Why is Firearm cleaning important?
Why does a firearm need cleaning?
Over time, firearms can be damaged by buildup, corrosion and rust, and even just regular friction as parts rub together. Regular cleaning can help maintain all the moving parts inside your firearm, stop it from jamming, and keep it functioning for years to come.Buildup
Every time a firearm is discharged, minute particles of carbon, lead, copper, steel, or plastic are deposited inside the bore and chamber of a gun. Over time, these particles build up inside the bore. This buildup, also called fouling, causes reduced accuracy and increases the chance of misfiring. How much it affects the gun depends on the type of ammunition used and the quality of the firearm. Too much buildup can cause interruptions in shotgun shot patterns or reduce accuracy in precision rifles. The more often a firearm is discharged, the quicker buildup will accumulate inside the firearm.Corrosion/Rust
Moisture is not your firearm’s friend. Firearms are susceptible to rust especially if stored in a location where moisture can be trapped or attracted. Firearms that are put into storage after use in the field could develop significant amounts of rust in a short period of time. If your firearm doesn’t use stainless steel parts inside, that rust and corrosion could cause a firearm to seize and become completely inoperable. The parts inside could be so damaged that the firearm is never functional again. A proper cleaning removes moisture and coats your firearm in oil, protecting the metal parts from oxidization. Some older types of ammunition are corrosive. They have salts inside that react with the metal of your bore resulting in pitting and rusting. Without being cleaned, these types of ammunition can do significant damage to a firearm in a short period of time, permanently reducing accuracy or making it unsafe to fire.Friction
Firearms are machines and without proper lubrication, the moving parts grind against each other causing them to wear out faster. Firearms have lots of small internal parts like springs and pins that are critical for the firearm to function. Without proper maintenance, those pieces will wear out faster or even break completely. Forgetting to lubricate a firearm can result in costly repairs or firearms that need serviced sooner than otherwise necessary.Cleaning Methods:
Manual Cleaning
Manually cleaning your firearm can take many forms. Sometimes it means giving the firearm a quick wipe down with a boresnake and some oil. Other times, it involves following the take down instructions in your firearms manual to disassemble and manually clean each section.Boresnake
A boresnake is a great tool for giving some light cleaning and oiling. A little bit of oil and some quick pulls through the barrel will help remove buildup from inside the bore. Boresnakes are amazing to have for a long day on the range or in the field where water or other contaminates might sneak into your gun. However, a boresnake lacks the deep cleaning power of a cleaning rod.
Cleaning Rods and Bore brushes
A cleaning rod is normally made of a metal softer than a firearm, most often copper or aluminum, although there is a growing market for carbon fiber rods. Bore brushes attach to the cleaning rod to help you get a deeper clean than a boresnake can provide. Hoppe’s has a line of tornado brushes made in stainless steel but designed without the sharp-edged bristles that could scratch the surface. Many other bore brushes are made of copper or nylon. The last step is to use a jag or loop attachment to push patches down the barrel until the patches come out clean.
A cleaning rod and its attachments can help remove more stubborn buildup inside of a barrel, but to fully clean your firearm, you will need to pay attention to other areas, especially ones with moving parts! It is essential to clean and oil these parts in order to keep the firearm working at its peak proficiency. Small soft brushes and cleaning patches help with detailing your firearm.
