Sometimes people, especially new gun owners, are unclear on how, when, and where to clean their guns. Don't worry, every one of those questions is about to b answered. Keep in mind, guns are simple machines. Their maintenance is simple too. If you don't overthink it, you will have no problems at all.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Never have ammunition in the same room as the gun when cleaning. It may sound like I'm being overly cautious, but trust me, somehow bullets find their way into barrels and go boom.
- Keep it simple. Don't waste your time trying to make the gun look "pretty". If you shoot, it will get dirty.
- Do not go broke on cleaning supplies. There are a lot of gizmos and gadgets out there that are supposed to make you the best gun cleaner ever. In reality, you probably have most of what you need to properly clean you gun already and didn't even realize it.
Now I've cleaned many guns in my life, and could tell you step-by-step how to sufficiently remove any debris and fouling from yours, but I think that a short video would be much better. I would suggest having your pistol (AND NO AMMUNITION) in front of you while watching. Go along with the video, pausing where needed, and try to learn the process. If you don't get it, watch it again. No worries. Remember, simple machine. Don't overthink this.
I previously stated that you probably have most of the things you need at your home already to properly clean your firearm. Now I'm going to tell you what I have in my personal cleaning kit. Feel free to use it as a starting point for making your own.
Pistol Cleaning Kit:
- toothbrush
- clean t-shirt (cut into patches)
- polymer dental pick
- Q-tips
- shoe string w/ knots tied at one end*
- Break-Free CLP gun solvent
- barrel cleaning rod (came with pistol)
- clean hand towel (used to place everything on while cleaning)
*The shoe string is fished through the barrel and the end with the knots is pulled through to remove any fouling from its inside. This is used to mirror the job done by a bore snake. It is not necessary if the patches (t-shirt) properly clean the barrel. Make sure that the knots are large enough to barely fit through the pistol's barrel.