Cleaning new gun

[QuietMike]

I'm going to be picking up a pistol this week that has laminated wood grips, is there anything specific i need to know about cleaning off all the manufacturing oil/grease off without hurting the wood or the finish?

 

[DocRock]

Clean the grips? How bizarre. Wipe them with a little kitchen counter cleaner.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Kitchen counter cleaner on wood grips?!?

 

[DocRock]

They are wood laminate, not fancy walnut. And what possible cleaning could they require?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I'd look down the barrel to make sure it's not obstructed and go shooting, then wipe it off with an oily rag before storing.

 

[guyfromohio]

I'd look down the barrel to make sure it's not obstructed and go shooting, then wipe it off with an oily rag before storing.

I would agree. I keep reading people post about detail stripping brand new guns (and having difficulty reassembling). I have owned literally hundreds of guns....I shoot a couple hundred rounds per week....have been legally carrying for nearly 20 years....and I have detail-stripped two guns. Both were com-block milsurps coated in cosmoline. I would do nothing more than field strip it, wipe it down, and lube it.

Sorry about the rant, op....back to your question.... I would just wipe the crud and oil off with a rag. I wouldn’t use specific chemicals on it. I also would not stress about CLPs getting on them either. I have never ruined a grip through normal cleaning.

 

[JFrank]

Shipping grease can be a bit messy, I would remove the grips.
Additionally- the dirtiest gun I ever saw was a brand new 1911 packed with grease and metal filings.

 

[Dibbs]

Whenever I am worried about the grips, I wrap them in a clean rag. For a longer cleaning session, you may want to remove them.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

For a new gun I typically field strip the gun, give it a quick cleaning and then lube it. 15 minutes, 20 tops. As far as the laminate grips go, just wipe them off with a rag or paper towel.

Factory grease might need a little cleaning, but I rarely pick up a gun that you couldn't just go to the range with.

 

[jar]

Read the instructions before removing grips. Sometimes grip retain small spring loaded projectiles that shoot off into some other dimension. There are whole universes where everyone lives behind barricades to avoid all those projectiles.

 

[dagger dog]

I like to take an old toothbrush and clean, then some paste wax apply, to the grips and buff both sides of the wood.

 

[lightman]

To answer the original question, I would just remove the grips for cleaning purposes. Some solvents can damage some finishes.

When I get a new gun, or a new used gun, I strip it down to the basic groups and give it a good cleaning. Sometimes there is a lot of crud, grease and metal filings and occasionally they will be clean. That way I know what I have. Be careful and don't strip it down if you're not sure if you can reassemble it.

 

[herrwalther]

I would not worry about laminated wood. At most I would take the grips off to take a peek underneath to see if there is any oil/grease buildup along the edges from the factory. Otherwise I would wipe off with an oily rag after cleaning the whole firearm, before shooting.

 

[FlSwampRat]

For a new gun I typically field strip the gun, give it a quick cleaning and then lube it. 15 minutes, 20 tops. As far as the laminate grips go, just wipe them off with a rag or paper towel.
Factory grease might need a little cleaning, but I rarely pick up a gun that you couldn't just go to the range with.

Yeah, I've seen some oily guns shipped in. Excess oil can act like glue and trap particulate matter (soot) from the gunsmoke and become even harder to clean later.

 

[Dudedog]

Sometimes grip retain small spring loaded projectiles that shoot off into some other dimension. There are whole universes where everyone lives behind barricades to avoid all those projectiles.

Never thought about people in the universe those things go to having to hide before. Who knows how many people I may have injured in universe X.

 

[TonyAngel]

Unless it's a military surplus item covered in packing grease, I'd wipe it off with a rag and go shoot it. I'm assuming that it's an auto since you called it a pistol. Put some lube on the slide rails while the slide it locked back. Lube is good and increases longevity, but I really don't think that many realize how tough a firearm is.

 

[Milt1]

Some, maybe all, manufacturers post on YouTube on how to clean their weapons. Give this a try!

 

[WheelGunMan]

Remove the grips. Clean gun. Reinstall grips. Go shooting. Repeat

 

[94045]

I do field strip guns and check them before going to the range. If it looks like it was dunked in a barrel of oil, I will clean it and if it's striker fired, I will clean the striker channel. If its lightly lubed in the correct places, I just reassemble and shoot.

 

[stchman]

Since the OP neglected to mention the make/model of firearm, I am going assume the grips are easily removed.

I have quite a few guns with wood/laminate/plastic grips, I simply remove the grips before cleaning the firearm.

 

[WheelGunMan]

I do field strip guns and check them before going to the range. If it looks like it was dunked in a barrel of oil, I will clean it and if it's striker fired, I will clean the striker channel. If its lightly lubed in the correct places, I just reassemble and shoot.

I'm of the opinion that ANY gun that is new to me requires a thorough cleaning before its first range trip, or as soon as I get it home for that matter. That cleaning allows me to thoroughly inspect it inside and out.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

My favorite grip/stock cleaner and preservation is Renaissance Wax Polish. Remove the grips and apply to the inside of the grips or remove the barrel and seal the barrel channel on stocks too.

 

[Mark1964]

I would agree. I keep reading people post about detail stripping brand new guns (and having difficulty reassembling). I have owned literally hundreds of guns....I shoot a couple hundred rounds per week....have been legally carrying for nearly 20 years....and I have detail-stripped two guns. Both were com-block milsurps coated in cosmoline. I would do nothing more than field strip it, wipe it down, and lube it.

Sorry about the rant, op....back to your question.... I would just wipe the crud and oil off with a rag. I wouldn’t use specific chemicals on it. I also would not stress about CLPs getting on them either. I have never ruined a grip through normal cleaning.

You consider removing a set of grips "detail stripping"?

 

[guyfromohio]

You consider removing a set of grips "detail stripping"?

Not at all

 

[stchman]

I would agree. I keep reading people post about detail stripping brand new guns (and having difficulty reassembling). I have owned literally hundreds of guns....I shoot a couple hundred rounds per week....have been legally carrying for nearly 20 years....and I have detail-stripped two guns. Both were com-block milsurps coated in cosmoline. I would do nothing more than field strip it, wipe it down, and lube it.

Sorry about the rant, op....back to your question.... I would just wipe the crud and oil off with a rag. I wouldn’t use specific chemicals on it. I also would not stress about CLPs getting on them either. I have never ruined a grip through normal cleaning.

Very rarely does a gun need to be detail stripped. Field stripping a gun is about as far as I regularly go.