How to Clean Your Gun Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by [deleted]

It may sound intimi­dating, but caring for your gun is easier than you think.

Cleaning and mainta­ining your guns preserves their functi­onality and value, and keeps them safe and accurate. The effort and attention you put into mainta­ining your firearms will pay off in peace of mind that your guns will do what you need them to do.

1) Choose a work area that is well-v­ent­ilated and well-lit.
2) Remove all ammunition from the area.
3) Set out your supplies.
4) Find the owner’s manual from the manufa­cturer. It should explain how to take the gun apart and clean it.
5) Once you have the gun disass­embled, start with cleaning the bore. Clean from breech to muzzle whenever possible.
6) Use a cleaning rod of the correct diameter. They generally come in .22-cal., .30-cal. or shotgu­n/m­uzz­lel­oader diameters.
7) Start with solven­t-w­etted patches to loosen the fouling. After you’ve run three patches through the bore, it should be ready for the bore brush.
8) Thread the brush to the cleaning rod and wet the bore brush with solvent. Ten passes with the brush should be enough. Run three more wet patches through the bore to pick up the fouling loosened by the bore brush. Repeat this process until your patches appear clean.
9) Wipe down the cleaning rod before finishing up with dry patches.
10) Run a patch lightly soaked with oil down the bore. Beware: Oil in the bore can create excessive pressure, a dangerous condition. Run a dry patch down the bore before you shoot your gun again.
10) Once cleaning is complete, reassemble the gun right away.
11) After you have reasse­mbled the gun, check the safety and the trigger for proper function.

Store guns so they are not accessible to unauth­orized persons. Many factors must be considered when deciding where and how to store
guns. A person’s particular situation will be a major part of the consid­era­tion. Dozens of gun storage devices, as well as locking devices that attach directly to the gun, are available. However, mechanical locking devices, like the mechanical safeties built into guns, can fail and should not be used as a substitute for safe gun handling and the obser-­vance of all gun safety rules.

For transport, shooters use hard or soft cases depending on circum­stances and prefer­ence. Airlines require hard-shell locking cases, but for driving to the range or hunting areas, most owners rely on lightw­eight soft cases.

Gun Storage Options
Gun safes
Pistol lock boxes
Locking drawers
Quick-access devices
Gun cases
Locks that attach to the gun