How Often Should I Clean My Firearm?

I remember asking my Dad that question. He said, “How often do you clean your underwear?” I took that to mean that every time I used my firearm, I needed to clean it.

Have you ever used your firearm and put off cleaning until it slipped your memory? Confess. Of course you have. Life sometimes gets in the way. The next time you used your firearm, you may have had a malfunction or your accuracy suffered.

Basic rule: If you use a gun, clean it before you store it! If not, let the guilt drive you to set aside some time to clean it.

What if you put the gun away and haven’t touched it for a while? The best way to reintroduce yourself to your gun is to clean it before you use it again. If you live in an area with high humidity, you will need to wrap your firearm and try to control the problems that moisture can cause to the metal, wood and special polymers used in today’s firearms. Or you can move to the desert.

As you inspect your firearm after a period of inactivity, don’t forget the batteries that we use to power the new toys that we like to add to our favorite firearm. The range may have some items for sale, but batteries usually are not on their list. While you are out hunting, the red dot super kill laser you just spent $500 for will not work if the batteries are dead. A simple check before you leave will decrease your frustration. Do not just check to see if the switch works and the light comes on. Take the batteries out and inspect the battery contact points for corrosion. A pencil eraser rubbed on the contacts works great. If you have to clean out corrosion, replace the batteries. It is that simple.

Remember:  A clean gun is a safe gun!