Many lubricants and cleaners are marked as toxic, and there is lead residue inside guns (and will be on your cleaning instruments). It is a really good idea to wear some gloves while doing cleaning and maintenance. Some users have reported that Grease Monkey branded gloves work great for automotive and firearm maintenance. Other users are OK with any nitrile glove.

Here is a cleaning process you can follow with your favourite gun solvent:

  1. Push the rod with jag attached to patches (coated in the solvent), from the chamber end of the gun down towards/out the muzzle. Repeat until the patches come away significantly cleaner.
  2. Push the rod with the brush, holding the handle and letting it spin itself down the rifling (if any). Don’t pull the rod back towards the chamber – only consistently push it towards the muzzle.
  3. Let the solvent sit in the barrel, and use this time to use the “toothbrush” hand brush to clean the bolt with solvent while you wait.
  4. Cloth clean the bolt.
  5. Using a clean hand brush, scrub out the receiver where deposits are visible.
  6. Cloth clean the receiver.
  7. Using the rod, re-attach the jag and push patches repeatedly run down the bore.
  8. Lubricate the bore. You’re done!
  9. If you want, this is the time to use a silicone layer/rust prevention.

Here are some cleaning tips for your firearms that we’ve gathered for you:

  1. Always clean from breech/chamber towards the muzzle, to follow the natural direction of the bullet.

    When you fire guns, powder residue and dirt are left in the barrel. The chamber and receiver are usually fairly clean. If you run a brush or patch backwards (from the muzzle end), you will push this dirt, residue, and moisture into the chamber and receiver. This is one major cause of stuck cases or problems with lever actions, as well as semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. Be careful of which direction is used.

  2. Center the tip and rod. Be careful not to let either rub the bore.

    All firearms mirror the treatment they’ve gotten in the past. This is one reason people examine the bore of a firearm (the E in the PROVE method). An experienced eye can often tell the method of cleaning that was previously used, the approximate number of shots fired through it, and the gun maintenance that was applied to the firearm. Many marks are caused by people who carelessly clean their firearms and let the rod scratch down the barrel without a patch in place.

  3. Use a clean patch each time you go down the barrel.

    This is similar to why while mopping a floor, you regularly rinse the mop out. Regular use of your firearms will incur some dirt, dust and residue towards the muzzle. A patch coated lightly with solvent will flush this dirt out in the shortest distance, away from important parts of your gun. Throw this dirty patch away, and don’t use this one again – the dirt would be deposited in the chamber and neck if you did. The next bullet down the barrel would pick up this dirt and erode the throat away during the shot. That means this mistake has the same negative effect as cleaning in the wrong direction.

  4. Never run a brush down the barrel before the cleaning rod/patches.

    This could damage the firearm: the brush will pick up dirt, moisture or powder residue and deposit it into the chamber or receiver. Never dip a brush in solvent, as the solvent at the brush core will collect dirt and drop it into the receiver and chamber.

  5. Never go back and forth reversing the brush.

    This will bend the bristles on the brush. This is like bending a wire back and forth until it breaks. You will always ruin a brush if you reverse it while in the bore.

  6. Use only a few drops of solvent/lubricant.

    Many people think, “The more solvent, the better.” However, too much has the potential to damage the firearm. Use only the amount solvent that a given patch will absorb. If there is an excess, the solvent or oil will drip down into the trigger mechanism. This could cause a sticky trigger. If you use too much oil, it will drain back toward the stock and cause eventual damage to the wood.