7 Tips for Taking Care of Your Gun

When you become a gun owner, you have a responsibility not only to keep your gun in proper working order, but to store it safely as well to keep accidents from happening.

Here are 7 tips for taking care of your gun:

Clean After Each Use

Your safest bet for making sure your gun will be properly functioning when you need it is to clean your gun after each use. It will be easier to spot problems and rectify them quickly this way.

The general process is to first unload your gun and disassemble the weapon. Then spray some cleaner down the barrel from the breech and then use a bore snake to scrub the insides. To make it everything is cleaned properly inside, push some cloths through until they come out clean. Make sure you leave enough of a coating inside though.

Keep Your Gun-Cleaning Kit Well-Stocked

There are many tools and products you should always have on hand to proper maintain your gun. It is best to buy a kit or create one yourself that has everything you need. It should include a bottle of solvent, lubricating oil, patches, a patch holder, a jag, rod and a bore-cleaning brush. Keep in mind that the bore-cleaning brush is typically sold separately from any kits that are on the market.

Experts recommend products like:

Hoppe’s BoreSnake Rifle Bore Cleaner

This cleaner can be used in a 3-step process to give your gun a spotless shine.

Gun Scrubber Synthetic Safe Cleaner

This is a high-pressure degreaser/solvent that allows you to scrub your gun clean without damaging any parts.

Hoppe’s Universal Gun Cleaning Accessory Kit

This kit which can be adapted to be used with both shotguns and pistols comes with universal aluminum cleaning rods, phosphor bronze brushes and gauge bore swabs.

Your Cleaning Solvent Should Match Fire Power

What type of cleaning solvent you use really depends on what type of ammunition you use. Experts say that if you use black powder then you should use black powder solvent and if you prefer corrosive ammunition the best cleaning solution should be 50/50 ammonia and water. Some experts actually recommend always following up the cleaning with an ammonia wash.

Don’t Neglect Cleaning the Barrel Breech

The barrel breech of your gun tends to be prone to buildup so make sure you don’t neglect this part of the gun or your gun won’t function properly. The area of most concern is the part of the barrel breech where the bolt closes into the battery. When there is too much buildup, the bolt will not close fully into the battery.

After Cleaning, Check for Wear and Tear

To make sure you don’t forget to monitor regularly for wear and tear, always do it after each time you clean your run. Follow the manufacturer instructions on when you should replace any of the internal parts. This way you will not be caught by surprise by a problem with your gun.

Take Storing Your Gun Seriously

When it comes to storing your gun, there are two issues you need to worry about long-term storage and safety issues. The most important thing is that you think carefully about where you store your gun so that your children or other family member or even friend could get a hold of it and cause a tragedy. You need to make sure it is not stored somewhere out in the open. Many gun owners purchase a safe that only they have access to.

The other issue is long-term storage and preventing humidity and other factors to damage the gun. Even stored in case or a safe, temperature and moisture can weather your gun. Some experts recommend storing silica packs in with the gun to help with the moisture. Another option is to purchase a dehumidifier for it.

If you know you are going to store for a very long time, it is also good idea to make it is well oiled when you put away. This will give it extra protection during the months or years it is stored away.

It’s Okay to Bring Some Style to Being a Gun Owner

When we think about gun owners, we normally think of soldier or police dressed in SWAT gear or camouflage or rancher dressed in blue jeans and cowboy boots, but so many different types of people are gun owners today and everyone has their own sense of style.

When it comes to choosing a gun case, both its protective qualities and its sense of style matters. Some experts recommend that the case should have a hard shell on the outside and lined with a soft material inside. Avoid a wool lining though because that tend to invite moisture in. The hard shell is meant to protect the gun from being crushed or damaged by something heavy falling on it.

Not everyone likes that look though and for some gun owners, that heavy duty protection might not be absolutely necessary. Gun cases come in a lot of different materials and styles, even cotton and nylon. Leather and cowhide gun cases are also very popular. And cowhide comes in different colors and patterns that can either give off a luxurious feel or a playful vibe. Cowhide Outlet offers many different gun cases that cater to different styles.

One thing you need to make sure though is that if you have a large, heavy gun, then you will need to make sure that the case has a strong handle that is easy to use. Also make sure the case has a heavy duty zipper that is easy to use. For extra security get one with a padlock with it.

There is no rule that says gun owners can’t be playful so when choosing a case for your gun have some fun with it and let your personality shine through. Love hot pink and sparkles? Choose a case all decked out and glittery. Love the feel of cowhide? Go for cowhide gun case. Learn more at Cowhide Outlet.