Cleaning Process

Cleaning your firearm should be done at least once a year (depending on how often you shoot). Dirt and grit cause premature wear and failures in firearms. Regular cleaning will keep your firearm operating properly as well as extend the life of the firearm.  

 25 – 50% of malfunctions are due to dirt, grime, and dried oil.  

1: Completely disassemble firearm (it is best to remove your scope). 

2: Put all parts in a container large enough to fit all parts. Place all small parts in a tea ball strainer infuser (2- 3 ½” diameter) to prevent losing any parts. 

3. Spray parts with a biodegradable degreaser (see below for recommendations). Leave soak for 10-20 minutes, then scrub parts with M16 brush or toothbrush. You can also spray down the barrel and scrub the bore with a bore brush to cut down on scrubbing later with your bore solvent. 

4: Rinse all parts with hot water. Don’t forget to rinse down the bore. 

5: Dry all parts. Compressed air is the fastest method, but if you don’t have an air compressor, you can put all the parts in an oven at the lowest temperature setting until dry. 

6. Clean bore with bore solvent before moving to step 7. 

*Never oil bore!! Leave a thin film of  Hoppe’s #9 to protect the bore.* 

7: Put parts back in the container and spray them down with Break Free CLP (or your oil of choice). Let parts soak in oil for 1-2 hours. Then wipe off excess oil (you want a thin film of oil). 

8: Reassemble firearm. 

A Hoppe’s Bore Snake should be used after each day at the range or hunting trip. Use a squeeze bottle to apply the bore solvent of your choice. NEVER DIP YOUR BORE SNAKE OR BRUSH INTO THE BOTTLE! 

1: At the end of the season, clean your bore with a brush and cleaning rod. Apply a small amount of bore solvent to a bore brush and run the brush through the bore 5-10 times. Then reapply bore solvent and repeat. Spend a few minutes scrubbing your bore. Use a jag to run dry patches through the bore until they come out clean.  

If your bore has copper fouling, or accuracy issues/poor grouping: 

2: After step 1, wet a patch with bore solvent, ring the excess solvent out and push the patch through the bore.  

3: Store your firearm muzzle down so any excess solvent runs out of the muzzle instead of running back into the action. 

4: After letting the solvent work for a minimum of 1-2 weeks, run dry patches through your bore until they come out clean. Repeat steps 2-4 until there is no more green or blue on the first patches on step 4. 

  Oil/Lubricant– Break Free CLP (This is the best oil for Lubrication and rust prevention, it works down to -40 degrees) 

Degreaser – Purple Power, Simple Green, Jungle Jake, Extreme Green, or any biodegradable degreaser

Bore Solvent – Hoppe’s #9, Butches Bore Shine, or your choice of solvent.   Apply solvent to the bore snake or bore brush using a squeeze bottle or pore a small amount of solvent in a separate container. 

**Dipping your brush in the solvent will contaminate the solvent!!**   

Bore Brush – Use a Hoppe’s bore snake after a day at the range.   Use bore brush and cleaning rod at least once a year to really scrub your bore.