The end of the shooting season sees many guns retiring their shooting equipment and accessories until it all begins again in early August. While you should be cleaning and caring for your shotgun after every shoot, at the end of the season, special care should be taken to ensure your gun is ready to pick up and be put into action again.
Are you that person who simply sticks your gun in its case after a day’s shooting? That person who leaves it in rest until the next shooting season? Or are you thinking ahead of the game and giving your shotgun the end of season care it requires to maintain high accuracy and operate efficiently, not to mention preserve its ‘as new’ appearance?
While some people like to give their guns to a proficient gunsmith to clean, others may wish to have a go themselves. If you are one of these people, these brief end-of-season tips on how to clean a shotgun should help you on your way.
Gun Cleaning Safety Checklist
Before starting any shotgun cleaning or maintenance, always carry out the following essential safety checks:
- Ensure your shotgun is fully unloaded: Open the action and visually inspect both chambers. Never rely on memory, always double-check.
- Remove all ammunition from your workspace: Cartridges should be stored well away from your cleaning area. Accidents can happen, so eliminating risk is crucial during gun maintenance.
- Keep the action open while cleaning: Leaving the chamber open adds an extra layer of safety and ensures there is no chance of the shotgun being accidentally closed or handled incorrectly.
- Leave choke tubes in place: Choke inserts protect the barrel threads from dirt, carbon build-up and debris during cleaning. Contaminated threads can make future choke removal difficult and may even lead to poor performance or misfiring. Keeping them fitted helps maintain smooth installation and reliable shooting.
- Be mindful of moisture and condensation: The final days of the shooting season are often cold and wet. Sudden temperature changes - particularly when bringing a shotgun indoors - can cause condensation to form inside the barrels. Combined with rainwater, this creates the perfect conditions for rust and corrosion.
Before you begin cleaning, allow your shotgun to gradually adjust to room temperature and ensure all external moisture is wiped away. Preventing condensation build-up is a key part of long-term shotgun care and barrel protection.
Complete Shotgun Cleaning Guide
If it’s time to clean your shotgun, here’s a straightforward, easytofollow guide to help you do it properly. Taking care of your gun doesn’t need to be complicated - just methodical.
Take Your Shotgun Apart:
Start by disassembling your shotgun. If you’re unsure how to do this, ask someone experienced to guide you the first time - it’s always better to be shown properly.
- First, double-check that the shotgun is unloaded.
- Close the gun and remove the forend by releasing the latch and pulling it away from the barrels.
- Then hold the stock in one hand and the barrels in the other and open the gun - this allows you to separate the barrels from the action.
Cleaning your Shotgun:
Your shotgun should now be in three parts and you’re ready to begin cleaning. Most shotgun cleaning kits include a wire brush, a soft brush and cleaning patches. If you don’t have patches, loo roll works perfectly well. You’ll also need an old toothbrush, a cloth and some good quality gun oil.
1. If you have patches, use the cleaning rod to push one through each barrel first to remove the worst of the debris. If not, feed two sections of loo roll into each barrel of a 12 bore (one per barrel for a 20 bore) and push them through with your rod, wooden end first. This removes debris and helps clear any moisture or condensation left after a wet day.
2. Using the cleaning rod and wire brush, thoroughly clean each barrel to remove powder residue. Pay particular attention to the end of the chamber where build-up is common.
3. Check each barrel carefully to ensure it is completely clear.
4. Using a cleaning rod and a cotton patch or the soft brush, clean the barrels again. This acts as a final sweep to remove any fine residue left behind.
5. Change the patch or use a second soft brush, apply a small amount of gun oil and push it through each barrel to leave a very thin protective layer inside to prevent rust.
6. For an end-of-season clean, an old toothbrush is especially useful. Clean either side of the rib between the barrels to remove accumulated dirt. Using a toothbrush with a piece of loo roll helps absorb hidden moisture. A light touch of gun oil along this area will help guard against corrosion.
7. Next is the action body. Using a lightly oiled cotton patch, clean the face of the action.
8. With a toothbrush, clean around the barrel release mechanism and triggers where powder residue and dirt can build up. Take special care around the firing pin holes - over-lubricating here can lead to malfunctions.
9. In the next step, again avoid over-lubricating. Lightly and carefully apply lubrication to the forend iron of the barrel and the corresponding hooks.
Storing your Shotgun:
- If storing your gun assembled in a cabinet, reassemble it and wipe it over with a lightly oiled cloth. Hold the gun with the cloth as you put it away to maintain that protective finish. We recommend storing your shotgun barrels down so any excess oil runs away from the action and stock rather than pooling around the timber or firing pins.
- If storing it in a case within your cabinet, wipe each piece individually before placing them inside. Oil naturally dries over time, so it’s worth reapplying a light protective coat every few months.
When the next game season arrives, clean your gun again to remove any excess oil before use and you’ll be ready to head out. With proper cleaning and storage, your shotgun will remain dependable and looking its best.
When the game season draws to a close, it’s also worth considering clay shooting to keep your eye in and your shotgun in regular use. Sporting clays, skeet or trap are excellent ways to maintain confidence, consistency and gun fit throughout the off-season. It keeps your skills sharp, gives you a reason to get outdoors, and ensures your shotgun continues to be used and maintained rather than sitting idle in the cabinet. Come the start of the next season, you’ll be glad you did.
--SHOP CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING CLOTHING