How do you clean your gun?

[Dees]

I finally picked up my first handgun and I have a good idea of how to clean it but I am sure I could improve my methods. How do you perform a good, thorough cleaning to your autoloader? Also, could anyone recommend a guide?

 

[thegoodfight]

field strip...put a little cloth patch with some oil on it(like hoppes #9) and run it through the bore...let that soak and come back to it with a brass brush...use some break-free to get rid of all the oil and powder and other crap off the parts(frame, slide, guide rod, spring, other small parts)...use some q-tips in the nooks and crannies...when it's all dry and clean...oil it...reassemble. put it away.

What kind of gun are you cleaning?

 

[mtngunr]

ditto the above but use nylon brush outside the bore, wipe the parts with CLP, apply a few dabs of wheelbearing grease at hard-wear areas in hot weather....

 

[Dees]

I've got a P30. What you said is basically what I do, though I could do a better job with the oiling. I seem to either put too much or too little on, what's the best method to apply it? Also, what about all the parts that you can't really get to with just a field strip, such as the action? How do I clean and oil those?

 

[thegoodfight]

oh yeah good call on the nylon brush..the barrel on my kimber has some oil stains on it...brasso seems to get it off with a TON of elbow grease.

 

[Treo]

If you don't already have one I recomend getting a manual. other that that I use Hoppe's on all my guns & Castrol Syntec 5W/50 for lube

 

[thegoodfight]

yeah just stay away from rem oil for lubricator...personally I think it works more as a solvent. I'm a hypocrite though and there's some on one of my guns right now.

 

[jocko]

spray cleaner does most all of my work, except I do the barrel with good bore cleaner, everything else gets spray cleaned and lubed..

 

[tblt]

dishwasher

 

[radoson]

I hear Miltec is great stuff and its a dry oil and grease so you dont have to worry about dust being attrative to it. I yet to order any for myself but in near future i will..(ebay)

As of now i use wd40 as first spray then CLP (breakfree) with patches and qtips then i leave barrel oily with CLP and use hi temp grease on slide and outside barrel, as grease will not run off and stay in place.

 

[Whitman31]

I use Hoppe's copper solvent on the bore, with a brass brush. I know it can leave a false copper, but it removes more than a nylon brush and what it leaves just takes an extra couple of patches to get out.

Gun scrubber on the rest, light coat of Rem-oil or WD-40...Grease on wear areas.

A little about WD-40, I've used it for a couple decades now and my guns don't rust...enough said...

 

[varoadking]

I have a service that comes in once a week...

 

[W.E.G.]

 

[bluetopper]

I field strip, immerse my pistols in diesel in a small plastic tub. Clean bore and everywhere else with it. Put a lid on the tub till next time.
Blow off excess with an air hose, wipe dry then lube.

 

[lee n. field]

How do you perform a good, thorough cleaning to your autoloader?

Kinda depends on the gun and how far apart you can get it.

 

[atblis]

Easy

Take the grips off and

 

[Hikingman]

Points to remember:

Don't grab a metal brush to run through the bore every box of bullets, not necessary to do that constantly!

Learn where the crown is next to the barrel and don't wear on it. This will affect accuracy if you make the mistake that many have with it!

Remember to learn from the more experienced about lubing the pivot points on the hammer, trigger, slide, or cylinder and adjoining parts and don't forget to keep enough without continually slopping on too much.

Learn to use grease where it is needed. A light oil is not the answer for everything!

Read the maintenance and care threads in these forums, they're full of info!

Enjoy, and PRACTICE!

 

[Thumper_6119]

Mine get maintenance cleanings about once a month (sometimes once every other month). They get a thorough cleaning on range days (or any day that I have them out shooting).
Maintenance cleanings entail field stripping the handguns and then wiping them down with Rem-Oil (they make Rem-Oil cloths, but usually just use large patch and Rem-Oil). Then I run a patch down the bore. Then I lube up the mechanical and friction areas, put it back together, wipe it down, and back it goes from whence it came.
Range cleanings I am more throrough. Once they're field stripped, they get the Boresnake. (Except for the Desert Eagle, and they don't make Boresnakes for those, so they get the brush and patches). I take Q-tips and Rem-Oil and clean the finer areas until there is no more carbon residue. For areas with an excess of carbon build up, they get a nylon brush with a little solvent. The entire gun gets the same treatment; lint-free rags, patches and Q-tips with Rem-Oil until there is not more carbon residue, nylon brush with solvent for excessive build up. Mechanical areas that I can't reach with a Q-tip will sometimes get Rem-Oiled and hit with a small blast from the air compressor. Springs and guide rods are next, same treatment. Springs and guide rods get set on a rag and doused with healthy coat of Rem-Oil and left to sit. Frame slide and barrel get a wipedown with a "clean" Rem-Oiled patch (or lint free cloth). Finer mechanic and friction areas oiled, then entire gun is reassembled, and the action is worked (and sometimes more oil is added here) until I get the movement I want. Then the excess oil is wiped off, and the gun is returned either to a holster or it's place of storage.

That may be a little more excessive than you want to go, but I really enjoy cleaning and maintaining my guns. I'll make an evening of it, especially if I've been to the range. I go rent a couple of movies and plunk down in front of the tv and go at it all evening (and have a ball).

 

[Dees]

How do you handle the parts down inside the frame/grips that you don't/can't remove in a basic field strip?

 

[bogusUser bogusName]

See post #16