Our step by step guide to cleaning your rifle

Our step by step guide to cleaning your rifle

Please remember to ensure your gun is unloaded before attempting to clean it.

Cleaning a Rifle

When cleaning a rifle you will need a cleaning kit that matches the calibre of your gun. You will need gun oil and, if it is a gun that has done a lot of shooting or is a centre fire rifle, you will need solvents to remove lead, copper and gun powder residue.

The cleaning kit will consist of:

  • rifle cleaning kit
  • A bronze brush to loosen copper, lead and powder residue
  • A mop to polish the bore when you are finished cleaning
  • Patches
  • A rag to clean the bore after solvent has dissolved the lead, copper and powder residues.

Step 1:

Take some gun oil or solvent or dip a patch in the gun oil or solvent. Push the patch up through the barrel from the chamber to the muzzle with the cleaning rod. Leave the oil or solvent in the bore for 10 minutes.

Step 2:

Push the bronze brush through the bore several times using the cleaning rod. This will loosen any copper, lead or debris.

Step 3:

With the cleaning rod, and the jag, push the patches through the bore until a patch comes out clean. This will tell you that the bore is clean.

Step 4:

Now you will begin cleaning the action of your rifle, start by removing the bolt. The bolt is removed and then you will spray gun oil all over it. If there is a lot of gun powder residue on the bolt and the action you might want to use solvent on it. We would recommend Hoppe’s Copper Solvent in these cases. Apply the solvent, leave for 10 minutes and then carefully remove all the solvent. Apply gun oil and use a toothbrush to get around the action in those hard to reach spots.

Step 5:

Before putting your gun away spray some gun oil all over the exterior and wipe away any excess with a clean cloth or towel.

Need more help or got a question?

Why not call us on on +353 56 4449013 and we will be happy to help, or email us on info@thegunstore.ie.

See our range of gun cleaning accessories: