newbie gun cleaning question

AManWithAGun

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Hi,

Yesterday I took my rifle apart and cleaned it for the first time (after shooting about 300 rounds). Now I have some newbie gun cleaning questions/issues.

1. I tried as best as I could to clean the action using cloth, cotton swab, and solvent. But how do you get the solvent out ? Or do you just let it dry in place ?

2. There're many places where I saw gun powder residue but are hard to reach even with a toothpick. I could insert a piece of paper into a few gaps to get the residue out, but some places even that's hard to do. And
Is it OK to simply rinse the action in hot water and then dry it (maybe with a hair dryer) ?

3. I saw a small amount of rust on the bolt, at the inside corners. I just bought this rifle new in June. Is this normal ?

4. There are a few scratches on the outside surface of the receiver. The black finish is gone and I can see the shiny metal. What should I do about this ?

5. What's the difference between gun oil and WD40 ? Can I use WD40 to oil gun parts ?

By the way, oiling the action was not easy either. I know I'm supposed to lightly oil it, but because of the hard-to-reach places, some parts end up heavily oiled and some spots probably got no oil at all. But anyway, after reassembly, manually cycling the action feels and sounds much smoother, probably because of all that oil in there. :)
 
WD 40 is originally a water displacement (WD)product which acts like a penetrating oil but doesn't have the same properties of a good quality oil so WD 40 isn't a good option. I find a CLP (cleaner, lubricator, protector) is a better option and there are many brands on the market; G96 as been suggested by tactical III. Cleaning the bore with a bronze brush and a solvent (Hoppes #9 is an old stand-by) should be done.
Go to the Dollar Store and get a set of small brass cleaning brushes (like a toothbrush) to get into nooks & crannies.
Check with a sewing machine repair shop and you may be able to get a small needle oiler to lubricate hard to reach parts.
There is liquid blueing which you can dab with a Q-Tip on the reciever scratch marks. It won't be the best method but a least it will hide the scratches; be sure to clean the area off with isopropyl alchohol before, and oil afterwards.
 
As said above dont use WD 40 on your guns unless its a last resort.
Lots better stuff out there made for the job.
 
Lose the cotton swabs. They'll leave bits of cotton in the rifle. Use a cleaning patch or patches made out of flannelette remant. A couple of meters, 45 or 60 inches wide, will make hundreds of patches for less than $10. Cut the patches 2" x 4" for .30 calibre.
"...get the solvent out..." Dry patches or a lint free rag.
"...What should I do about this?..." Cold bluing.
"...are hard to reach..." Toothbrush or a dental pick. A straightened paper clip will do. Toothpicks are too soft.
 
The best way I found to get all the crud out of the corners is with a spray bottle full of Varsol. Shoot enough into the areas you want to clean to float away the residue. The varsol will evaporate. Do this over a bucket or pan.

Either that or G96 etc. with a spray nozzle

You might find a long necked oiler useful to get a couple of drops where you want them.
 
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