Shotgun Cleaning

Using quality cartridges will ensure that your shotgun will not have excessively dirty barrels at the end of a shoot. However you should clean it properly before it is returned to the Gun Safe.

Remove the Fore end from the Barrels, put the Fore end immediately on to a flat surface where it cannot fall or be damaged.

Remove the Barrels from the action/stock, put the action/stock on a safe flat surface. Give a light spray of Napier Gun Cleaner (sorry bias here but I have used Napier cleaning products only since they became available about 20 years ago). Push a cleaning patch through the barrels then through again with a clean soft brush or Pull Through.

Lightly spray a little gun cleaner on the outside of the barrels and wipe over (kitchen roll is good), ensure that you wipe off any Cordite residue at the muzzles.

Spray gun cleaner onto a clean cloth (or kitchen roll) and wipe the metal parts inside the fore end. Do the same to the action, making sure that you wipe the inside of the Extractors.

Reassemble the gun, now wipe over the wood work with a silicone cloth.

If your gun is a multi choke, you should remove the chokes before you clean the barrels. Wipe the threads clean with gun cleaner then apply a spot of gun oil to the choke threads before re inserting them and screwing up hand tight.

It is very important to regularly clean the threads of choke tubes, as any build up of lead shot residue between the choke threads and inside the barrels could result in a 'Barrel Bulge' requiring expensive barrel replacement!

If the gun is going to be stored for a long time, give a light spray of gun oil into the barrels and wipe gun oil lightly over the barrels and any other metal parts.

When putting the gun in the safe, only handle by the wood to ensure that any moisture from tour hands is not left on the metal. Stand the gun barrels down to ensure that any oil in the barrels does not run into the action.

Napier provide a rust inhibitor which fits into a pocket inside Napier Gun Slips and also some that can be put into a gun safe to help keep rust at bay.

Should your shotgun have got excessively wet, do not put it into the safe immediately after cleaning. Lay it down on an old towel somewhere warm (not hot) and safe where will not suffer damage. When it is completely dry, apply Napier stock care to the wood until the original colour returns. 

Finally, when you take a gun out of the safe that has been left with oil in the barrels, push any residue of oil out of the barrels before you fire it. Build up of oil in the barrels can also cause a barrel bulge!

A gun kept clean will provide you with a lifetime clay shooting pleasure. It also makes good sense to get your gun to the Gun Smith every 3rd year for a professional check.