Why Cleaning Your Gun is Important
Owning a firearm comes with a lot of responsibility. It doesn’t matter if your single gun (or secret bunker/armory) is for hunting, safety, sport, or collection, the majority of information discussed usually revolves around safety – and rightly so. The topic that often gets overlooked is the importance of maintenance and cleaning. While it may seem like a simple part of gun ownership, it consists of more than just “what you’re supposed to do.” Here are 7 reasons that look into the importance to maintain your firearm and gun cleaning, and what you gain from it as well.
As gun owners, we proudly value the security our weapons bring to our homes. There is peace of mind associated with being able to protect ourselves beyond locking the doors before going to bed at night. To ensure that safety remains and you can provide that protection effectively, routine cleaning of your gun (or armory) is critical.
The safety firearms provide can become a preventable hazard when not adequately cleaned. Residue build-up is one of the most common causes of malfunction, such as failure to fire correctly. In a situation of self-defense, this could land you in a more compromising position, not to mention the risk of the live round mishap. Routine cleaning will significantly decrease the likelihood of this occurrence.
Safety works both ways. It is always a good idea to take a firearm instruction or hunters safety course before handling a gun.
One of the most critical elements in owning and using any firearm is understanding it. Thorough cleaning of your gun requires disassembly. By doing this, you gain a better understanding of the components that make up this mechanical artwork. Gaining an understanding of each part’s role within the entire mechanism will not only give you more respect for it but also a greater level of confidence in handling it.
Being familiar with your firearm – inside and out – is also helpful if something goes wrong or breaks. You’re likely able to diagnose the problem at hand, and in some cases fix it for yourself. Through consistent cleaning, you will learn that no two guns are the same, with some requiring more frequent cleaning than others, even down to where each grime up the most.
There is no denying that a reliable weapon is a clean weapon. Few things are more annoying and potentially dangerous than an unreliable and filthy firearm. Most handgun owners rely on their firearms for home security or personal protection. Without proper and thorough cleaning, that reliance will quickly decrease and can lead to a preventable situation you don’t want to find yourself in. Including that 9mm you tucked away by the front door years ago and haven’t touched since – dust still gets in and builds up.
Relying on your firearm means you also rely on its accuracy. The main issue of what will compromise the accuracy of a gun is the shooter. But production quality, overall feels, using the proper ammunition and overall maintenance also play a critical role. Always remember: A clean gun is a safe (and accurate) gun.
Residue fouling within the barrel is one issue that over time will affect the precision, and ultimately the reliability, value, and life of your gun – not to mention can cause a plethora of other problems.
There are very few things in this life you can purchase that will hold value. If not monetary, firearms will retain value in survival. Here’s the catch: You have to care for these puppies like the prized possessions they are. When it comes to maintenance, don’t cut corners, or cheap out. Give that fine machine the cleaning and storage it needs. With proper cleaning, your weapon can last years, to generations – hence a tradition of heirloom firearms that have been passed down in families for countless generations, notably those that still function at the performance levels of when they were manufactured. While you can’t necessarily over-clean your gun, it is certainly possible and easy to cause damage if not done properly or with low-quality equipment.
Your firearm is an investment. Whether you’re prepping for doomsday, an avid hunter, sport shooter, or hobbyist, you want to maintain its value. If you had to choose only one way to do so, keeping it clean would be the way to go.
For starters, if you’re a new gun owner or just unfamiliar with a new firearm, it’s always a good idea to refer to the owner’s manual. Purchased your gun at a pawn shop and it didn’t come with one? No reason for excuses, you can almost always find the manual online, or by calling the manufacturer.
As mentioned above, having quality cleaning equipment is a must. Traditionally, bore brushes made of copper or bronze have been used. However, some gun aficionados say that this type of cleaning method is old-fashioned and may cause damage to the bore, throat, crown, and rifling.
Recently, brushless solvents are securing their place on the shelf as a more modern approach, and rightfully so. Rather than scrubbing the bore with abrasive bristles and chemicals that are harmful to the steel in your gun’s barrel, the brushless solvents only need to be sprayed into the muzzle. While some companies boast tremendous success, we at Full Blast still recommend regular cleanings with a brush or scrubber that is 100% safe.
Just remember, the more thorough you can be, the more confidence you can have in your firearm, and the better it will perform.
Lubrication is essential, but that doesn’t mean you should have a firearm sopping in it. Balance is key. As stated earlier, every gun is different, so finding that balance might be a little tricky at first if you get a new gun.
This is just one example of how getting in the habit of cleaning your weapon and becoming familiar with it is important. If all you do is continue to add lubricant or oil and never clean your firearm, you can end up with a gummy mess. You want to make sure there’s enough lubricant to eliminate friction, but not so much that everything in the air sticks to it.
Not oiling your firearm is much worse. Oil provides an outer layer of protection, and reduces friction on your gun’s mechanical parts. After cleaning your gun, lubrication plays an integral part in protecting the metal from any possible leftover residue from the solvent. This leftover residue could potentially cause corrosion. Lubrication not only allows your gun to function, but it also protects against rust – the greatest enemy of all things metal. And most of all, it leaves you prepared.
Some folks clean their firearms after every use, and some when they feel it’s “time.” It’s important to keep in mind that every shot fired leaves behind some type of combustion residue, whether that’s carbon, contaminants from the cartridge, etc., and it will accumulate on your weapon. Another issue commonly overlooked is the humidity in the air, and two things that don’t get along are metal and moisture. Not cleaning your firearm thoroughly will lead to problems that are extremely preventable.
For target and hunting firearms, it’s recommended that they are cleaned after each hunt to prevent rusting and any other complications that can occur from dirt or other environmental factors.
For those of you that have everyday carry firearms every, it’s highly recommended a thorough cleaning is done at least every two weeks. Even though it’s unlikely you are firing it, lint, dust and a multitude of miscellaneous particles accumulate. If a time comes when you need to respond with your firearm, the last thing you’d want is for it to malfunction.
