DIY: Cleaning a handgun

Published 1:09 pm Tuesday, September 5, 2017

By David Miller

David Miller is a firearms instructor and an M&P and AR-15 armorer. Shooting has been his longtime hobby.

Whether you’re frequently headed to the shooting range or pulling out your pistol once a year from storage, Albert Lean and firearms instructor David Miller said it’s important to follow proper procedures to make sure your handgun is working its best. But before you clean it, he advised, you must understand a few important safety measures.

David Miller

Miller said it is crucial to always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

“Never point a gun at anything you don’t want to destroy,” he said.

In past years in the news, there have been reports of what have been termed “accidental discharges” when people have unintentionally shot themselves or others. Those incidents are now referred to as “negligent discharge,” because the responsibility of discharging a gun remains with the person shooting.

He encouraged people to refer to their firearm manual for specific maintenance guidelines for their handgun.

Miller used a Smith & Wesson M&P to demonstrate proper general field stripping and cleaning procedures.

Safety tips

• Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

• Always follow the field stripping instructions exactly. Never go beyond what’s instructed to do or alter the parts in your pistol.

• Wear safety glasses every time you assemble or disassemble your firearm.

: Point the pistol in a safe direction. Make sure finger is off the trigger and trigger guard and remove the magazine.

: With the barrel still pointing in a safe direction — and with your finger still off the trigger and outside the trigger guard — grasp the serrated sides of the slide from the rear with the palm of your hand and fingers while holding the gun upright and draw the slide back to extract any cartridge from the barrel chamber and clear it from the pistol. Pull the slide fully to the rear, press upward on the slide stop while letting the slide move slightly forward and lock the slide open. Make sure the chamber is clear.

: Use frame tool to disengage the sear deactivation lever into the magazine well.

: Rotate the takedown lever clockwise, and remove the slide from the frame.

: Take out guide rod and gun barrel. The gun will then be field stripped.

Cleaning

: Use proper brush for a 40-caliber gun. Attach to cleaning rod, and push brush through barrel as many times as you shot the gun.

: Use a pistol patch attached to a jag on a rod, and push through barrel with solvent. Let sit for a short time and come back through with dry patch. Run a clean patch through until it comes out clean; Miller typically repeats this step a couple times.

: Use an old toothbrush or a brush designed for weapons to clean debris out of slide. Use a conservative amount of solvent to remove deposits on slide. Make sure not to get solvent or lubricant into the firing pin or striker channel or plunger, this will collect debris and cause malfunctions.

: Wipe excess lubricant and solvent off with rag.

: Brush off powder residue and other debris from the frame. Use a small amount of lubricant on a rag or brush if you have carbon build up and clean with rag. Put a good amount of oil on the frame if storing; otherwise, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. There are seven lubrication points where a single drop of high-quality firearms lubricant should be applied.

: Miller said there are many different types of cleaning kits. Which kit you choose depends on the gun and personal choice. The kit should included brushes, jags, cleaning rods, solvent, dry patches and lubricant.

Reassembly

: With the bottom of the slide turned up, replace the barrel in the slide so the muzzle is flush with the end of the slide. Insert the protruding button end of the recoil spring guide assembly into the slide guide housing and the rear of the spring into the assembly notch of the barrel lug. Make sure the recoil spring guide assembly is properly centered. Verify that the sear deactivation lever is in the lowered position.

: Holding the slide and recoil spring guide firmly in one hand, with the takedown lever down, place the rear of the slide onto the front frame rails. Continue moving the slide onto the frame until the slide is fully rearward, then rotate the takedown lever full upward before allowing the slide to move forward to the closed position. Making certain the weapon is clear, function test gun to make sure it’s clear.