Quick tips for cleaning your shotgun before your hunting trip
- Step 1 – safety is the number 1 priority, make sure its not loaded.
- Step 2 – work in a well lit and ventilated area.
- Step 3 – prepare your work surface/ work bench so you don’t lose any parts.
- Step 4 – Degrease the entire weapon.
- Step 5 – Swab the barrel with your favorite cleaning solution.
- Step 6 – Lube the moving parts with gun lube.
- Step 7 – Put it back together.
How to clean a shotgun for beginners
The first step to deep cleaning a
firearm is to make sure your firearm is
unloaded. then take it apart according to
the manufacturer’s instructions, we like
to focus on the barrel first. Run a
caliber specific brush attached to a
cleaning rod through the barrel to break
up buildup and valley. We recommend you
insert from the breech end and push out
the muzzle end, as to not damage the crown.
Ensure the brush passes completely
through the barrel before drawing the
brush back through. This reduces the
amount of fouling deposits or carbon
that may fall into the action. Next
attach a slotted jag to the cleaning rod
with a patch treated with Hoppy’s board
clean run a patch to the barrel once
remove the patch and repeat the process
until the final patch comes out clean
after your barrel is clean create a
patch with Hoppe’s lubricating gun barrel oil and
run it through the barrel. Add a light
coating of protective oil once the
barrel is clean and lubricated. We like
to focus on other parts of the gun where
drive and valley often accumulates. Clean
around the action and other moving parts.
Clean your firearm with Hoppe’s cleaner and
a brush the larger bristles on a utility
brush can be used to clean any broad
surfaces. Smaller bristles and picks can
be used to get to hard-to-reach areas.
Wipe all areas clean with a dry patch
and apply a light coating of lubricating
oil to all surfaces with a patch for
triple threat cloth. Reassemble your
firearms and store in a dry secure place.