New member, looking for tips on gun maintenance.

[JS1989]

Hi all, I'm new to this site and not completely new to firearms but I'll be the first to admit there's a lot I don't know and am looking to expand my knowledge. I started shooting when I was about 12 or 13 thanks to the Boy Scouts, .22s and 12 Gauges. However guns are not at all a hobby for most of my family so I've had to learn what I could by myself over the years without any real help. I've purchased a few firearms when the opportunity arises including a .30-30 lever action, a 20 Ga break action and a 1911 which I've sold. I've probably put between 1000-2000 rounds down range in my life. I recently picked up a Star PD45 as I've renewed interest in obtaining my CHL. I have plenty of knowledge of different weapons, calibers etc.. but if there's one thing that no ones ever taught me it's how to do maintenance on my firearms. I'm sure cleaning and oiling my guns is a lot like changing the oil, not really hard at all you just don't want to make a mistake if you've never really done it bfore. I purchased several Hoppes #9 products such as cleaning patches, a bronze brush, and cotton swab that can be screwed onto a rod to clean the bore, as well a bottle of Rem oil. I'm mostly just worried about using the wrong products or making a mistake that causes my weapon to rust or corrode or something like that. I'm very capable of disassembling and reassembling my weapon. Just looking for some tips to take care of it. Thank you all in advance.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[gasmitty]

First off, welcome!

Next - let me allay your fears. Most guns get along with minimal maintenance, and short of running them completely dry of lube or stuffing them full of grease, modern guns are extremely tolerant. A couple of guidelines: "working" guns don't need to pass the white-glove test for cleanliness. My shooting partner just cleaned his competition Glock 35 for the first time in a year, which for him was over 6000 lead handloads shooting a powder not known for being real clean. I've spent good money to take serious carbine training courses where the instructors and staff don't do anything more than lube their ARs unless the gun stops. Get the picture?

I've got a safe full of guns. My Beretta Silver Pigeon over/under gets babied when it comes back from hunting, and blue steel barrels on the others get wiped down with a silicone or oiled rag. Shotgun bores are easily cleaned with one of those ersatz-lambswool rods. Rifled bores in the centerfire guns get just a bore snake pulled through a couple of times until hundreds of rounds have gone through them. The exceptions here are if I'm shooting ammo with corrosive primers (like a lot of the Russky 7.62x54R), in which case Windex is used on the bore, followed by alternating patches wet with powder solvent and dry ones. After a range session, the recreational guns get wiped down all over, including bolt/breech faces, and if needed, a wee bit of lube is applied here and there.

More than anything else, corrosion is what you should be concerned with, in my opinion. Keep your bores clean, exteriors wiped down, and sliding or rotating parts lightly lubed. Beyond that, check You Tube for gun-specific maintenance activities.

Stay safe!

[retsupt99]

from Central Florida!


ret

[1MoreGoodGuy]

Welcome from Fort Worth, Texas.

[Hiram25]

Welcome from Delaware!

[Boozehound]

Welcome to the forum from Alabama!

Great site with good folks here.....enjoy.

[QKShooter]

My Wife cannot stand the smell of Hoppes. I use WeaponShield to clean, lubricate, and protect all of my firearms. No permeating smell and cleaning gets easier after each use.

[VPNAVY]

Welcome aboard from the great state of Pennsylvania!

[scorpion12]

OP, you're going to find as many opinions on cleaning firearms as there are solvents, oils, patches, etc.

Some say clean after every range trip.
Some say clean when it stops working.
Some don't clean.
Some field strip for bacis cleaning.
Some completely disassemble each time for cleaning.

Ultimately, it's up to you to make the determination of what's tolerable to you. Only you can answer the question. What does the owner's manual for your firearms say? Don't have you you say? Go here.

Gun Manual For Nearly EVERY Firearm On The Planet ebooks pdf free download links - 12160 Social Network it may help.

[GH]

Welcome from Wisconsin! You've already received some good info on cleaning firearms. There's more on this site as each one of us has a different idea on how to do it.

[Dangerfield]

Welcome to Defensive Carry The best forum for sharing ideas and experience.

Help us keep this forum great. Remember the Golden Rule: Please treat others as you want to be treated.

I am from Kansas.

[archer51]

My Wife cannot stand the smell of Hoppes. I use WeaponShield to clean, lubricate, and protect all of my firearms. No permeating smell and cleaning gets easier after each use.

You need to quit using it as an aftershave lotion QKS!

[archer51]

Welcome from Virginia.

[rugerista]

Welcome, welcome...

I don't know for your particular gun but for Glocks, revolvers and1911s its easy to find cleaning and take down instructions on YouTube. I like the Hickok45 videos on how to clean guns.

Not everyone has a family member or friend to learn from...

Also the forums (like this one!) can be very useful.

[Ksgunner]

Hello! Welcome from Southeast Kansas!