Firearm maintenance- cleaning

Firearm maintenance- cleaning. Firearm maintenance involves keeping the gun and all working parts free of carbon, metal particles (lead, copper, brass), and any other contaminant or foreign substance that may cause the gun to malfunction  or to wear out prematurely. Oiling and lubricating the gun is also necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the device, to keep it from rusting, and to condition the metal components.

Firearms need to be partially or fully disassembled, when applicable, to properly clean them. A revolver does not usually need to be disassembled, while a semi-automatic handgun usually does.

Some tools used in gun cleaning are a bore snake, used to clean the barrel, a cleaning rod and patches, also used to clean the barrel, and different solvents and gun oils, for example Ballistol, used to remove contaminants and to lubricate and protect the components of the firearm. A jag is a cleaning tool that can be attached to the end of a ramrod, and is used with some historical firearms such as muskets. Other tools, such as a screwdriver, are sometimes needed for disassembly.

Firearms should generally be cleaned after firing them, and a deep cleaning should be performed periodically.

source : wikipedia