Chapter 3: Know Your Firearm Equipment
Cleaning Your Firearm
Firearms must be cleaned after every use to keep them in top condition. Every hunter should have a kit with all the parts for a thorough cleaning.
Always take care when cleaning your firearm. Never clean a firearm while doing something else. Work on a cleared table or bench.
Follow these basic steps to clean your firearm.
- Point the muzzle in a safe direction, and make sure the gun is unloaded.
- Remove all ammunition from the cleaning bench.
- For the most thorough cleaning, take the firearm apart following the owner's manual and clean each part separately.
- If possible, clean the barrel from the breech end, using a bore guide and a cleaning rod holding a bore-brush or patch, wetted with solvent. Pass the brush/patch all the way through the barrel. Because the chamber's diameter is greater than the bore, you may need a chamber brush and a larger patch. Follow the instructions included with the cleaning kit.
- Use cleaning solvents in a well-ventilated area and only as directed.
Cleaning Kit
- Assorted rod tips—brushes, mop tips, slotted tips,
jag tips
- Bore light
- Clean cloths
- Cleaning rods
- Cotton swabs
- Dental mirror
- Gun grease
- Gun oil
- Gunsmith screwdrivers
- Patches appropriate for the caliber or gauge of the firearm
- Pipe cleaners
- Solvent
- Stand to hold the firearm securely in a horizontal position
- Toothbrush
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