To be a successful hunter, it is important to take care of your weapon of choice, to ensure that it fires well, not to miss that important target. The reassuring thing is that strict firearm care gives you piece of mind in knowing that your weapon is not going to let you down at the vital moment. To have a poorly maintained weapon is in effect not to have a weapon at all. There is a danger factor in the weapon not being able to fire when you need it to. After putting yourself in close range of the animal you need to not only be ready but be reassured that you are ready.
Why Specifically Should I Clean My Firearm?
It is important that a firearm is cleaned on a regular basis. Firing a multiple of times will cause powder residue and other gases and grime to build up in the action that fires, and on the barrel itself. Then, over time, this build-up of matter is likely to have an impact on the performance of your choice firearm, causing it to become both unreliable and unpredictable with regards to its performance.
To use the wrong substances to clean your firearm can be equally detrimental to its performance. Some lubricants, not specific to the task, will leave little oil on the surface, meaning that then more dirt or dust will be attracted to the surface of the firearm. Ultimately, this will mean that a thick layer of unwanted gunk will build up on your firearm. This is certainly not what you desire for a reliable and predictable performance. It is this performance that will then not let you down in pursuit of game, which by now will have become more than an hobby, it will be a challenge that you seek in your spare time that you don’t want to lose due to a badly maintained firearm.
What are the Considerations when Maintaining a Firearm?
When thinking about maintaining a hunting weapon, for example, you should consider how often your hunting weapon should be cleaned. The answer is that, to keep your firearms in top condition, you should clean them every time you have used them and hunted with them. The advice also is that you should clean your gun within no more than a week of it having been fired.
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If you have not cleaned your firearm for a while, you will notice how differently it performs after you have. It is important, though, to allow time for this. It is better to cut your hunting time down than to have your next hunting expedition spoiled by an ineffective weapon. One that has not been cleaned and properly maintained.
How do you Clean a Firearm?
There are various bore cleaners, gun sprays and lubricants on the market to choose from to maintain your firearm. Cleaning can be with a copper solvent using a wire brush and dry cloth that is pushed through the bore.
As a safety point, you should ensure that your handgun or rifle is not pointing in your direction or loaded when you are working on it. So, remove all ammunition before attempting to clean. This will make the job take longer but it is the only safe way to maintain your firearm.
In drawing this article to a close, it is worth noting that although there are lubricants on the market that would seem to be the equivalent of gun oil, it is a far safer and wiser option to choose those specifically aimed at maintaining firearms to their desired level of performance. Indeed, the level of performance that you bought the firearm for in the first place. A level that keeps the firearm in “as new” condition.