Curing Winter's Blahs

We are in those winter days when I recall hearing from an old relative, “When the days begin to lengthen, the weather begins to strengthen.” A look outside shows swirling snow and the computer weather radar shows worse to come. One thing is certain, global warming won’t hit Pennsylvania for another month or so. Now is a good time to spend a little time giving the tools of the hunting trade a little TLC.

Most hunters already have the equipment to prepare their firearms for winter storage, but for review let’s take a look at the basic supplies:

• A good one-piece coated or carbon fiber cleaning rod
• Properly-sized bore brushes, jags, and patches
• A nylon cleaning brush (a soft toothbrush works fine)
• Bore solvent
• Aerosol gun scrubber
• A lubricant and a long-term preservative
• A schematic drawing or owner’s manual

Like about everyone else, I started with a “one-size-fits-all” cleaning kit in a red steel box, and they will do the job if nothing better is available. However, some cleaning equipment and techniques actually do more damage than good. This isn’t a good place to go cheap.

Always make sure the gun is unloaded. Clear the magazine, double check the chamber visually, and then stick your pinky finger in there just to make triple sure. Treat every gun like it’s loaded. Too many police reports contain the words, “I thought it was empty.” Extra safety never hurts. Wear eye protection. If you wear glasses that are not shatterproof, cover them with plastic safety glasses. The cleaning compounds don’t feel good if they splatter in one’s eyes. Some people like a pair of protective latex gloves too.

Most Pennsylvania hunting rifles, especially big game rifles, aren’t shot enough to build up excessive metallic fouling in one season, and the old traditional cleaners remove most powder residue. If it’s been a while, or if the arm has been shot a good bit, specialized cleaning products also remove copper and impacted carbon fouling. Shooter’s Choice MC-7, Butch’s BoreShine, and the advanced Hoppe’s products clean where good old Hoppes No. 9 stops.

Remove the bolt from a bolt action and clean the bore from the breech. If you have one, use a bore guide to keep solvent out of the action. When cleaning a rifle that does not permit cleaning from the breech, use a bore guide (brass or plastic) to protect the barrel crown. A tiny bit of damage at the muzzle crown will destroy accuracy. Protecting the bore is also the reason for a carbon fiber or coated cleaning rod, although I have heard arguments for hard stainless steel rods that will not pick up abrasive particles and carry them down the bore.

To brush or not to brush? Many of today’s cleaning solvents are advertised as “brushless”, meaning that just using cleaning patches will be fine. Still, I like to soak a nylon bore brush in solvent and run it up and down the bore a dozen times and then use a patch. Whatever you do, DO NOT use a stainless steel bristle brush unless the barrel is so far gone that you try this as a last step before replacing the barrel. A good bronze brush will work, but realize that if you are using copper removing cleaners, the bristles will be dissolving as well as the copper in the bore. Bore brushes are not meant to last forever either, and a new cleaning brush is a lot cheaper than a barrel.

I once purchased a used Remington pump, back in the days when the model had one less zero on the name. I thoroughly cleaned the barrel using a rod guide, and then removed the trigger assembly and cleaned an accumulation of dust, old lubricant, and weed seeds from the action. It doesn’t hurt to break down an action as far as you are comfortable with and doing a good clean out. If thatÕs more than you want to do, have a professional tear the gun down and clean a gun that’s had some hard usage.

That brings up another topic: cleaning the brand new Christmas gun. A hunter may be okay just cleaning the bore and giving the parts a light lubrication, but I like to, if possible, take the bolt apart. Some gun makers cover internal parts with a rust preventing grease at the factory. They may shoot just fine in summer or when taken from a warm house or truck to the sight-in range. But take them in the woods when it’s c-o-l-d and that grease can stiffen up and slow or even stop the firing pin. I remember a young hunter back some twenty years who thought his new rifle was junk after it failed to go off and cost him a nice buck. An old timer in that camp took the bolt out and put it in a pot of boiling water, then dried and oiled it with gun oil. I doubt if that rifle ever misfired again.

The bolts on some rifles like the Winchester Model 70 and the Mauser types are fairly easy to take down. Some, like the Remington 700, require a special takedown tool. If the idea of boiling the heavy grease out of a bolt seems radical, a number of “crud buster” aerosol cleaning sprays can accomplish the same thing. They also work well for cleaning actions that you don’t want to disassemble. Just make sure all the gunk is flushed out first, and be sure to re-lube.

After I have cleaned the bore of fouling and the action is cleaned out, I like to spray the trigger assembly with aerosol gun scrubber, let it dry, and re-lubricate it lightly. I have heard of shops using spray brake cleaner to blast out old lubricant, but Gun Scrubber is made for the job. Then I lightly wipe down the metal with a patch using ShooterÕs Choice Rust Prevent, Birchwood Casey Sheath or an equivalent. CLP is also good here as it leaves a film that prevents rust. FP-10 is also a useful product. A professional gunsmith once told me that I should never use WD-40 or similar household products on a gun as they dry, leaving a varnish-like residue. A light treatment with Shooter’s Choice Rust Prevent or equivalent can make a rifle last longer than its owners.

If you have taken the action out of the stock (if it is wood), It’s a good idea to apply a coat of Tru-Oil or other linseed oil finish to the interior. This seals the pores and makes the stock less susceptible to warping because of moisture.

Reassemble the rifle and torque the screws down to the proper level. Over-tightening screws has damaged more rifles and scopes than use in the field. Recently, I saw a rifle that had the hex-head scope ring screws stripped out by excessive tightening. The only answer for that shooter was to find a gunsmith who could remove the damaged screws. A gunsmith’s torque driver is a good tool to have for reassembly. Most times, removing the stock will affect the zero, so plan on sighting in before the next hunt.

Of course, firearms should be stored in a safe dry place, free from moisture. If a cabinet is in a humid place, provide some means of dehumidification. Packs of silica gel or electric devices designed to reduce humidity are available at most sporting goods stores. Fireproof safes are a good investment.

Just as you take extra steps to store the rifle this winter, remember to run a solvent soaked patch and then dry patches down the bore when you take it out the next season. The rust preventing preservative may affect the first few shots’ accuracy if it is not removed. A compound like FP-10 that penetrates the pores of the steel sometimes requires ten or more shots to “shoot” its way out of a bore. It’s good stuff, but it does change barrel harmonics. A little pre-shooting cleaning is less expensive.

Time spent giving a firearm end of the season TLC pays off. A properly cleaned and protected bore wonÕt deteriorate, and the external finish will stay in excellent condition. If you spend as much time caring for equipment after the season as you do getting ready for the season, your efforts will be rewarded.

With proper end of season care, you’ll be passing on your hunting equipment to the next generation as well. Shoot safely, respect property and property owners, and pass our sport on to the next generation. Join the NRA, and protect our Second Amendment rights!