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10/25/2006
Properly maintain firearm for a successful deer season
MADISON – With the gun deer season rapidly approaching in Wisconsin, many
hunters are working to increase their chances of bagging a deer by cleaning
their rifle.
“Proper cleaning of your rifle is a simple task that can not only
increase its lifespan, but also improve your success during a hunt,” says
Tim Lawhern, hunter education administrator for the state Department of
Natural Resources. “A thorough cleaning will remove the copper fouling that
builds up during normal use and affects your rifle’s accuracy.”
The first step to properly cleaning a rifle is collecting the necessary
tools. A one piece cleaning rod, gun oil and solvents for both copper and
gun powder are essential, as well as a bore guide the appropriate size for
the firearm or a muzzle protector. Cotton cleaning patches and a jag tip,
which attaches the patches to the cleaning rod, are also essential.
Additionally, in order to have two hands free to work and allow you to use
appropriate force, a gun vise and sturdy table are very helpful.
Lawhern says it’s also a good idea to protect certain parts of the rifle
during cleaning. After securing it in the vise, cover the rifle’s stock with
a rag or other cloth to protect the finish. If it’s equipped with a scope,
cover the lenses with scope caps or other lens covers.
Lawhern recommends these steps to properly clean your rifle:
 | Always use a bore guide or muzzle protector when cleaning a rifle.
Without one you can cause harm to the rifling in your barrel while using a
cleaning rod and jag tip. |
| Cotton patches should always be pushed from the breech end of the
barrel to the muzzle end. Since many firearms don’t have room for the
cleaning rod to enter the barrel from the breech end, you may have to push
the cleaning rod and jag tip in through the muzzle end of the barrel
without a cotton patch. Then, when the jag tip appears at the breech,
thread it with the patch and pull it back through the muzzle. However,
with some bolt actions, you may be able to remove the bolt and push the
cleaning rod in from the breech end. |
| Run dry patch through your barrel first to remove large debris. |
| Clean powder residue from your barrel with a powder solvent wetted
patch attached to the cleaning rod with a jag tip. Remove it when it
appears at the muzzle end of your barrel and discard it. Never return a
patch to the inside of a barrel once it has passed through the bore.
Repeat this with a dry patch to remove any remaining solvent. |
| Clean copper fouling from your barrel in the same manner you cleaned
powder residue from it, using copper solvent in place of powder solvent.
Repeat this process, alternating between wet and dry patches, until the
blue-green colored copper residue has been completely removed. |
| If you wish, use a patch wetted with gun oil for the final
conditioning of the barrel. |
| After removing the bore guide or muzzle protector, make sure no debris
remains in this section of the barrel. |
| To discourage rusting, use a gun oil wetted cloth to wipe down all
external metal parts of your rifle and its action, as well as the area
inside your barrel that was covered by the bore guide or muzzle protector.
Only a few drops are needed. When it comes to firearms, more isn’t
necessarily better. Never use WD-40 in place of gun oil. |
In addition to cleaning a firearm, it is important to make sure that all
screws are tightly secured. Loose screws can render a firearm unsafe and
decrease its accuracy. If using a scope, make sure that the screws fastening
it to the firearm are very tight as well. Also consider cleaning the scope’s
lenses with your breath or distilled water on a cotton cloth. Or use a
device, such as a lenspen, that’s specifically designed for this. Never use
glass cleaner.
“This deer season, have confidence in your rifle by making sure that it
is clean and properly maintained,” Lawhern says. “It’s one more essential
factor in a successful and satisfying hunt.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Lawhern (608) 266-1317
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