Tuesday, November 4, 2008

SAFETY GUIDELINES for CLEANING FIREARMS




A clean firearm is a safe firearm. When done properly, regular cleaning will give you many years of use for your firearm. When done improperly or without following safety guidelines, a perfectly good firearm can be totally ruined and create a disaster of your own making.

SAFETY GUIDELINES for CLEANING FIREARMS

1.) Always make absolutely sure any firearm you are cleaning is UNLOADED. This is a must during the cleaning of any firearm. NEVER attempt to clean a firearm unless it is unloaded!

2.) Always have an owner’s manual or other instructions with the proper and necessary information to disassemble and re-assemble your firearm properly.

3.) Always have the necessary tools for the proper cleaning of your firearms. A good firearm cleaning kit is a must in all situations. Special tools are sometimes required for disassembly.

4.) Always make sure you have a clean, well ventilated area and sufficient space to disassemble and re-assemble your firearm properly. Never keep ammo in the area while cleaning a firearm.

5.) Always remember: THE BASICS of FIREARMS CLEANING:

A.) Always clean from the breech to the muzzle in the natural direction of the bullet.

B.) Always center the cleaning rod and tip, being careful not to let either rub the bore.

C.) Always use a clean patch each time you go through the barrel when cleaning.

D.) Never run a brush in the barrel first. This can create more problems for you.

E.) Never go back and forth with the brush in a reversing motion.

F.) Never use excess solvents and lubricants. This can create additional problems.

G.) Always check the action to make sure it is working properly after re-assembly.


If you are unsure or not entirely positive about the proper manner in which to clean your firearm, do not hesitate to defer to someone with superior knowledge or abilities in this area. When in doubt, seek a qualified and experienced gunsmith first. It will be cheaper than replacing your firearm should you damage it through improper cleaning, disassembly or re-assembly. You will save both time and money and your firearm will love you for it.


Staying above the water line!


Riverwalker

6 comments:

gott_cha said...

PS probably preaching to the choir here with this tidbit, but hey...
...
If they shoot old military rifles, make sure to have on hand a bottle of "Windex" or ammonia-water spray cleaner to squirt down the barrel after the last shot. The ammonia neutralizes the corrosive acids in old military surplus corrosive ammo. And it makes the final clean up much easier and quicker.

And for inquiring minds,...yes in a pinch you can pee down the barrel for the same effect.

riverwalker said...

To: gott_cha

Great tip! I wasn't aware of that problem. My son-in-law is the gun cleaning expert. He's like a doctor performing an operation when he's cleaning a pistol or rifle!

RW

gott_cha said...

RW,...yeah I learned that trick a few years ago when I had a C&R license and started collecting"Old" rifles.

Im a bit anal about gun cleaning also, So me and Him have a thing in common.
------------
During the First World War as the battle of the Argonne forest dragged on and on,..resupply was hard to come by...the British troops would pee down the barrels of their Enfield rifles and follow up with scalding water to clean them. Most Enfield rifles today are in very good shape as far as rust pitting goes,...far cry from the Soviet troops who only cleaned with Diesel fuel and lubed with light machine oil,...no ammonia to clean with.....they didnt think ahead I guess.

gott_cha said...

The soviet troops during WWII not WWI

riverwalker said...

To: gott_cha

Got it!

RW

Unknown said...

Thanks for the post, People concerned about guns can take help from the firearms safety training to make things really safer and secure for yourself and your known ones. Those people concerned about security must also help the government to enforce the law and order as well as judiciary system out there.
Regards:
MA Gun License

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