How to use gun cleaning kit

You just bought your new gun cleaning kit      , so now what? The first thing you’re going to want to do if you’re new is to watch a few youtube videos and read the instructions.

Each gun is a bit different when it comes to cleaning, so you want to read and re-read the owners manual for your particular gun.

We’ll go over the basics of using a universal gun cleaning kit if you own a rifle, handgun or shotgun this is what you’ll want to use.

AR’s can be a little different to clean and usually require special tools such as an AR cleaning tool.

Cleaning New Guns?

One time I bought a new M4 and didn’t clean it before taking it to the range. Wiped off the grease on the exterior and after about 50 rounds I had a brass over bolt failure…

Almost all new guns come with a bunch of grease and sticky solvent on them. This is to make sure they don’t rust while sitting on the shelf for months or years.

This lubricant they put on it is not a shooting lubricant, so you want to remove it and clean your new gun as well as possible.

You should always do this because you don’t know how it works until you take it apart.

You should ALWAYS inspect a new gun before firing it, looking for worn components, broken or little pieces of sawdust and what not in the gun.

I got issued a brand new, out of the package M4 right before shooting the range and skipped cleaning, just wiped the crap off the outside. Had a brass over bolt failure on round 76.

ore doing anything. This will help prevent oils from getting onto the outer and inner parts of your gun. Most people, including myself, wear gloves when cleaning their guns to prevent oil absorbing into the skin.

Unload your Gun

Make sure the ammo is out and out of reach. There is a possibility that you could accidentily discharge your gun while cleaning it, if it were loaded. There’s also a small chance that you could shoot a box of ammo, so double and triple check this step.

Use a Bore Snake

To save time you can use a bore snake before using your cleaning rods. This will remove some of the gunk and only takes about 10 seconds. Using a bore snake will save you quite bit of time.

Cleaning Rods

Assemble your cleaning rods and choose the proper sized brush. You want to start off with a bronze cleaning brush and use your favorite gun cleaning solvent.

Make sure to PULL the brush through about 5-10 times. Be sure to pull only and don’t push.

Running the bore brush only in the same direction the bullet travels will prolong the life of the barrel.

Cleaning Patches

The goal is to have the cleaning patches come out white. You can use 10-20 cleaning patches until this happens and they’re cheap so don’t worry.

If you pull out your cleaning patches and they’re black then  you need to run your brushes through your gun again.

Remove All Solvents

To do this you should use dry cleaning patches and gun mop attachment. After the cleaning solvent is all out you’re going to want to apply some lubricant.