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How to Clean a Semi-Automatic Handgun

Once your ears have stopped ringing after spending an afternoon shooting your semi-automatic handgun at the firing range, it's time to head home and clean your gun. Any gun owner knows the importance of handgun maintenance. Cleaning a semi-automatic handgun will require some disassembly, but it will be time well spent to ensure a clean shot every time.

Things You'll Need

Bore brush
Cleaning rod
Cleaning patches
Oil
Lubricant
Grease
Rags

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure the gun is unloaded. Never clean a loaded gun.
- 2
  Disassemble the handgun. How you do this depends on the type of semi-automatic handgun you own. Refer to your owner's manual. Once disassembled, the gun will be in 4 main parts: the frame, the slide, the barrel and the magazine.
- 3
  Run a solvent-soaked patch through the barrel, and follow with a bore brush. Then run a lubricant-soaked patch through the barrel, followed by a dry patch.
- 4
  Wipe exterior and inside of slide, the frame and trigger or hammer areas with lubricant, followed by a dry cloth. Apply 1 or 2 drops of lubricant to the rear of each slide channel and the decocking lever pin. Apply grease to hammer face and frame rails.
- 5
  Reassemble the handgun. Slide the action several times to work in lubricant until it slides smoothly. Wipe any excess lubricant with a dry, clean cloth. Apply a small drop of oil to all moving parts.

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