After a day of hunting or time spent at the gun range, it’s important to clean your firearm before storing it inside one of our concealed gun cabinets or on a wooden display rack. Improper care of your rifle, shotgun, pistol, or other firearms may result in it malfunctioning and/or rusting.
While cleaning the outside of a gun is routine knowledge among gun owners, you’re not alone in asking, “Should I oil the inside of my gun barrel?” The answer is, yes, but make sure you’re doing it correctly.
How to Oil the Inside of a Gun
You don’t want to leave a significant amount of oil residue on your gun barrel. Excessive oil could impede its ability to fire.
Instead, run a lightly oiled patch through the barrel. Use an oil specifically made for firearms. Afterward, follow up by pushing a completely new, dry patch through the bore a couple of times. This will not only help protect it from rust. Running those patches through may dislodge grime and small insects that made their way into the barrel of your gun.
A very thin layer of oil in the barrel of a gun is especially helpful if you plan to store your firearms for a long period of time. Also, it can help neutralize any solvents left in the barrel after cleaning.
How Often Should I Oil My Gun?
After every cleaning, your gun with solvents, you should oil your gun. Again, you only need a very thin layer of oil. Always follow up any lubrication by running a dry patch through the barrel twice. If your firearm has been in long-term storage, be sure to wipe it out again before you fire that first shot.
Can I Use WD-40 On My Gun?
WD-40 is a water displacement product and not made for lubricating guns. It’s best to choose a product made specifically for gun lubrication. Check out the safety data sheet for WD-40 and you’ll see that WD-40 contains less than 35% oil.
How Should I Store My Gun After It’s Clean?
Once your gun is thoroughly cleaned and its barrel slightly oiled, you can store it in any gun cabinet or safe located in a moisture-controlled environment. Our handmade wooden gun cabinets provide secure gun storage for collections of varied sizes, even up to 20 guns. USA Gun Cabinets also builds custom hidden storage cabinets for firearms.
Everything is done by hand at our woodshop in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Contact us today to learn more.
