Armed Women of America focus on gun cleaning

It’s that time of year again. The days are getting darker, the weather is getting colder, and there is already Christmas music playing in the stores. For us in the Armed Women of America Sterling Chapter, it means that it’s time for our annual gun cleaning workshop.

Now, ideally, you clean your guns more than once a year. In fact, it is generally recommended that you clean your guns after each time you take them out and shoot them.

Each gun will have a slightly different cleaning procedure but there are some principles that are universal. Looking at the manual for how to clean your particular gun will be helpful, especially for figuring out how to disassemble and reassemble it.

Before cleaning your gun, it is crucial that you ensure that it is unloaded and clear of any ammunition (use your eyes and hands to make sure). In fact, it is recommended that you don’t clean your guns in the same room where there is any ammunition, just for an added layer of safety. You also need to make sure you have all the right supplies. There are many types of cleaning products out there but at a minimum, you should have some type of solvent (cleaner) and oil (lubricant). Use proven products and avoid getting an all-in-one solvent and oil product. Other important supplies include cleaning patches, brushes, bore snake, slotted cleaning rod, and rags. Make sure the sizes of your supplies are appropriate for the caliber of gun you are cleaning.

Once you’ve ensured your gun is unloaded and safe, disassemble it according to your manual’s procedures. First, run a solvent-dipped brush through the barrel from breech to muzzle about a dozen times. Next, run a solventsoaked patch through the barrel using a slotted rod. Replace the dirty patch with a clean patch and repeat the process until the patches come out clean after going through the barrel. Now, run dry patches through the barrel in the same fashion until the patches come out dry. Use solvent-soaked patches to clean other components of the firearm including the breech, chamber, and any other parts that are accessible. You can use appropriate brushes to remove stubborn or hard-to-reach residue (only use metal brushes on metal parts and nylon brushes on nylon parts of the gun). When all of the residue is removed, use dry patches to wipe off all of the solvent. Next, use an oil-soaked rag or patch to oil important parts of the gun, particularly the barrel, slide, and chamber. Similar to the solvent process, use clean patches to wipe off excess oil until they come out dry. Excessive oil can attract dust and interfere with proper operation of the gun. Finally, reassemble the gun and operate the action to ensure proper assembly and operation.

Note, this is a very basic overview of cleaning. Coming to our workshop would also be a great way of getting hands-on practice and instruction. Please join us for the Armed Women of America (AWA) Sterling Chapter meeting on Nov. 19 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Logan County Shooting Sports Complex, 12515 Highway 6½nd Amendment Way off Highway 61 Sterling.