Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Keeping your firearms clean and maintained is the first step to better gun ownership

- Ryan Lee Price

A clean gun is a happy gun. Firearms are precision tools. Like an engine or a transmission, they are designed, machined and built to specific and exact tolerances. They are an assemblage of intricate parts interconnected as a single unit whose purpose is to propel lead downrange to the target. They are simple in purpose, complex in design and complicated in assembly. As with any complex piece of machinery, proper maintenance is required to keep it in perfect working order and at the ready when needed.

For many of us, dropping off our guns at your local gun shop—like a shirt at the dry cleaners—to be cleaned and oiled isn’t an option. Though most gun repair shops offer cleaning services, there is a certain higher plane of ownership one enjoys with his gun when he cleans it. Like feeling the smooth curves of a sports car under a sudsy sponge, cleaning your gun offers a level of intimate knowledge you won’t get if you don’t do it yourself. Becoming your own gun maintenance man is another step to complete self-reliance and with a little work, some confidence, knowledge and a few specialized tools, you’ll have a gun that will perform better, look nicer and last longer.

THE ENVIRONMENT

SPACE: It is important to set up a space in your garage or workshop specifically for your gun cleaning endeavors. This space should be large enough to hold all of your cleaning gear without overcrowding yourself. You’ll need space to lay out parts, room to shift from part to part and space to store everything. If you have a lot of guns to clean at a time, it should be in a place that can be secured with a lock and where it can be undisturbed by anyone. It should be well-ventilated, well-lit and clean. Because of the solvents and chemicals used, keep your workspace off of the dining room table and out of the kitchen.