I've fielded a couple of queries recently on and off the BBs about cleaning shotguns. There's a lot of confusion and some mistruths out there, so here's my opinions, and they ARE opinions....
Most shotgun barrels are either overcleaned or undercleaned. Most actions are way undercleaned, and it's a tribute to the designers and makers that they keep working that way as much as they do.
The bbls on many shotguns can be cleaned from the breech end, and should be. One problem, the chamber is rarely cleaned with proper sized tools, and they tend to accrue grunge, filth and other mothers of rust. It's common to see a workhorse shotgun with an immaculate bore, and a chamber that looks like a hundred year old section of cast iron sewer pipe. A little care here results in better functioning and longevity....
When was the last time your pet scattergun had the action apart for cleaning? Last night,last season,last century? Most modern repeaters have manuals with what the makers recommend. Or, sometimes paying a smith a few bucks to be shown how to take apart and clean your shotgun is a wise investment. Use correct tools,especially the right screwdriver so the screws don't get bunged up.
Most of us have those 3 section aluminum cleaning rods. These work fine, but do not ever use one from the muzzle if it can be avoided. A little grit on them, a careless pass that brings the muzzle and rod into contact,Bingo! Patterns suffer....
Wood works well for rods. I've an old Hoppe's set that's pre WWII and it still does the trick, augmented with new brushes.
As for brushes, I favor brass over steel, and like the synthetics even better, tho they wear out fast.
I keep 4 rods set up at any time, with brushes, jags, etc, including the M/L rifle range rod that's the only thing long enough for my trap gun's 30" bbl.And the power tool, the 3/8" dowel chucked up in a variable speed drill and wrapped in 4/0 steel wool. What plastic buildup(G)?
I like an oil bob, a wool ball that's used for nothing else,in a clean dry bore. This is great for bore protection. A few drops of oil or CLP,etc, one pass....
I use Hoppe's venerated #9 as a solvent and crud buster, and lube with CLP and the new SLIP 2000. A free sample of that recently has impressed me.
One of the best, and cheapest, protections you can get is a silicone cloth. Keep it with your gun, wipe off all the exterior metal after each use.
And do not store your shotgun in a leather,woolen or feltlined case. Some of these are sponges in effect, and will rust your gun in no time. If you HAVE to keep yours cased, add some of those little Silica Gel desiccators and check it often. A GI gun sleeve with its impregnated material helps.
Often very light rust can be removed by rubbing with a bit of oil on a piece of pantyhose or similiar.Anything heavier should be left alone until a pro can fix it, or lived with.
Use environments for shotguns vary as greatly as shotgunners do. A few general rules on cleaning....
If you cannot clearly recall when you last cleaned your shotgun(s), it's probably well past time you should.
For guns used under humid conditions, some folks use automotive paste wax, applied thinly on wood and metal surfaces, and mostly wiped off. To be obsessively thorough, dismount the stock and use a bit on the end grain at either end of the wood. Doing this once on a new gun is probably good for a decade or more.
Actual lubing needed is sometimes much less than what it gets. Excess lube becomes grunge,attracting dirt. After all the surfaces are done,wipeon/wipeoff, I use one drop of CLP on each action bar of an 870, and work it a few times. That's it.
Cold weather shotgunning means extra lube freezes up actions PDQ. Go light on the inside.
Questions, comments,donations?....
Most shotgun barrels are either overcleaned or undercleaned. Most actions are way undercleaned, and it's a tribute to the designers and makers that they keep working that way as much as they do.
The bbls on many shotguns can be cleaned from the breech end, and should be. One problem, the chamber is rarely cleaned with proper sized tools, and they tend to accrue grunge, filth and other mothers of rust. It's common to see a workhorse shotgun with an immaculate bore, and a chamber that looks like a hundred year old section of cast iron sewer pipe. A little care here results in better functioning and longevity....
When was the last time your pet scattergun had the action apart for cleaning? Last night,last season,last century? Most modern repeaters have manuals with what the makers recommend. Or, sometimes paying a smith a few bucks to be shown how to take apart and clean your shotgun is a wise investment. Use correct tools,especially the right screwdriver so the screws don't get bunged up.
Most of us have those 3 section aluminum cleaning rods. These work fine, but do not ever use one from the muzzle if it can be avoided. A little grit on them, a careless pass that brings the muzzle and rod into contact,Bingo! Patterns suffer....
Wood works well for rods. I've an old Hoppe's set that's pre WWII and it still does the trick, augmented with new brushes.
As for brushes, I favor brass over steel, and like the synthetics even better, tho they wear out fast.
I keep 4 rods set up at any time, with brushes, jags, etc, including the M/L rifle range rod that's the only thing long enough for my trap gun's 30" bbl.And the power tool, the 3/8" dowel chucked up in a variable speed drill and wrapped in 4/0 steel wool. What plastic buildup(G)?
I like an oil bob, a wool ball that's used for nothing else,in a clean dry bore. This is great for bore protection. A few drops of oil or CLP,etc, one pass....
I use Hoppe's venerated #9 as a solvent and crud buster, and lube with CLP and the new SLIP 2000. A free sample of that recently has impressed me.
One of the best, and cheapest, protections you can get is a silicone cloth. Keep it with your gun, wipe off all the exterior metal after each use.
And do not store your shotgun in a leather,woolen or feltlined case. Some of these are sponges in effect, and will rust your gun in no time. If you HAVE to keep yours cased, add some of those little Silica Gel desiccators and check it often. A GI gun sleeve with its impregnated material helps.
Often very light rust can be removed by rubbing with a bit of oil on a piece of pantyhose or similiar.Anything heavier should be left alone until a pro can fix it, or lived with.
Use environments for shotguns vary as greatly as shotgunners do. A few general rules on cleaning....
If you cannot clearly recall when you last cleaned your shotgun(s), it's probably well past time you should.
For guns used under humid conditions, some folks use automotive paste wax, applied thinly on wood and metal surfaces, and mostly wiped off. To be obsessively thorough, dismount the stock and use a bit on the end grain at either end of the wood. Doing this once on a new gun is probably good for a decade or more.
Actual lubing needed is sometimes much less than what it gets. Excess lube becomes grunge,attracting dirt. After all the surfaces are done,wipeon/wipeoff, I use one drop of CLP on each action bar of an 870, and work it a few times. That's it.
Cold weather shotgunning means extra lube freezes up actions PDQ. Go light on the inside.
Questions, comments,donations?....
The trigger area stays remarkably clean with normal use anyway.