Regular cleaning and maintenance is critical to ensuring the long-term functionality of your firearms. The following products will help you take proper care of your gun collection.
1 – Cleaning Rod with a Jag
A cleaning rod with a jag or loop attachment is an essential gun cleaning tool. The jag or loop will hold the cleaning patch on the rod, so that you can push it through the barrel and clean out the carbon, lead and other residue from the firearm.
2 – Bore Cleaner
Bore cleaner is an important tool to have in your gun maintenance kit, as it will remove carbon, lead and other residue from your firearm. Hoppe’s No. 9 Bore Cleaning Solvent is one of the most popular bore cleaners out there. Apply a bit of the bore cleaner to a clean patch, attach it to the cleaning rod and run it through the barrel of the gun.
3 – Patches
You’ll need a steady supply of patches to thoroughly clean your firearms. Use a clean patch each time you run the cleaning rod through the barrel.
4 – Cleaning Brush
After you’ve used bore cleaner to loosen up the residue inside the barrel, you’ll use a cleaning brush to remove the more stubborn gunk. Make sure you select a brush that won’t damage the inside of the barrel of your gun. After using the cleaning brush, use the cleaning rod and patch again to remove all of the remaining debris. Cleaning brushes tend to wear out quickly so you should have more than one on hand to clean your firearms.
5 – Lubricant
After you finish cleaning your gun, you’ll need to add a bit of lubricant as necessary. The lubricant will help prevent wear and will improve your gun’s performance. Remember that a little bit of lubricant goes a long way.
Gun Cleaning Kits
An easy way to make sure you have all of the basic tools you need to clean your gun is to buy a complete gun cleaning kit, which are sold at most sporting goods stores. Some kits are caliber-specific, but you can also buy a multi-caliber kit that is suitable for handguns, rifles and shotguns.
