Nowadays, pistols are solid and reliable. However, if you don’t properly care for it, your pistol might eventually malfunction. Many people fire thousands upon thousands of rounds without a thought for cleaning their firearms. Sure, with the quality of modern guns, it might still work fine for the time being.
But, what if, one night, you find yourself needing to stop an intruder from invading your home only to find out your pistol won’t fire properly because you didn’t maintain it? Is laziness and neglect worth the risk of being unprepared at a critical time? Possessing a gun is a mutually beneficial relationship: you care for your gun and in return it protects you no matter what. If you get sloppy, your gun could malfunction when it matters the most.
Guns are mechanical devices, and as such, they need to be adequately maintained by cleaning them regularly. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your handgun, you’re doing it wrong. In particular if you frequently expose your pistol to dirt and debris. It accumulates over time and could lead to damage to your firearm.
The solution is simple, you need to learn how to clean your pistol. This guide will tell you all you need to know about it.
How Often to Clean Your Pistol
Before delving into the how, let’s review how often you should clean your gun. Many handguns are able to fire even in dire conditions. Several factors might come into play such as the quality of your pistol. However, it’s no excuse to get lazy and leave things to chance.
As a general rule, you can clean your pistol after shooting it. You won’t need to clean every nook and cranny every time though. For instance, you could perform some light cleaning of your gun after shooting at the range or taking it outdoors, and, once a month, strip it down properly for a more thorough cleaning.
It really depends on how often you use it. The more you shoot your gun, the more you’re going to want to maintain it to make sure it stays in mint condition. If you properly care for your pistol, it will last you a lifetime.
If you frequently go to the range with your pistol, you can clean it after each trip. If, for various reasons, you don’t have the time, you can clean it after every third or fourth trip to the range. Make sure it’s been cleaned thoroughly before you store it.
If you don’t use it for a while, you should also regularly check it for dirt build up and see whether it still has enough lubrication. The proper way to store your pistol is in a gun safe. The safe shouldn’t have any humidity, in which case, your gun could last forever in there. Maintaining your pistol only takes a few minutes, and it ensures your handgun remains reliable at all times.
Read the Owner’s Manual
Before deciding to clean your pistol, you should make sure to review the owner’s manual. If your gun didn’t come with a manual or you lost it, you can order another one or check online for resources on your specific model of pistol. The vast majority of pistols have to be taken apart to some degree for cleaning.
Make sure you’re familiar with the process of disassembly, reassembly, and where the lubricant should be applied. This article will however include some helpful indications to disassemble most semi-automatic handguns, such as Glocks.
Knowing how to maintain your gun will prevent you from damaging it or leaving critical parts of the pistol without lubricant.
What You Will Need
To clean your pistol, a basic set would include a solvent, used to remove powder fouling and lead, lubricant or gun oil, a bore brush, a cleaning rod, and a patch holder along with patches. Some more items such as cotton swabs can come in handy to clean tight spaces.
This tool set should be enough to clean your gun, but it’s pretty basic. Different handgun models might require slight variations to ensure the best cleaning. As you get more familiar and comfortable with your particular pistol, you’ll be to identify how to provide it with the best care with specifically adapted tools.
All in all though, the cleaning process is very similar with all models.
Your Workspace
Prior to cleaning your gun, you should prepare the area where you’re going to do it. The ideal workspace should be well-ventilated, the reason being that the chemicals produced by shooting and the ones you’re going to use for cleaning are toxic. For that reason, safety glasses and protective gloves can be worn for extra-safety.
Preparing a workbench isn’t a hard task, however. You can set up a quick workspace by covering a table with a large trash bag, topped with a few layers of disposable newspaper pages, and an additional layer of paper towels. You can replace the paper towels as they get dirty.
Once you’re done cleaning, all you need to do is turn the trash bag inside out and tie it shut. This will instantly clear your workspace without any hassle.
Disassemble the Pistol
For cleaning, it won’t be necessary to completely disassemble your pistol, which only serves for repairs. You’re going to partially disassemble, or what’s called field strip, your gun.
In the case of a semi-automatic pistol, the gun’s major components such as the barrel, guide rod, frame, slide, and magazine are taken apart. If you have a single-action revolver, remove the cylinder from the frame.
For double-action revolvers, all you need to do is have the cylinder in the open position.
We’ll give you a quick rundown on how to disassemble a Glock. First, make sure you point the gun in a safe direction. Stories of accidental shootings while cleaning a gun are far too common and easily avoided with simple safety precautions.
Start by unloading the gun. Release the magazine then open the slide to check for remaining ammunition. You can remove any ammunition from your work area. Not only is it safer, it also ensures the ammo won’t get damaged by the solvent and lubricant.
Now remove the slide. To do so, grip the gun. Pull back the slide then close it. Squeeze the trigger. Pull the slide back about half an inch before pulling down the slide locks. Release the slide from the frame. It’s time to remove the barrel. Start by removing the spring. Take the barrel out of the slide. You’re now ready to clean your gun.
Clean the barrel
Let’s start with the barrel. It’s one of the most important parts of the gun as well as one of the most intricate to clean. After shooting, there may be residue left in the barrel. Over time, it can make the gun less accurate and start corroding it.
- Affix the bore brush to the cleaning rod.
- Put solvent on the brush.
- Slide it back and forth several times through the bore of the barrel until it is thoroughly scrubbed.
- You can reapply solvent to the brush a couple more times as you work.
- Replace the brush with a patch holder on the cleaning rod.
- Attach a patch and scrub the barrel.
- Once the patch is dirty, use another one.
- After a few different patches, they should start coming out looking clean.
Check the state of the interior of the barrel bore with a light. If you notice more dirt, give it another go with the brush and solvent before using another few patches. Once you’re satisfied, put a little lubricant or gun oil on a patch, and run it through the bore. This lubrication is meant to protect the rifling against moisture.
For a semi-automatic, you’ll only need to do this once.
However, revolvers have several chambers in the cylinder, which should each be brushed and patched like you did with the barrel. Once you’re done, you can proceed with cleaning the rest of the gun.
Clean the Other Parts
Put some solvent on the nylon brush. You won’t need to use a ton and drench the gun in it. A little might go a long way. Generally speaking, the more the gun has been shot, the more cleaning it will require. Scrub the other parts of the pistol. Be thorough. Inspect the nooks and crannies to check for any dirt buildup.
If you have a semi-auto, make sure to comprehensively clean the slide’s interior grooves, the contact points between frame and the slide, and under the ejector. If you have a revolver, there may be dirt around the face of the cylinder, the cylinder ratchet, and the forcing cone. Once a part is clean, use rags to remove any solvent and residue. Rub it with a clean cloth or swab. If the cloth gets smudged, you need to clean it some more.
Clean every part until you can run a cloth on it without dirtying it. Wipe all the parts clean before moving on to the next step, applying lubricant.
Lubrication
Lubrication is an essential step of maintaining your gun. It might be even more important than cleaning. Proper lubrication will prevent your gun from malfunctioning and stop the metal parts getting corroded.
The lubrication points might not be the same depending on the pistol. For semi-autos, lubricant needs to be applied where the parts rub against each other when firing. Revolvers don’t need much lubrication. For single-actions, put lubricant on the cylinder pin and ratchet. For double-actions, apply it on the cylinder ratchet and ejector rod.
If you’re not sure what components to lubricate, the owner’s manual often indicates the specific areas needing oil. Even if you don’t have the manual, the areas where the gun is wearing will let you know where to apply the lubricant. Make sure not to forget the rotating parts, such as the trigger assembly. On the other hand, try not to put any oil in the firing pin housing.
No need to apply excessive amounts of lubricant. If you use too much, it’ll only make your gun more prone to fouling. On semi-autos, cotton swabs can be used to lubricate key points. When oiling a part, cover it with a thin layer. If you touch it, it should leave a distinct fingerprint.
Apply Grease
After oiling your gun, it’s recommended to apply a light grease on the sliding parts, in particular on the frame rails of semi-autos. Grease works better than oil on sliding parts. Due to their motions, these parts tend to quickly lose their oil, which leaves the metal exposed and makes it more prone to corrosion. Grease, however, stays in place and keeps the parts covered even as you use the pistol repeatedly.
The grease shouldn’t be too thick, otherwise it might inhibit the action of the pistol. It should also work well in the cold and be resistant to water, and preferably be non-staining.
Above all, make sure the grease you’re using has a base that won’t damage the metals you’re working on. The best greases have bases like lithium or aluminum.
Reassemble the Pistol
The barrel bore should now be clean and lightly coated in oil. All the essential parts of the gun have been scrubbed with solvent and wiped clean. You’ve treated all the lubrication points thanks to the directions in the owner’s manual. You’ve applied grease to the sliding parts to ensure maximal protection of the pistol. It’s finally time to reassemble the gun.
To put it back together, simply reverse all the steps you took to disassemble it. Cycle the action a few times. It’ll help you verify that everything is working as it should and spread the lubricant evenly. Clean any lubricant seeping out of the joints with a rag.
To ensure that the exterior finish of your pistol stays protected, you can apply a thin coating of preservative. Put a small amount of metal preservative or gun oil on a clean rag and wipe down the gun. Your gun is now clean. For safety purposes and to guarantee the best conditions for your pistol, it should be kept in a gun safe, without humidity.
Turn the trash bag inside out and tie it shut, clear the working area. Don’t forget to wash your hands with cool water and soap.
What Happens if You Don’t Clean Your Pistol?
Every time a gun is fired, lead, copper, and carbon residue linger in the barrel, action, and chamber. Eventually, the amount of residue builds up and becomes significant.
The powder, wad, and bullets create this fouling. Add to that moisture from sweat and ambient humidity, your pistol’s metal parts can end up being damaged due to corrosive rust.
If the residue is allowed to build up in excess, the gun eventually loses in reliability and can malfunction.
Types of Fouling
The vast majority of bullets consist of a lead core with a surrounding copper jacket, even in the case of lead-free ammunition. There are various types of fouling that occur.
Carbon can get deposited due to the burning powder used to fire the bullet from the chamber through the barrel. Copper fouling can happen when copper-jacketed bullets are fired. They leave residue behind that eventually accumulates. Lead is another type of fouling that occurs when lead bullets are used. Like copper-jacketed bullets, they leave residue behind that needs to be cleaned.
When it comes to shotguns, they can have plastic residue due to the plastic wads of shotshells. In short, every single type of ammunition will foul your gun, which is one of the reasons it needs to be cleaned regularly. Accumulation of fouling in a pistol’s barrel can actually slow a bullet down. The fouling will also alter the rifling, causing a decrease in accuracy over time.
Rust is another danger that threatens metal objects in general, and of course guns. If left untreated, rust can seriously damage a gun. It will become corrosive and eat at the metal. To start forming, rust needs oxygen, water, and time.
If you clean your pistol regularly and keep it in a place that doesn’t have too much humidity, rust should never be a concern. But if you’re going to store your pistol for a long time, make sure it’s in a dry gun safe. You can check on it periodically and apply some gun oil on your gun if you’re still worried about rust.
Is It Possible to Clean Your Gun Too Much?
We know that guns should be cleaned at least periodically, but is it really possible to clean your gun too much? Though we recommend cleaning your pistol regularly, there are no hard and fast rules about how often you should do it. It’s mostly a matter of preference, even though some would say a gun that can’t function dirty is a poor quality gun.
Lubricant, even more so than solvent, really is the key when it comes to keeping a pistol shooting well.
Generally speaking, over-cleaning shouldn’t cause any issues. Incorrect cleaning, however, can be problematic. Using harsh chemicals, overly stiff brushes, or leaving solvent on the pistol’s metal for extended periods of time will cause damage and can ruin your gun.
Similarly, using a low-quality cleaning rod to clean from the muzzle can damage the crown and lower accuracy. To prevent this, make sure you’re using adequate products to clean your gun, and avoid leaving solvents for too long on your pistol.
An Alternative Cleaning Method
If you’re not too fond of scrubbing your pistol, can’t find the time for it, or have several guns that would make the process overly tedious, there is another option that could make your life easier. Ultrasonic cleaners are devices designed to quickly scrub small items using a combination of cleaning solvent and ultrasound. Ultrasonic cleaners consist of a cleaning tank powered by electricity.
While several types of ultrasonic cleaners exist, this technology has been adapted specifically for cleaning gun parts.
Ultrasonic cleaners use water based cleaning solutions. However, leaving your pistol wet is a bad idea that’s going to cause rust to form. An ultrasonic cleaner first scrubs the gun parts using ultrasound. After that, you can fill the unit with a lubricating solution. This ensures that any residual moisture is displaced and coats the gun parts with a thin lubricant layer that protects against rust. Ultrasonic cleaners have their own cleaning products and lubricants along with a variety of other options.
The downside of ultrasonic cleaners is that they are a good deal pricier than regular gun cleaning kits. However, they can be an option if you want to invest some money into maintaining your guns without going through the hassle of scrubbing them every time.
Keeping Your Pistol Clean
Now you know everything about cleaning your pistol. Cleaning it regularly will ensure that it stays in a good condition. You can clean it after going at the range, however it’s not a big deal if you don’t do it every time. Get familiar with your pistol and find what works for you and your weapon.