#firearmcleaning

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Everyone has their own opinions on how to clean their firearm, how often to clean them and what kind of cleaning supplies they prefer to use. I will be the first one to say it, but no method is perfect nor is any particular method the “correct” way to clean and lubricate a firearm. My cleaning methods and periodicity have changed many, many times over the years. Even the materials and tools I’ve used have also changed. As time progresses, there are always going to be newer products that come to market as well as newer cleaning tools that “claim” to do a better job. Of course this can be a very subjective subject…so let’s get started with my take on this hotly contested subject of firearm cleaning.

First off, Brownells will have virtually anything and everything a person may want or need to throw into their range box or workbench for keeping their firearms clean and happy. A few of my favorite items came from Brownells and they are the one piece nylon coated steel cleaning rods from Dewey Manufacturing. I first found out about these cleaning rods during my service rifle competition days. These rods have nice rotating nylon handles that rotate smoothly as you push your cleaning patches or brush down the bore. I also have a number of small portable cleaning kits and bore snakes from Otis. I tend to throw these in my range bags during trips. For bore solvents, I’ve always had a bottle of Sweets 7.62 bore solvent in my workbench, but it’s horrible to smell and you need a lot of ventilation when using it. I also keep a bottle of Hoppe’s No. 9 bore solvent which conversely has a wonderful smell in comparison. Who cares how well it works, so long as it smells great while cleaning, right? Slip 2000 gun oil has been my gun oil of choice up until fairly recently. Slip 2000 does a great job of adhering to the metallic surfaces and lubricating the moving parts. Wilson Combat however makes a tackier gun grease that I’ve used wherever grease is preferred over oil. More recently I’ve come to find some modern lubricants from small companies such as Aegis Gun care and Liquid Drip. Aegis gun care makes a really nice cleaning solution and lubricant. Liquid Drip makes a one in all CLP like gun oil that’s quickly replaced my other gun oils.

So how often do I clean my firearms? Well, the answer to that question largely depends upon the type of firearm, its use and number of rounds. The other variable to this question is whether it’s a collectible firearm/antique or something modern. When it comes to my old milsurp firearms that tend to be quite collectible, such as my M1 Garands, at a minimum I will run a few oily patches down the bores to protect the barrel from corrosion. Periodically I’ll take them apart for a thorough cleaning, but this isn’t necessary all that often unless I’m shooting matches. Taking an M1 Garand apart constantly can cause the stock lockup to get loose over time. Now my modern AR rifles will get cleaned whenever they start to get really dirty…I truly don’t have a set periodicity with the cleaning of my AR rifles. My hunting rifles get cleaned at the end of each hunting season, then seasoned/sighted in as the beginning of the hunting season. Probably the most cleaned firearm would be my EDC pistols. These collect lint very quick, so a weekly wipe down at a minimum is performed. After each range session they are thoroughly cleaned and function tested before going back into the rotation.

So are these cleaning schedules right for you? That’s your decision, but these methods of cleaning have worked for me for many, many years. I’ve known some people who ill totally break down their firearm, even after firing just 1-2 magazines through their firearm. Nothing wrong with this, but in my opinion, it’s quite unnecessary. Whatever you’re looking for to keep your firearms clean and happy, be sure to check out Brownells!