Three out of 10 Americans own a gun. It can be used for sports, hunting, and self-defense. However, whatever your reason is, when you own a gun, it is your responsibility to make sure it’s well-maintained.
hunting supplies stores suggest that your gun should be professionally cleaned on a periodical basis depending on how often you use it; but in between these periods, you have to do your part of cleaning it yourself at home. This is to help maximize the gun’s shelf life and performance.
But how do you properly carry out cleaning something that can potentially pose a danger to you and your loved ones? In here, we’ve rounded up nine safety tips you need to know by heart.
Gather and check if you have the right supplies. Guns are an intricate and delicate gear. If you want to not scrape any of its parts, you have to have the appropriate cleaning tools for it. Refer to the manual of instructions or ask from credible hunting supplies stores.
Wear eye protection. Cleaning guns require the utmost attention. It’s inevitable that you bring your eyes closer to what you are cleaning to make sure you’re actually doing it effectively. To avoid getting any damage (due to spring hitting your eye or a cleaner splashing onto it), it’s better to wear proper eye protection.
Do the cleaning in a safe part of your home. As a precautionary measure, gun cleaning should be done in a safe area, with you as the only person in it. You should also avoid doing it while listening to music or watching something — this is something that shouldn’t be multi-tasked.
Make sure the gun is unloaded. As a general rule, always assume your gun is loaded. So you need to habitually unload it before cleaning. You can do so by pointing the gun in a safe direction, removing all ammunition, observing the chamber, verifying the feed path, and examining the bore.
Disassemble the gun as much as what’s required by the manufacturer. Never try to disassemble your gun in its entirety. Only take out as much as what’s required by the gun’s manufacturer.
Clean from bore to muzzle. Though there are different ways of cleaning different guns, the general rule is to clean from the bore to the muzzle, following the path taken by a bullet being released.
Make sure the cleaning rod doesn’t scratch the barrel’s interior. Apply a gun cleaner-saturated patch to clean the inside of the barrel. When you use a cleaning rod, carefully place it on the center of the barrel to avoid scraping the interior.
Lightly lubricate and polish. When you finish the cleaning, lubricate the barrel and gently polish the gun’s handle and body. Avoid overdoing anything as too much oil can negatively affect your gun’s performance.
Return it to a safe location. One thing that hunting supplies stores don’t forget to advise their customers is to have a good and safe storage. After cleaning is done, you need to return your gun to a safe location (e.g. A gun safe).
The Hunters Blind is on top of the list of go-to hunting supplies stores if you’re looking for gun care supplies, bullets, ammunition accessories, optics, knives and more. Contact us today for more info!
