Here are 6 basic rules for properly cleaning a firearm with Otis products. You will discover that it is quite an art, and that the delicate cleaning of a firearm is not done just any way! It is not as simple as it seems!
Clean in the direction of the bullet
When you fire your weapon, powder residues and dirt get embedded in the barrel, while the chamber and receiver remain relatively clean. If you run a brush at the muzzle end of the weapon, you push dirt, residues, and moisture into the chamber and receiver. This mistake is one of the major causes of jamming problems in semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. If you push or pull a brush towards the chamber, you will notice that the brush will project debris from the bore into the chamber and locking lugs. Use a cleaning cord, making a movement in the natural direction of the bullet.
Center the tip and rod
All firearms have a story to tell! That is why most people examine the barrel of a firearm. An experienced eye will be able to detect the cleaning method applied, assess the number of shots fired, as well as the maintenance condition of a firearm. Many marks are caused by people who negligently let the tip or rod rub against the inside of the barrel. You should be very careful not to rub the bore.
Use a clean surface of a cloth each time you go down the barrel
This could be compared to cleaning a floor and then rinsing to remove residues. When you use your firearm, it results in abrasive dirt in the muzzle. When you apply solvent to remove dirt over a short distance, do not reuse that piece of cloth again, as the dirt would be transferred into the chamber of the weapon. The next bullet that passes through the barrel of the weapon will pick up this dirt, and it could erode the throat of your weapon. This is a mistake equivalent to cleaning in the wrong direction.
Never turn a brush in the barrel
You could damage the firearm by making this movement. The brush will pick up dirt, moisture, or powder residues, and deposit them in the chamber or receiver. Moreover, you should never dip a brush in solvent. What will happen then is that the solvent will accumulate dirt at the base of the brush and then deposit it in the receiver and chamber.
Never reverse the brush direction
By making this movement, you will bend the bristles on the brush. It would be like bending a wire back and forth until it breaks. You would only ruin your cleaning brush if you reverse the movement in the bore.
Use only a few drops of solvent/lubricant
There is no need to pour the whole bottle! Many people mistakenly think that the more solvent they use to clean their weapon, the better it will be. However, too much solvent will end up damaging your firearm. Only take the amount of solvent that your cleaning cloth can absorb. If you put too much, the solvent or oil will tend to drip into the weapon's trigger mechanism. This will result in a gummy trigger. If you use too much lubricant, it could also cause premature wood failure.