If you’re not cleaning the pistol, the firearm will get rusty and deteriorate. Eventually it will become difficult and dangerous to use. Here are the steps to properly caring for your firearm.
Note: there are many kinds of pistols with different features. However this guide should work with most variants.
Required Tools and Materials
Cleaning kit
Pistol
Q Tips
Pieces of Cloth
Removing the Bullets and Barrel
Take out the magazine. Lock the slide. Look at the chamber. Double check to make certain there are no bullets in it. Move the slide latch away from the frame and pull the slide. The movement must be away from the frame.
Take off the spring. Do it carefully so the spring doesn’t get away. Carefully take out the barrel.
Cleaning the Pistol
Take the brush and put it in the barrel. Set the brush in the direction of the bullet. Connect the tip to the cleansing rod. Wet a small a patch with the solvent. Use this to clean the barrel. Do
not dry the barrel; allow it to dry on its own.
Clean the Frame
Take some Q tips or pieces of cloth. Add some of the cleaning solvent onto the Q tip or cloth. Clean the frame. Get another cloth, put solvent in it and clean the slide. Repeat the process for the grooves and rails. Keep cleaning until the dirt has been removed.
Finish cleaning the pistol with a piece of dry cloth. Wipe both slide and frame until they dry.
Cleaning the Chamber
Put some solvent on the brush and clean the chamber. Keep pushing the brush along the bore. You may need to change the tips and cloth. Replace them as necessary. Wipe with a dry cloth.
Finishing Touches
If necessary, go back to the barrel. Put some brush with solvent and clean the bore. Repeat this until the bore gets cleaned. Use a dry patch to finish cleaning the chamber. Follow the manual for putting the gun together again.
Tips and Warnings
There are many types of kits available for cleaning the pistol. Do some research first so you can get the right one for the job. There are some services that will offer to do the cleaning for you. They are not necessary; polishing a pistol is something you can do yourself.
There are differences of opinion as to whether a new gun should be cleaned or not before using. Check the manual. However, gun owners are in agreement that it should be cleaned before going to the shooting range.
You might also consider investing in a gun safe. These not only provide good storage, but the lighting and composition helps a pistol stay in mint condition.
Again, make sure that there are no bullets in the gun prior to cleaning it. You can never be too careful when handling the pistol. Don’t put any bullets in until the gun is fully dry.
Cleaning the pistol is something that all gun owners should be aware of. By properly maintaining and caring for your firearm, it’ll be able to serve you efficiently and consistently.
