How to Clean a Shotgun

Hi my name is Gunnar

Have you thought about cleaning your shotgun lately?
But have never done it yourself.

Cleaning your shotgun is good for the gun to
keep it working correctly on those fall duck hunts.

I’m going to show you the 5 easy steps to clean
your shotgun

Did you know if you don’t clean you’re gun you
can have mechanical problems and it can even be dangerous? So lets get started.

Hoppe's Gun cleaning kit. Contains.

You will need to break the shotgun down into its primary Parts. Depending on what gun you have will depend on how far you you’ll have to break it down, if its an automatic you’ll want to break it down to get into the action but a pump shotgun be careful when taking it apart for there is a lot of small parts that can fall out.

I use an aerosol powder solvent or degreaser designed for firearms to clean areas with heavy buildup. But I avoid spraying any part with small springs or pieces. Sometimes, spraying aerosol products into a trigger unit or the action can push parts out of whack or drive crud into places you don’t want it to be. My main priorities are the barrel, gas chamber if there is one, choke tubes and any areas with significant metal-on-metal friction

I don’t bother soaking choke tubes. It takes too long. Instead, I use a brass brush attached to the handle segment of a three-piece cleaning rod. Spray some solvent into the tube and start scrubbing. It shouldn’t take too long

I don’t clean much in the action because getting oil and cleaning solutions in some areas will attract powder and dust and can cause problems. I use cotton swabs, rags and brushes to clean the obvious filth and any areas with large moving parts. If shooting an autoloader, now’s the time to clean the piston and spring assembly around the gas ports.

Finish with a visual inspection of the entire gun. Clean where needed, and apply a thin coat of oil to the exterior surfaces. Tighten up any screws or hardware, and reassemble the gun. Take a minute to open and close the action, shoulder the gun, make a few “practice swings” on imaginary targets to make sure everything feels right.