New Gun Owner - Cleaning

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Stokesey

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Hi - I'll be picking up my new M&P9 over the next few days, I'm new to this game so could do with some advice on what cleaning products to buy (a complete shopping list would be good).

I have no idea on what I need or even how to 'properly' clean the firearm (I'm assuming the manual will detail cleaning procedure'?)

Thanks in advance.
 
My personal preference is Hoppes. A word of advice though, if you hava a fibre optic sight be careful what chemicals it comes in contact with. Other than that, all of the cleaners I have used work well. Enjoy you new firearm.
If you can find a "pistol cleaning kit" (I think mine is made by Gunslick, but I dont think brand makes a real difference) it will get all you need to start. Youtube has some excellent videos on stripping and cleaning your equipment
 
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For the most part you will need:
- cleaning rod with attachments for bronze brushes and a jag to hold a cloth patch
- cleaning solvent to remove powder and carbon. If it removes some copper fouling that is a bonus but not often necessary.
- Cleaning patches
- rags (wipe your hands, wipe the rod, wipe the brush after use, etc)
- Oil to wipe the barrel and rest of the pistol down after scrubbing it with solvent
- nitrile gloves to wear while using the above.
 
Check out g96, it is a great product, I use it if I am out in the woods and cant carry around all sorts of cleaning supplies.

Much can be had off the shelf
Often for general cleaning I use:

1. Brake cleaner, it degreases and removes dirt and gun powder residue. Make sure you ge the non-chlorinated kind if you are cleaning a polymer gun.
2. Liquid wrench penetrant works great at removing fouling in the barrel. It will also clean carbon deposits in the chamber.

For lubricating:
ATF and engine oil mix.

Along with that, some patches and cleaning rods are what you need.

To clean, disasemble the gun, make sure that you wipe off any dirt, or debris, this can be done with brake cleaner or solvent.

1.Spray the bore with the solvent eg. Liquid Wrench, let it sit for a few minutes, then run patches through until they come out clean. Use a wire bore brush if it is really dirty before moving on to the patches.
2.Spray all areas where there may be carbon buildup/powder residue with solvent or brake cleaner, then wipe until clean
3.Lubricate the vital areas with your choice of lubricant eg, engine oil/atf. Do not get any oil into the trigger assembly as this will affect accuracy, if you do, a good spray out with brake cleaner will remove the oil.

Reassemble the gun and you are done.
 
Also, clean your brush after several passes. You will re-contaminate the bore with the gunk you just removed. You can rinse the brush using paint thinner or any light solvent. Or spray-clean it using brake cleaner.
 
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I was recently at WSS and they had almost nothing in the way of cleaning supplies. The guy I talked to said something about problems at the border and they didn't know when they be getting any more and that's it Canada wide.

Is it actually getting harder to find cleaning supplies from stores now, or do they just not have a lot of stock at the moment?
 
get a POINTED jag- the ones with the slot leave a temptation to see-saw the patch through the bore, and that just brings the DIRT BACK IN - you should clean IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY ie from chamber to muzzle, have the patch drop off, or pull it off, and repeat
 
bore snake

good advice from members above. I use solvent when carbon/lead build up is bad only; CLP, jags with cloth (preferably non-coated cleaning rod), sometimes q-tips to get into tight spots (long handle-medical types), some light lube (break-free) or grease, depending on weather (indoor/outdoor/seasonal), and if you are really keen, get a bore-snake, helps get the hard to reach carbon/lead build-up in the barrel. try cleaning your gun after each use, although some people think you only have to clean once a year, or less....I prefer to clean after use, and oil the barrel lightly if putting the gun away for a few months. would also run some CLP on the exterior of the gun, barrel, slide, frame, to get dirt and other particles off the outside of the gun
 
oh ya, and you might want to use gloves, surgical/medical kind you can pick-up at local drug store...helps keep the solvent and other nasties off your skin, at least some of it anyways, hard to keep it totally off your skin. glasses (shop kind) also not a bad idea, as spray back can "sting" to put it mildly. I also wait until the wife is out for the day, well ventilated area, as cleaning guns all afternoon can leave a slight odour in the air
 
Thanks all, I've picked up a 'Hoppe's 9' deluxe gun cleaning kit, seems to have everything I need to get started.

I actually picked this kit up before some of the comments came in so apologies if I've ignored some advice...

Can I assume the .38 brush is the one for 9mm?

Is this kit good enough (I can still return if needs be).

Thanks again.
 
Ya my kit had one brush for .357/38/9mm.

As mentinoned, check youtube for a specific to your gun takedown/cleaning video. I have a glock 17 and used nutnfancy's glock cleaning video. (regardless of what u think of him, it is a good video) He uses a slightly worn out bore brush to put patches on instead of a jag. It is an interesting idea.
 
children's tooth brush, bore snake, and ballistol.

it's all i use on my handgun. ballistol is not the best at taking off fouling, but it still works and it's non toxic
 
dan belisle said:
Take the grips off and get a pail of varsol. Dip,shake. Scrub a little, run a bore brush through it, dip and shake again. Give it a wipe down and put the grips back on. - dan
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Errrr, I don't think the grips come off on an M&P9. I have the 40 and its a plastic one piece lower receiver, other than the interchangeable back strap. For the lower i would just spray down the innerds with G96, run a clean rag through the mag well, wipe down the rails and re-lube them with some oil.
 
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