearms where they will be in the direct rays of the sun, because they will rust almost as fast as one leaning against a tree in the yard. Do not store firearms in gun cases under the bed or in the closet because they have been know to rust in such places, especially in areas of high humidity. Do not store firearms near constant heat sources, because heat will dry out the wood causing cracking or checking of wooden stocks.

When cleaning firearms, it is best done in areas with good ventilation (outdoors, if possible) away from any source of direct ignition. If cleaning firearms "indoors," use mineral spirits because of its reduced flammability and toxicity. A good cleaning solution (for use in well ventilated areas) is an 8:1 ratio of gasoline and lubricating oil (one quart of 10W30 automotive oil for every two gallons of gasoline). The oil is added to the mixture only for residual lubrication after cleaning.

Before cleaning, all firearms should be broken down to their smallest components, if possible. Some parts do not require complete disassembly, but any part coming into contact with powder residue or propellant gases should be broken down to its smallest component, if possible. When disassembling any firearm, use only appropriate tools designed for that purpose.

Cleaning Tools - The best cleaning tools are stainless steel brushes, tooth brushes, and elbow grease. You will also need brass bore brushes of the appropriate diameter to clean rifle, pistol, and shotgun barrels. Never use a bore brush significantly larger than the bore being cleaned, however, it should be a rather tight fit in the bore. If a bore brush can be pushed easily through the bore - it is probably past its useful life - replace it. After cleaning and rinsing, individual parts should always be blown off with compressed air to remove any excess cleaning solvent. It is best to allow them to stand "muzzle down" overnight to allow any excess cleaning solvent to drain from the firearm.

Bore Cleaners - I prefer Shooters Choice® although most commercially available bore cleaners will do an adequate job. Warning - do not use bore cleaners containing high concentrations of ammonia except as a last resort, because ammonia will oxidize a bore (rust it) unless you follow the manufacturer's directions, explicitly. Even then, the benefits derived from ammonia based bore cleaners are not always sufficient to offset the possible harm to the firearm.

Bore Cleaning - The best process is to dip an appropriate size bore brush in the bore cleaner and give the bore several complete passes. After this is completed, allow the bore cleaner to remain in the barrel for a few minutes and then wipe it out with a clean patch. Complete this process one more time, if the barrel is real dirty. I then run several patches, soaked in Shooters Choice®, through the bore. If any powder residue remains on the patches, the bore is cleaned one more time with the bore brush. Afterwards, the bore is dried with several clean patches and then a patch, soaked in BreakFree® or some other type of rust preventative oil, is pushed through the bore.

Cleaning Patches - Use only patches made from 100% cotton or linen, if possible. Synthetic fabrics will often dissolve in cleaning solutions and leave dissolved residue or fibers in the bore. Use appropriate size patches for the bore being cleaned.

Cleaning Rods - KleenBore® and others manufactures produce excellent cleaning rods. If possible, bore cleaning should be done from the breech with unjointed, steel cleaning rods. If it is impossible to clean the bore from the breech, you should use a cleaning rod with a built-in brass or plastic guide. I use only solid steel, uncoated rods with integral bore guides, but others have used other types with success. Typical "aluminum, jointed" cleaning rods found in many inexpensive cleaning kits are almost useless and will ruin a good bore in a heartbeat.

Lubricants - If you can see it or feel it - you are using too much. I use BreakFree® CLP or Shooters Choice® FP-10 for most firearms, although there are many other suitable firearm's lubricants being produced today. All lubricants should reduce metal-to-metal friction, provide some rust protection to the underlying metal and should leave as little residue as possible on the metal. Lubricants used on firearms made from stainless steel should also be designed to reduce galling. Lubricants used on semi-automatic shotguns should be almost invisible to the naked eye and should not attract unburned powder. WD-40® should never be used on any firearm, because after the volatile parts of the lubricant evaporate, all you are left with is a gummy residue. Most gunsmiths will not even allow a can of WD-40® in their shop for fear someone may think they use it. Good firearm's lubricants include BreakFree® CLP, Shooters Choice's FP-10®, and even medium grade "mil spec," LSA-55.

Greases - As with lubricants, firearm's grease, regardless of type, should be used sparingly. However, a good high pressure/high temperature grease should be used on any locking, caming, or other surfaces that have high "metal-to-metal" contact or that generate high loads upon the firearm, e.g. races, slide cuts, etc. Do not use grease on any surfaces during low temperature situations, because they may solidify and inhibit the proper operation of the firearm. An excellent firearm's grease is Shooters Choice® "High Temperature Grease."

Rust Prevention - This is also a tough topic, because it is determined by many more things than just cleaning or lubrication. "How" and "where" they are stored is just as important as what was used to protect them. While most lubricants will protect metal parts of a firearm from rusting for short periods of time, only certain products will protect metal surfaces for longer periods. The best I have found are Shooters Choice's® "Rust Prevent" and RIG®. These two products will protect most metal parts from rusting for up to a year or longer under most normal room temperature conditions.

Cleaning Intervals - All firearms should be cleaned, lubricated, and protected from rusting, periodically. According to the conditions they will be stored in, this should not exceed once per year. Firearms in constant use should be cleaned, lubricated, and protected at greater intervals.

Handling of Firearms - After handling any firearm, wipe it down with a rag that has been impregnated with "rust preventative" compounds. I do not recommend the use of silicon impregnated cloths, because silicon is not a rust preventative compound - it is a lubricant. A chamois, impregnated with BreakFree® or anyone of the other available lubricant/rust preventative compounds, is much better choice.

Storage - Firearms should only be stored at room temperatures in dry locations. If possible, they should be stored in a secure location away from any accompanying ammunition. They should always be stored with the action closed, their hammer(s) "uncocked," and firing pin(s)
"released." Do not store ammunition in any magazine, if possible. Magazines used in defensive firearms should never be loaded to greater
than 75% of their stated internal capacity, if these magazines will remain loaded for extended periods of time. Firearms, even those used for defensive purposes, should never be stored or left unattended with a
shell in the chamber.

The key to remember about firearm's maintenance is - "More guns have rusted in gun cabinets or cases (by not being cleaned after use) than have ever been worn out from their use." Another key point to remember is - "More barrels have been ruined by improper cleaning than have ever been worn out from shooting."