How to Clean a Rifle

For those who enjoy hunting and other gun sports, keeping the weapon clean and well maintained is vital. If you have a rifle, you know that you must take proper care of it to ensure that it continues to work as efficiently as possible. Without taking the proper steps to clean your rifle, it may not work correctly.

Rifle cleaning may seem like an inconvenience, but is it important in the long run to keep your weapon working well. You should clean the various parts of the rifle regularly according to how often you use it. Although the specific steps for cleaning a rifle vary from person to person and depend on the type of rifle, there are some general cleaning techniques that are fairly typical.

To clean your rifle, you will need to start by getting a few supplies together. Cleaning rods, patches, chamber brushes, rod guides, bore solvents, oils, cleaning cradles, and copper removers are some of the items you may want to have in your gun cleaning kits.

First of all, make sure that the rifle is not loaded. Although this may seem obvious, accidents can happen so you should double check before you begin the cleaning process. Put the rifle on a cleaning cradle or other stand to hold the rifle while you clean. Next, partially take apart the rifle by removing the scope and bolt, Take a look at the gun and check for any problems, then go ahead and wipe the rifle down with a paper towel to remove any dirt.

Now use a cleaning rod and patch to clean out the barrel of the rifle. Apply solvent to the patch, then put it through the end of the rod. Insert the rod into the muzzle and push toward the butt of the rifle. You can use another patch with more solvent if needed to get the gun completely clean. You can also use a copper brush to help clean.

Once the barrel is clean, you can use solvent to clean other metal parts of the rifle. Soak these parts in the solvent or wipe them down, then apply a rust protector if desired to help prevent rust from developing. Next, use a lubricant such as rifle grease to apply to metal parts of the gun that slide or rub together.

After cleaning, reassemble your rifle. Remember to clean your rifle often, possibly after each time you go shooting, depending you your preferences.