Handgun Cleaning Tips

Man’s ultimate fantasy. Clint Eastwood chewing a half burnt cigar and a Magnum on the hip, hands poised to fire away. Generations grew up on a diet of the Wild West, living a dream that has no scope in real life. From once being a tool of dominance it became the symbol of power and protection. A gun in hand endows you with respect, and in some cases infamy. In the realm of boys' toys the gun has no parallel. Hold a gun and feel the adrenaline surge. It was the invention of gunpowder that cemented the dominance of man in this world. It may even lead to his undoing. From fighting duels to hunting, a gun in the house ensures that you have a peaceful sleep without worrying of any robbers breaking in. But imagine that a gang breaks in and in the ensuing mayhem you manage to grab your handgun. You fire but instead of a loud bang, to soothe your nerves, what you hear is a tiny click! Forget the danger to your life; imagine the embarrassment as the goons roll in laughter. Most probably, in that situation, you would wish to save your face rather than your life. Don’t blame your handgun, nothing’s wrong with it. It simply got jammed because you did not clean it after a fun filled shooting spree. That is the importance of cleaning the handgun and maintaining it in top shape. In the article below are given some tips on how to clean the handguns.

How To Clean Handguns

Always unload the gun before cleaning. Remove the ammunition and dry fire to check.
The wooden or ivory hand grips must be removed carefully.
In case if your handgun is semi-automatic then separate the frame, barrel and the slide. Use the method that is recommended in the owner’s manual of that particular gun.
Wear rubber gloves and attach a patch holder to the cleaning rod.
Apply bore cleaner onto the patch and push it inside the barrel of the gun. Leave it for thirty minutes so that it dissolves the powder residue.
Now spray the gun with a specialized gun cleaning product and using a pistol cleaning brush scrub the entire surface.
Now using a pressurized solvent like powder blast spray the breech area and cylinder to remove the oil and grime. While spraying take care to protect your eyes.
Use a cleaning patch to remove the excess solvent from the gun surface. Apply the oil again to protect against oxidation.
After soaking the gun barrel for thirty minutes attach a nylon bore brush to the cleaning rod and push and pull it back and forth inside the barrel for at least thirty times. The brush should be such that it tightly fits the barrel.
Lubricating the handgun is very important. For semi-automatic handgun put four drops of oil into the barrel which is near the ejection port. Now open the slide and put some more oil on the barrel which is on the back of the muzzle. Turning the handgun upside down, put three drops of oil in each side rail groove and some more on the central rail that cocks the hammer. Now spread the oil by closing the slide and hand cycling for five to six times. Wipe out the excess oil.
The magazines should be cleaned according to the specifications in the owner’s manual and it is recommended that it should be cleaned at least two to three times annually.

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