Firearms Cleaning & Maintenance Guide
Proper cleaning ensures reliability, accuracy, and longevity of your firearms.
Safety First!
ALWAYS verify your firearm is unloaded before cleaning. Remove all ammunition from the cleaning area. Triple-check the chamber. Treat every firearm as if it's loaded until you've personally verified it's empty.
Cleaning Supplies
Essential
Recommended
Cleaning by Firearm Type
Cleaning Steps:
- Verify unloaded - remove magazine, lock slide back, visually/physically check chamber
- Field strip according to manufacturer instructions (typically: remove slide, barrel, recoil spring)
- Run solvent-soaked patch through barrel, let sit 5 minutes
- Scrub bore with bronze brush (10-20 passes)
- Run patches until clean
- Clean slide rails, barrel hood, feed ramp with nylon brush
- Wipe down all parts with clean cloth
- Apply light oil to rails, barrel exterior, and contact points
- Reassemble and function check
Focus Areas:
- Feed ramp
- Slide rails
- Barrel hood
- Extractor
- Firing pin channel (no oil!)
Cleaning Steps:
- Verify unloaded - open cylinder, check all chambers
- Clean each chamber with bore brush and patches
- Clean barrel from breech end (muzzle to chamber)
- Clean forcing cone area (where barrel meets cylinder)
- Scrub cylinder face to remove carbon buildup
- Clean frame, crane, and ejector star
- Wipe all surfaces clean
- Apply light oil to crane, ejector rod, and contact points
- Close cylinder and function check
Focus Areas:
- Forcing cone
- Cylinder face
- Chambers
- Ejector star
- Crane pivot
Cleaning Steps:
- Verify unloaded - remove magazine, lock bolt back, check chamber
- Separate upper from lower receiver
- Remove bolt carrier group and charging handle
- Clean barrel with solvent, brush, and patches (from chamber end)
- Disassemble BCG: remove bolt, cam pin, firing pin, extractor
- Scrub carbon from bolt, bolt carrier, and gas key
- Clean upper receiver and chamber with chamber brush
- Clean lower receiver, trigger group (no heavy solvent)
- Lightly oil bolt, cam pin, and carrier rails
- Reassemble and function check
Focus Areas:
- Bolt tail
- Gas rings
- Chamber/locking lugs
- Cam pin hole
- Gas key
Cleaning Steps:
- Verify unloaded - pump action open, check chamber and magazine tube
- Remove barrel if possible (follow manufacturer instructions)
- Clean bore with appropriately sized brush and patches
- Clean chamber and forcing cone area
- Clean magazine tube interior
- Wipe down action bars and receiver
- Clean bolt face and extractor
- Light oil on action bars, bolt, and hinge points
- Reassemble and function check
Focus Areas:
- Chamber
- Magazine tube
- Action bars
- Bolt face
- Forcing cone
Cleaning Steps:
- Verify unloaded - open bolt, check chamber
- Remove bolt (follow manufacturer method)
- Clean from breech to muzzle with bore guide if available
- Run solvent, let sit, then brush and patch
- For precision rifles, clean until patches are white
- Clean bolt face, lugs, and extractor
- Clean action/receiver interior
- Light oil on bolt lugs and contact surfaces
- Reassemble and function check
Focus Areas:
- Bore (copper fouling)
- Bolt lugs
- Chamber
- Extractor
- Trigger (light clean only)
Pro Tips
Always Clean Muzzle to Breech
When possible, clean from chamber toward muzzle to push debris out, not in.
Less Oil is More
Light oil on contact surfaces. Excess oil attracts dirt and can slow action.
No Oil in Firing Pin Channel
Oil can contaminate primers and cause misfires. Keep firing pin channels dry.
Let Solvent Work
Apply solvent and wait 5-10 minutes before brushing. It breaks down fouling better.
Use Fresh Patches
Don't reuse dirty patches. Each pass should be a clean patch to see progress.
Store Clean
Never store a dirty firearm. Fouling attracts moisture and causes corrosion.
Common Mistakes
Over-oiling
Problem: Attracts dirt, slows action, can cause malfunctions in cold weather.
Fix: Apply oil sparingly. Wipe off excess. Less is more.
Wrong direction cleaning
Problem: Pushing debris into action or damaging crown by inserting from muzzle.
Fix: Clean from chamber to muzzle when possible. Use bore guide.
Using wrong caliber brush
Problem: Too small won't clean, too large can damage bore or get stuck.
Fix: Match brush to caliber exactly. When in doubt, go smaller.
Neglecting small parts
Problem: Extractor, ejector, and small springs need attention too.
Fix: Inspect and clean all parts during detail strip.
Cleaning too often
Problem: Excessive cleaning can wear parts. Bore brushing wears rifling over time.
Fix: Clean as needed, not obsessively. Follow round-count guidelines.
Using automotive products
Problem: Wrong solvents can damage finishes, polymers, or leave harmful residue.
Fix: Use products designed for firearms only.
Cleaning Frequency Guide
| Situation | When to Clean |
|---|---|
| After range session | Within 24-48 hours (especially if using corrosive ammo) |
| Carry/defense gun | Monthly minimum, even if not fired |
| Safe storage guns | Every 3-6 months (check for dust/rust) |
| After exposure to rain/sweat | Immediately - moisture causes rust |
| Competition guns | Before each match + regular maintenance |
| After malfunction | Clean and inspect before resuming use |