Well folks, with hunting season running down and fishing cranking up, it might be time to consider cleaning up the outdoor equipment. I know we have had some calm, pretty days, but then wind jumps up and the temperature drops and it can mighty uncomfortable for most anglers who do not enjoy fighting the rough water.
Now realistically consider the last time you cleaned up your fishing equipment, guns, and if applicable your reloading equipment. The equipment you regularly use may be clean, but what about those items that have not seen much use over the past few years. I do not know about you, but the prices are getting so high on first class hunting and fishing equipment that mine is going to have to last as long as I can stretch out their usability so periodic maintenance is a must for me.
One area where we all may be a little remiss in our cleaning duties is in shotguns. I know I can run a Boresnake down the barrel of my shotgun and it shines like a new silver dollar, but there may be powder in there that needs to come out or it can lead to rust as our humidity is fairly high and that powder residue will sure soak up the moisture. So it may be time to run a patch soaked with powder solver through there and see if it comes out clean. The chances are it will not be clean so give it a good cleaning and that barrel will probably outlast you.
Another barrel area to consider is the choke tubes and threads in the barrel. If you have a shotgun made within the past 20 years or so there is a good chance you may have a screw-in choke in the barrel, even though it may not have come with three or more chokes when you purchased it. To be safe take the choke out and clean the threads in the barrel really good as well as the threads in the choke.
Make sure there is not a buildup of lead in the choke also. If so remove the lead. Before you put the choke back in put a dab of choke lube on the threads and screw it back in. The choke lubes of today have agents in them that will make sure the choke will not seize and will be easy to change if you so need.
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Most semi-automatic today are gas operated, meaning they have gas ports in the barrel where the gas from the fired shell is directed so it will force the bolt back, ejecting the empty shell and loading a fresh, unfired round. Keeping this mechanism clean is important to keep the gun functioning properly. The gas mechanisms are generally fairly simple in design and your owner’s manual will show you how to clean it.
The Remington Model 1100 is one of the most popular semi-automatic shotguns and they have been around for many years. They have an “O” ring within the recoil system and these “O” rings need replacing occasionally. I cannot tell you how many times I have had people come up to me at the range and their Model 1100 will not eject the empty shell properly and when I ask the owner when was the last time they changed the “O” ring I receive the deer in the headlight stare and the question, “What ‘O’ ring?” The last time I checked the “O” ring for a Model 1100 cost $8.50 so there is really no reason why they should not be changed every year.
Beretta semi-automatic shotguns have one of the simplest gas systems on the market and one of the easiest to clean, but even they will start to malfunction if you shoot one enough without cleaning them. I am not picking on Beretta semi-automatic shotguns or the Remington Model 1100 as they are good shotgun; it is some of the owners who have a problem.
On most semi-automatic shotguns the trigger mechanism can be taken out by driving out a couple of pins and the whole mechanism will come out intact. I would not recommend taking the trigger mechanism apart just to clean it, but remove it from the shotgun intact and either soak it in gun solvent or spray it thoroughly with one of the spray gun cleaners and let it soak and do that a few times to get out all of the powder residue and dirt. After that blow it out with air, lightly oil it and put it back in the gun.
If you feel adventurous and decide to take the trigger mechanism all apart to clean it, be prepared for the festival of flying springs and parts that will surely follow your attempt at disassembly. If there is a reason to disassemble the trigger mechanism I would strongly suggest you take it to a gunsmith and let them see to it. Most gunsmiths do not care to see a customer come into the shop with a shotgun in one hand and a bag full of parts in the other.
So if you get the urge to do something and the wind defies comfortable fishing, take a few minutes and clean up a shotgun. That simple task will make the gun work smoothly and increase the useful life of the shotgun many times over.
Source: Hcnonline.com
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