Shotgun Cleaning Advice

[Jrollsons]

Hi Everyone,

 

Got my first shotgun O/U and I was wondering what are the items I will need to clean it?

 

I have a bore snake, but ive been reading I need to spray oil or something down the barrels and buy some other stuff to rub all over the barrels.

 

Bit confused, I just want the stock to keep looking new and shiny and the barrels to be clean and anything that locks together or moves to be lubricated.

 

How often should I be cleaning it?

 

Kind regards,

 

Luke Johnson

[robbiep]

Some clean their guns every time they take the gun out of the cabinet.

Others clean their guns at the start of each decade.

 

Personally, I run bore snake through after each use, and (ensuring the outside is dry), wipe down the barrels and action with a lightly oiled cloth, making sure I don't get it on the woodwork.

I've never put anything on the woodwork, just wiped it off to dry if wet.

[ChrisPCarter]

I use Browning Legia Spray oil and cleaner down the barrels and to wipe it over. The new stuff in the red and green can is for metal and wood.

Give it a spray then pull through with the bore snake after shooting, then about once a month I give it a good strip down and clean everything and put some gun grease on the action joints etc.

Would be worth getting a barrel cleaning rod and brass brush to scrub out any stubborn muck.

I've got lots of other little gadgets and bits and bobs but those are the only bits you really need.

[dougall]

shame on the gunshop for not kitting you out...boresnake great for quick clean but really need regular push through with rod/bisley do little kits in all good gunshops.only lightly oil and dont oil stock/wooden bits.if stock oil finished/higher grade occassionally hand rub in walnut oil/stock preparation.If gun is going to left for long time between uses wool wop some oil in barrels after cleaning.but push that all out before shooting gun again.

[chris1961]

I'm afraid I'm one of those who strip there gun down every time it's been shot I start by spraying bore cleaner down barrels then bronze brush them then patch them till clean then scrub action with a tooth brush dipped in oil then apply lithium grease to pivot points them assemble the gun then wipe down with a slightly oiled rag then put back in safe I use the oily rag to carry the gun to the safe to stop fingerprints sad I know but I find it relaxing

[Jrollsons]

Can you use wood polish like you would use on furniture for the stock or does it have to be something special?

[Westley]

Can you use wood polish like you would use on furniture for the stock or does it have to be something special?

 

I use the spray on beeswax polish from local Home Bargains, look for the can with a yellow beehive top. It lasts for several years and water bounces off the wood without any damage to the oil finish. You might want to get a couple of aluminium rods, one with a bronze brush and the other with a brass split jag (for patch material), leave them screwed together and store them in the gun cabinet. I also put my gun into a silicone sleeve in the gun cabinet, they prevent the 'fingermarks' after oiling the outside of the barrels and all of those minor dings and scratches that a gun cabinet can inflict on a gun. All of my 9 guns are stored this way and they are all 'dent' free !

[psycho]

I'm afraid I'm one of those who strip there gun down every time it's been shot I start by spraying bore cleaner down barrels then bronze brush them then patch them till clean then scrub action with a tooth brush dipped in oil then apply lithium grease to pivot points them assemble the gun then wipe down with a slightly oiled rag then put back in safe I use the oily rag to carry the gun to the safe to stop fingerprints sad I know but I find it relaxing

Same here even if I fire one round.then its silicone sock and in the cabinet

[panoma1]

For SBS and O/U guns.......if wet, dry the worst off with kitchen roll and stand the gun in a secure place for a couple of days at room temperature.

Take the gun down....spray legia down the barrel bores, then a good scrub with a phosphor bronze (Payne Galwey type) brush on a cleaning rod, then use one sheet of kitchen roll folded in half then half again wrapped around a jag and pushed through each bore in turn, repeat with fresh sheets of kitchen roll until it comes through clean....inspect! When spotless set aside.......massage a spot of walnut oil into stock and forend wood with the palms of your hands a couple of times a year

Light wipe of legia on a cleaning patch on action, forend iron and extractors/ejectors wipe off any excess! Occasionally lightly grease lumps (hinge pins) a couple of times a year! Reassemble gun.

Wipe down all exterior metal parts with lightly oiled rag, then wipe over the whole gun with a dry rag reserved for this purpose, do not touch metal parts with bare hands after this! Put in cabinet!

 

This may be a bit anal to some but I have developed this over some fifty years, and look after my guns!

 

Bore snakes are OK for a quick clean if you can't do it properly there and then, but should not be seen as a reliable sole bore cleaning regime!

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, buy a quality stick set with brass screw fittings with bronze brush/ wool mop/plastic patch holder, youngs 303 and a bronze wire brush for the residue powder, then push through kitchen roll patches using the plastic holder until clean then a quick spray and wool mop last leaving a film of oil in barrels, if gun wet leave to dry in warm room barrels/fore end/stock action/ seperate, just oily rag over action and maybe if wood stock some appropriate oil/? i do mine after every outing and have done many years, a pull through is handy out in the field keep in shooting bag as a piece of cloth in plastic bag in case guns wet

[oowee]

Afraid I am one of those that does not clean my gun unless I have too. I only make sure its dry.

If you are using oil make sure you remove as much as possible and store the gun barrel down to stop any residue running into the wood.

Edited July 27, 2016 by oowee

[JohnfromUK]

For SBS and O/U guns.......if wet, dry the worst off with kitchen roll and stand the gun in a secure place for a couple of days at room temperature.

Take the gun down....spray legia down the barrel bores, then a good scrub with a phosphor bronze (Payne Galwey type) brush on a cleaning rod, then use one sheet of kitchen roll folded in half then half again wrapped around a jag and pushed through each bore in turn, repeat with fresh sheets of kitchen roll until it comes through clean....inspect! When spotless set aside.......massage a spot of walnut oil into stock and forend wood with the palms of your hands a couple of times a year

Light wipe of legia on a cleaning patch on action, forend iron and extractors/ejectors wipe off any excess! Occasionally lightly grease lumps (hinge pins) a couple of times a year! Reassemble gun.

Wipe down all exterior metal parts with lightly oiled rag, then wipe over the whole gun with a dry rag reserved for this purpose, do not touch metal parts with bare hands after this! Put in cabinet!

 

This may be a bit anal to some but I have developed this over some fifty years, and look after my guns!

 

Bore snakes are OK for a quick clean if you can't do it properly there and then, but should not be seen as a reliable sole bore cleaning regime!

+1

Only thing I would add is to let the cleaner 'work' for a few minutes. Don't be led to believe WD40 is a cleaner or oil - its not. WD stands for water displacer - which it does. Bit of light grease (e.g. Halfords) on joint moving parts is also a good idea now and again. Oil should be a very thin film and should never be enough to run - especially not into/onto the wood, which it would eventually degrade.

Edited July 27, 2016 by JohnfromUK

[Cambsman]

Blimey. What a lot of faff! Quick pull through with a boresnake. Proper clean with a brush etc every now and then. Leave the wood alone (good advice on many levels). Worth making sure no fingerprints etc on barrels as can attack blueing. Oils from skin can be very damaging over time. Stick it back in cabinet. Go have fun.

[Jrollsons]

What is the stuff I put on the outside of barrels?

[Glenlivet]

What is the stuff I put on the outside of barrels?

I use Browning Legia spray oil inside and outside the barrels.

[wisdom]

For SBS and O/U guns.......if wet, dry the worst off with kitchen roll and stand the gun in a secure place for a couple of days at room temperature.

Take the gun down....spray legia down the barrel bores, then a good scrub with a phosphor bronze (Payne Galwey type) brush on a cleaning rod, then use one sheet of kitchen roll folded in half then half again wrapped around a jag and pushed through each bore in turn, repeat with fresh sheets of kitchen roll until it comes through clean....inspect! When spotless set aside.......massage a spot of walnut oil into stock and forend wood with the palms of your hands a couple of times a year

Light wipe of legia on a cleaning patch on action, forend iron and extractors/ejectors wipe off any excess! Occasionally lightly grease lumps (hinge pins) a couple of times a year! Reassemble gun.

Wipe down all exterior metal parts with lightly oiled rag, then wipe over the whole gun with a dry rag reserved for this purpose, do not touch metal parts with bare hands after this! Put in cabinet!

This may be a bit anal to some but I have developed this over some fifty years, and look after my guns!

Bore snakes are OK for a quick clean if you can't do it properly there and then, but should not be seen as a reliable sole bore cleaning regime!

This works for me too.If I fire just one shot it gets cleaned and an oiled mop down both barrels.

[GingerCat]

 

There's no end of videos on YouTube if you want to see someone do it.

[Mr.C]

+1 muzzle down if possible

[Jrollsons]

 

There's no end of videos on YouTube if you want to see someone do it.

That video was really helpful thanks.

[ChrisPCarter]

All I can say is some of you must have a lot of time on your hands to be doing a full strip and clean after a couple of shots.

How often are you shooting and what kind of filthy cartridges are you using to need all this scrubbing?

I'm usually shooting clays or pigeons two to three times a week and most days there's hardly a spec in my barrels.

I certainly don't see the point of all the oiling and greasing daily on modern chrome lined barrels and quality steels.

Even after a month the oil and grease still looks clean and is providing a good coating to surfaces.

[ChrisPCarter]

then its silicone sock and in the cabinet

I've been thinking of doing this.

Which socks do you use?

[oldypigeonpopper]

I've been thinking of doing this.

Which socks do you use?

hello, all my shotguns 4 are put in socks in cabinets, saves those minor knocks and dust and any moisture, all purchased off ebay from online RFDs all around £5/6 but that was some time back, the remington is good quality as are those sold by savage island UK

[johnphilip]

I use an oil clenzoil the good thing about this oil is you can use it on your barrels and your wood work . Makes life easy , no worries about barrel oil getting into your woodwork ...... it works , its simple ...

Edited July 27, 2016 by johnphilip

[oowee]

All I can say is some of you must have a lot of time on your hands to be doing a full strip and clean after a couple of shots.

How often are you shooting and what kind of filthy cartridges are you using to need all this scrubbing?

I'm usually shooting clays or pigeons two to three times a week and most days there's hardly a spec in my barrels.

I certainly don't see the point of all the oiling and greasing daily on modern chrome lined barrels and quality steels.

Even after a month the oil and grease still looks clean and is providing a good coating to surfaces.

I am with you on this Chris. I am shooting many times a week and lots of shells in a semi. I hardly ever clean it and certainly not the barrels. I would rather shoot it than clean it.

[kennett]

Glad it's not just me!! If it's soaking wet I'll strip and clean otherwise I might give the outside of the barrels a wipe with some legia to get rid of finger prints and blood.