subject: What You Should Know About The Proper Way To Clean A Handgun Safely From Alliance Armament [print this page] Guns can be excellent tools for hunting and for personal protection. In order to make sure that they are kept in as good a condition as possible, learning the proper way to clean a handgun is critical. This allows you to notice any problems or flaws before they become a safety hazard. It also ensures that your gun will not break down over time and develop cracks or flaws that may make safety a problem.
You should make sure that you have a kit put together that includes the tools and supplies you will be using. You should also ensure that you have a clean, secure place where you can work. You want to make sure that you cannot injure anyone when you are cleaning it and without the proper solvents, tools, cloths and oils you will not be able to clean your weapon properly.
You then need to know how to ensure that the gun is not loaded. There are several places that a round can sit. The first is in a magazine attached to the gun. Follow the instructions you have been given and remove the magazine. Then, slide the bolt back and put your finger in the chamber. Feel around quickly to make sure that there are no rounds. The third area that rounds can sit is in the well. Again, feel for it with a finger. Never check by looking down the barrel. This is one way to get shot in the head, which is usually fatal.
You can now begin dismantling and cleaning the gun. Cock the hammer. After you have done so, pull on the take down tabs which will move the slide forward. It can be removed and set aside for cleaning. Some guns will have specific steps that need to be taken in order to remove the slide but this should work for many different types of guns. The areas to clean include the frame, the guide rod and recoil spring, the barrel and the slide.
Clean off any residue and unburned powder to keep it from building up. Be very careful not to damage the rifling on the barrel as this can throw off the gun's accuracy. Remember the inside of the magazine as well. If there are any areas that turn the cloths you are using black make sure to spend extra time when you are cleaning these areas. Rub the gun parts with solvent, allow it to soak and then use a brush to get rid of any dirt and grime. Clean the inside of the barrel with a bore brush and wipe it down with solvent. When the cloths come clean, the gun is clean and it can be reassembled.
The final step after reassembly is to oil the gun lightly. You want to make sure there is no way that moisture can damage the gun in any way. The last thing you want is to think that you have learned the proper way to clean a handgun only to find out that it has become damaged or unserviceable over the time it spends in storage.
