How to Clean an Air Rifle at Home Using Cleaning Kit, Solvent & Normally
Cleaning at airgun regularly increases durability and accuracy. When a shooter knows the inner section of his weapon, he would find out the problems and know what to do or how to solve them. Cleaning an air gun means not only cleaning the parts but also inspecting them and preventing damage.
You do not need to go to any gun shop to clean your air rifle; do it in your home. Clean your rifle quickly when you see the weapon is not performing well.
How to Clean an Air Rifle at Home
Contents
- 1 How to Clean an Air Rifle at Home
It would help if you dissembled the airgun to clean it properly. An airgun has some parts like an inner and outer barrel, pellets, stock, etc. Choose a place in your home where no one would disturb you in your working time, in your garage would be good.
What You Will Need
You can buy a gun cleaning kit as they also provide instruction and all materials so it will be easier to you to clean the gun, or buy the cleaning tools separately such as,
- An airgun cleaning oil
- Dry patches
- Cleaning rod
- Cleaning cable
- Brass, steel brush, or nylon brush
- Pellet lube
How to Clean the Airgun Barrel
The barrel is the first thing you need to clean. It gets the most dirt as it throws metal pellets in a particular direction which leaves dirt, oil, and deposits lead. Too much lead will make the barrel damaged even when you put it in the storage for long. Remember, do not give much pressure while cleaning the barrel as it is fragile.
Some people use an
Clean the breech with a cleaning rod and remove the dirt from the internal mechanism. Pour a drop of oil inside the barrel and use a brass or nylon brush to clean it. Attach a cleaning patch or soft cloth at the top of the cleaning rod, then wipe down the oil from the breach.
How to Use Air Rifle Barrel Cleaning Solvent
Use proper barrel cleaning solvent for cleaning the pellet or bb air rifle. Use a lint-free cloth and rub the outer barrel and receiver smoothly. Take the gun cleaning cable and thread it carefully throw the barrel. You can insert a drinking straw into the barrel then pass the line throw it. Take out the cable, throw the loading port and attach cleaning patches at the cable’s top.
The cable has a loop at the end, so you can easily attach the patch. After that, pull the patch back, throw the barrel and pull it all together. Repeat this process twice or more to clean the barrel or muzzle thoroughly.
Clean the Pellets
Pellets are also part of an air gun, and the cleaning process is also straightforward. First, take out the pellets from the barrel and soak them into pellet lube for a couple of minutes.
After that, gently scrub the pellet with a soft cloth and leave it to dry at room temperature. However, do not clean all pellets from your gun; leave at least half of them and scour only the other half, then use those before shooting. Pellets do not require to clean thoroughly.
Clean the Stock
If you are using a semi-auto PCP air rifle then the mechanism will be different. It will have a better gas chamber. A wooden stock needs cleaning regularly; otherwise, the store will ruin quickly. Wipe down the cache with a dry cloth, and if any area has scratches, gently wipe the spot and do not use any wet cloth as it can build moisture into the cracks.
Clean the Trigger and Scope
Do not overlook cleaning the action, trigger mechanism, and scope. Moisture quickly builds these areas and makes corrosion so lubricate and clean those parts. Just pour a few drops of oil and clean it.
Remove the old gun grease by gently wiping down it with a lint-free cloth. Do not use oil on your scope as the glass will decrease its visibility. The scope is a sensitive part, so use an only dry cloth to wipe down it.
How Often Should You Clean an Air Rifle Barrel
Most shooters do not clean the barrel, and it won’t affect the gun much, yet the manufacturer recommends that you clean the barrel after every 1000 shots as it increases the frequency and accuracy. If you are cleaning a .177 PCP gun, you need to clean it more often than not.
The cleaning should be done correctly with the right products. If you are a regular shooter, clean the barrel every two months.
Reload the barrel after cleaning; otherwise, the accuracy decreases, so shoot at least 200 shots after cleaning the barrel.
How to Use Air Rifle Cleaning Pellets
Using pull-through to clean the barrel is quite tricky. Use air-dry cleaning pellets or put pellets in a bowl, then pour drops of oil on it so the pellet will soak into it. After some time, push the pellet into the breech and pull the trigger.
It is safe to fire indoors. This way, you can clean the barrel without any hazards as the pellets contact with the barrel. Use 2 to 4 cleaning pellets per shot. It is also called a dry firing in springers.
Do Cleaning Pellet Work
A cleaning pellet is a felt that tightly fits into your barrel, and when you shoot, it pushes the felt into the barrel and cleans it. It is not the entire gun cleaning method for multi-pump guns or single pump ones, but the pellets clean pretty well.
If the barrel has lots of dirt, then the cleaning pellet will not be enough to clean. A WD-40 with a cleaning pellet will be a great combination.
What Fluid is Used to Clean an Air Rifle Barrel?
An aerosol oil or gun cleaning oil can clean the air rifle barrel well. Just spray it down so the lead can loosen up, then wipe the barrel with a clean cloth. You can use this fluid to clean other parts of your gun.
