How To Properly Clean A Handgun

For anyone who owns a handgun, over time your handgun can accumulate dirt which can lead to malfunctions, and an occasional thorough cleaning will maximize reliability. And proper cleaning techniques are an important part of ensuring the safe and reliable performance of your handgun. Let's talk about how to clean your handgun correctly.

1. Use proper cleaning equipment

Many specialized cleaning products and tools exist, but the essential tools are cleaning sticks (threaded on one end to accept attachments), hole brushes, patch serrations (hold a cloth on the end of the cleaning stick), and a supply of cloth patches. The size of the brush will fit the hole, so make sure to buy the correct caliber brush for your handgun. In addition, you will need cleaning solvents, antiseptics to protect the inside of the barrel, and lubricants for the moving parts of the handgun.

2. Cleaning the semi-automatic handgun

The barrel of the semi-automatic handgun can be removed from the frame when the handgun is removed in the field. Field stripping procedures vary from handgun to handgun, so consult your owner's manual for proper removal techniques. With the barrel removed, apply solvent to the brush and run through the barrel from the breech or rear end (starting at the muzzle end will cause the barrel crown to wear, which will affect accuracy). Push the brush all the way, then pull it out. Do not scrub back and forth in the barrel.

When the inside of the barrel is clear of dirt, attach the patch serration and clean patch to the cleaning stick, apply the protectant to the patch, and run back and forth starting from the breech end. When the patch gets dark, replace it with a clean one and repeat until the patch is clean. Once you have a clean chamber, apply lubricant to the moving parts of the handgun as directed in the owner's manual. Remember not to over-grease.

3. Clean the revolver

Most revolvers do not have an easily removable barrel, so cleaning must be done from the muzzle end. When cleaning, be careful not to let the cleaning rod touch the muzzle, so as not to wear the crown. Other than that, the process is very similar to cleaning a semi-automatic handgun: open your cylinder (or remove it completely, in the case of a single-action revolver) and move your brush all the way through the barrel and back until the dirt is removed, then run patches until they are clean. Repeat the process for each chamber in the cylinder, then lightly lubricate as directed by the manual.