Smoking Shells: Many Tips On Keeping Your Shotguns Trigger Ready!
Whether you intend on hunting for game, sharp-shooting, or home defense, a shotgun is still a fiery piece of equipment. Shotguns pack in enough firepower when used, and this can weather them over time in addition to the surface corrosion from the hand handling.
Maintaining your shotgun depends on if you intend a field stripping or a full disassembly of the gun components. But the fact remains, whatever you do, remember that gun still has to work after you’re done with it, so maintain with caution or hand it over to gunsmithing experts.
Eagle Arms has some insight into intensive shotgun maintenance & storage; get your gloves on!
- Ensure your shotgun is not loaded before you start the clean-up process. Remove any magazine attachment with the barrel pointed away from harm.
- Always study the manufacturer’s instruction manual before any disassembling attempt. Do this over a clean & organized space, so you don’t lose parts. Use the proper equipment for cleaning internal parts.
- Invest in some quality degreasers to remove debris & fouling, but don’t leave the solution in too long. Use a cleaning rod for the barrel. Do not use water!
- After cleaning, start oiling the moving parts & components of your shotgun. Do not oil the barrel interior of the chamber if you are storing your shotgun for an extended period. Oil in the chamber can cause misfires.
- Clean off all parts with a flannel gun cloth to remove oily residue. Then start reassembly of the shotgun. Lastly, inspect the gun components for damage, as this can become a safety issue. If you find serious irregularities, you can visit our store with your weapon, and we will advise you how to move ahead.
Shotgun Storage Tips
The first rule of gun maintenance is: never neglect gun maintenance! The second rule is, keep your gun shop owner in the loop for advice on storage!
Store Shotgun with Barrel Facing Down
If you have just oiled your shotgun, store it with the barrel/muzzle to the floor. It ensures any excess oils drain out instead of flowing into the chamber and tainting the wood.
Careful When Using a Gun Slip
It’s one of the worst rookie mistakes to store your shotgun in a gun slip or a holster. Quality materials are made of genuine leather and can absorb moisture. If you have a gun slip made of synthetic material, then it’s all okay. Just don’t store in a leather gun slip unless you want rusty barrels.
Maintain The Stock
Wood stocks dull over time, so it’s a wise decision to bring it over to a gun shop near you for a repolishing. Frankly, if the wood was finished with a varnish at the factory, then you can do it with hard-wax furniture polish and a buff machine. If the finish was oil, then of course, off to the gun shop you go!
If you have such inquiries on shotgun care or simply need a fresher in gun-care etiquettes in Allentown, PA, our Eagle Arm’s Breinigsville store is just a couple miles away, where you can browse for some top-notch weapons, ammo, & accessories.
Do browse our online products, and if you fancy a make, we can have it shipped over to your address with 100% quality guaranteed!
