Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
The HD 870 upstairs was made in 1950. Thousands of rounds lie behind it and except for a few years in California's sunny beachfront climes, it's spent its working life close to the Chesapeake.
It's seen goose pits,duck blinds,boats and canoes. It's been toted through swamps and creek bottoms. I've stood in frigid water up to my shins and watched rain turn into ice on it. It's been employed on ranges in Md Julys and handled by the sweatiest hands on earth.
There's zero rust. The bore's bright and clean. It's been cleaned/lubed/protected by everything including 30 weight, but it's been cleaned,lubed and protected. That's another gift from my folks I didn't recognize as such until it was too late to thank them in person. Lessons learned early last long.
First, the tools...
The ubiquitious three piece aluminum rod is not a bad choice as long as one protects the muzzle from it. The surface oxidizes into the stuff that crocksticks and sandpaper are made of.This can mess up the barrel crown in one swipe.
Better, find an older wood set and use that. The one's from Hoppe's ca WWII use standard tips.
The buckskinner's range rod, an extra long and strong ram rod can be used. These need an adapter to use shotguns jags and brushes.
I like brass and synthetic brushes. The steel ones are a bit hard for my taste,possibly scratching up the bore. An oversized brush for the chamber is a good investment. Many bores are in great shape but the chamber's a nasty mess.
The Boresnake pullthroughs are great for right after use,but deep cleaning or cleaning more than a few hours after requires a rod.
The trick I learned on TFL is a good one for the bore. Using something like a 3/8" wooden dowel, chuck it up in a variable speed drill with 4/0 steel wool for a fast barrel scrub. Keep the revs low.
Solvents include the venerable Hoppe's #9, still one of the best,IMO, and the divers gun scrubber sprays. Some folks use a brake cleaner, but I've not. GI bore cleaner works also.
Cleaning patches and rags can be the commercial stuff, or worn out flannel and T shirts. 100% cotton is my choice.
Lubes and rust fighters that work aren't scarce. The most important part is elbow grease. I use Break Free CLP and SLIP 2000. Remoil and the little oil can in cleaning kits are OK , but even 30 weight will do if that's what's around.
A silicone impregnated cloth is almost a must have. Kept in the gun case in its little ziplock bag, using it to wipe off the exterior after EACH AND EVERY use will keep your shotgun looking good for decades.
Now the techniques....
This is for an 870, adapt as needed.
Dismount the barrel and run a brush wet with solvent down the bore,don't neglect the chamber. If it's a tubed barrel remove the tube and clean separately, cleaning out the threads in the barrel where the tube goes also. Leaving the barrel wet, set it aside and remove the forend assembly by pressing in on the shell latches while moving the assembly forward. Remove the bolt and carrier plate and clean them, relubing after.
Using a commercial tool or a set of needlenose pliers, unscrew the large nut at the front and ease the wood off the action bars and forend tube. Clean all the metal parts and relube using the Karate Kid method, wipe on, wipe off. Reassemble.
Now, use a non marring tool like a chopstick or golf tee to press out the trigger group pins, wipe them off, and drop the TG.This is the critical part of the shotgun, and since Murphy rules, the hardest to clean and maintain due to all the parts in close proximity. Best to spray with a scrubber, shake off the excess, relube with something fairly thin like CLP and let the excess drip off. Wipe off and reinstall AFTER the inside of the receiver housing has been cleaned by wiping and relubing.Do the exterior too, including the magazine tube.
Next, reinstall the TG, action bars and forend. Once the barrel is clean, reinstall the tube if needed and put your clean,lubed and protected 870 back together.Do not forget the mag tube cap. Once the action is closed, place one small drop of lube on each action bar right before the receiver and pump it a coupla times. Now use the silicone cloth or a patch wet with lube and wipe off all the exterior metal surfaces.
You're done. Admire the thing for a minute and put it away, touching only the wood.
Note: Some gun cases simulate sponges. Do not store any firearm in a case for long. The non rust GI sleeves and dissicants like silica gel help but do not guarantee protection.
It's seen goose pits,duck blinds,boats and canoes. It's been toted through swamps and creek bottoms. I've stood in frigid water up to my shins and watched rain turn into ice on it. It's been employed on ranges in Md Julys and handled by the sweatiest hands on earth.
There's zero rust. The bore's bright and clean. It's been cleaned/lubed/protected by everything including 30 weight, but it's been cleaned,lubed and protected. That's another gift from my folks I didn't recognize as such until it was too late to thank them in person. Lessons learned early last long.
First, the tools...
The ubiquitious three piece aluminum rod is not a bad choice as long as one protects the muzzle from it. The surface oxidizes into the stuff that crocksticks and sandpaper are made of.This can mess up the barrel crown in one swipe.
Better, find an older wood set and use that. The one's from Hoppe's ca WWII use standard tips.
The buckskinner's range rod, an extra long and strong ram rod can be used. These need an adapter to use shotguns jags and brushes.
I like brass and synthetic brushes. The steel ones are a bit hard for my taste,possibly scratching up the bore. An oversized brush for the chamber is a good investment. Many bores are in great shape but the chamber's a nasty mess.
The Boresnake pullthroughs are great for right after use,but deep cleaning or cleaning more than a few hours after requires a rod.
The trick I learned on TFL is a good one for the bore. Using something like a 3/8" wooden dowel, chuck it up in a variable speed drill with 4/0 steel wool for a fast barrel scrub. Keep the revs low.
Solvents include the venerable Hoppe's #9, still one of the best,IMO, and the divers gun scrubber sprays. Some folks use a brake cleaner, but I've not. GI bore cleaner works also.
Cleaning patches and rags can be the commercial stuff, or worn out flannel and T shirts. 100% cotton is my choice.
Lubes and rust fighters that work aren't scarce. The most important part is elbow grease. I use Break Free CLP and SLIP 2000. Remoil and the little oil can in cleaning kits are OK , but even 30 weight will do if that's what's around.
A silicone impregnated cloth is almost a must have. Kept in the gun case in its little ziplock bag, using it to wipe off the exterior after EACH AND EVERY use will keep your shotgun looking good for decades.
Now the techniques....
This is for an 870, adapt as needed.
Dismount the barrel and run a brush wet with solvent down the bore,don't neglect the chamber. If it's a tubed barrel remove the tube and clean separately, cleaning out the threads in the barrel where the tube goes also. Leaving the barrel wet, set it aside and remove the forend assembly by pressing in on the shell latches while moving the assembly forward. Remove the bolt and carrier plate and clean them, relubing after.
Using a commercial tool or a set of needlenose pliers, unscrew the large nut at the front and ease the wood off the action bars and forend tube. Clean all the metal parts and relube using the Karate Kid method, wipe on, wipe off. Reassemble.
Now, use a non marring tool like a chopstick or golf tee to press out the trigger group pins, wipe them off, and drop the TG.This is the critical part of the shotgun, and since Murphy rules, the hardest to clean and maintain due to all the parts in close proximity. Best to spray with a scrubber, shake off the excess, relube with something fairly thin like CLP and let the excess drip off. Wipe off and reinstall AFTER the inside of the receiver housing has been cleaned by wiping and relubing.Do the exterior too, including the magazine tube.
Next, reinstall the TG, action bars and forend. Once the barrel is clean, reinstall the tube if needed and put your clean,lubed and protected 870 back together.Do not forget the mag tube cap. Once the action is closed, place one small drop of lube on each action bar right before the receiver and pump it a coupla times. Now use the silicone cloth or a patch wet with lube and wipe off all the exterior metal surfaces.
You're done. Admire the thing for a minute and put it away, touching only the wood.
Note: Some gun cases simulate sponges. Do not store any firearm in a case for long. The non rust GI sleeves and dissicants like silica gel help but do not guarantee protection.
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In fact mine is now in the new soft container( hey its hides my age).
