How to properly clean a gun IZH 58. How to clean a gun: tips

Quite a lot of people also earn their living by hunting. But at the moment, hunting, in most cases, has become a hobby. To carry out their activities, hunters use traps, specially trained dogs, as well as firearms and ammunition. In any case, a gun is the most important thing for a hunter.
The weapon must always work flawlessly - otherwise the hunter may not only be left without prey, but also become a victim himself, suffering from the fangs of a bear or other animal. Therefore, your hunting rifle must be properly maintained. How thoroughly and timely it is carried out weapon care, to a large extent depends on how long it can serve its owner without misfires and failures.

After purchasing a hunting shotgun, caring for it should begin not after the first hunt or shooting, but immediately after purchase. You should carefully inspect the barrel, remove any leaks of factory lubricant from the block, and check the operation of the trigger mechanism on a spent cartridge case. And only after that you can take the gun and shoot it in a country ravine or at a special training stand or shooting range.

If you treat your hunting rifle carelessly, then it will probably soon develop rusty spots on the metal elements in the barrel. Therefore, cleaning and inspecting your weapon should be done once a month, even if you are not using it. The gun must be protected from rust, dust and scratches. The cause of rust is dampness. Therefore, the gun should only be stored in a fairly dry place, put in a box or at least wrapped in oiled paper, and in inclement weather it should only be carried in a thick case. From time to time, the weapon needs to be lubricated - lubricant protects its metal surfaces from rust and facilitates the friction of moving parts of the trigger mechanism. A popular lubricant for hunting arsenal is yellow Vaseline. Spindle oil and unsalted lamb lard are also used for this purpose. The barrel is cleaned with a rag with added oil, and then wiped thoroughly so that gun oil does not remain on the wooden parts under any circumstances. If you do not remove the oil from the wood, it becomes brittle and darkens.

The gun is not intended to be leaned on while walking. It is not recommended to finish off a wounded animal with a rifle butt (if it does not pose a threat to the hunter’s health). You cannot fire a gun with cartridges intended for other types of weapons, even if they are the right size. When opening the weapon, the barrels must be held with your free hand.

After each hunt (or shooting), you need to clean the gun barrel of gunpowder and soot. The weapon is stored unassembled.

How to clean a hunting rifle

If the barrel is broken, then break the gun; if not, then it is advisable to disassemble the rifle and remove the barrel.

Screw a steel spiral metal brush onto the ramrod and use it to clean the lead from the barrel along its entire length. Then the same operation is performed with a steel brush, bringing it only to the choke. Lead is removed especially carefully, since if traces of a bullet in the form of a lead coating remain in the barrel, then the metal underneath will very soon begin to rust.

Remove the metal brush and reattach the visher with the rag inserted into it. Pass the ramrod along the bore several times, collecting the lead scraped off with a brush on a rag. The rags are changed to clean ones two or three times. If traces of lead still remain on the rags (especially after firing with soft ammunition), use a metal brush again, moistening it with kerosene. Old lead is usually removed with turpentine.

Screw a clean bristle brush onto the cleaning rod, moisten it with neutral or universal lubricant and, turning the brush along the longitudinal axis of the barrel as it moves from the chamber to the barrel, apply the lubricant in an even layer. Some hunters use powder powder for lubrication.

All metal parts of the gun and the outside of the barrels are cleaned of dirt and dust with a clean, slightly oily rag (where it cannot be reached, clean with a wooden stick).

When finishing cleaning the gun, you need to make sure that the lubricant does not remain on the wood of the stock and forend and is not absorbed into it. Mineral gun lubricants, especially alkaline ones, cause walnut wood to deteriorate, become brittle, and eventually begin to crumble.

All wooden parts of the stock are lightly lubricated with a cloth soaked in vegetable oil.

The forend (stock) is adjacent to the barrels, put into a light fabric case, tightened with a rope from above, tied and put into the case.

The block and stock are placed in a slightly larger case, also tied and placed in the case.

Gun cleaning accessories:

1 - collapsible cleaning rod; 2 - vishers; 3 - metal brushes; 4 - bristle brush; 5 - puff; 6 - brush for cleaning the chamber; 7 - portable cleaning rod cord

The ramrod is used to clean the bore after shooting, lubricate the bore after cleaning, remove rust that has appeared on the surface of the bore, and lead.

Vishers for cleaning the bore of smoothbore weapons:

a - spring visher; b - visher for wrapping tow and rags; c - visher for cleaning material (rags); Mr. Visher Yu. N. Lysakovsky

Cleaning rods can be dismountable, non-dismountable, or in the form of a cord (cleaning rod-cord). Vishers and brushes are screwed to the cleaning rod, with the help of which the bores of the barrels are cleaned. The rods of any tips to the ramrod should not have sharp edges or burrs, so as to exclude the possibility of abrasions on the fingers.

Cleaning and protecting the gun from rust, cleaning the bore from lead and copper plating

It must be remembered that any kind of contamination or rust affects the combat of rifled weapons much more strongly than the combat of smooth-bore weapons. In rifled weapons, much more than in smooth-bore weapons, one should be careful against lead plating in case of lead bullets and from copper plating and cupronickelization in case of shell ones. The greater the initial velocity of the bullet, the faster these deposits are formed, sometimes not noticeable to the eye, but affecting the firing of the gun. Keeping the trunk perfectly clean only slows down these deposits, but does not get rid of them. Therefore, you need to look after rifled weapons especially carefully and clean them after each shooting. In addition, before shooting, be sure to wipe the barrels until they shine so that no traces of lubricant remain in them. Otherwise there will be misses and a strong scatter of bullets. Before shooting, bullet-shooting athletes even specifically “burn through” the barrel of oil with 1-2 shots.

To avoid rust, you should, if possible, protect your gun from moisture and remove water (dew, raindrops) that gets into the barrels and grooves of the gun during spring and summer hunting as soon as possible. In winter, when you come from the cold into a warm room, you need to let the gun sweat before cleaning. With gradual sweating, for example, if you cover the gun with a sheepskin coat or blanket, the appearance of droplets of moisture on it can be avoided.

When small spots of rust appear, it is removed by thorough cleaning with metal brushes (spiral along the entire barrel, with a brush to the choke), generously moistened with dehydrated kerosene. If the rust is old or has covered a large surface, such treatment may not be enough. Then you need to tightly plug the barrel with a wooden stopper on one side, and on the other, pour dehydrated kerosene to the top and also close it with a stopper. Every other day, the kerosene is poured out and the barrel is cleaned with brushes. If the rust does not come off, the barrel is again filled with dehydrated kerosene, and after 24 hours it is cleaned again, and so on for 3-4 days, until the rust completely disappears. After such treatment, do not start the barrels, clean them as often as possible, always lubricating them with oil.

It happens that rust appears on the outside of the barrels and other metal parts of the gun. You will need to apply a kerosene “compress” from a cloth to these corroded areas several times, and then wipe them with a wooden stick.

There is a fairly simple way to protect a gun from rust using BF-2 glue, but you can also use other waterproof glues (butex, mars, supercement, etc.).

It's done like this. With a hot (as long as your hand can tolerate it) saturated soda solution, thoroughly wash the outer surface of the barrels and other parts that are going to be covered with glue. How thoroughly the gun oil has been removed with this solution is checked with hot water - if it rolls off from some place in the form of balls, it means that the oil is still left, and this place is again wiped with a cloth soaked in a soda solution. After making sure that there is no oil, no longer touch the cleaned surfaces with bare hands, as hands leave grease stains on the metal. To hold the trunks, old, always clean, mittens are put on your hands.

Now screw a puff on the cleaning rod and insert it into the barrel from the chamber side to the muzzle, which is then lowered into a basin of boiling water. Slowly raising the ramrod up, they suck water into the barrel, thereby warming it up (the more, the better). Quickly insert a stick into the chamber to hold the barrels without touching them with your hands, and apply a soft rag with glue to the barrel (wiped dry) from the breech to the muzzle, without stopping the movement of the hand, strip by strip BF-2 . The glue on hot barrels dries almost instantly. Other parts of the gun are also coated with glue. The only difference is that they are heated not in water, but over the stove or in the oven. Apply glue to hard-to-reach places and small parts with a stiff bristle brush. To protect against moisture, the places where the metal parts of the gun come into contact with the stock are also lubricated several times with glue, drying them in air after applying each layer. After drying, the assembled gun is lubricated with gun oil - the glue is not afraid of oil. This coverage lasts for about a year or two (it all depends on how often the gun is used).

You can also coat the inner surface of the barrels with BF-2 glue, which have been thoroughly cleaned of rust. Heat up the barrel, plugged at both ends, by immersing it in boiling water. Remove the plugs and apply glue to the bore with a cloth wound on a visher, which freely passes through the barrel, barely touching the walls. The coating is done in two or three layers. Of course, the service life of this coating is much shorter than that on the outside of the barrels, but it also to some extent protects them from corrosion, especially during long-term storage.

Cleaning lead from a gun necessary because the lead-lined barrel begins to quickly corrode. A barrel that has a rough surface due to shells or rust is leaded faster than a smooth one.

In smoothbore guns, lead can be satisfactorily removed with a thin wire metal brush or a spiral wire attachment on a cleaning rod. If the lead does not come off well, you should use turpentine instead of oil. A barrel with a rough surface becomes leaded faster and more strongly due to shells or rusty spots. The largest amount of lead is deposited in the projectile entrance and at the transition point from the bore to the muzzle. When using black powder, the barrel becomes lead faster than when shooting smokeless, since black powder deposits solid residues on the surface of the barrel. By using plastic containers or wrapping the shot in paper, lead buildup in the bore is reduced.

In rifled weapons, lead plating, and significant lead plating, is observed when firing unsheathed lead bullets. Cleaning is done with tow tightly wound on a ramrod, moistened with turpentine until the barrel heats up from friction, and until the wiping material stops turning black, lead residues no longer remain on the tow. If the barrel is heavily leaded, then first you need to clean it with a brass brush.

After removing the lead, the barrel is cleaned with an alkaline compound, wiped dry and lubricated, as after normal shooting.

Cleaning from copper plating and cupronickelization. Copper plating and cupronickelization of the bore is observed when firing jacketed bullets with a cupronickel or copper jacket from a rifled weapon. They cause an increase in the pressure of the powder gases and worsen the shot. It is better not to allow strong copper plating and cupronickelization, but to clean the barrel through a small number of shots, which the hunter himself establishes experimentally, depending on the weapon and cartridges. The rate of copper plating and cupronickelization increases with increasing bullet speed, depth, steepness and shape of the rifling.

The metal of the bullet casing sometimes sticks so tightly to the surface of the bore that it cannot be completely removed even with the help of a brass wire brush.

To eliminate this defect, a solution of the following composition is used: ammonium sulfate - 28 g, ammonium carbonate - 13 g, 28-29% ammonia solution (ammonia water) - 170 g, distilled water - 100 g. When preparing the solution, first mix the powders ( the first two components), then liquids (the last two components), and then a mixture of liquids is added to the mixture of powders, in which the powders must dissolve. Ammonium sulfate and ammonium carbonate must first be crushed into smaller pieces.

The solution should be kept in a well-sealed container, preferably in a glass jar with a ground or tight rubber stopper. But even in this packaging it lasts no more than 12 days. Old solution stored much longer is unsuitable: it can cause rusting of the barrel.

When cleaning, the bore is first cleaned, then degreased and wiped dry. After this, the barrel from the chamber side is closed with a rubber stopper, and a rubber tube of such length is put on the barrel so that 4-6 cm of rubber tube remains above the muzzle. After this, ammonia solution is poured into the barrel to a level of approximately 3 cm above the muzzle and left for 30 minutes. If the solution turns blue, then copper dissolves in it.

Then the solution is drained and the rubber stopper is removed; wipe the barrel dry and clean it with alkaline grease using a bristle brush. A day later, the barrel bore is thoroughly cleaned again, wiped and lubricated with neutral or universal lubricant. If cupronickelization is very high, then the ammonia solution can be left in the barrel for 45-50 minutes. However, you should not often resort to this method.

For a successful hunt, it’s quite easy to make a decoy yourself. Details at the link.

How to restore wooden parts of a gun

After removing the previous coating of the wood of the stock and fore-end, they must be sanded to remove nicks, scratches and treated with fine-grained sandpaper until they are glossy. Stain, and by vigorous rubbing with a rag, bring the wood to a uniform color. Dry overnight. Then, after polishing with a rag, coat with the following composition: turpentine (or A98 gasoline) – 10 parts; beeswax – 4 parts; rosin - 2 parts; linseed oil (boiled) – 2 parts.

Heat the solution in a steam bath to 80˚C, heat the wood over a heat source to 40-50˚C, and then apply the hot solution with a swab to the wooden parts of the gun in two passes and leave for a day. After this, polish the wood with felt or cloth until it shines.

Preventing gun damage

To prevent mechanical damage to guns, they should only be transported covered. It is best to use hard cases or gun boxes. Soft covers, made of canvas or leather, are more suitable for running hunts. Another reason for damage to the trunk is its swelling due to dirt, snow, earth and other foreign objects getting inside (when it falls into a snowdrift, the trunk touches a hummock, the bark of a tree). The presence of a large amount of lubricant in the barrels, especially thickened ones, will also come as a side effect. Too strong a cartridge, especially with hard felt or cardboard wads, will cause a similar effect. Also, pea-shaped swellings can appear if the cartridge is not rolled enough and shot spills out of it, remaining in the barrel.

A good gunsmith can remove small bulges, but the performance properties of the weapon will be greatly reduced. More serious bloats are more difficult to resolve and are more likely to occur again.

To prevent bloating, it is better to carry the gun with its barrel down. Before loading your gun, it is best to double-check that the barrels are free of any foreign objects. If there is a possibility of a sudden shot, for example, when shooting from towers, driven or raid hunting, it makes sense to use a leather muzzle. Never plug trunks with rags or plugs. If you forget to take it out, the trunks will break or swell.

It is clear that broken trunks can no longer be repaired. Replacing them is almost impossible. Is it worth it to come to this?

The rupture of barrels, often with damage to the block and wooden parts of the weapon, is caused by improperly loaded cartridges. It is generally accepted that the double powder charge is most often to blame for this. Although, in fact, there can be a lot of reasons: hard and heavy wads, too much compression of smokeless powder, the use of unfamiliar powder, the use of old cartridges, etc. Often such errors lead to accidents, sometimes ending in the hunter’s disability, and not just the loss of the gun.

The service life of the gun is also greatly reduced by constantly using too strong cartridges. Play appears in the axial bolt and support hook as deformation of the rubbing surfaces occurs.

Tight, swollen cartridges should never be inserted by forcefully closing the gun; take a crimper when hunting to calibrate the cartridges before shooting.
The block and locking mechanism also suffer when firing from two barrels at the same time. Moreover, such shooting does not give anything other than unimaginable recoil, and, as a result, broken fingers and, of course, a huge load on the gun and the shooter.

Video on how to properly clean and care for a hunting rifle

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It is imperative to follow the rules for transporting and carrying a gun, which is very often not followed even by fairly experienced hunters. The biggest misconception is that “the trunks are iron, they will withstand anything.” Therefore, when the barrels hit something hard (stones, rocks), dents easily occur. The same dents are easy to get when transporting shotguns assembled (without a case) on car seats, when the shotguns hit one another. You should not put the gun on the butt and lean it against a tree, stone, etc., especially on rocky ground; Often the gun falls in such cases; in this case, in addition to the danger of a shot, dents from the impact occur.

When opening the bolt, you must not allow the barrels to fall freely downwards and do not jerk the barrels up when closing. In both cases, you need to hold the barrels at the forend with one, usually the left, hand, maintaining smooth movements and at the same time adjusting the stroke of the barrel (or cocking lever) with the pressure of the fingers of your right hand.

Do not click the trigger in vain, as this often leads to breakage of the firing pins of the trigger parts. When storing a disassembled gun, be sure to release all cocked springs.

Under no circumstances should you shoot with the barrels completely or partially plugged with dirt, snow, sand, ice, or parts of the cartridge. Do not fire a gun with the barrel in the water.

Clean and lubricate the gun in a timely manner.

If there are gaps between the metal parts of the gun and the wood, fill and seal them with wax to prevent moisture from penetrating.

When loading a cartridge, constantly check the barrels for the possible presence of any foreign objects.

Protect the gun from falling. Any drop of the gun can lead to its damage: dropping the gun can break the mainspring, bend or dented the barrels, deform the front sight, or cause a crack in the metal of the block that is invisible to the eye, which over time can cause an accident.

The rifle stock also does not withstand any blows well, often breaking in its most vulnerable part - in the neck. If the fallen gun turns out to be loaded, then a shot may follow, and with it an accident.

To prevent a possible fall of the gun, it is necessary to constantly, before each hunting trip, check the tightness of the fit of the gun swivels, especially the barrel ones, their screws and the strength of the gun belt (buckles, fastening straps that fasten the gun shoulder strap to the swivels), as well as the condition of the gun belt on the case or case.

Such a check should be done at rest stops during the hunt, and if any malfunctions are found, fix them: fasten buckles, sew weak seams, etc. To do this, you should always carry a needle with strong thread in a case along with accessories.

Clean the barrels more often, and disassemble and clean the trigger less often. If a hunter does not have the necessary experience, he should not disassemble the gun himself. Ineptly unscrewing and screwing in screws and separating metal parts from wood, as a rule, leads to damage to the screws and damage to the wood where it fits to the metal. There are frequent cases of breakdowns of the mainspring and other important parts. To eliminate any serious malfunction, the gun should be taken to a special workshop.

Never place wads on a bullet.

Follow these simple rules and you will always be in good spirits and in a good mood. Good luck on the hunt.

With proper care, a purchased hunting rifle will serve without fail for many years, while if handled carelessly, any, even very valuable, weapon can become unusable in two to three years, and sometimes even faster.

What can ruin a hunting rifle?

To ensure that your hunting rifle never lets you down, first of all you need to remember once and for all the following rules for using hunting weapons:

Any deviation from the instructions for loading cartridges entails damage to the gun.
In particular, caution should be exercised against shooting with gunpowder purchased in non-standard packaging from unknown persons. Such gunpowder may turn out to be stale and unfit for use.
In no case should you equip cartridges with a mixture of smokeless and black powder.
Before going hunting, the cartridges should be passed through the calibration ring.

Gun care

No less important than the equipment of cartridges is the care of the gun, both while hunting and at home.

Caring for your gun before hunting

Before going hunting, you should inspect the gun and check the swivels. If the swivel is loose, you need to carefully tighten the screw, and after the hunt, if it loosens again, change it. It is also necessary to make sure that the shoulder strap is strong. The gun must be wiped, removing thick grease from it. In rainy weather, it is a good idea to lubricate the barrels (outside) and the locking part with neutral gun oil.

Transporting a hunting rifle

If hunting areas are located far from home, then you need to carry the gun in a case - hard (holster) or soft (canvas, leather, etc.). All of them protect the gun well from bruises, rain and dust. When traveling for a long time on a train, car, etc., preference is given to a hard case, and when traveling to nearby places or when hunting - a soft case, which is more portable, lighter and therefore incomparably more convenient.

When using any type of transport, the gun should be placed so that it does not knock or rub when moving. If the soft case is wide and the gun dangles in it, you need to use a short strap to tighten the case behind the trigger guard of the gun. To avoid loss, this strap should be sewn to the case.

The gun is placed in a case in fabric, preferably cloth, cases, separate for the barrels and stock. A rag is placed on the back of the stock to protect the gun from dust penetrating into the case and later serves for wiping the gun.

Caring for a hunting rifle while hunting

If while hunting, when opening the gun, a cartridge or spent cartridge case slips under the extractor and you have to push it out with a cleaning rod or stick, then you need to unscrew the screw holding the extractor and first remove the latter, and then push out the cartridge case. You must not use cartridges that enter the chamber with difficulty, or slam the gun or lock it using force. You also cannot open the shutter, allowing the barrels to fall freely; they must be supported by hand.

Never click triggers in vain; In order not to break the firing pin, insert a spent cartridge case into the chamber or (with the barrels removed) firmly press a piece of wood to the firing pin hole, which will bear the impact of the firing pin.

If you happen to fall or drop your gun while hunting, you need to take out the cartridges and check whether snow, dirt or soil has gotten into the barrels, since when firing, even with partially clogged barrels, they can rupture or swell. After the shot, when loading the gun again, you should look to see if there is a wad left in the barrels or a cartridge case or a piece of it that has come off the cap.

Under no circumstances should you use a gun to finish off a bird or animal, use a gun to retrieve game that has fallen into the water, etc. All this leads to damage to the gun, and sometimes to accidents.

Caring for your gun at rest

At rest stops, the gun must be unloaded. They do not place it against a tree (the gun may fall), but cut a branch close to the tree trunk and always hang it on it with the trunks down. When it rains, sometimes you have to take shelter under a haystack, then, lifting the hay, you slip a gun under it with the barrels up. In this position, the gun is stable, and water cannot penetrate the barrels. Before leaving, you need to remove hay dust from the trunks and locking parts.

Cleaning your gun after hunting

At the end of the hunt, regardless of whether you had to shoot or not, tear off the ribbon from the rag lying in the case, wind it (if there is no cleaning rod) on the cut twig and clean the trunks. Then, taking a cloth soaked in neutral lubricant (it is most convenient to store it in a copper sleeve plugged with a stopper), wipe the barrels and the locking mechanism with it. This is a rough cleaning of the gun. Then soft covers are put on the barrels and stock and the gun is put into the case.

In the cold season, before bringing the gun (without a case) into a warm room, you need to wrap it in a jacket or blanket so that it does not sweat, but warms up gradually: only then, after wiping the gun as described above, put it in the case . At a hunting base or a stop at a house, it is best to keep the gun in a case, and do not put the assembled gun in a corner or put it on a bench, but always hang it on the wall. If during a break from hunting you have to go into a heated room for a short time, then it is best not to bring the gun into the house, but to hang it in the entryway so that it does not sweat.

Upon returning home, they begin the following procedure: Thorough cleaning of the gun. When shooting with smokeless powder, this must be done as soon as possible.

To clean the gun you need:

ramrod,
Visher,
metal and bristle brushes,
alkaline lubricant and gun (neutral) oil,
as well as clean soft rags.

Cleaning a gun is a sequential procedure.. Having disassembled the gun, take the barrels and clean them with a cleaning rod with a metal brush screwed onto it, lubricated with an alkaline lubricant. Then a visher with a clean rag is screwed onto the cleaning rod, which is used to wipe the trunks dry. Then the visher is replaced with a bristle brush and, having moistened it in an alkaline lubricant, the trunks are wiped again. After this, they tear off the ribbons from a clean white rag and, winding them onto the visher, clean the trunks until the rag on the visher remains completely clean. The extractor is also thoroughly wiped. Alkaline grease should not be left in the barrels for a long time.

If the trunks are very dirty, then it is useful to rinse them with hot water before cleaning, wiping them with a cleaning rod and a rag wrapped around the visher. Under no circumstances use grated brick, emery, etc. for cleaning.

If, while wiping the trunks, you see that the ribbon on the visher is covered with a shiny metallic coating (lead), then wet a rag with turpentine and pass it through the trunks several times. You need to change the rag until there is no lead glitter on it. After this, the barrels are cleaned in the specified order. You can open and clean the trigger mechanisms of a gun only in cases of real need.

Then they begin to clean the gun stock. A small piece of rag is wrapped around a thin sliver of wood and used to clean off the dirt and dust that inevitably gets into the locking part of the gun during hunting. Any rust stains that may appear on metal parts should be thoroughly wiped off using an alkaline lubricant, which is then removed with a rag.

After finishing cleaning, the barrels and all metal parts are lubricated with neutral lubricant; wooden parts should not be lubricated.

Although a gun is a decoration for a hunter’s home, it is not recommended to hang it on the wall: dust settles on the lubricant and accumulates in the barrels. In addition, the possibility of the gun falling cannot be ruled out. In conclusion, it must be said that the more often a hunter inspects and wipes his gun, the longer he will preserve it.

A. Kuhn

Cleaning the gun

The question of how to keep barrels from developing rashes and rust in guns whose bores are not coated with chrome worries many hunters, especially those who have old guns. The inevitability of shells appearing in canals is obvious, but it is still within the power of every hunter to extend the service of such trunks. The main thing is regular and thorough cleaning of the bores. I suggest method of cleaning a gun, available to every hunter.

How to clean gun barrels

If the gun was fired, the channels must be cleaned on the same day, in no case postponing until tomorrow to avoid the appearance of rust. You need to pour hot water (temperature 50-60°C) into some kind of dish - a bucket, basin or jar (not glass), put a wooden circle or a clean rag in there so as not to make nicks at the ends of the trunks. Take a piece of toilet soap and, rubbing the soap in water, dissolve it so that the water is thickly soapy. Or take 200 g of soda ash per 4.5-5 liters of water. Dip the ends of the barrels into soapy water with the muzzle end. Wrap a clean rag, or better yet, tow (hemp or flax tow) around the cleaning rod so that on the chamber side the cleaning rod fits snugly, but not too tightly. Pull the cleaning rod up and down to flush the channels.

Soapy water softens carbon deposits and rust in sinks, and also neutralizes the remnants of the capsule composition, which contributes to rusting, then you need to remove rags or tow from the cleaning rod and screw on a metal brush (preferably a fleecy one, not a spiral one) and, without removing the ends of the barrels, repeat the washing. A fluffy brush removes lead well and softened carbon deposits and rust.

After washing in soapy water, the trunks are washed with clean warm water and wiped dry with a clean rag, both inside and out.

The extractor is pulled out and wiped, the hole under the extractor is wiped with a stick with a rag wrapped around it.

Then continue cleaning the gun, but with oil. Oil for cleaning barrels can be used spindle or transformer oil. The barrels are wiped with oil until the rags on the cleaning rod show no signs of dirt (carbon deposits, rust and lead). Cloths need to be changed more often. Finally, wipe the bores of the barrels from any remaining oil and wipe with a rag or powder puff soaked in oil.

When cleaning in this way, the barrel channels do not lose their mirror surface for a long time. And if there are spots or even cavities, they hardly increase.

If the gun is not put into storage, the channels can be lubricated with this oil, but before shooting, the oil, of course, must be removed with a rag. Before storing the gun after the hunting season, you need to clean it well using the method described above, and then lubricate the bores and metal parts (outside) with nigrol. Nigrol protects well from corrosion and does not drain from the surface. You cannot lubricate the mechanisms - nigrol thickens greatly in the cold.

Nigrol must be taken without water or dehydrated yourself. Heat coarse table salt in a clean frying pan, wrap it in several layers of gauze, tie it so that the salt does not spill out, and place it in a jar of nigrol. Cover the jar, remove the salt after a day, pour the nigrol into a clean container, close it well so that moisture and dust do not get into it.

Do not drain the nigrol completely, as there may be a sediment of impurities, sand, or dust at the bottom. To remove nigrol before the start of the season, you need to soak a rag in kerosene or gasoline.

A. Nechaev, gunsmith

Barrel coating black

Hunter Yu. K. Mikulsky from the Zhytomyr region asks: How to coat parts and barrel of an MTs-21 shotgun. Many others join him with the question: How to make a barrel bluing yourself. In the book Shotgun and Shooting from It, Sergei Aleksandrovich Buturlin offers the following ways to paint trunks black. This work requires great care and accuracy in following all instructions, and therefore beginners rarely succeed.

How to make a barrel bluing yourself

The outside of the barrels must be completely cleaned from rust, all stains and traces of previous painting until completely white - first with sandpaper No. 00, then the finest No. 0000, or with a cork soaked in oil and sprinkled with emery dust, or so-called “steel wool.” Of course, the cut-off barrels, as well as the flat parts under the breech, are not touched.

To polish, the trunks are then wiped, sprinkled with dry fine sandpaper, or even better, “Viennese lime,” and rubbed with a soft cloth.

Before cleaning and polishing, the barrels are thickly lubricated inside with lard and tightly plugged with precisely fitted and also lubricated wooden sticks from both the treasury and the barrel. The pieces of wood should stick out 18-22 cm (4-5 inches each) outward so that you can handle the trunks without touching the metal with your fingers.

All parts of the extractor must be thickly lubricated and filled with rosin (harpius) or wax; if the barrels have to be heated very much (see below), then these parts should be filled with plaster, as well as the breech and muzzle ends of the barrels, inserting a nail stuck into a stick into the plaster.

Having completely cleaned and polished the surfaces of the trunks, it is necessary to remove the slightest traces of fat from them (for example, from accidental touch even with a dry hand). To do this, you need to wash the trunks thoroughly with soap, and then with a strong solution of potash (potassium carbonate), or a weak solution of caustic soda, or just ash, then wash thoroughly in several waters and wipe dry with a dry cloth or clean tow.

You can clean the barrel from traces of grease by thoroughly wiping it with a wet rag with sifted wood ash or chalk, then scalding it with boiling water (from a samovar) and wiping it thoroughly with a dry, clean rag.

For some painting methods, it is also necessary to prepare a bath of such length that the trunks with sticks protruding from them fit freely in width - quite spacious, 12-13 cm (2.75-3 inches), and about 11 cm deep (2.5 inches). ). You can make it from iron, tin, zinc, even just from boards, just thickly fill the seams with melted black resin, rosin or wax.

It is best to attach the trunks on strong twines tied to wooden sticks, so that the trunks hang in the bathtub without touching either the walls or its bottom.

In many cases, the oxide layer applied to the trunks during painting must be cleaned to achieve an even, uniform gloss with a metal brush, like those used in factories for combing wool. You can do it like this: take the thinnest (“knitting”) iron wire, cut it into pieces of 7 centimeters (1.5 inches each), put the pieces in a pack about the thickness of your little finger, tie the last tightly with twine in several turns, trimming one of the ends bundle of wires (lightly tapping the ends with a hammer). The resulting flat top area is also ground with the finest file or whetstone. You can also use small brushes to clean the file.

Rub the trunks with a brush, without scratching them, but stroking them with a brush in one direction, so to speak, “along the fur,” without leaving any unbrushed matte areas anywhere.

Coloring the trunks blue-black

Dissolve copper sulfate (blue) (cuprum sulfuricum) completely in water, and add 5-6 drops of sulfuric acid (acidum sulfuricum) dropwise to each glass of solution. The trunks are immersed in this bath until they acquire the color of red copper. Then they are rinsed with water, and if they are Damascus trunks, then immersed in a 10% solution of ammonia in water until the Damascus pattern becomes clearer; then the trunks are removed and thoroughly rinsed with water. Steel trunks are not passed through this ammonia bath.

Next, hyposulfite (sulfate-acid soda - natrum hyposulfurosum) is dissolved in hot water until completely dissolved, approximately 200 g for each glass; the solution is passed through a funnel with filter paper or absorbent (pharmaceutical) cotton wool. Even before pouring this solution, the trunks are suspended in the bathtub, without touching either the walls or the bottom of the bathtub. The solution, drained in some vessel, is poured with hydrochloric or hydrochloric acid (acidum muriaticum or acidum hydrocloricum) 2% by volume, or 1/4 cup of acid per 12.5 cups of solution. When mixed with acid, the solution will become cloudy and yellow, and then the trunks are immersed in it, hot.

After 5 seconds, take out the trunks, pour cold water over them and see if the color begins to show. If it appears, then the trunks are immersed again for half a minute (30 seconds), no more, and again taken out, doused with water and examined.

When the coloring has been achieved in this way to the desired blackness, the trunks are carefully washed in cold water without touching them with your hands. Then the used hyposulfite solution is poured out of the bath (it may be useful again, but with hydrochloric acid added again); wash the bathtub and pour a solution of potassium alum (Alumen Kaliumpulvis) into the water: for every 5 glasses of water, half a glass of alum powder.

The trunks are placed in this solution for 12 hours, then they are washed with cold water, allowed to dry and, after heating a little (for example, by removing one of the plugs of each trunk and pouring boiling water inside), carefully wipe them with boiled oil (linseed oil) on a soft canvas cloth, but not greasy, and, hanging loosely, are allowed to dry for six days.

Concentrated sulfuric acid is poured dropwise into half a glass of turpentine (turpentine oil), stirring thoroughly each time with a glass rod or tube; At the same time, a black mass settles to the bottom. From time to time a little fresh turpentine is poured into the glass. When you get 1/4 cup of black sediment, leave the glass for several hours so that the sediment settles more densely.

Then all the turpentine is carefully drained from the sediment, water is poured in instead, in which the sediment is stirred with a glass rod, and then it is again allowed to settle, and the water is carefully drained. This washing of the precipitate with clean water is repeated 12-15 times, testing to see if all the acid has been washed off (if a strip of litmus paper, available in any pharmacy, dipped into water, turns from lilac-pink to pure pink, it means that traces of the acid have not yet been washed off).

When the acid has been washed off, pour the sediment onto a clean, thin linen cloth and filter the water through it. The sediment is then applied to the trunks, preferably with a flat bristle brush about 2.5 cm wide, as evenly as possible. If, due to its thickness, the sediment lies unevenly, you need to add a little turpentine and mix it thoroughly with the sediment; if the sediment is too liquid and flows off the trunk, you need to carefully evaporate the sediment over an alcohol lamp.

A well-made sediment covers the trunks with an even, translucent, dark brown layer. Having coated the trunks, you need to heat them evenly, turning them correctly and slowly over the fire (at least over a primus stove, etc., if there is no special oven). It has to be heated quite strongly, so this method is not suitable for barrels soldered with tin.

As it heats up, the brown color is replaced by black, more matte. When the blackness has settled evenly, allow the trunks to cool slowly and, while they are still warm, wipe them with a cloth with a small amount of drying oil, after which they are allowed to dry for several days.

This method is more suitable for steel trunks, since the Damascus pattern appears unclear.

Painting gun barrels black

Dissolve black liver (potassium sulfide, kalium sulfuratum adbaineum) in hot filtered water, no 410 g for each bottle of water. Then add a teaspoon of hydrochloric acid to each bottle of the resulting solution. In a bath with this solution, hang the trunks so that they are 2.5-4.5 cm (3/4 of an inch or an inch) below the surface of the solution and so that during painting they can be slowly turned in all directions (for example, attaching two ropes with rings to the ceiling or to the upper frame of the window, into which sticks sticking out of the trunks or nails driven into these sticks are inserted). Having received the desired color, the trunks are washed with water, heated with boiling water and wiped with drying oil, as mentioned above.

Any firearm needs proper care. Everyone knows this, but not many have a clue about how to clean a gun correctly, what tools and lubricants to use. Unfortunately, ignorance of the rules and maintenance sequence can end badly for the system and individual parts of the gun.

The first cause of contamination is carbon deposits left after firing a gun. It is formed when black powder burns at the moment of firing. If you do not remove the smoky residue in time, there is a risk that it will turn into growths and it will become impossible to use the gun. In addition, carbon deposits tend to attract moisture, which can subsequently cause rust to form.

A professional hunter uses weapons regularly, so it is possible that the gun comes into contact with dust, dirt, and moisture, which are constant companions in the forest and other areas. If you don’t have time for proper care, clean the barrel itself. This is the most vulnerable point of the gun, because... constantly exposed to gunpowder and hot gases. There is no universal rule for everyone on how to properly clean a hunting rifle, but even a beginner must know the basic principles of this procedure.

Criteria for indications for cleaning

Opinions vary on how often to clean a gun. Some believe that too frequent cleaning will damage the inner chrome layer and leave scratches. This theory has not been confirmed, so it is recommended to clean a hunting rifle in the following situations:

weapons are not used for a long time. In this case, cleaning is recommended once a month;
after zeroing, and the barrel must be cleaned after each shot fired;
immediately after purchase, to get rid of factory lubricants;
after the hunting season closes, before hiding;
after each use, even if only a few rounds were fired;
after moisture and dirt get into the gun;
after the hunt, regardless of whether a gun was used or not.

You can leave a gun uncleaned for no more than a day, because... corrosion begins to appear 2-3 hours after shooting. These easy-to-remember rules will help preserve the life of your weapon for a long time.

How and with what to clean a smoothbore gun, necessary equipment

If you are not an expert in choosing care products, it is better to consult a more experienced friend or consultant in a store. The contents of a gun care kit, whether it is a hunting or sporting one, may vary. It depends on the manufacturer, but some professional shooters ignore standard rules and select tools based on their experience and preferences. There may also be differences in tools and materials depending on the type of weapon, model, etc. The standard set includes:

a wooden or aluminum cleaning rod consisting of 2-3 segments for cleaning and lubricating the barrel. Components are screwed to it: visers and brushes;
iron brush for cleaning carbon deposits, metal particles and rust. There are bristle brushes, spiral brushes and down brushes. Tools made of either bronze or brass are considered to be the most durable in operational terms;
brass brush with bristles for applying alkali-based lubricants;
vishers are special tools with holes for holding rags. The visher is screwed onto the shomol;
brushes for cleaning dirt and dust;
wooden skewers for removing dirt in hard-to-reach places.

Along with the tools, lubricants, neutral oils for processing carbines and shotguns, alkaline oils for barrels, and sprays for processing weapons are purchased.

Gun paste is also used. It acts as a neutralizer of active combustion products of gunpowder, removes carbon deposits and fights corrosion, and restores the shine of varnished and metal surfaces. However, due to the fact that the pastes contain abrasive particles, careless use can lead to damage to the bore. It is better to use pastes in the most advanced cases, when other means fail.

There are also additional means for caring for weapons: pencils for chemical blackening, wax, solvents, impregnation for caring for wooden parts, etc. You can combine products at your discretion, the main thing is the correctness and step-by-step execution of the manipulations themselves.

In addition to the devices described above, you can purchase a special stand for a gun and other accessories. You will also need a flat, well-lit surface.

How to properly clean a gun: step-by-step instructions

Before cleaning a smoothbore gun, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures:

unload the gun and check it before cleaning, remove any remaining leaves and visible dirt;
if you brought the gun from the cold, then you need to let it sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours to prevent condensation;
The weapon is always cleaned from the chamber to the muzzle. The cleaning tool should only move in one direction. During the cleaning process, solid particles are always formed that must be quickly removed;
tools and the bore must be dry during cleaning;
the cleaning rod should have a soft coating, preferably plastic or wood. You cannot use metal cleaning rods, especially those with an aluminum coating;
alkaline lubricants are applied to surfaces with which powder gases came into contact outside and inside the barrel;
weapons are cleaned in a well-ventilated area, because cleaning compounds are highly toxic and volatile. In order not to damage the table surface with the chemical components of the lubricant, it is better to cover the work surface with newspapers in 5-6 layers;
Cleaning cloth pieces are used only once and are discarded forever.

After preparation, you can proceed directly to the cleaning process.

Depending on the type of gun, the barrel is broken or dismantled. If the gun has just been purchased and you do not know how to do this, look at the manufacturer's instructions.
Alkaline lubricant or spray is applied to the inside of the bore on the breech side. The weapon is fixed in a vertical position for half an hour. Other parts exposed to powder gases are lubricated in a similar way.
After the lubricant has passed through the entire barrel and flowed down at the muzzle, wipe it off using a cloth cutter and a whisk.
A metal brush corresponding to the diameter of the barrel bore is screwed onto the cleaning rod and with its help the internal cavity of the barrel is cleaned several times. This removes lead, which causes rapid corrosion. Don't move back and forth. Cleaning is carried out only in one direction, otherwise the barrel may be damaged.
The place of the brush is again taken by a brush with a rag. With its help, all internal dirt is cleaned until all traces of lead are removed. If after 3-4 manipulations the marks do not disappear, you can moisten the cloth in kerosene or turpentine and repeat the procedure.
A bristle brush dipped in lubricant is screwed into place in place of the visher. The lubricant is evenly distributed throughout the barrel bore.
The external elements of the weapon are also cleaned of dirt and dust with a brush and wiped with a cloth slightly moistened with oil.
Wooden parts are wiped with compounds specially designed for wood.
Upon completion of cleaning, check the presence of lubricant on the wood of the stock and forend to see if it has been absorbed into them.
The cleaned gun is collected, packaged and sent to a safe for storage.

After cleaning, all tools except the cleaning rod are washed in warm running water and soap to completely remove any solid particles. Then they are dried well, folded and put away in a specially designated place for them.

A rifle is a rifle that can be cleaned from the treasury, but a semi-automatic can be cleaned from the muzzle. The procedure is the same as when caring for a smoothbore gun.

How to clean a gun from rust, lead and copper plating

The formation of rust or other aggressive deposits has a more negative effect on the performance of a rifled barrel than a smoothbore. In addition to corrosion, the steel surface can be damaged by lead or copper plating. The higher the initial velocity of the bullet, the faster deposits are formed, which negatively affect the action of the gun. It is impossible to eliminate such unnecessary formations, but you can significantly reduce the rate of their occurrence. To do this, the weapon must be properly and regularly protected and cleaned. The rifled gun must be cleaned after each shooting process. Before shooting, it is recommended to thoroughly wipe the barrels of grease.

You can avoid rust by promptly wiping the gun from moisture, dew, precipitation, condensation, etc. Any corrosion stains that appear are eliminated by cleaning with metal brushes and brushes, generously soaked in dehydrated kerosene or other solvent. Old rust and damage to the large surface of the barrel can be removed as follows:

on one side the trunk is tightly plugged with a wooden plug;
Dehydrated kerosene is poured from another hole;
the second hole is also closed with a stopper;
after a day, the kerosene is drained and the barrel is cleaned with a brush.

If the rust remains, the barrel is again filled with dehydrated kerosene and left for 24. After this time, the cleaning procedure is repeated. Such manipulations are carried out 3-4 times until the rust completely disappears.

Rust that appears on the outside of the barrel is removed with kerosene compresses. This treatment is effective, but very harmful to the weapon, so it is better not to let it fall into disrepair. You can protect your gun from corrosion using medical glue BF-2 or any other waterproof one.

The outside of the gun is washed with a strong and hot soda solution.
Using a cleaning rod and a nozzle with a puff, rinse the inside of the barrel with the same water.
Using a cloth swab dipped in glue, treat the necessary areas on the outside and, if necessary, on the inside. You can apply 2-3 layers, waiting until the previous one dries.

This protection lasts up to two years, depending on the frequency of use of the weapon. It is important not to touch the gun with bare hands after a soda bath, so as not to leave greasy marks on the surface.

The gun must be cleaned of lead so that the barrel does not corrode. A barrel with a rough surface due to shells or rust is leaded much faster. Smoothbore guns are cleaned with a metal brush made of thin wire or a spiral wire attachment. If the lead does not come off well, you should replace the oil with turpentine. By using plastic containers or wrapping the shot in paper, lead in the bore can be reduced.

In rifled weapons, lead cleaning is done with tow tightly wound on a cleaning rod and soaked in turpentine. The procedure is repeated until there is no longer any plaque left on the material. A heavily leaded barrel is first cleaned with a brass brush. After cleaning, the gun is wiped down as after normal shooting.

Copper plating and cupronickelization are eliminated with a solution of:

ammonium sulfate 28 g;
ammonium carbonate 13 g;
ammonia solution (ammonia water) 170 g;
distilled water 100 g.

First, mix the first two components, then the last two components. Liquid ingredients are added to the powders and stirred well. Ammonium sulfate and ammonium carbonate must first be crushed into smaller pieces.

Before cleaning, the bore is cleaned, degreased and dried. The barrel from the chamber side is closed with a rubber stopper, and a rubber tube of such length is put on the barrel so that 4-6 cm of rubber tube remains above the muzzle. Afterwards, the prepared solution is poured into the barrel not reaching approximately 3 cm above the muzzle and left for half an hour. The blue color of the solution indicates that the copper is dissolving.

Taking good care of your gun will extend its service life and it will not let you down at the most crucial moment.

According to experts, all firearms, regardless of parameters such as caliber, operating principle and type of ammunition used, must be cleaned and lubricated regularly. If this is neglected, then at the most inopportune moment the gun or pistol will, at best, misfire, at worst, it will completely fail and become dangerous for the shooter himself. As a result, the owner will have to pay a decent amount for repairs. Many inexperienced hunters are interested in how to properly clean a gun? What is needed for this? Information on how to clean your gun is contained in this article.

On the causes of contamination of hunting weapons

Before you get interested in how to clean a gun, you should figure out why it gets clogged. The main cause of contamination is the field conditions in which the weapon is used. Since hunting rifle units are used in wooded, steppe and swampy areas, their metal parts are often in contact with moisture. It happens that hunters even drop their guns into the water. In addition, during a shot, the barrel is exposed to high temperatures. The presence of hot gases and particles of burning powder negatively affects the condition of this element of the gun. In other words, small pockets of rust begin to form from inside the barrel. If you don’t clean it in time, their area will increase. It is noteworthy that as a result of the use of black powder, carbon deposits accumulate in the barrel bore. According to experts, with carbon deposits, weapons attract moisture more intensely.

When to start?

In addition to the question of how to clean a gun, beginners are interested in when to do this procedure? Some hunters believe that cleaning weapons frequently is harmful. This is explained by the fact that scratches form in the gun, chrome surfaces wear off, etc. According to experts, such shooters are mistaken, since the rifle unit will fail much faster if it is not taken care of, or if it is not done correctly. Most often, the gun will have to be cleaned during zeroing, especially if black powder rather than smokeless is used. Experts advise maintaining your hunting rifle during the non-hunting season. Thus, it is advisable to clean it at least once a month, even if the weapon has not been used. The shooting unit must be cleaned every time after use.

Of course, you can take the weapon to a service center where professionals will do all the work. However, most hunters do not trust their shooting units to anyone and clean them themselves.

What to use?

Before you begin the procedure, you need to purchase a special gun cleaning kit from a hunting store. It is equipped with the following components:

A metal brush. With its help, carbon deposits, rust and metal particles are easily removed.
Two- or three-segment cleaning rod for cleaning weapons. It can be wooden or aluminum.
Bristle brush. It is used to apply an alkaline lubricant to clean the gun.
With a puff brush. With its help, the weapon is treated with a neutral lubricant.
Vishers. They are special threaded devices that are screwed onto the cleaning rod. The purpose of this element is to hold a rag or rags on the cleaning rod.

Special brushes, through which dust, dirt and debris are removed from the weapon.
With sharp wooden sticks. They are also called “toothpicks”. They are used in cases where it is necessary to reach hard-to-reach places in the mechanism.

The above elements are considered mandatory for the standard set. Various manufacturing companies producing devices for cleaning weapons complete their products with various additional tools. However, judging by the reviews, you can quite successfully clean a gun using basic products.

Universal DAC Kits

Judging by numerous reviews, a set of 63 items for cleaning weapons is in great demand among hunters. The peculiarity of this product is the availability of different types of cleaning rods, additional tools and accessories, as well as brush attachments for various calibers. The company has been producing its kits since 2003. The products are contained in two wooden drawers.

The set consists of the following tools:

Three copper cleaning rods, for which one handle is provided.
Ershikov (14 pcs.).
Puffs in the amount of 10 pieces.
Vishers made of plastic (4 pcs.) and brass (13 pcs.).
Adapters (4 pcs.).
Three universal brushes.
Two brushes for cleaning valves.
Two double-sided brushes.
One double-sided scraper.
Polishing cloth.

The main compartment has a special felt-covered stand on which you can place your weapon during cleaning. In the drawer in which the cleaning tools are located, the surfaces are also covered with felt. Judging by consumer reviews, this spacious compartment is convenient for storing oils and various cleaning tools. The set weighs no more than 4600 g. To become its owner, you will have to shell out 12 thousand rubles.

The DAC company also produces universal sets of 35 items, with which you can clean any type of weapon. Products cost up to 3 thousand rubles.

Where can I buy the kits?

Those wishing to buy weapons cleaning products can do so in specialized stores. One of them is the “Hunter” store.

In Kolomna it is located at the address: Umanskaya street, house No. 19a. The Okhotnik store is open seven days a week and follows the following schedule: Monday to Friday, open from 9:30 to 18:30. On Saturday it closes at 6 pm. On Sundays it is open from 10 am to 4 pm.

Where to begin?

Before cleaning your gun, you should check to see if it contains any ammunition. After the weapon is unloaded, you can proceed directly to cleaning. You should start by dismantling the barrel. If the gun is a breaking type, then the barrel must be broken. Next, the cleaning rod is equipped with a metalized brush, through which lead, which causes corrosion, is removed from the inside of the barrel. Then the brush is removed from the cleaning rod, and a visher is mounted in its place. They attach a rag or rags to it and continue to remove the lead coating. Experts advise changing rags several times. If lead still remains, then the rag should be dipped in kerosene or turpentine and continue cleaning. After completing these steps, you need to apply a universal or neutral lubricant to the bristle brush and distribute it throughout the barrel channel.

Rust removers

Judging by numerous reviews, it happens that the rust has become so ingrained that it is no longer possible to remove it with metal brushes and a brush. Such shooters can be recommended to use a special solution, the composition of which is represented by the following chemical components:

Ammonium sulfate. It will take 28 g.
Ammonium carbonate (13 g).
Ammonia water (170 g).

These substances are diluted in distilled water. Next, the resulting solution is poured into the barrel, which is then tightly sealed with rubber plugs. The weapon is left in this position for half an hour. After this time, the plugs can be removed and an alkaline lubricant applied to the barrel.

The rusting process can be prevented by preventing moisture from getting into the barrel. However, this is not possible in areas with high humidity. Experienced hunters in winter, before cleaning, wrap their weapons tightly and allow them to “sweat” in this way. This is necessary so that condensation does not begin to form in the barrel channel. It will not be difficult to prevent the rusting process on the outside of the gun with waterproof glue. First, the grease is washed off the gun using a soda solution. Then the elements to be cleaned are not heated too much with a gas burner. Next, glue is applied to them in several layers. After it hardens, the weapon is rubbed with universal lubricant.

Final stage

Cleaning firearms also involves removing dust and dirt from external metal parts. At this stage, the technician will need a clean, lightly oiled rag. After processing the iron parts, proceed to the wooden surfaces. Once the weapon is completely clean, both inside and out, it needs to be put back together. Judging by the reviews, traces of gun grease often remain on wooden parts. They can be easily wiped off with a clean cloth. Now the gun can be packed and placed in a special safe in which it will be stored.

Finally

The above methods are considered standard. Each owner decides for himself how to clean his gun. The main thing is to remember that weapons need care and attention. This is the only way to extend its service life for many years.

Keeping a weapon clean is an unspoken axiom of any self-respecting hunter. Nobody knows when the next time you will be able to go hunting and practice your accuracy, while simultaneously shooting another larger game. Therefore, dear ones, prepare your sleigh in the summer.

For hunting in Russia, and throughout the CIS, they use exclusively smooth-bore guns: either single-barreled or double-barreled shotguns. Semi-automatic, inertia and gas-operated models are also often found, but in smaller quantities.

Any firearm needs regular cleaning not only of the barrel, but also of all mechanical structural elements. We will try to consider both old and new, more technologically advanced ways of keeping weapons clean.

Let's start with the trunk

The key element of any gun is the barrel. Before the cleaning process itself, we prepare the working surface, which must be flat. Use a soft surface that will prevent the weapon from being scratched. Newspapers are also suitable because they absorb oil and combustion products from cartridges just as well. Provide a resting point for the muzzle before using the cleaning rod.

The disassembly process is as follows: we separate the receiver block from the box. If the gun is fractured, then the fore-end is first removed, after which the block is carefully removed. We support the butt with our free hand. Everything needs to be done above the table.

Semi-automatic machines are equipped with a cap screwed onto the magazine. It is the key fixator of the entire structure. Carefully unscrew it, move the bolt back 2-3 centimeters, remove the forend and pull the receiver unit with the butt in different directions (necessarily above the table). Beginners are advised to take photographs of the parts inside the forend so as not to become confused in their location in the future. The slightest mistake can lead to unstable operation of the gun.

We unscrew all the narrowings. Now you can begin to bring the weapon to its original condition in two ways:

using old technologies;
according to new ones.

Let's consider the advantages of each.

Cleaning the old fashioned way

So, we have prepared the barrel, now we will clean it using the “traditional” method. You will need a special one, sold in gun stores. Apply it to the inner surface for about 20 minutes until the substance softens and prepares powder deposits.

Next, remove the lead with a steel brush until a characteristic mirror shine appears inside. After rough processing, take a napkin or a soft (preferably fiber) cloth and remove the remaining lead. Wipe the barrel dry.

Modern trends

Progressive cleaning is not much different, but the method is more convenient. The barrel is filled with foam (from the same store) and kept for up to 20 minutes. The composition is caustic; work only with rubber household gloves. Foam easily dissolves lead, copper plating and combustion products “sticking” to the inside of the barrel.

We deal with choke constrictions

The constrictions, like the barrel, are also overgrown with lead and carbon deposits from gases. They can also be cleaned using “traditional” and “innovative” methods:

Using a stationery needle, the thread is cleaned of gunpowder residues (traditional);
Armed with a toothbrush, a hard kitchen sponge and detergent, rinse the nozzle over the sink. Next, wipe with a dry cloth and then with an oil cloth (traditional);
A weapon-grade solvent (solvent) is used for deposits, which eats away deposits on the threads. Residues are removed with a napkin (modern).

Before re-screwing in chokes, bells and flares, do not forget to apply a high-temperature compound to the threads to protect the nozzle from combustion products. It does not thicken and makes it easy to change constrictions even in the field.

What to do with the ejector and extractor?

Case mechanisms are also susceptible to powder deposits and need to be cleaned. If we consider the old version, then you will need a wooden (this is important) toothpick and a napkin. The first item is used to carefully and thoroughly clean the corners from burning, and the second item is used to clean off any remaining residue.

Modern technology is simpler. Apply to the product, leave for the required time (indicated on the package), then wipe with a cloth. Don't forget the gloves.

Gas outlets

This point is of interest, first of all, to the owner of self-loaders equipped with a gas piston for ejecting cartridges. Let’s say right away that you shouldn’t clean it constantly. If you see the shell starting to get stuck in the window, then it's time. Thin copper wire is used as the basis for cleaning.

The old and new methods are identical and differ only in the “solvent”. In the first case it is a cleaning oil, in the second it is a solvent. The substance is applied to all structural elements and left for a certain time. Next, use a napkin to remove all carbon deposits. If necessary, the “soaking” procedure is repeated again.

We clean the outer part of the barrel and everything else

There is no need to particularly clean the front surface of the barrel. It is enough to go through it once with an oil wipe and then with a dry one to get rid of any remaining fuel and lubricants. A very thin, barely noticeable film should remain. Wear cotton gloves, as it is very difficult to remove fingerprints and spoil the overall picture.

Next, we pay attention to other mechanical and static structural elements. Powder fumes accumulate as readily as possible in gas exhaust systems and magazine tubes. It is imperative to get rid of it.

If the cleaning is long-term (tired of shooting/the season has ended/you are putting it up for sale), do not forget about a conservation lubricant that prevents the moving components from rusting and corroding. It must be cleaned before using the weapon, since the barrel must remain clean and dry.

For short-term storage, it is enough to use neutral oil, which is used to rub all metal components.

Wooden and plastic elements

Guns have only 2 elements, which are made of wood or plastic: the fore-end and the butt. During operation, these materials quickly lose their original factory shine and beauty.

Let's start with wood, since it is capricious by nature. All elements are initially coated with varnish or impregnation, which is wiped off over time, revealing a “bare” base. Hunting in the rain, in the cold season, in frost or extreme heat deforms the fibers, which leads to swelling, cracks, splits and more. Carry out preventive maintenance on wooden elements at least once a year, using other antiseptics.

If the stock does get into water, it must be treated immediately, immediately after thorough drying. The tree does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature. Drying in direct sunlight or at high temperatures is unacceptable. You should not leave a wet gun in the cold - the butt may “tear”, although this happens extremely rarely.

Plastic is much easier to maintain and use. It does not require careful care and can withstand shocks and mechanical damage. However, the material does not tolerate abrasives that can scratch the surface. When cleaning, wash the plastic parts with a soft sponge and detergent in warm water. Solvent is a controversial solution, since it is a solvent, and plastic is a petrochemical product. You can peel off the paint, if any, and turn the gloss into a matte texture. Act carefully and according to the situation.

All advice is useful only if you adhere to certain rules:

cleaning products act differently in different weather and temperature conditions, so read the instructions carefully and check the expiration date;
do not allow soil to get on cleaning rags or brushes - this is a strong abrasive;
after hunting, dry not only the gun, but also the belt and cover to prevent corrosion;
Do not use overly “fragrant” chemicals - they will easily give you away when hunting big game.

And don't forget to pull the triggers during storage. Safety first.