[Mr. K]

wy are you cleaning it again if it hasn’t been fired?

[Loud Mime]

I was cleaning it and it just went off!

[Andonius_99]

Where’d you have it stored? In mud? :) Seriously, though, if you haven’t fired since the last time you cleaned it, you should be GTG. Just apply a little lube if it’s been a while since the last time you cleaned it.

[mountainlion]

WD 40 won’t cut the copper or lead in the bore. It is mostly kerosene and the lube is just temporary. It should do a fair job on the powder residue so go for it.

[rockprof]

I’ve always been told, by people who know, not to use WD-40. It won’t kill your gun but it will gum things up after a while. Better to wait a few days, get the proper stuff, and do it then.

[Puppage]

I just finished cleaning my Franchi 12ga.
A tad filthy from a few rounds of sporting clays.

[wagglebee]

Go to a gun shop and buy a can of Eezox. It dries very quickly, but still lubricates and it will protect the gun forever. However, with a shotgun, if it’s been oiled, not used and kept in a case it should be fine for a long time.

[EGPWS]

Well, if it's just a Mossburg and not a Remington sandpaper should work just fine. ; ) /s

[50cal Smokepole]

I also have a 500. Be sure to remove the trigger assembly and assorted “stuff” that falls out (can be a pain to put back together the first time). I tried just using Gun Scrubber without tear-down. Dumb. [head slap]

[Hot Tabasco]

I’ve tried Brakleen which works great to disolve all the powder and crud in my shotgun barrels..... Its a brake cleaner.......

[Kirkwood]

No, no, no. Unless you don’t value your gun.

[vetvetdoug]

Go buy some Army surplus LSA oil and clean your weapon. One of the bore snakes will take care of the barrell. IMO good old soap and water and then a thorough oiling LSA/gun oil is the best way to clean a weapon of the buildup of gunpowder and bullet residue.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

WD-40?! No, no, no. It works well for what it is designed for, which is to penetrate and loosen up rust, helping to work seized up gizmos apart. It is not a cleaner nor a "resident" lubricant or rust protection - it has a carrier that evaporates away, leaving a non-proactive residue behind. I have run into more than one person over the years that have rotted their guns up with that stuff. For center-fire rifles and pistols using jacketed projectiles I use Sweet's 7.62 solvent, and it makes the copper flow out like blue paint, but it will be hard on bronze cleaning brushes unless you hose them off immediately with spray carb cleaner in a can or use plastic ones.. Otherwise, it's EEZOX, which is a CLP (clean, lube, protect) and works very well in that regard. For a protector (not a cleaner), synthetic "Sheath" oil by Birchwood-Casey is also very good - is a lot like if not the same chemical recipe as the synth oil sold by Herter's many years ago. Your success at cleaning depends a lot on your tools - must have good brushes that will make good contact with the bore and a nice supply of cotton patches, either cut up from old T-shirts or a pack you can get from a store that has them already pre-cut, ready to use. Then it is a matter of patience to stay at it until all the grunge is removed and gone.

 

 

[waterhill]

Simple Green works well with elbow grease. Dry thoroughly and oil well. Orange Oil is excellent for the furniture, just don’t use on synthetics...

[43north]

I use brake cleaner to get superficial crud off my guns. It cleans well, leaves no residue, and its cheap.

I was warned several years ago to avoid using WD-40 on firearms. Because of its properties it supposedly penetrates the primers and when you pull the trigger the gun goes “click” instead of “BOOM”.

I don’t know if this is true or not because, just in case, I have not used WD-40 on my firearms.

[Moltke]

WD-40 is the ‘cure-all’ that really excells at nothing. Get yourself some Ballistol. Tried and true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistol

[dog breath]

I know that this might sound a little nuts, but in a pinch you can use olive oil as a lubricant. I use it on my black powder pistol and on some of my knives. Just wipe off all excess with a couple of clean patches.

[BorisTheBulletDodger]

WD-40 evaporates and leaves a residue that over time and repeated use, can build up. It is better than nothing but if you can wait, just buy some stuff designed to clean guns.

[Armedanddangerous]

WD is a lubricant, not a cleaning agent. Get some hoppes number nine..

[Shooter 2.5]

You only need a few good responses instead of a hundred silly replies.

1. Break Free
2. Hoppe’s
2. Elbow grease
3. Never, but never throw out an old toothbrush.

Don’t buy the junk cleaning rods for your rifles and pistols. Save your money and buy nothing but Dewey cleaning rods.