Owning a gun comes with a lot of responsibilities. First, you are responsible for keeping that gun away from criminals. Be careful when handling the pistol so that you don’t harm anyone. You should maintain your gun regularly so that it doesn’t misfire or malfunction.
Use the following maintenance tips to keep your pistol in top-notch shape at all times.
Follow the Instructions in the Manual
Manufacturers have their specifications for cleaning pistols. Therefore, before you use a gun, read the manual to learn how you should care for it. The manual will guide you on the type of cleaning solvents to use and how often you ought to maintain the pistol.
Be Safe As You Unload the Gun
You should clean your gun as often as you use it. If you fire it, you must clean it. If you don’t use it often, you should clean it at least once every month. Before you polish your pistol, take safety precautions. First, point the nozzle of the gun away from you. If you’re in a shooting range, point the gun downwards to avoid accidents.
The safety should be on all the time. Your hand should also be away from the trigger to prevent an accidental shooting. Then, unload the pistol by removing the magazine. Without much effort, the magazine should easily slide out. Put it on the table and remove the extra bullet in the chamber.
To check if there’s a bullet left, open the chamber and look through the barrel from the back to the front. Never look at the barrel from the front because you can easily blow your head off. Also, wear protective glasses to protect your eyes before you look through the barrel.
Disassembling the Pistol
After removing the magazine, disassemble the pistol to give it a proper cleaning. Your pistol is made up of small components that have to be lubricated for everything to work properly. However, before you look at an online tutorial on how to disassemble your pistol, go back to the manual. Confirm which components you should remove.
To disassemble everything, start by removing the slide. Pull it back to remove the stop hinge.
The cleaning area should be well lit so that you can see when components fall off. Put everything in one place.
After releasing the hinge, the slide will go back to its normal position. When that happens, pull the trigger to remove the striker.
To remove the slide, pull it back slightly and then push it to the open position. You’ll need both hands to push the slide away from the frame.
Next, slowly push the exposed spring that holds the slide forward to remove it from the barrel. Be careful as you move the spring because it can jump into your eyes and harm you. Therefore, always wear your protective glasses.
The final step is to remove the barrel from the pistol. You can do this by pushing the barrel up and slowly removing it.
Cleaning the Pistol
Soak a patch of cloth in cleaning solvent and move it through the bore from the back to the front. Be careful not to move the patch back and forth because you’ll be wasting time. Push the patch in one direction and remove it from the other hand to get rid of debris from the bore.
You also have to clean the barrel and spring components with the patch and brush. Once you’re done, lubricate all components with the recommended product.
Storing the Pistol
To keep your gun free from rust and damage from natural elements, invest in a storage box. Your gun should be kept in a dry and cool environment.
Also, keep your gun in a safe to protect your loved ones. The gun should always be cleaned and unloaded before it is stored.
