From the Gunsmith, Cleaning, Part 2

Ha Ha… thought you had gotten rid of me!!! I’m back again with more info on cleaning.

One of the things that I look for when customers bring in their guns that don’t work is what they look like inside and, more importantly, how they “feel” in operation. Often a gun will come in that hasn’t worked for years and thought was given to throwing it out or relagating it to “wall hanger” status, all it needed was to be taken apart and cleaned thoroughly.

Now, before you hose or dunk down Uncle Sams old, sticky Model 97 that hasn’t been used in years, there’s a problem. All that sticky, gooey grease, oil and filth has to go somewhere so it usually migrates to somewhere else in the action and often creates a whole new set of issues. For heaven sakes don’t use WD40… it seems to have an affinity for reacting with other chemicals and cleaners and makes a residue resembling glass. Ask me how I know this… I’ve dug enough of it out of guns and asked what the customer is using.

Don’t get me wrong and I’m not picking on WD40, I have a large can that I use myself. It works well as a water displacer and to hose down your whole gun after it’s been in fire or after it’s taken a swim in the lake . I like WD40 for many uses, but not as a general gun preservative, especially because it doesn’t play well with other chemicals.

Cleaning barrels is another area that customers have problems. We can de-lead, polish, clean out plastic wad fouling, clean and polish chambers… all things that are much easier if you have the right tools for the job. A clean barrel improves accuracy, keeps pressures down and generally makes for a better more enjoyable shooting experience.

Well… that’s all for now, have a Happy Thanksgiving, take care and be safe. We will make another post again soon… happy shooting.

Copyright, Indian Valley Gunsmithing 2021.