I am a believer that cleaning is essential to a happy life. It keeps germs at bay and keeps you healthy and although not everyone finds the task enjoyable, I find myself more motivated when I have a clean, organized environment around me. Houses, cars, and yard work are not the only things that need to be maintained, firearms also fall onto that list. I thought cleaning a firearm would be chaotic, in your face and getting down and dirty where you would have to put up a fight with your firearm. I quickly learned my assumption was false and it was a process that left me feeling calm and relaxed.
Why We Clean Firearms
Before I get into describing my experience of cleaning, it is important to know why we clean our firearms. Buildup inside the barrel occurs from the explosion of the bullet, if this buildup is not properly taken care of it can cause your firearm to jam. Cleaning maximizes the lifespan of your firearm. Lack of proper maintenance can lead to rusting of the firearm, failure to feed into the chamber, or even failure to eject the spent casing after shooting. You always want your firearm to operate at its top performance and regular cleaning ensures your gun stays looking and shooting the best. Plus, it is nice to get things back to their clean, sparkly new appearance. The satisfaction can be enough motivation to prompt you to maintain a clean firearm. In my personal opinion, cleanliness means well taken care of. It shows respect and pride for the firearm, and I want that to translate into how a firearm looks.
Each person is different in how often they clean their firearms. A good rule of thumb is to clean your gun after every trip to the shooting range. Sometimes in life, you just get the cake and can’t eat it, so if you don’t like cleaning, you just have to suck it up and do the job. Cleaning a firearm is not as difficult as it looks, time-consuming yes, but worth it in the long run.
Breaking It Down
The first order of business was placing the dismantled firearm on a gun cleaning mat. A mat ensures your firearm is not slipping and sliding on the table. It is important to note you do not want the magazine in the firearm, the firearm should be empty while you are cleaning. The firearm was broken down into four main components for me to clean: barrel, recoil spring, slide, and frame. Each of these items would be cleaned and polished to the high heavens.
Cleaning the Recoil Spring
I began with the recoil spring, dapping some FP-10 Lubricant by Otis all around the inner workings of the spring. A microfiber towel helped me apply additional oil to the spring and wipe discarded lubricant away. One of the most useful tools was a toothbrush that came with the Sectional Rod Gun Cleaning Kit, and I took my time getting into the small areas my fingers could not reach. The FP-10 CLP’s job is to clean, lubricate and protect. I found less is more when using this product. After I was satisfied with my work, I sprayed the Rust Prevent Corrosion Inhibitor by Otis. Once sprayed, I wiped it clean with a microfiber towel. Rust Prevent preserves all gun metals and displaces moisture, as well as reducing friction and wear against a firearm.
Cleaning a Gun Barrel
Moving onto the barrel of the firearm, I was able to use the Sectional Rod Gun Cleaning Kit. This kit is a multi-caliber pistol cleaning kit that caters to .22, .9mm, .40, and .45. I was cleaning a 9mm pistol and on top of using the cleaning kit, I also used the 9mm Pull-Through Bore Cleaner that Otis offers. Otis Technology also offers a Universal Pistol Cleaning Kit that I did not use but plan to keep in my range bag to use on the go since it comes in a travel case.
Rather than use the CPL oil, I used the MC-7 Bore Cleaner. This bore cleaner removes powder, black power, lead, carbon, copper, and much more. It is designed to be non-abrasive, keeping your bore safe and protected. It worked the same way as the CPL oil and I lathered the barrel with the Bore Cleaner, taking the toothbrush and scrubbing away to get an initial cleaning done. I repeated this process a couple of times, wiping away with a microfiber cloth as I did with cleaning the recoil spring. Then I went in with a more intense cleaning method to get all the harder-to-reach spots.
In the Sectional Rod Gun Cleaning Kit, I used both bronze brushes and cotton mops making sure the barrel was re-lubricated. Using one at a time, I attached each of these to the brass rod that came with a swivel handle for easier cleaning with an adaptor. After this quick clean, I attached cotton patches onto the pierce-point jags and gilded these through the barrel.
All the steps could seem mundane and pointless to some, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I knew what my end goal was–make this firearm look brand new.
Next, I went in with the 9mm Pull Through Bore Cleaner by Otis. The 38-inch ripcord was easy to glide through the barrel of the firearm with a T-handle for easy gripping. The longer, narrower end was inserted in the chamber and pulled through the breech-to-muzzle. I made sure to re-lubricate the barrel, opting out of applying it directly onto the ripcord.
A final wipe down with the microfiber cloth and I was satisfied, placing it next to the other clean firearm parts.
Cleaning the Slide
The slide was simple to clean. I used the CPL oil and the toothbrush to get my cleaning started. I even used FP-10 Lubricant Elite CLP Firearm Wipes, and I found these worked wonderfully for quick touch-ups. This would be a great option after a range day if I do not have time to clean my firearm. Using the brass rod with a cotton patch attached, I lathered the CPL oil all around the slide. Eventually, I decided to keep using the toothbrush and worked with an eagerness to get the job done.
I quickly learned if you do not like repetition you would not enjoy cleaning a firearm. It involved repeating the same steps and although sometimes not in the same order, it was not something I was bothered by. It was a nice mundane task to get me out of my head for a while.
Cleaning the Frame
The frame was the most intimidating, seeing all the internals of a firearm made me afraid to get any oil on parts that should not get touched. Yet, I was informed that nothing could hurt the firearm and quickly got to work. I did not want to get too greedy with my application of lubricant. Apply a little here, scrub with the toothbrush there, and make sure you wipe away. I used the brass rod again alternating between the cotton mops and the bronze brushes. Once done, because I am a perfectionist, I went in again with the wipes and rewiped all the parts down.
Lubrication
The second to last step was applying lubricant to all the springs. The tiniest drop possible did the trick. If you do not properly lubricate your firearm your gun can have a harder time operating and moisture from sweat and the environment can cause a firearm to corrode the metal parts and form rust. Like a puzzle, all the parts fit back together and once together, I had a quick inspection of the firearm. I learned that too much oil is not a good thing and learned that afterward, you should pull the trigger multiple times to see if any oil leaks out. It is not the end of the work if it does, you just want to make sure you wipe clean and then keep in mind for next time that less oil is needed.
With a stack of wipes and dirty cotton patches all around the table, I was satisfied and able to admire my work. Afterward, I used the Lead Cleaning Hand Wipes that Otis offers. Please remember that these wipes are not for the use of firearms and are made to be a quick cleanup of lead and metals on your skin. Even with the wipes, I still washed my hands with soap and water.
Closing Remarks
The thing I liked most about cleaning was everything was fair game, there were no areas that could not be oiled or get wiped down. The firearm was a lot more durable than I expected. As a nascent gun owner, half of me expected that I had to be gentle and delicate when handling it–nope! It was the exact opposite and made me even more comfortable with handling firearms in the future.
The act of cleaning was a great way to get out of my head and focus on the task at hand. I was having my own meditation session cleaning the handgun and all the outside world problems did not matter as I focused on making this pistol sparkle. I had an end goal in my mind and was determined to reach it–a dirty handgun turned clean. I would not have gotten the job done without all the supplies I used from Otis Technology, and I admired each step along the way. The kits were easy to use, and the formula of the oils was a breeze to work with as a first-time gun cleaner. With a little time, patience and elbow grease, and the right tools, cleaning a firearm is an easy way to ensure a happy firearm and a happy gun owner.
