Pistol Cleaning, what supplies are needed and any good how to's?

[Spike]

So I recently expanded my handgun collection and I realize now that I am very unfamilier with proper maintance of my pistols. At this point I have an XD .45, Ruger LCP, and Sig Mosquito and only the .45 has actually been shot. I'm going to the range on Friday to try and LCP and Sig and need some advice on cleaning. Especially since I apparently need to clean the mosquito before I hit the range and yes, I'm using CCI mini-mags.

I currently have a basic setup including some hoppes elite and break free (not sure why I have both but which is better?), jags and brass brushes for each caliber, mop for .45, and a variety of patches. What else do I need? Are brass brushes really ok for the barrels of these guns or should I take them back and get nylon? What about mops, do I need one for each caliber or can I just use the jag with a patch?

Also, are there any good video's demonstrating proper pistol care? How much oil/solvent/lube to use? I have currently only cleaned the XD after ~150 rounds and it was not all that dirty. All I did was strip it and remove the barrel, clean with brass brush, swap with patches, and wipe down the top of the mag well a little. Did I miss anything important?

Phew... thats it for now. I'm hoping someone here will either answer all the q's or just direct me to a forum that has these spelled out for newbs like me. I have been shooting for pretty much all my life but this whole ownership thing is new to me and I really don't want to screw it up. These things aren't all that cheap!

Thanks!

 

[JulesMaximus]

After the solvent soaked brush has broken up most of the crud in your barrel, run a few solvent covered patches down the barrel until they come out clean and then follow up with a dry patch and then a lightly oiled patch. An old toothbrush and solvent helps clean all the small parts you don't have to run a brass brush through. Clean and lightly oil all other surfaces and wipe the gun down with a clean dry rag when you're done. Store in a cool, dry place...preferably a place that has sides of thick steel and a Sergeants and Greenleaf lock and is bolted to the concrete slab of your home.

Edit-Yes, brass brushes are perfect for cleaning the barrel of your gun. Brass is softer than the steel your barrel is made of and will not harm it...certainly not more than the 150-200 copper cased bullets you just shot out of it at 900fps anyway. Scrub the shit out of that thing...that's what the solvent is for.

Edited again for clarity.

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Run a few clean patches down the barrel until they come out clean and then follow up with a lightly oiled patch. Clean and lightly oil all other surfaces and wipe the gun down with a clean dry rag when you're done. Store in a cool, dry place...preferably a place that has sides of thick steel and a Sergeants and Greenleaf lock and is bolted to the concrete slab of your home.

Edit-Yes, brass brushes are perfect for cleaning the barrel of your gun. Brass is softer than the steel your barrel is made of and will not harm it...certainly not more than the 150-200 copper cased bullets you just shot out of it at 900fps anyway. Scrub the shit out of that thing...that's what the solvent is for.

Thanks for the info. Do you add any solvent/lube to the brass brush to remove fouling or do you use it dry? And with the patches I assume a jag works just fine? And if so, why would anyone actually need those mop things?

I'm still working on getting a safe for the non home defense firearms. At this point they are in locked cases but thats about it. Thankfully we don't have kids yet so we have some time to figure out a proper storage system.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Dip the brass brush in the solvent and then run it through the barrel. It is messy but necessary to remove all that corrosive residue from the burnt powder. The solvents help clean out that stuff as much as the brush does. Follow the brush with solvent covered patches until those come out clean, then do the lightly oiled patch.

I have guns I've owned for over 15 years and tens of thousands of rounds. Some of them still look brand new after I clean them. I have a Colt .45 ACP that is getting a little loose though. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. Might need some gunsmithing soon.

 

[JakwoW]

Get a bore snake. Best $15 you'll ever spend if you like to save time.

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: JakwoW
Get a bore snake. Best $15 you'll ever spend if you like to save time.

What are the benefits of the bore snake?

 

[TonyG]

I usually start by running a hoppes soaked patch down the bores of all the rifles I am cleaning so everything can start soaking. I then dunk the brush into the hoppes before scrubbing the barrel, then go at it with patches soaked in hoppes until they come out clean. After they come out clean, I run a dry patch down the barrel, and finish up by running an oil soaked patch down the bore. The smaller areas, such as bolt faces, trigger parts, etc, get scrubbed with a toothbrush or cotton swabs soaked in hoppes then oiled afterward.

 

[spidey07]

You can pick up a cleaning kit that will fit most all sizes for about 20+ bucks at walmart or any outdoor store. A bore snake is a flexible cable that you attach cleaning pads or brushes to. You should already know by now how to break down and clean your weapon.

It's not hard, keep it well oiled and the metal will just soak it up. I'm guilty of only cleaning my handguns after a a few hundred rounds (like 500), rifles are another matter.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: Spike

Originally posted by: JakwoW
Get a bore snake. Best $15 you'll ever spend if you like to save time.

What are the benefits of the bore snake?

My prefered method is to get the leading end dipped in solvent, and the end loop covered with oil, and pull it through the barrel. One pass and your done.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: spidey07
You can pick up a cleaning kit that will fit most all sizes for about 20+ bucks at walmart or any outdoor store. A bore snake is a flexible cable that you attach cleaning pads or brushes to. You should already know by now how to break down and clean your weapon.

A bore snake is essentially a rope with some brass bristles in it.
http://www.hoppes.com/products/ca_boresnakes.html

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski

Originally posted by: spidey07
You can pick up a cleaning kit that will fit most all sizes for about 20+ bucks at walmart or any outdoor store. A bore snake is a flexible cable that you attach cleaning pads or brushes to. You should already know by now how to break down and clean your weapon.

A bore snake is essentially a rope with some brass bristles in it.
http://www.hoppes.com/products/ca_boresnakes.html

yeah, but he really doesn't need one for a handgun IMHO. I am NOT an expert in cleaning as my rifles get meticulous care, handguns not so much.

 

[Triumph]

I clean the sh!t out of my guns after a range session. Partly because I enjoy it, but also they're dirty as hell after 150-200 rounds. That may be because of the cheap Blazer Brass or Winchester White Box that I use, but even if I used the good stuff, I'd end up cleaning it thoroughly anyway.

A tooth brush is great for all the nooks and crannies. One great trick I discovered was putting a patch on the tooth brush itself, and cleaning in the action. Now you're actually removing the residue, rather than just sorta pushing it around with the bristles. And the bristles help get the patch into all the corners.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Triumph
I clean the sh!t out of my guns after a range session. Partly because I enjoy it, but also they're dirty as hell after 150-200 rounds. That may be because of the cheap Blazer Brass or Winchester White Box that I use, but even if I used the good stuff, I'd end up cleaning it thoroughly anyway.

A tooth brush is great for all the nooks and crannies. One great trick I discovered was putting a patch on the tooth brush itself, and cleaning in the action. Now you're actually removing the residue, rather than just sorta pushing it around with the bristles. And the bristles help get the patch into all the corners.

To that note walmart has a huge bag of cotton patches for like 4 bucks. Basically cut up cotton shirts but i know for 4 bucks I've got enough to last for years.

 

[pontifex]

I have a variety of cleaning products. With breakfree clp this is how I do it.
I use a patch with a small amount of break free. I'm told a very small amount goes a long way. Run that through chamber to muzzle, pulling it out of the muzzle.
Run the copper brush through.
Then use a dry patch.
I follow this pattern until a dry patch comes out clean (or relatively close - i'm kind of lazy)
I usually have to use several wet and dry patches.
I use nylon brushes, patches with solvent, and copper picks to clean out the frame and slide
After all that, I lightly oil everything.

this is pretty much the same with the other solvents and stuff I use.

I also picked up some compressed air type cleaner, but have only used it once so far. Seemed the get some gunk out of the harder to reach places.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski

Originally posted by: Spike

Originally posted by: JakwoW
Get a bore snake. Best $15 you'll ever spend if you like to save time.

What are the benefits of the bore snake?

My prefered method is to get the leading end dipped in solvent, and the end loop covered with oil, and pull it through the barrel. One pass and your done.

maybe if you only shot a few rounds or only if you want to do a quick clean before you get home to do the serious cleaning. a one pass-through with a bore snake is not going to clean it completely.

 

[spidey07]

Jeffrey/pontiflex,

I've never found my handguns get all that dirty and normally only clean them after many hundreds of rounds (2-3 trips to the range), full break down and clean. Am I doing it wrong?

-edit-
sorry for the hijack

 

[Spike]

Thanks for all the replies, I deifinitly have some places to start now. With all my auto's do you guys reccomend cleaning off all the factory grease/oil or just leave it alone? I know this needs to be done for the mosquito but what about the lcp? The XD still has some factory stuff on it even after two cleanings though I concentrated on the barrel, not the rest of the gun.

At this point it looks like all I need is a toothbrush, the rest I have. I have some old under shirts I'm going to tear up for rags and plenty of cotton patches that can be cut down to size for each gun.

One other thing, when you say "dunk the brush" are you actually dipping the copper brush into the container of solvent? That seems like it could containimate the whole batch... The two kinds I have (break free and hoppes elite) are supposed to be all in ones for cleaning and oiling, hopefully that works.

thanks again!

 

[spidey07]

Spike,

Again I am not an expert on cleaning but I do own an XD. I won't clean mine after 150 rounds because simply there isn't much to clean. 3-500, sure. A good friend of mine is a machine gun dealer and I trust his opinion, let the weapon break in somewhat. You don't have to treat a handgun like a jewel, IMHO.

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Spike,

Again I am not an expert on cleaning but I do own an XD. I won't clean mine after 150 rounds because simply there isn't much to clean. 3-500, sure. A good friend of mine is a machine gun dealer and I trust his opinion, let the weapon break in somewhat. You don't have to treat a handgun like a jewel, IMHO.

Thanks for the info. I have cleaned the XD twice and both where just barrel cleans after 100ish rounds each time. After my next trip to the range I plan on using the advice here to give it a more complete clean as it should have 350-400 rounds through it all together.

I know I need to clean the mosquito as the stuff that comes on them is not the best, or so
I read. I also need to give it 300-500 rounds of mini-mags before I try cheaper ammo.

 

[IronWing]

Just put it in the dishwasher (unloaded, of coarse).

 

[sourceninja]

I always clean a new gun before use. Too much crap stuck in there by the manufactures and it's nasty.

This is how I clean my XD after a normal day at the range.

I have the following items for cleaning my XD

1 can of CLP (breakfree)
1 can of quality gun oil
1 Nylon brush
1 brass rod with brass brush
1 bore snake.
1 silicon cloth
a bunch of rags
Cotton swabs
1 bore light

I break the pistol down and wipe it with a rag. Then I soak a patch in CLP and run it down the barrel a few times. After that I set it down and spray CLP on a rag and wipe down everything to clean it. I then take the nylon brush and spray CLP on that and use it on anything that is really dirty to clean it. I use cotton swaps if need be (sometimes with clp) to get in there and clean spots hard to reach. Finally I wipe it all down with a dry rag.

I then go back to the barrel and run my bore snake down the barrel a few times. I run some patches though to insure it is clean. Then I use a bore light to make sure it looks clean. If need be I will use CLP on a brass brush and run it down a few times to break up tough dirt.

Finally I put gun oil on a rag and apply a light coat to all metal parts. I then reassemble the gun and wipe the whole thing down with my silicon cloth.

My XD really doesn't get dirty compared to my other pistols. So I don't need to use copper solvents or scrub that much. In stark contrast to this is my AR-15 which I have multiple brushes and even use a dental pick. Really some patches, a bore snake, and a toothbrush is enough to clean an XD.

I actually really want to make some good video's on how to clean firearms. I found there are few good ones out there, and the ones that are there assume you are already a expert at maintaining weapons.

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: sourceninja
I always clean a new gun before use. Too much crap stuck in there by the manufactures and it's nasty.

This is how I clean my XD after a normal day at the range.

I have the following items for cleaning my XD

1 can of CLP (breakfree)
1 can of quality gun oil
1 Nylon brush
1 brass rod with brass brush
1 bore snake.
1 silicon cloth
a bunch of rags
Cotton swabs
1 bore light

I break the pistol down and wipe it with a rag. Then I soak a patch in CLP and run it down the barrel a few times. After that I set it down and spray CLP on a rag and wipe down everything to clean it. I then take the nylon brush and spray CLP on that and use it on anything that is really dirty to clean it. I use cotton swaps if need be (sometimes with clp) to get in there and clean spots hard to reach. Finally I wipe it all down with a dry rag.

I then go back to the barrel and run my bore snake down the barrel a few times. I run some patches though to insure it is clean. Then I use a bore light to make sure it looks clean. If need be I will use CLP on a brass brush and run it down a few times to break up tough dirt.

Finally I put gun oil on a rag and apply a light coat to all metal parts. I then reassemble the gun and wipe the whole thing down with my silicon cloth.

My XD really doesn't get dirty compared to my other pistols. So I don't need to use copper solvents or scrub that much. In stark contrast to this is my AR-15 which I have multiple brushes and even use a dental pick. Really some patches, a bore snake, and a toothbrush is enough to clean an XD.

I actually really want to make some good video's on how to clean firearms. I found there are few good ones out there, and the ones that are there assume you are already a expert at maintaining weapons.

Wow... thanks for all that. I would totally love to watch a good video on how to properly clean a gun to make sure I'm not missing anything.

One last question for today. When I'm wiping down all the internal parts my rag should come away completely clean, correct? I ask because there are still alot of parts in my XD that contain dark oil/grease, I assume from the factory. Should I be trying to clean all of that off and apply my own?

Ok, I lied, one more question. You say you use break free and gun oil but it was my understanding break free, and hoppes elite, are basically all in one. Is that not correct?

 

[TonyG]

While they may claim to be an all in one product, I still prefer to go back over with a light coating of oil to be on the safe side, especially if you plan on storing for a while without taking it out. I also take my time to really clean off all the factory cosmolene from any of the rifles I purchase, but they are surplus military and coated for long term storage. Atleast, on some of these rifles the cosmolene can actually cause malfunctions to the weapon due sticking and jamming of components caused by the cosmolene.

While I will say that your rag should come away completely clean, my main concern in with the bore and bolt face, while I do still clean and oil the rest of the rifle, I consider the bore and bolt face to be the main issues to take care of.

 

[foghorn67]

The flannel patches. Not the crap ones in the hoppies kit. My gosh, if you have a parkerized finish, you need flannel.

 

[JakwoW]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski

Originally posted by: Spike

Originally posted by: JakwoW
Get a bore snake. Best $15 you'll ever spend if you like to save time.

What are the benefits of the bore snake?

My prefered method is to get the leading end dipped in solvent, and the end loop covered with oil, and pull it through the barrel. One pass and your done.

maybe if you only shot a few rounds or only if you want to do a quick clean before you get home to do the serious cleaning. a one pass-through with a bore snake is not going to clean it completely.

Depends. For a shotgun and most rifles, a one or two pass-through will get you what you need. I agree it's a good idea to break the guns down after a couple hundred rounds and do a major cleaning job, but I really don't think it's that necessary after every outing, especially if you shoot often and don't let them sit for a long time. In such cases, a quick pass through will keep it from getting out of control.

As for the pistol I keep with me as much as possible, I break it down every couple months anyway just to keep it in top shape. I plan to get a larger caliber pistol soon (currently only have a .380) and I imagine if I end up getting spendy I'll be a bit more anal about it.