Witham Gun Cleaning Guide

By Appointment to His Majesty the King Lubricant Blenders & Paint Suppliers Witham Group T/A Witham Oil & Paint Ltd, Lincoln

British Manufacturers of Quality Lubricants and Paints since 1921

GUN CLEANING GUIDE A helpful guide to cleaning your gun, for the best performance and continued reliability.

INTRODUCTION Good gun care is vital to keep any shotgun or firearm performing accurately, safely, and with reliable precision. Regular cleaning and lubricating will also offer effective protection from the major issue of rust and impurities. Using the correct and specifically designed products are crucial, as general lubricators and cleaners can be incredibly harmful to the delicate mechanisms of the gun and its wooden or plastic parts.

Over time, firearms can be damaged by buildup, corrosion and rust, and even just regular friction as parts rub together. Regular cleaning can help maintain all the moving parts inside your firearm, stop it from jamming, and keep it functioning for years to come.

Here at Witham Group, we have been manufacturing lubricants for over 100 years and know a thing or two about keeping equipment and machinery in tip top condition and how proper maintenance and lubrication can provide high performing, precision action long into the future.

Our knowledge of having to supply and deliver the highest performance lubricants has driven us to produce a top quality range of Gun Oils and Gun Barrel & Choke Cleaner suitable for all types of firearms. Our Gun care range includes the highest quality oils with an award winning, environmentally safe, biodegradable option which has outstanding lubricating qualities without all the nasties.

To keep your shotgun in good working order and prolong its life, it is important to clean and protect it and this should be done every time it is used, and especially if conditions have been wet.

In this best practice guide, William Gilbert kindly shares his personal process and recommendations for cleaning a shotgun.

William Gilbert

England Olympic Trap Team member

STEP-BY-STEP GUN CLEANING 1

Always check that your gun is unloaded and safe before dismantling it for cleaning. It can then be broken into its 3 main component parts – the action/stock, barrels and forend.

2

To begin, thread a patch through a slotted cleaning jag, attached to a cleaning rod. Saturate the patch with Witham Gun Barrel & Choke Cleaner and push it through the barrels, then set them aside while you clean the action. To prevent run-off into the action body, aim the front of the action downwards, and spray with either Witham Gun Oil or Witham Bio-Gun Oil onto the cocking rods to remove any loose debris.

3

Next, apply a small amount of Witham Gun Oil onto a piece of paper towel and wipe around the receiver to remove any unburnt powder or debris that may have accumulated. Wipe around the forend iron with an oily rag. After cleaning the receiver and forend, apply a light coat of Witham Gun Oil to all surfaces of the receiver. Wipe the oil around with your finger to ensure an even coat on the inside of the action.

4

Use a phosphor bronze brush to scrub the inside of the barrels. Push the brush through the entire length of the barrels, pull it back, and repeat 3 or 4 times. Then scrub the chambers for around 10-15 seconds.

5

Dampen a patch with a small amount of Witham Gun Barrel & Choke Cleaner, attach it to a jag, and push it through the barrels. Push another patch through and inspect the barrels to see if they are clean. If they are not, spray some more Witham Gun Barrel & Choke Cleaner into the bores, and scrub the barrels and chambers again. Push two more patches through, the first damp and the second dry. They should be clean by this point, but if not, repeat the scrubbing and push more patches through until the barrels are clean.

6

Finally, spray Witham Gun Barrel & Choke Cleaner around the ejectors to flush out any debris, and wipe around with a paper towel or rag. Spray a small amount of Witham Gun Oil down the barrels and around the ejectors and push a wool mop through to protect the insides of the barrels and prevent them from rusting.

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FOR GUNS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE CHOKES

If your gun has interchangeable chokes, remove and clean them using an oily rag. Apply a small amount of Witham Gun Oil or Witham Bio-Gun Oil and put them back in the barrels. Oil the hinge pins and put the barrels back on the gun. Wipe down the barrels with an oily rag and put the forend back on the gun. Finally, wipe the outside of the action and underneath the top lever with an oily rag. Take care not to touch the metalwork when you put the gun away, as this can encourage rust to develop.

Always refer to the manufacturers instructions before using any lubricant or maintenance product on your gun.

GUN OIL - 200ML Witham Gun Oil is a high quality, light viscosity, mineral lubricating oil, which offers sympathetic but powerful protection to all conventional metals, wood stocks, gold and silver inlays and is suited to all types of sporting guns from vintage to modern.

With a potent water-resistant rust inhibitor this oil has been specifically developed to protect internal and external metal parts from rust and corrosion. The product will not harden or become rancid giving extra-long service. Witham Gun Oil flows freely, from a fine mist aerosol.

GUN BARREL & CHOKE CLEANER - 200ML Designed to deliver unparalleled cleaning ability. An ultra-effective, blend of selected purging solvents which are highly effective for removing gun powder, lead, other metals, and plastic wad from cartridge residues. The cleaner removes such items from exposed and internal metal surfaces and displaces non-visible moisture from metal pores. Due to its unique solvent ratio & propellant mix, it is a quick, super-efficient and easy to use product which penetrates rapidly and flows freely, cleaning dirt and grime from the fine mist aerosol. This Gun Barrel & Choke cleaner is also specifically designed to dry slower to ensure it removes even the most stubborn deposits. Specifically designed to be used prior to applying Witham Gun Oil. Comes in a handy, easy to apply aerosol.

BIODEGRADABLE GUN OIL - 400ML Witham Biodegradable Gun Oil is made with lanolin oil, derived from sheep’s wool and is a powerful natural lubricator, water repellent and corrosion protector.

Reviewed as “Natures Secret Weapon” it forms a long-lasting barrier, and gives outstanding rust protection and wood preserving qualities, yet, unlike other gun oils is completely biodegradable and environmentally sensitive. It offers powerful protection to all conventional metals, wood stocks, plus gold and silver inlays and suited to all types of sporting guns – vintage to modern and helps remove harmful deposits that can build up inside and impair the firing accuracy. This is a non-carcinogenic, non-toxic alternative to existing oils and can be used for many other applications found within the workshop and home.

withamgroup.co.uk

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