Gun careGuide

Tips and valuable information about gun care

BALLISTOL GMBH

Ballistolweg 1D-84168 AhamGermany

Telefon +49 (0) 8744 9699-0Telefax +49 (0) 8744 9699-96export@ballistol.de

www.ballistol.eu

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BALLISTOL – The brand for people, animals and all things mechanical.

The Ballistol gun care guide for hunters, sports marksmen and collectors, contains plenty of information and tips for cleaning and maintaining your guns in optimal fashion as well as lots of useful advice and interesting background information.

RELIABLESINCE 1904

UNIQUE

Gun careGuide

Tips and valuable information about gun care

WELCOME Page 7

CONTRIBUTORS Page 9 – 11

CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INFORMATION Page 12 – 15 A BROAD FIELD

The right individual gun care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Precision emphasized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The ammunition is decisive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 For reliability’s sake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

CHAPTER 2 DESIGNATIONS Page 16 – 29 THE MOST IMPORTANT TERMS AND COMPONENTS

Lands and grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Fingerprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Projectile deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Smooth shooting and zeroing-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 “Cleaning to death” – a myth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Corrosion/rust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Obturation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Oil shot/cleaning shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Polygonal rifling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Lubricant ceramic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Teflon® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Tombac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Resinification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Breech mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

CHAPTER 3 UTENSILS Page 30 – 37 THE MOST IMPORTANT CLEANING TOOLS

Cleaning rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Mobile cleaning assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Gun tow, felt cleaner and patches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Cleaning assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Chemical detergents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Gun oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Cases and gun holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

CONTENTS

4 Contents

CHAPTER 4 CHECKING Page 38 – 47 THE INDIVIDUAL CLEAN

Time for care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Everything in its place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Soiling in view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 According to the ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Lead ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Lead-free ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Molybdenum disulphide-coated projectiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Projectiles with bismuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Sintered and soft iron ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Projectiles with tin coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Black powder ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

CHAPTER 5 CLEANING Page 48 – 65 THE RIGHT ORDER

Pre-cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Simple cleaning/Normal barrel cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Intensive cleaning/stubborn soiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Use Robla Solo MIL correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Barrel cleaning with Ballistol Black Powder Solvent . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Cleaning gas-operated guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Cleaning air pistols and rifles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Magazine cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Cleaning mechanical parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Cleaning the breech mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Cleaning in the ultrasonic bath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Cleaning silencers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

CHAPTER 6 CARE Page 66 – 75 IN SHOOTING SHARP CONDITION

The browning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Touching up the browning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Stock care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Oiling and overhauling the stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Cleaning other stock materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Cleaning optical systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Oiling the rifle sling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Contents 5

CHAPTER 7 PROTECTING Page 76 – 79 STORAGE AND PRESERVATION

Ready for the gun cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The gun cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Ammunition storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

APPENDIX BALLISTOL PRODUCTS Page 80 – 95

Ballistol Universal Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 GunCer ceramic gun oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 GunCer ceramic gun grease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Gunex special gun oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Robla Solo MIL barrel cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Gun parts cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Black Powder Solvent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Quick-Browning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Cold Degreaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Balsin Stock Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Scherell‘s Stock Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Trap oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Silicone oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Trophy bleaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Vaseline gun grease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Silk tow Sucolin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Flax tow Sucol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Microfibre Patches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Cleaning rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Silencer cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Flex-Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Felt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

THE CORRECT CLEANING OF THE BARREL Page 96 – 97

BALLISTOL Page 98 – 99

The company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 The invention of Ballistol Universal Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

6 Contents

For better legibility, we refrain from gender-neutral language use in the following text, without questioning it.

Welcome 7

ESTEEMED GUN FAN,

Dear hunters, sports marksmen and gun collectors,

In this small book, we have summarized our knowledge and experience related to the topic of gun care for you so as to pass on to you all the tips and tricks that you require as a gun collector in order to clean and look after your guns in optimal fashion.

Whether you are the owner of a short or long gun and whether you take it with you when going through your hunting ground, on the firing range, in competitions or for professional purposes, your gun should always be reliable, precise and well-kept. The visual impression of the gun plays an important role – and not just for collectors. Therefore, correct and careful gun cleaning and care is essential for all gun owners.

To gather and compile the information contained in this book, we have availed ourselves of the expertise and many years of experience of several experts with varying backgrounds. In addition to the BALLISTOL owners, chemist Dr Christian Zettler and hunter and active sports marksman An-dreas Zettler, these also include the well-known and renowned gunsmith Peter Abel, sports marksman and multiple world champion Roman Hau-ber, hunter Wolfgang Forstenaicher and an experienced professional ar-mour-bearer whose name we are not permitted to mention here.

We hope that you will find many useful tips and plenty of interesting background information in our BALLISTOL Gun Care Guide that will help you in cleaning and looking after your gun.

We wish you a lot of fun browsing and of course always good luck and good hunting.

Your BALLISTOL team

PRECISE

Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans, maintains and protects all types of � rearms. Reliable and proven from the barrel over the breech to the stock. The right solution for your gun. All BALLISTOL products can be found on:

www.ballistol.eu /ballistol

UNIVERSALOIL

BICYCLECARE

ANIMALCARE

BODYCARE

GUNCARE

DEFENCESPRAYSTING-FREE TECHNICAL

PRODUCTS

BALLISTOL – The brand for people, animals and all things mechanical.

PRECISEPROTECTIVE

UNERRING

MAINTENANCE

SAFE

Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans, Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans, maintains and protects all types of � rearms. Reliable and proven from the barrel over the breech to the stock. The right solution for your gun. All BALLISTOL products can be found on:

www.ballistol.eu

Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans,

Contributors 9

MAY WE PRESENT ... Your are now holding a new version of our “Small Gun Guide” that is no longer so small at all – you could say that the “Small Gun Guide” has ripe-ned. Much research and discussion was conducted; some areas were elaborated in detail and others only touched upon due to their complexity – in such a large topic as the world of guns and gun care, a claim to com-pleteness would surely be presumptuous. However, we are sure that our new Gun Care Guide is a really good source of knowledge for beginners in which all the professionals and “old hands” among you will also find a great deal of interesting information.

Therefore, at this point, we would like to say a big thank-you to the follow-ing people for their collaboration on our new Gun Care Guide.

PRECISE

Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans, maintains and protects all types of � rearms. Reliable and proven from the barrel over the breech to the stock. The right solution for your gun. All BALLISTOL products can be found on:

www.ballistol.eu /ballistol

UNIVERSALOIL

BICYCLECARE

ANIMALCARE

BODYCARE

GUNCARE

DEFENCESPRAYSTING-FREE TECHNICAL

PRODUCTS

BALLISTOL – The brand for people, animals and all things mechanical.

PRECISEPROTECTIVE

UNERRING

MAINTENANCE

SAFE

Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans, Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans, maintains and protects all types of � rearms. Reliable and proven from the barrel over the breech to the stock. The right solution for your gun. All BALLISTOL products can be found on:

www.ballistol.eu

Gun care by BALLISTOL – lubricates, cleans,

10 Contributors

Dr Christian ZettlerTechnical director, graduate chemist

Many of the chemical details in this gun guide come from Dr Christian Zettler, the Tech-nical Director of F.W. KLEVER GmbH and PRO Ballistol GmbH. The graduate chemist, born in Bergisch-Gladbach in 1973, has been responsible for production, research and development at BALLISTOL for more than 15 years. His high quality awareness in the development of oils, auxiliary materials and gun care prod-ucts is outstanding.

Andreas ZettlerCommercial director, hunter and sports marksman

As Commercial Director of BALLISTOL GmbH and F.W. KLEVER GmbH, business manager Andreas Zettler, born in Bergisch-Gladbach in 1975, is responsible for the areas of marketing and sales at BALLIS-TOL. He has been a member of the shooting club since he was 13, followed the traditional route via pneumatic guns to large calibre guns, success-fully obtained his shooting licence in Bavaria in 2015 and has since been an active and enthusiastic hunter. Much of his experience in the field has made its way into the gun guide.

Peter AbelGunsmith, graduate engineer

Abel, from Frankfurt, born in 1948, is a graduate engineer in the subjects of optics and precision engineering as well as a passionate gunsmith and cutler. Since 1978 he has run his own shop in an historic square in Frankfurt/Höchst. The topic of training has long been a focus of Peter Abel’s and he has hence made it his mission to pass on the experience from the field that he has acquired over the dec-ades. In 1993, he co-founded the Smith & Wesson®- Club 30 Germany, which he also led as 1st chairman for the first 10 years and influenced accordingly. He contributed his knowledge and ability from over 40 years of experi-ence in the profession to the gun guide.

Contributors 11

Roman HauberSports marksman

Professional firefighter Roman Hauber, born in Regensburg in 1966, took up large-calibre shooting in 1999 and soon thereafter came his first titles at club and district level. Par-ticularly in the DSB National and the BDMP National and International, Roman Hauber very quickly closed the gap on the top marksmen. He has been a member of the BDMP national team for more than 10 years and has won 7 world champion titles in this time. He has also been a devoted hunter since the start of 2004 and is thus superbly equipped to be a development partner and practice tester for the BALLISTOL brand. His motto is: “Clean gun shoots more X’ses”. Roman Hauber can thus be viewed as a true gun-cleaning pro.

Wolfgang ForstenaicherHunter, graduate engineer

As a practitioner in daily hunting operations, Wolfgang Forstenaicher, a graduate engineer in forest engineer-ing, provided valuable tips and suggestions for this gun guide. Born in 1975, he studied forestry at Weihen-stephan University of Applied Sciences and has worked as a ranger for the Bavarian Forestry Administration since 2004. He has been a shoot tenant of a Lower Bavarian community hunting ground and conservancy leader of the Vilsbiburg IV conservancy for over 10 years. Additional-ly, after several years in the hunting advisory board, he has occupied the office of 2nd deputy government hunting advisor since 2017.

Professional armour- bearers

Members of special operation forces of the police and the military were available to us for information regarding the special needs of professional armour-bearers; however, unfortunately we are not permitted to name these persons here.

PRECISIONCLEANING

REGULAR

12 General information

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

A BROAD FIELD

Gun cleaning is a topic in which there are countless different tips, opin-ions and myths. Reasons for the large number of different points of view include the different uses of guns and the corresponding requirements. It goes without saying that professional armour-bearers look after their guns differently to collectors and sports marksmen differently to hunters.

Therefore, the first chapter of the gun guide deals with a few of the basic factors that are of interest to all and that play a superordinate role in the broad field of the topics of gun cleaning and maintenance.

General information 13

THE RIGHT INDIVIDUAL GUN CARE

How a gun is cleaned and maintained depends primarily on how it is used. What is right for the hunter must not necessarily also be the op-timal solution for the sports marksman. Both the intensity and the fre-quency of gun cleaning are heavily dependent on the gun type, use and ultimately also on the user’s own requirements and expectations of the gun. While for sports marksmen the topic of precision plays the main role, the most important thing in use of a gun by the authorities is not nec-essarily accuracy to the millimetre, but rather extremely high reliability. While the gun of an active sports marksman is subject to significantly higher shot capacity, a hunter’s gun is often exposed to considerably more intense and worse weather conditions.

As much as the requirements of the various groups of users differ, in the end the common denominator is likely to be that each gun owner would like to use a gun that is as well-maintained, precise and, above all, reliable as possible.

14 General information

PRECISION EMPHASIZED

When it comes to precision, the barrel is considered to be the most impor-tant component of a gun to be cleaned. With each shot fired, projectile deposits and tiny powder and combustion residues remain there.

Here, the torsional vibrations, called flexing vibra-tions or barrel vibrations, also play an important role. These rotational vibrations of the barrel material, which arise as a result

of the heavy load on the lands due to the rotational movement of the projectile around its own axis, normally ensure a muzzle departure angle that is always the same.

However, should the torsional vibrations change due to soiling of the lands and grooves, this of course, in turn, impedes the flight path.

THE AMMUNITION IS DECISIVE

With each shot, metal deposits from the projectiles are also deposited in the barrel – be it lead, copper, zinc, brass, tombac or molybdenum disulphide – as well as plas-

tic residues, depending on the ammunition. As a result of these deposits, the precision of the gun deteriorates increasingly, as the increased resist-ance in the barrel impacts both on the speed of the projectile and on its spin and the overall ballistics. At the same time, the deposits in the barrel also cause the gas pressure upon shooting to increase – a likewise unwel-come concomitant.

Therefore, it is extremely important to clean the gun according to the ammunition used in each case in order to ensure that the soiling is com-pletely removed and that the gun is not damaged when cleaned.

General information 15

FOR RELIABILITY’S SAKE

Another negative aspect of the projectile and combustion residues in the barrel is that these sometimes bind condensation water due to tempera-ture fluctuations – in the case, for example, of high humidity or incorrect storage in a non-dry safe.

Thus, rust perforation can form – small, inconspicuous corrosion sites, which, however, develop much more significantly in terms of depth than is outwardly recognisable. As a result, the precision of the gun steadily decreases.

It is not just the projectile and its flight path that are influenced by res-idues and soiling, but also the mechanics of the gun. This can lead to many problems – from malfunctions such as a blocking breech or firing pin to a magazine getting stuck.

Therefore, regular and careful cleaning of the gun is essential if the preci-sion, reliability and value of the gun are to be maintained.

FUNCTIONDEFINITION

CONTEXT

16 Designations

CHAPTER 2

DESIGNATIONS

THE MOST IMPORTANT TERMS AND COMPONENTS

Those who want to clean their gun properly should be familiar with the relevant components and their functions. Gun owners’ knowledge can vary heavily. Additionally, some designations differ depending on the gun type or the region.

Therefore, in this chapter, we have put together for you a small overview of the most important gun components and terms – with brief descriptions of their functions and peculiarities.

cross-section of Barrel

�at Barrel pulled Barrel

A = Land diameterB = Groove diameter

B

A

polygonal Barrel

Designations 17

LANDS AND GROOVES

In order that a projectile obtains the necessary spin when fired so as to develop a stable, stagger-free flight path, “spiral-shaped” indentations – actually referred to as helix-shaped – are worked into the interior of a rifled barrel. These are called lands and grooves – the grooves are the slots; accordingly, the lands are the projecting areas between the grooves. The internal diameter of a barrel can be indicated as a groove diameter (marking B) or groove calibre or as a land diameter (marking A) or land cal-ibre. The groove diameter designates the distance between two grooves located opposite to each other; the land diameter indicates the distance between to lands located opposite to each other. Hence, the groove diam-eter is always greater than the land diameter.

18 Designations

The diameter of the projectile – which is often echoed by the calibre – mostly corresponds to the groove diameter. When the gun is fired, the projectile is slightly squeezed through the barrel and thus receives a char-acteristic cinch mark pattern, allowing it to be attributed to the corre-sponding barrel.

FINGERPRINTS

Since hand sweat has a pH value of between 4.7 and 5.75 and is thus slightly acidic, it can etch fingerprints into metallic surfaces, which is also referred to as fingerprint corrosion. Even so-called “stainless” steel can be prone to this form of etching if the metal is not correspondingly pro-tected – as “stainless” or “rustless” steel is actually better described as “rust-resistant”, since it, too, is susceptible to rust under certain condi-tions. Therefore, in the area of gun care in particular it is recommended to protect the metallic parts of the gun in order to prevent this form of corrosion.

However, a distinction should be made here between alkaline gun oils, such as Ballistol Universal Oil, which actually chemically neutralizes this hand sweat, and other products that merely dilute the hand sweat in hopes of making hands sweat less adverse. Although a few products advertise themselves with statements such as “neutralizes hand sweat”, they are not chemically capable of duing so, since they are not alkaline oils but rather neutral oils (e.g. Brunox, SchleTek, FlunaTec).

PROJECTILE DEPOSITS

To enable the projectiles to adapt to the barrel and absorb the spin, as well as not to damage the barrel, they are made using soft metals such as soft iron, bronze (softer than brass), brass, copper, zinc or lead and have a suitable coating. Therefore, when a gun is fired, metal residues of the softer metal of the projectile remain in the barrel. These are designated as projectile deposits.

Designations 19

SMOOTH SHOOTING AND ZEROING-IN

Both smooth shooting and zeroing are actually completely normal things. However, unfortunately they are often neglected – even though both are sometimes very important. Although so-called smooth shooting is not absolutely necessary, it is beneficial later when cleaning the barrel. This is because the surface in the barrel interior is slightly rough due to the type of production. This is more pronounced with industrially produced barrels than for example with high-quality match barrels. This roughness can be reduced through smooth shooting. The smoother the barrel is, the fewer opportunities there are for dirt ad-hesion and the easier it will be to clean the barrel later. With jacketed projectiles in particular, smooth shooting is profitable preparatory work; if other ammunition, such as .22 LFB (pure greased lead projectiles), is selected, it is not necessary.

To shoot a new barrel smooth, the barrel is chemically cleaned before the first shot. Residues from production, official fire and zeroing are thus removed. Robla Solo MIL Barrel Cleaner is outstanding for this. After this cleaning step, the first shot can be fired, after which the barrel is immediately cleaned again – a piece of felt moistened or soaked with Robla Solo MIL is completely sufficient for this. This procedure, shot and subsequent cleaning is repeated 5 times.

2 shots are now fired and the barrel is again chemically cleaned with a moistened or soaked piece of felt. This step, too, is repeated 5 times. In the next step, the barrel is cleaned after 5 shots, then after 10 shots. To make completely sure, a further step with 15 shots can be performed. Then at the latest, the new barrel is optimally shot smooth and can be cleaned more easily in future.

Whether it is necessary to zero in the gun or perform a test shot after cleaning depends on a wide variety of factors; however, the following ap-plies: whenever the gunsight was removed for the cleaning, it should be zeroed in. Whenever the user has the feeling that the point of impact has changed, a test shot should be performed.

Expert tip – competitionIn competitions, marksmen often have only a limited number of test shots, sometimes none at all. There-fore, in order to avoid nasty surprises in competitions, marksmen should be sure to fire 5–10 test shots at their home firing range af-ter the cleaning and/or before competitions.

20 Designations

“CLEANING TO DEATH” – A MYTH

Nearly every gun owner knows stories from his environment about guns that were “cleaned to death” by their owners or previous owners. But are these reports really true or are they fairytales?

The fact is that regularly cleaning and maintaining a well-functioning gun is essential and cannot damage the gun, provided it is performed properly. This is exactly where the root of the problem often lies: if un-suitable cleaning agents are used to clean the gun, the gun can, of course, be damaged. And because the person who causes the damage does not realize his mistake, the myth of “cleaning to death” might not actually be a myth after all.

The most frequent mistakes include, for instance, the use of a wire or steel brush, which can damage the lands and grooves due to the hard-ness levels of the bristles. For this reason, steel brushes should not be used. Rather, only soft brushes made of brass or bronze (e.g. from Raetz, Eyselein or Niebling) that exactly match the corresponding calibre should be used. These may be used in one direction only, ideally from the cham-ber to the muzzle. In the case of revolvers or closed systems, cleaning must be performed from the muzzle to the chamber. Therefore, particular care is necessary here when using the cleaning rod, so as not to damage the muzzle.

Tow, cotton or microfibre patches or felt cleaner and intensive cleaner felt with delicate brass fibre are ideal for the cleaning. It should also be noted here that these materials should always be pulled through completely and then removed and the cleaning should then be repeated from the same side. If this is not done in this way, the dirt will only be distributed instead of removed. Often, it is recommended to twist several pieces of cleaning felt together. In this way, the contact surface of the pieces of felt is enlarged.Another source of mistakes that can cause permanent damage to the barrel is cheap cleaning rods made of bright steel or with a defective plas-tic coating. Here, the hard, bare metal can, of course, damage the barrel – especially the muzzle area (which is particularly important for accura-

Designations 21

cy) and the chamber. It should also be ensured that the handle of the cleaning rod has a ball bearing or friction bearing mounted and can turn with the lands and grooves during the cleaning. Otherwise it will scratch across the lands, damaging their edges.

CORROSION/RUST

Corrosion (from Lat. corrodere, “to gnaw away”) refers to the reaction of a material with its environment, which leads to a measurable change to the material.

The best known form of metal corrosion is rust, i.e. the oxidation of iron. Rust arises when iron or steel oxidizes with oxygen in the presence of water. Unlike the protective oxide layer of many metallic materials such as chrome, aluminium or zinc, rust forms a fixed, rough layer on iron that provides no protection from further corrosion. Rust has no business on or with in a gun.

Rust perforation, also known as pitting, refers to corrosion sites that seem small and mostly point-shaped on the surface but that expand in a trough-shape in terms of depth. In other words, the actual corrosion damage is significantly greater than can be recognised on the surface. Therefore, rust perforation frequently can go unnoticed for long periods of time.

22 Designations

OBTURATION

The term obturation describes the behaviour of a cartridge case in the chamber when the gun is fired. The pressure of the burning propellant ensures that the material of the cartridge case nestles up against the wall of the chamber and thus acts as a gas-tight cap at the rear end of the gun barrel. However, for optimal obturation the chamber must be completely free of oil and grease.

OIL SHOT/CLEANING SHOT

An oil shot or cleaning shot is the first shot from a gun barrel that has not been de-oiled. Due to the oil film that the projectile pushes on its way through the barrel, the normal point of impact is influenced to a

greater or lesser extent. How sensible or harmful such a cleaning shot is remains disputed. In general, the gun bar-rel should be drawn through dry before use. However, this also causes the rust protection to be removed, leading to slight flash rust, depending on use and the weather situa-tion – for example, when a hunter sits on watch for an ex-tended period. If the post-treatment after using the gun is forgotten, this can lead to rust perforation. Nevertheless, it cannot, of course, be recommended to a hunter that he perform a cleaning shot; this, after all, would mean that he frightens the game with his oil shot.

Since each gun behaves differently and the need for an oil shot is also linked to the individual use of the gun, there is no universally valid answer to the question as to whether an oil shot should be per-formed or not.

However, every marksman should know the deviation of the point of impact due to the oil shot for his guns. Hence, they should purposefully test them at the firing range. This is because the deviation of the point of impact can be reproduced under the same conditions – i.e. with the

Deadly accurate with GunCerA test on the topic of oil shot carried out by the magazine

Caliber in 2014 showed that the deviations of the

point of impact when using Ballistol GunCer were in some

cases markedly smaller than with the rival products (of

Fluna Tec, SchleTek).

Designations 23

same type of cleaning and minimal oil use. A renowned Lower Bavarian gunsmith has carried out detailed tests on this.

However, before the first shot, the barrel should definitely be drawn through dry again to prevent too many oil residues in the barrel when the cleaning shot is performed leading to problems – even to long-term bar-rel damage. In the case of a gun that is looked after in normal fashion, a wafer-thin film of oil remains in the barrel despite it being drawn through dry and the barrel is thus protected sufficiently from flash rust. However, it must be ensured that the chamber is dry. Not only can oil and grease in the chamber influence the point of impact but also lead to a much increased load on the breech due to a lack of obturation.

POLYGONAL RIFLING

The cross-section of a polygonal rifling (derived from the Ancient Greek words “polys” = much and “gonia” = angle) corresponds to a rounded polygon that moves in a spirally through the entire barrel in order to give the projectiles the necessary rotation that ensures a stable flight path. Polygonal riflings offer numerous advantages over rifled barrels with lands and grooves. They are significantly more gas-tight, provide for a higher muzzle speed, have a longer life expectancy and are considerably easier to clean. Due to the smaller notch effect, in most cases they are also more break-proof than rifled barrels, which, due to their design, virtually have a “predetermined breaking point” in the groove profile (English Webley Revolvers are an example of this).

However, polygonal riflings transfer only smaller rifling groove forces (spin) and are therefore found predominantly in hand guns but also in large-calibre barrel guns. Projectiles shot with a polygonal rifling do not display any notching but – depending on the barrel version – a type of rounded polygon, such as a six-edged profile may.

To begin with, polygonal riflings were used for military purposes only. Now, however, they can also be found in high-quality handguns (e.g.

24 Designations

Heckler & Koch, Glock, SIG Sauer) as well as hunting guns (e.g. Repetierer Heym SR 20).

LUBRICANT CERAMIC

Not all ceramic is the same. There are over a thousand different variants in the family of ceramic materials. Even though many of them are known for their abrasive properties, there is a small sub-group of approximate-ly 20 variants that, in contrast, have lubricating properties. In the case of one of these variants, the ceramic particles are particularly suitable in shape and size to smooth the metal surface, to reduce the frictional re-sistance and thus to support the lubricating oil outstandingly in its func-tion. Additionally, this ceramic variant offers further positive properties such as major high-temperature and pressure resistance. An additional advantage is that ceramic does not leave behind any dirt residues such as copper or graphite. Thus, lubricant ceramic is a lubricant that has a very wide temperature use range and that also offers very good emergency running properties.

TEFLON®

Teflon® is mostly associated with the well-known, positive property that, as a coating, it ensures a non-adhesive surface. Yet as good as the thought of an anti-adhesion coating in the interior of the barrel on which no more metal or combustion deposits can settle sounds, the use of Teflon®-con-taining means for cleaning or gun maintenance has risks.

In the chamber area and in the barrel, impact temperatures of up to 3,000 °C develop upon ignition. At these high temperatures, the fluo-rine-containing polymer contained in Teflon dissolves and small traces of hydrogen fluoride (also called hydrofluoric acid) form – one of the most aggressive chemical compounds there are. Hydrofluoric acid is extremely reactive in combination with moisture and can thus trigger the feared rust perforation in the barrel area, which can ruin the barrel.

Designations 25

Therefore, you should be extremely careful with Teflon®-containing lu-bricants and cleaning agents. If at all, these should be used for the me-chanics only, although here, too, they offer no recognizable advantage compared to reliable gun oils such as Ballistol Universal Oil and GunCer.

Teflon® is a protected trademark of The Chemours Company F.C., L.L.C and denotes the agent polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

TOMBAC

Brass alloys with a copper proportion of over 67% are known as tombac or gold brass. The word tombac is derived from the Malaysian word temba-ga, meaning copper, or the Indian word tumbaga, meaning gold copper. In some cases, this alloy was used to plate iron-jacketed projectiles such as surplus ammunition for rifles and pistols, as, thanks to their softer jacket, these projectiles adapt better to the lands and grooves of a rifled barrel, have a higher gliding effect and are significantly more gentle on the bar-rel.

RESINIFICATION

The problem of resinification is repeatedly heard about, where greases or oils dry out in time, becoming highly viscous and sticky. This handicap results in the reversal of the desired effect. Oiled mechanics do not, for instance function better, but rather they function worse, in some cases, they even limit the functionality. With firearms, this effect can even lead to malfunctions, which can be dangerous for the user.

However, the chemical process that triggers this resinification arises only in the case of herbal greases and oils that are polyunsaturated. With these, low-quality raw materials are often used that trigger the chemical process of resinification through exposure to air and light.

26 Designations

In the process, the double bonds present in the molecular structure break up and reassemble. Macromolecules thus form, which become steadily larger and thus also increasingly viscosity. The result: a resinous mass de-velops that blocks the mechanics, is difficult to remove and, in the worst case scenario, can even render the gun unusable.

Only in the case of stock oil is this resinification process desired, as the pores of the wood are thus closed.Thanks to their composition, high-quality oils – especially synthetic and mineral oils – cannot resinify, as their molecular structure is not destroyed by atmospheric oxygen.

Designations 27

Ballistol Universal Oil consists largely of medicinal white oil, meaning that this resinification phenomenon cannot arise in the first place. With Ballistol Universal Oil, only the alcohols that come from natural fermen-tation evaporate due to exposure to air and light. A vaseline-type protec-tive film remains, which, however, is neither highly viscous nor sticky and cannot therefore restrict the functionality in any way. The lubricating ef-fect remains.

Therefore, WD40, Caramba and other simple oils that can be purchased at DIY stores should definitely not be used for gun maintenance. Due to the high proportion of petroleum or other solvents they contain, ac-ceptable cleaning properties can be achieved, but they are thus also very fleeting and offer no long-term protection – accordingly, users must re-oil frequently. Another disadvantage is the easily irritating substances they often contain. Gun parts made of wood or leather can be damaged – as well as the user’s own skin can be.

Hence, there are many good reasons to opt for high-quality gun oils such as Ballistol Universal Oil, Gunex or GunCer, which do not, because they cannot resinify. So instead of using low-quality products that can cause damage, entail high costs for repairs and replacing individual compo-nents and that often have to be used again and again, it is worth it for you to place your trust in BALLISTOL for effective protecting agents and lubricants for all areas.

Nevertheless, if you use high-quality oils from BALLISTOL, you should of course ensure that you do not use too much oil, as an excessively oiled barrel or system can – especially in low temperatures – lead to problems, such as dirt coming into contact with the excess oil.

28 Designations

BREECH MECHANISMS

A breech designates the components of a breech-loader that close the barrel off to the rear to prevent the emission of propellant gases. There-fore, primarily, the breech must be stable and tight enough to withstand the pressure of these gases and enable the acceleration and emission of the projectile in the first place.

All firearms have a breech. If breeches consist of several components they are referred to as a breech mechanism, which, depending on the design of the gun, has various other functions in addition to the sealing to the rear – for example loading, firing, securing and unloading the gun. The components of such breech mechanisms and a bolt head include the fir-ing pin or the separate hammer, the firing pin spring, the extractor, the extractor hook, various firing pin or hammer safety components and nu-merous other components.

In the case of guns for round or cartridge ammunition, the breech has the task of securing the rounds or cartridges in the barrel – in this case, sealing against the escape of propellant gases is achieved by obturating the case material. However, muzzle-loading guns and revolvers also have a breech – this is the breech plug in muzzle-loading guns and the frame in revolvers. With revolvers, the sealing is also performed by obturating the cartridge case. In the process, the cylinder operates as a magazine and a chamber. The necessary stability of the chamber and the round contained therein, is ensured by the special design and by the frame of the revolver.

The most important and most widespread breech mechanisms include bolt action, rotating-bolt action, roller-delayed blowback action, blow-back action, gas-delayed blowback action, break-down action and cylin-der action. In addition to these, there are also numerous other breech mechanisms and variants.

FUNCTIONDEFINITION

CONTEXT

Designations 29

ACCESSORIESREADY TO HAND

REQUIREMENT

30 Utensils

CHAPTER 3

UTENSILS

THE MOST IMPORTANT CLEANING TOOLS

The right tools are essential for effective and thorough gun care. Depend-ing on the gun, the calibre and the ammunition, a wide variety of tools and aids must be at hand if the gun is to be cleaned and maintained prop-erly. In addition to the most important utensils, such as brushes, patches & co., there are also a few objects used for purposes other than those intended that are very helpful for cleaning guns, such as pipe cleaners, toothpicks and shish kebab skewers.

In this chapter you will find an overview of the most important equip-ment and aids that you should have to hand for cleaning your gun in ad-dition to the suitable cleaning agents.

ACCESSORIESUtensils 31

CLEANING ROD

One of the most important cleaning tools is surely the suitable cleaning rod, without which it is almost impossible to clean the barrel effectively. Unless it is used for shotguns only, the cleaning rod must have a ball-bear-ing or friction-bearing-mounted handle so that the corre-sponding cleaning utensil can turn with the grooves and lands. If this is not the case and the cleaning utensil moves over the lands and grooves, soiling will stick in the corners of the grooves and the edges of the lands will be dam-aged. Therefore, uncoated cleaning rods made of tool steel are also to be avoided, as they also cause damage in the barrel if used imprudently – especially in the particularly sensitive transition area from the chamber to the barrel, a key contributor to the precision of the gun.

Multi-part cleaning rods are recommended only to a lim-ited degree, as with these the threads can loosen or even open due to the rotation in the barrel. The cleaning rod thus would become unstable and could break at the spot in question. However, these can sometimes perform good services in cleaning loose gun barrels. Here, if the only the front part of the cleaning rod is used – without the handle – it can be pulled completely through the barrel, thus preventing the need for retracting it.

A necessary complement when using a cleaning rod is a false lock, with which damage to the transition to the chamber can be prevented. A sim-ple sleeve can also perform good services here. Use of the longitudinal stop prevents the cleaning rod from hitting against the sensitive muzzle. However, it can be used only with pieces of felt. If brushes or patches are used, the work must be performed without a longitudinal stop.

The most important features of a high-quality cleaning rod are doubt-lessly those that have a handle with a bearing and a coating, i.e. a tool

An exact matchThe cleaning rod must always match the corresponding calibre exactly. For example, a 22-inch cleaning rod fits into a 9.3 mm calibre but has no place there. In the event of higher exertion of force it would offer insuffi-cient stability and would sag. There is thus the risk that the cleaning rod will rub against the barrel and damage it.

32 Utensils

that cannot damage the barrel. The focus with the handle bearing should be on minimal bearing clearance and on its ability to run smoothly not, for instance, on its rotational speed. The actual handle should fit as well as possible in the hand so that the pressure can be transferred optimally onto the cleaning utensil.

A recommended alternative to the plastic coating is the newer cleaning rods made of carbon, a material that shows itself resistant to all cleaning liquids on the market. In addition, carbon is soft enough not to damage the barrel but at the same time is also extremely stable, allowing even the most stubborn of deposits to be removed without any problem. Another advantage relevant to hunting trips is that cleaning rods made of carbon are at least 50% lighter than spring steel versions, for example.

BRUSHES

For removing the tough soiling in the barrel, a brush made of soft met-al, such as bronze, is to be preferred, so that, on the one hand, it is hard enough to release the combustion residues, but on the other hand not so hard that it damages the barrel. For this reason, wire brushes and steel wool have no business in the barrel.

It is important that the diameter of the brushes exactly match the rele-vant calibre. If the brush’s diameter is too small, not all the soiling will be removed. If the bristles are too long, they bend backwards, do not con-cede the pressure ideally onto the inner wall of the barrel and slide over the dirt, thus failing to have the desired cleaning effect. Brushes with as dense a set of bristles as possible made of as thin wire as possible are recommended, as these are the best at removing residues.

Depending on the ammunition used and the gun, brushes with bristles sanded slightly over calibre can also be used for particularly stubborn soil-ing.

To avoid old dirt being spread in the barrel, the brushes must also be cleaned again and again. BALLISTOL products such as gun part cleaner or Ballistol Cold Degreaser are recommended for the cleaning.

At all events, however, mechanical cleaning should be performed very carefully so that the bristles do not become bent. The gun part cleaner, in particular, achieves excellent cleaning results thanks to the high pressure and the effective mix of its active agents.

Utensils 33

34 Utensils

MOBILE CLEANING ASSISTANTS

Metallic cleaning chains such as the Heckler & Koch chain or the armed forces chain are generally not recommended. If you are looking for a handy travel cleaning set for trips, a Flex-Clean cleaning set from BAL-LISTOL is the best solution. For fast de-oiling, the products BoreBlitz and BoreSnake can also be used. Above all when pulling it through, it should be ensured that the rope or cord does not make contact with the muzzle. It is also important that the cleaning cord be cleaned regularly.

GUN TOW, FELT CLEANER AND PATCHES

For effective barrel cleaning, various aids should also be ready for use, such as patches (small fuzz-free cotton or microfibre cloths) with a patch holder ( jag) that matches the calibre, gun tow (Sucol silk tow for rifle bar-rels and Sucolin hemp tow for shot barrels) as well as standard and su-per-intensive felt cleaners matching the calibre exactly, as shown in the picture, above right.

CLEANING ASSISTANTS

Since compartmentalized parts – and, in some cases, parts that are dif-ficult to access – of the gun must also be cleaned and cared for, other cleaning assistants should also be at hand, such as cotton pads, cleaning cords, woolen wipers and fuzz-free cloths. Cotton cloths are always to be preferred to those made of other materials such as microfibres, as cotton,

Utensils 35

unlike microfibre cloths, absorbs the dirt into the fibre. Normal, fuzz-free kitchen towel and tissue paper can also be used without any problems and in versatile fashion (matt side to the barrel). Additionally, a tooth-brush, pipe cleaners, dental tools made of plastic, toothpicks and shish kebab skewers are often very helpful for gun cleaning and perform good services in the case of small sites that are hard to access.

CHEMICAL DETERGENTS

When mechanical tools are used for the cleaning, only a limited cleaning result can be achieved. This result is significantly improved by combining them with the use of the right chemical detergents. Here, the list of re-quirements includes, in particular, gun oils, barrel cleaner, cold degreaser and gun part cleaner. However, it is of course necessary to select the cor-rect cleaning agent for each use – a gun oil does not replace a high-quality barrel cleaner.

It goes without saying that the correct cleaning agents are the most im-portant thing for cleaning and caring for your gun properly. If an unsuit-able agent is used, the gun can suffer; if cheap cleaners are used, not all soiling is removed and the gun loses its precision or – even worse – it becomes unusable. Therefore, you should be sure to opt for high-quality gun oils like Ballistol Universal Oil. Ballistol Universal Oil can be used for all parts of your gun – from the barrel to the breech mechanism and the magazine to the stock and the leather strap.

36 Utensils

In addition, special gun oils such as Gunex, GunCer and GunTec are also available, which, although not as versatile as Ballistol Universal Oil, have special qualities in specific areas.

Use of normal multi-functional oils is definitely not to be advised, as these can neither neutralize the acidic residues nor can they offer long-term protection for the gun. In addition, they may damage the stock wood or the leather rifle sling as well.

Attention should also be paid to the suitability of the products when it comes to chemical detergents. Some solvents and cleaning agents such as acetone or a cheap brake cleaner can attack and damage the gun mate-rials. Therefore, only suitable special cleaners should be used here –such as the gun parts cleaner from BALLISTOL – in order to achieve an optimal result. This cleaner’s extremely effective mix of active agents achieves a convincing cleaning result and thanks to the strong spray jet, soiling can easily be sprayed off, even at sites that are hard to access. Additionally, particularly stubborn soiling on surfaces and guides can also easily be cleaned mechanically using the attachable brush made of stable nylon bristles – without damaging the surfaces, e.g. when browning.

GUN OIL

There are major differences between special gun oil and off-the-shelf multi-functional oils – both with regard to ingredients and with regard to the function of the oil. A good gun oil contains selected base oils, special additives and inhibitors. Thanks to this special composition, a gun oil has unique basic functions – the so-called CLP properties.C = Cleaning The oil must be able to release and remove dirt as well as

old oil and grease. Of course, extremely good soot-releas-ing properties are of particular importance here.

L = Lubricating The oil must possess an outstanding lubricating proper-ty. A long-lasting lubricating film on the lubrication sites must be ensured under all climatic conditions, as well as in the case of high pressure. Thus, it must not volatilize.

Utensils 37

P = Protecting It must protect metal in particular from damage, wear and rust. To this end, it must spread autonomously – i.e. it must be capable of creeping – and must not stick.

No multi-functional oil from a DIY or discount store can fulfil all of these aspects, which are absolutely essential for gun care. Such products most-ly have strengths in on one of these areas but do not cover the other two. Therefore, a special gun oil like Ballistol Universal Oil is essential for clean-ing, lubricating and maintaining any gun.

CASES AND GUN HOLDERS

For safe gun cleaning, the gun must be secured. This prevents the gun from slipping off the table, ensures that all areas of the gun are easi-ly accessible and improves the cleaning results. A further advantage is when the muzzle is inclined slightly downwards to prevent oils and cleaners running back into the mechanism or the magazine well. There are several options for securing the gun that have proved successful in practice. The simplest method is a vice on a workbench, equipped with chop protectors made of felt. This form of securing the gun of-fers optimal stability and the gun is also generally located at a suita-ble height for the cleaning. Gun holders, with which long and short guns can be secured, are also highly recommended. Special range box-es are cases that not only can be used as optimal gun holders for the cleaning but also, at the same time, serve to store cleaning materials.

AMMUNITIONOPTIMAL

SPECIFIC

38 Checking

CHAPTER 4

CHECKING

THE INDIVIDUAL CLEAN

The basic steps of gun cleaning are known to all gun owners. However, there is no patented formula for the “right” way to clean a gun – instead, a supposed “right” way is influenced by many factors: the type of gun and its use, the degree of soiling and the ammunition used, to name just the most important ones. Therefore, before cleaning the gun, it is necessary first to check which work and cleaning steps are necessary and actually need to be performed.

This 4th chapter deals with this process of checking the gun and its soil-ing and precedes the actual cleaning.

Checking 39

TIME FOR CARE

Whether after a demanding hunt or a long day at the firing range – the time or desire to clean the gun as would be necessary right after its use is not always there. Nevertheless, if the user postpones cleaning and main-taining the gun until the next day in order to take sufficient time for the necessary care, it should be ensured that the gun does not suffer damage. To this end, sufficient Ballistol Universal Oil, GunCer or Gunex is put into the barrel from both sides and the gun is also wiped with some Ballistol Universal Oil from the outside. However, the user should ensure to posi-tion the gun with the barrel muzzle facing downwards and to place it in a small tray for the excess oil. Only a gun that is in good condition after maintenance may be placed in the gun cabinet with the muzzle facing upwards. The reason for this is that, otherwise, the excess, soiled oil runs into the breech and, in some cases, even into the wood and can cause damage there.

EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

Before the detailed cleaning and maintenance of the gun is begun, all necessary preparations should be made. All cleaning utensils and the necessary BALLISTOL cleaning agents should be at hand. It is recommend-ed to spread out a soft, absorbent underlay – best case would be a special cleaning underlay made of felt.

Of course, for maintenance of your gun, it is a very good idea to use a gun cleaning box on which the gun can be secured. Alternatively, the gun can simply be placed on the cleaning underlay. Prior to this, however, the gun should be examined and its condition exactly assessed.

40 Checking

SOILING IN VIEW

Every good gun cleaning session begins with a detailed visual inspection in which it must be decided which components require which form of clean and maintenance. This begins, of course, with a look into the bar-rel – virtually the heart of the gun when it comes to accuracy. For a de-tailed visual inspection of the barrel, optical aids should be used as far as possible, such as a magnifying glass, a speculum, a magnifying angle mirror or even an endoscope. In addition, good lighting is important so as to interpret soiling in the barrel correctly, such as an LED light or a special barrel light.

Now, when looking into the barrel, the experienced gun owner can rec-ognise what types of deposits are lying there. Normally, the inner walls of the barrel glisten with a silver colour; if, however, coloured shadowing is detected, a more intensive cleaning is required. For example, yellow-ish-red deposits are due to tombac, copper or brass or, even worse, rust.

In most cases, light lead residues are difficult to detect with the naked eye, especially in the case of short guns and muzzle-loaders. Here, using a brush or chemical aids is often the only thing that will help. If a brush is used for the cleaning, underlaying a white sheet of paper is helpful for detecting lead residues; this makes the lead glitter that falls out the bar-rel easily visible. An unmistakable indication of heavy lead deposits is also the flattening of the lands and grooves in the chamber area – in this case, an extensive clean is unavoidable.

Only after a detailed visual inspection in which it is established which type and what degree of soiling there is, can the appropriate barrel clean be carried out.

In addition to the visual impression of the gun and of the interior of the barrel, a large number of other factors also play a role here, such as: when was the last time the barrel was cleaned? How often has the gun been shot since then? Above all of course, with which ammunition?

Checking 41

ACCORDING TO THE AMMUNITION

An important matter for cleaning the gun barrel effectively and yet pro-tectively is whether lead ammunition or lead-free ammunition was used, as lead residues in the barrel demand a special cleaning. However, even here there are misunderstandings, as different things are often being spoken about without it being clear and even consciously realized.

Lead ammunition refers only to projectiles made completely of lead. Ac-cordingly, lead-containing semi-jacketed bullets or full metal jackets are actually not lead ammunition because, although they have a lead core, they are coated. When it comes to lead removal in the barrel, of primary importance is whether lead comes into contact with the barrel at all and at what temperatures this occurs – as whether there can be lead deposits in the barrel and how strong these are is dependent on this.

The mere classification into lead ammunition and lead-free ammunition is not sufficient, certainly for the topic of barrel cleaning. Here, it is nec-essary to distinguish between full metal jackets and complete-jacket pro-jectiles, as even when fully jacketed ammunition is used, lead can come into contact with the barrel. The reason is that although the visible part is coated, the base of the projectile is not. Since, when firing, the highest temperatures take effect on the projectile base, the lead can also be fused with this type of fully jacketed ammunition and can settle as soiling in the chamber area as well as, above all, in the first third of the barrel. In

42 Checking

contrast to full metal jackets, complete-jacketed projectiles have a com-pletely closed projectile body, with the base sealed off by a tombac lamel-la – hence, the lead cannot be fused. The same applies to copper-coated projectiles – lead projectiles that are completely coated with a layer of copper by galvanic means.

Another special case is lead projectiles equipped with a gas rear that cov-ers only the projectile base. Here, although the ignition does not cause the lead to be fused, the projectile does leave a certain amount of lead deposits behind.

LEAD AMMUNITION

When using lead ammunition, two different types of deposits can arise: “cold lead grit” and the far more stubborn, genuine lead deposits.

“Cold lead grit” refers to soiling due to lead deposits that emerges in the case of weak ammunition with low projectile speeds, as when pneumatic guns are used, for example. No chemical cleaners are required to remove this relatively loose form of lead grit. Instead, they can be removed rela-tively quickly and easily with Ballistol Universal Oil and a cleaning brush. Additionally, a minimal lead film is sometimes desirable, as it produces a type of lubrication in the barrel.

It is different with the genuine lead deposits, which emerge when the lead projectile in the barrel is accelerated heavily and builds up additional frictional power in the process due to the spin of the grooves and lands. Here, lead projectiles sometimes heat up to temperatures to over 325 °C, the melting point of lead, causing the lead to start to melt in the barrel and to come into contact with the gun steel. The deposits that emerge are so stubborn that even with Ballistol Universal Oil, they cannot be re-moved adequately. In this case, a particularly effective solvent such as Ro-bla Solo MIL must be used in order, first of all, to solvate the lead deposits, so that, in the next step, they can be completely removed when cleaned manually with a brush. It should be noted, however, that these stubborn lead deposits mostly emerge only in the case of guns with high projectile speeds of at least 300 m/s, soft lead hardnesses and barrels with narrow

Checking 43

calibre dimensions.

LEAD-FREE AMMUNITION

Lead-free ammunition refers mostly to the heart of the projectile, that is, the projectile core. In most cases, the main components of lead-free ammunition are copper and zinc – although the principal part is always copper. If the copper proportion is 67% or over, it is referred to as tombac. If the copper proportion of the lead-free projectile is less than 67%, the alloy is called brass.

An important aspect of lead-free ammunition is the increased pressure when the bullet is forced through the barrel, which, in turn, leads to in-creased deposits in the barrel. The reason for this is that lead-free am-munition has a harder projectile core and therefore cannot be deformed as easily. This leads to greater frictional resistance when the projectile is deformed. Since lead-free projectiles are also slightly more sensitive to existing deposits in the barrel, cleaning the barrel is of greater priority if lead-free ammunition is used than if lead-containing projectiles are used. If lead-free is used, more frequent cleaning is recommended in order to ensure the precision of the gun in the long term.

In the case of around 90% of ammunition used in hunting, the projec-tile surface consists of a copper alloy. In the case of brass projectiles, the projectile deposits in the gun barrel are, in all cases, so stubborn that a special, highly effective cleaner such as Robla Solo MIL is required. In this way, the residues are solvated and subsequently removed safely with a cleaning brush and a cleaning rod.

Nickel-platinized projectiles occupy a special position when it comes to lead-free ammunition, as nickel grit cannot be dissolved chemically and must therefore be removed from the barrel mechanically. Here, a high-quality, suitable bronze brush with correspondingly dense bristles is essential.

44 Checking

MOLYBDENUM DISULPHIDE-COATED PROJECTILES

If molybdenum disulphide-coated ammunition is used, projectile depos-its in the form of a fine molybdenum dust remains in the barrel which cannot be dissolved chemically – neither with Robla Solo MIL nor with other barrel cleaners. Molybdenum is a high-strength, hard metal that is not solvated even by reducing acids such as hydrofluoric acid. Therefore, molybdenum deposits must be removed mechanically, which can be best accomplished with a bronze brush as well as patches or pieces of felt.

PROJECTILES WITH BISMUTH

With lead shot increasingly being turned away from, shot ammunition consisting of an alloyed mix of bismuth and tin is now being more com-monly used. The soiling that emerges in the barrel in the process cannot be removed with a traditional cleaning as in the case of lead shot: first solvate with an effective solvent such as Robla Solo MIL, then remove the loosened projectile deposits manually with a brush.

SINTERED AND SOFT IRON AMMUNITION

In the topic of sintered and soft iron ammunition, a distinction must be made between shotguns and rifles. Shotguns are used above all for sports shooting and require steel shot. Here, it should of course be ensured that the integrated parts – the barrel combination and the choke – are also designed for this use. If this is the case, the focus in cleaning the shotgun is on combustion residues in the barrel as well as old grease on the mobile parts. Here, it is recommended to apply a thin film of oil in the barrel after shooting so that corrosion formation due to residues of shot and powder is prevented.

Anyone who uses soft-iron-core projectiles with a rifle should consider that higher pressures arise upon projectile deformation and that these induce greater wear as would be the case with lead or copper alloys. Here, the selection of the correct cleaning agent depends on the material that lies over the soft-iron core as a coating – mostly tombac, tin or nickel. It

Checking 45

should also be taken into account that such projectiles do not offer par-ticularly good accuracy.

Before sintered or soft iron ammunition is shot, the user should make absolutely sure to check whether the barrel is also de-signed for it. Many older barrels in particu-lar are not suitable for the use of sintered and soft iron ammunition.

Due to iron abrasion – especially in the case of non-chrome-plated barrels – there is the risk of so-called contact corrosion arising. Therefore, sintered and soft iron ammunition is considered corrosion-trig-gering. Consequently, when sintered and soft iron ammunition is used, immediate and intensive cleaning as well as subsequent maintenance are required, for example with Gunex or Ballistol Universal Oil. Additionally, checking the barrel again after approximately 3–5 days is recommended.

PROJECTILES WITH TIN COATING

As tin has a very low melting point, ammunition with a tin coating leaves extremely strong projectile deposits in the barrel that require correspond-ingly frequent and thorough cleaning. So far, it has not been possible to release these deposits from tin-coated projectiles by chemical means. Since tin is a relatively brittle material and therefore easily “crumbles”, it can also be easily removed from the barrel with a suitable, high-quality bronze brush.

A special case among tin-coated projectiles is CineShot© ammunition, whose lead projectile core is coated all-round with mild steel and is also coated with a covering tin layer. Projectiles for the military and for RUAG automatic guns are identical. Even though mild steel is certainly not one of the most ideal projectile materials, there are still manufacturers who offer this type of ammunition. If CineShot© ammunition is used, it should

46 Checking

be taken into account that residues of the tin coat must be removed with the brush. In the case of similar ammunition from other manufacturers, the mild steel is partially coated with a tombac coating; residues of this ammunition can accordingly be dissolved using Robla Solo MIL.

BLACK POWDER AMMUNITION

If black powder ammunition is shot, e.g. with muz-zle-loading guns, blank-cartridge guns or flare guns, this requires a special form of cleaning. Unlike the low-smoke propelling charges of modern ammunition, very stubborn residues settle in the barrel when black powder charges are used, as blackpowder combustion produces inorganic salts, soot and other combustion products. These residues promote corrosion in the barrel far more than is the case with modern propelling charges and due to their composi-tion, they cannot be removed effectively with the “usual” organic gun oils.

Therefore, warm soapsuds are often used; however, these always present the risk of corrosion. A much better alter-native is offered by a warm Ballistol Universal Oil emul-sion – a mix of water and Ballistol Universal Oil in the ratio of 2 to 1. Not only can such an emulsion be used to clean the barrel, but is also offers effective rust protection. Black powder marksmen from the USA, in particular, swear by the mixture, which neutralizes the existing acidic com-bustion residues of the black powder and additionally provides the necessary rust protection. However, it should be taken into account that this emul-sion cannot be stored on a long-term basis; rather, it must be disposed of after the cleaning, as the existing dirt can lead to the formation of bacteria.

Surplus ammunitionAmmunition from

military inventories is referred to as surplus ammunition.

In most cases, it refers to surplus ammuni-

tion that has been decommis-sioned due to calibres that

are no longer required or their storage periods have been

surpassed.

Here, it should be noted that the projectiles have been changed and that no military

armour-piercing composite rigid ammunition is shot – this

comes under the KWKG (War Guns Control Act) and

is therefore prohibited in Germany under gun laws.

The coloured projectile tips are often a sign of military

armour-piercing composite rigid ammunition.

Checking 47

The much more effective, gentle and, above all, simple way is Ballistol Black Powder Solvent, which was developed specially for this purpose. It is available as a liquid container and as a spray that forms an active foam. Ballistol Black Powder Solvent liquid is especially suitable for use with a cleaning rod and felt cleaners.

Prudence before mercury firingToday, many an ammunition cabinet still contains projectiles with a mercury firing charge and ammunition from Eastern Europe and the Far East in which a mercury fulminate is used in the firing charge – often 9 para or surplus ammuni-tion. Such mercury firing charges leave behind an aggressive, acidic, metallic and chemical second helping (mercury, chlorate) that launches a massive attack on the barrel. This type of ammunition is mostly referred to as corrosive ammunition as well and is still available today in places. If such ammunition is used, the gun should be run through with Ballistol Universal Oil at the firing range in order to remove the rough soiling immediately. Further, a comprehensive cleaning should be performed as quickly as possible thereafter.

Although a clean with hot water and soapsuds, often recommended for this, is not generally wrong, there is the danger – as with the cleaning mentioned under “Black powder ammunition” – that the water will get into gaps in the barrel (e.g. barrel/guide rail) and thus trigger corrosion. Should water be used nevertheless, it is urgently recommended to dry the barrel in a warm temperature. A more relia-ble solution for removing the mercury fulminates and the metal deposits is Robla Solo MIL. Subsequent care with Ballistol Universal Oil is particularly sensible in this case, as it is slightly alkaline compared to other gun oils. After 3 days at the latest, another cleaning should be performed in order to remove all second-help-ing residues of the mercury firing so as to prevent rust perforation. A third check and, if necessary, a further cleaning is recommended after approximately 8–12 days. Subsequently, the gun is to be kept well-oiled and before the next use the barrel should be run through dry as always.

INTENSIVECLEAN

CAREFUL

48 Cleaning

CHAPTER 5

CLEANING

THE RIGHT ORDER

The two “big basic rules” of gun cleaning are both enlightening and easy to remember: First: “Always clean from inside to outside.”

Second: “The general cleaning comes first, then the intensive de-tailed cleaning.” However, with regard to what goes beyond these two easy-to-remember rules, there are many opinions and questions.

Therefore, in this chapter we would like to describe to you in detail all the individual steps of gun cleaning and maintenance. We want to give you a secure feeling that you are cleaning and looking after your gun in the best way possible. You will thus maintain its value and, above all, its function-ality and accuracy.

Cleaning 49

PRE-CLEANING

To begin with, the rough outer dirt should, of course, be removed from the gun so that it does not end up in the barrel or in mobile parts by accident during the rest of the cleaning. Should the gun have become damp, it should, of course, be dried first. Here, it is sufficient to wipe the fire-arm or rub it dry with a soft cotton cloth or piece of kitch-en towel and, as far as possible, without a lot of pressure.

Should the gun have been soiled heavily during use in the hunting grounds or at the firing range to the extent that it needs to be wiped in-tensively, please remember that by doing this, you will also remove part of the protective, wafer-thin oil film. If the pending thorough cleaning is postponed to the next day, it is recommended first to dry off the gun, then to spray it lightly with Ballistol Universal Oil and then to wipe it with a fuzz-free cloth. In this way, excess oil is removed and an evenly thin and protective film of oil remains on the gun. Alternatively, the Ballistol care cloths, which are already soaked with Ballistol Universal Oil, can of course also be used.

For Your SafetyImportant: Before each cleaning, the user must be absolutely sure to check that there is no ammunition in the gun.

50 Cleaning

SIMPLE CLEANING/NORMAL BARREL CLEANING

The simple cleaning is to be carried out according to requirements and frequency of use. Here, the cleaning refers particularly to combustion res-idues, dampness, dirt and old lubricants. A definite cycle cannot be spec-ified, as this depends both on the intensity of use and on the standards of the marksman. At any event, regular and simple cleaning ensures a reliable and permanently precise gun. Additionally, possible damage can be ascertained early on.

The gun is to be disassembled before any cleaning. Here, the question often arises as to the extent to which the gun must be disassembled. The general rule is: up to the point where tools are required – with the exception of the tools supplied with the gun. If the marksman feels able to disassemble the gun further, this is also good. It should be remembered that a spring may be lurking behind any screw. Often, the spring cannot be integrated again, ne-cessitating a visit to a gunsmith.

If the gun has been disassembled, old residues of oil, grease and dirt can often be found at concealed points. Here, a suitable cleaner should be used, such as the Bal-listol gun part cleaner, which, in addition to its extremely effective mix of active ingredients, also has a particular-ly powerful spray. Avoid unsuitable solvents or cleaning agents such as nitro-dilution or cheap brake cleaners that could attack the gun material. Particularly stubborn soil-ing on surfaces and guides are best removed with an at-tachable brush, such as the one that comes with the BAL-

LISTOL gun part cleaner. The stable nylon bristles facilitate the mechanical cleaning without damaging sensitive surfaces such as a browning.

Optical systems are to be protected from oil and cleaner before the clean-ing – either by being covered or removed. Rifle slings should also be re-moved.

Expert tip – revolverWhen cleaning a revolver

barrel, the cylinder should always be pivoted. Optimal

guidance of the brush or the piece of felt is thus ensured.

It is important that the brush not be too long. At any event,

it should go completely out of sight in the cylinder. Other-

wise, it cannot be pushed completely through the barrel,

which can lead to the brush or even the barrel being dam-aged. In addition, this leads to an inadequate cleaning, with

dirt often still remaining in the barrel.

Cleaning 51

Once the gun has been disassembled, the level of soiling is ascertained. This is the basis for the selection of the appropriate cleaning agents and tools.

Once the rough outer dirt has been removed, attention is turned to clean-ing the barrel. To this end, spray Ballistol Universal Oil or GunCer into the barrel from the chamber; if Ballistol Universal Oil is used, turn and tilt the gun back and forth several times so that the inner walls of the barrel are moistened evenly as far as possible. An oil or nylon brush can also be used for this. If GunCer is used, put the barrel to one side with the muzzle facing downwards and wait until the foam that has been produced falls and drips out of the barrel at the bottom – a sign that the barrel is moistened evenly from top to bottom inside. It is important that the barrel be fac-ing downwards when it is sprayed. This prevents powder not burnt with the oil and other dirt from getting into the breech mechanism and causing damage. Otherwise, the mechanism will become stiff; in extreme cases, the firing pin can even jam.

Once the oil has reached the lands and grooves and the entire polygonal surface, allow it to take effect for a few minutes so that the deposits and combustion residues can dissolve. Subsequently, the barrel is drawn through with a dry piece of tow, a patch or a comfort cleaner made of felt. This procedure must be repeated to ensure that all the oil has been removed. Usually, the material used is pushed or pulled from the chamber towards the muzzle. In the case of stationary barrels or closed systems, it is pushed or pulled from the muzzle to the chamber and back again. This general-ly affects semi-automatic hunting guns as well as muzzle-loading guns and revolvers. The mobile cleaning set Flex-Clean from BALLISTOL offers a very good alternative to the laborious cleaning of closed systems with the cleaning rod. Here, the felt cleaners can be screwed on and pulled from the chamber to the muzzle. Thanks to the coated steel rope, possible damage to the muzzle is avoided.

Direction changeClosed systems and stationary barrels are difficult to clean from the chamber to the muzzle. Here, it is necessary to clean “in the wrong direc-tion”; however, it is essential to ensure that the brush is not retracted in the barrel, but rather is always pushed completely through into the chamber or the breech chan-nel. In the process, it should be ensured that the cleaning utensil does not hit against the firing pin or the breech base.

52 Cleaning

Should slight grey colouring still be visible on the pieces of felt after the material has been pulled through the barrel, you have, in fact, achieved your goal. Most guns do not need to be mirror-like; a slight grey colouring of the felt can be tolerated. However, the user is free to repeat the process until the pieces of felt are clean. Thus you can be sure that all the soiling is removed.

It is important that a fresh piece of tow or a felt plug be used; otherwise, the dirt would not be removed from the barrel, but only distributed evenly within it. Here, felt plugs have the advantage of being turned on a thread and also of being secured with a small nut, meaning they are fixed on the cleaning rod and can-not fall down by accident during the cleaning. If even tougher residues are subsequently present, than as-sumed, these can be loosened with a suitable brush so as then to be removed with absorbent material.

Then the chamber, the breech and the magazine are free of used oil and are again lubricated slightly with fresh oil.

If you are cleaning a repeating gun, you should be sure to make use of a false lock or a simple sleeve such as a plastic tube, in order to prevent the transition to the chamber from being damaged. Additionally, the cham-ber is thus sealed off so that no cleaning agent can flow into the internal box magazine or the foundation.

For the internal cleaning, an alkaline gun oil such as Ballistol Universal Oil offers a clear advantage: the acidic combustion residues were chemically neutralized in an effective manner and are thus made harmless. Addi-tionally, Ballistol Universal Oil offers reliable rust protection that is com-pletely sufficient for normal hunting and shooting conditions.

If you do not use too much ammunition and do not go hunting in all types of weather, the described cleaning and maintenance with Ballistol Uni-versal Oil, GunCer or Gunex is completely sufficient.

Heat helpsIf the oil is poured into

the barrel while the latter is still warm, this is advanta-

geous for the solvent prop-erties of the oil. The solvent power increases with rising

temperature, which, in this case, comes from

the residual warmth of the barrel.

Cleaning 53

However, at least once a year – more often in the case of active gun use – you should subject your gun to a thorough internal cleaning with Robla Solo MIL. You will find details on this in the following chapter.

INTENSIVE CLEANING/IN THE CASE OF STUBBORN SOILING

Cleaning the barrel regularly is essential for every gun – but when or how often should the barrel or the gun be subjected to an in-tensive cleaning? While some barrels shoot inaccurately after just a few shots at high projectile speeds, others are still extremely accurate even after a load of 50 shots and more. At what frequency the barrel is to be given an inten-sive cleaning so that the gun maintains its maximum pre-cision, depends on the ammunition used and, of course, on the gun itself.

The intensive cleaning can be divided into two areas. These are the preceding simple cleaning (as described in the pre-vious chapter) and the subsequent intensive cleaning. As soon as the rust and other particles have been removed from the gun, the underlying layers of projectile deposits can also be tackled. To this end, the remaining oil is re-moved from the barrel. This is done most easily with a cold degreaser or parts cleaner and a clean piece of felt. Afterwards, the barrel cleaner can be entered into the barrel (from the chamber) by means of dosed dripping with the bottle directly or with a soaked patch or piece of felt. The procedure can be read about in detail in the next chapter. After an application time of approximately 5–10 minutes, the liquid is removed from the barrel along with the loosened projectile residues. Felt cleaners are again very good for this. These are guided through the barrel first dry and, after the third piece of felt, again with a piece of felt that is slightly moistened with Robla Solo MIL.

To be exact: paper instead of feltAfter the intensive barrel cleaning, it is recommended to wrap silk paper around a piece of felt with the matt side towards the barrel and to pull it through. Now with this final step, it will be become clear from the paper, as to whether residual soiling is still present and will need to be removed in a subsequent cleaning cycle.

54 Cleaning

The cleaning cycle is now repeated with a piece of felt soaked with barrel cleaner and a dry piece of felt until the felt no longer has a bluish or greenish colour. Final-ly, the barrel is again protected from rust with a slightly oiled piece of felt.

USE ROBLA SOLO MIL CORRECTLY

The modern projectiles consist almost without exception of a tombac alloy that leaves wafer-thin projectile deposits on the metal surface of the barrel with every shot. However, as thin as this layer may be, it builds up from shot to shot until finally even the best gun scatters bullets and shoots inaccurately for seemingly inexplicable reasons. At this point, a thorough barrel clean is overdue.

A reliable barrel cleaner is essential, especially when it comes to removing such largely stubborn metal deposits in the barrel. Here, Robla Solo MIL is the most effective cleaning method: tombac, copper, lead and zinc are dissolved both reliably and gently – without attacking steel, nickel and chrome in the process.

Robla Solo MIL was developed in cooperation with a renowned ammu-nition manufacturer as well as the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials, Fuels and Lubricants for special forces of the police and the military in Erding. It is therefore of no surprise that Robla Solo MIL has emerged as the clear winner in numerous independent tests – with a more than clear edge over the products of other manufacturers.

Before Robla Solo MIL is introduced, the barrel must first be de-oiled with-out fail. Otherwise, the oil film on the surface would prevent the optimal functionality of the watery solution of the barrel cleaner.

External protectionBefore the gun is treated

with Robla Solo MIL or other highly effective cleaners, it should be lightly coated on

the outside with Ballistol Universal Oil.

This protective film ensures that the gun and its browning are

not so easily attacked.

Cleaning 55

Careful cleaningIt is important not to leave the gun lying for a long time if the inside of the barrel is only moistened with Robla Solo MIL. Due to the large surface, the ammoniac contained in Robla Solo MIL would evaporate and the residual water

– together with certain organic salts – would cause rust perforation. In addition, you should watch out that Robla Solo MIL does not get onto the browned parts of the gun, as this would attack the browning. If, despite the care taken, Robla Solo MIL has come into contact with the browning, rinse the affected parts with water or spray them with Ballistol Universal Oil and wipe up any excess oil .

It may also be possible to touch up the browning very easily with Ballistol Quick Browning.

Even though Robla Solo MIL does not attack chrome, of course, caution is needed with hard chrome-plated barrels. This hard chrome plating can be applied to elec-trolytically deposited copper, as this procedure offers a few advantages compared to direct chrome-plating of the barrel steel. However, should the hard chrome plating have even just microscopically small tears, the barrel cleaner would, of course, attack the copper underlying the chrome layer at these points. In this case, the copper layer would dissolve and the hard chrome plating would start to flake. Therefore, apply Robla Solo MIL only in the case of flawless, undamaged hard chrome plating or chrome layers that were applied directly to the barrel steel! Many gun manufacturers proceed again to apply the protective chrome layer directly to the barrel steel. Thus, all the advantages are combined: an acid-resistant chrome layer that also convinces with hardness and wear protection. You can obtain information about the type of chrome plating from the respective gun manufacturers.

56 Cleaning

To clean normal deposits, put some Robla Solo MIL into the barrel and let it run down the barrel while turning it so that the inner walls are moistened with the product as evenly as possible.

Alternatively, a piece of tow or a felt plug soaked with Robla Solo MIL can also be

pulled through the barrel. The simplest way to soak the tow or the felt plug is by removing the dosing tip of the cleaner bottle and putting the piece of felt/tow already screwed onto the cleaning rod into the bottle. Subsequently, after a short application time, the material can be pulled through dry in order to wipe the loosened deposits out of the barrel. Fi-nally, the barrel should be sprayed in familiar fashion with Ballistol Uni-versal Oil or Gunex. If a lot of projectile deposits have already taken hold inside the barrel, advise locking the barrel firmly on one side with a cork or a rubber plug and filling the barrel completely with Robla Solo MIL. Depending on the stubbornness of the projectile deposits, you should then leave it for several hours or overnight for the Robla Solo MIL to take effect. However, the barrel must, without fail, be completely filled with Robla Solo MIL, including the chamber; under no circumstances should it be partially filled.

If the solution is let out after the application time, its colour alone often

Well dosedA simple trick for cleaning with Robla Solo MIL is to insert the cleaning rod with felt just a few centimetres into the barrel from the chamber and then to soak the felt on the cleaning rod with Robla Solo MIL from behind. If the felt is then guided slow-ly through the barrel, it provides for an extremely equal distribution of the cleaner. Ensure that the liquid level does not go beyond the barrel thread or the foundation, causing the cleaner to overflow.

Cleaning 57

shows the success of the clean. Green to blue colouring of the liquid is the indicator of dissolved copper and tombac. Dissolved zinc and lead, in contrast, cannot be seen, as they solvate colourlessly. The barrel is now run through dry and sprayed with Ballistol Universal Oil or Gunex. Run the barrel through dry again before using the gun.

BARREL CLEANING WITH BALLISTOL BLACK POWDER SOLVENT

The use of black powder requires a special form of cleaning. The acidic combustion residues must be neutralized without fail. Here, the use of an emulsion consisting of two parts water and one part Ballistol Universal Oil has proved successful for neutralizing these very acidic residues in the barrel.

Additionally, the manner of cleaning is heavily dependent on the gun type – for example, a western revolver must be cleaned differently than a blank-cartridge gun or a percussion gun. Therefore, at this point, we will explain the barrel cleaning with Ballistol Black Powder Solvent using the example of a blank-cartridge gun. The gun, especially the chamber and the muzzle, is sprayed with Black Powder Solvent active foam. Alterna-tively, the gun can be moistened with Black Powder Solvent using the brush provided. To loosen particularly hard-crusted residues, either a hard nylon brush can be used or – if this does not lead to the desired effect – a bronze brush that corresponds to the calibre. If the gun has a cylinder – as in the case of a blank-cartridge revolver, for example – this should also be cleaned, as deposits of the black powder also collect there, of course.

The smell of sulphur that arises during the cleaning is a sign that the res-idues are dissolving. Allow the cleaner to take effect for approximately 10 to a maximum of 30 minutes in order to ensure that the gun steel is sufficiently cleaned but under no circumstances attacked. Subsequently, the loosened deposits can be removed conveniently with a toothbrush.

58 Cleaning

Should the gun be very heavily soiled – whether be-cause it has not been cleaned after every use or has often been fired on successive occasions – particularly thorough treatment is required. In this case, the most effective solution is to lock the barrel at one end and fill it completely with Black Powder Solvent. The loosened dirt will then flow out along with the cleaner. Here, an application time of 10 to a maximum of 30 minutes is to be observed.

Whether after the intensive cleaning or the normal cleaning, the barrel and the cylinder must subsequent-ly be dried first and then sprayed vigorously with Bal-listol Universal Oil. It should be ensured that all areas

are adequately moistened with the oil. Only in this way can it be ensured that even the final residues from the pre-treatment have been neutral-ized. Since Ballistol Black Powder Solvent is an especially effective cleaner, never leave a gun that has been treated with it lying for a long time; rath-er, you should carry out the post-treatment with Ballistol Universal Oil immediately thereafter.

CLEANING GAS-OPERATED GUNS

The procedure for cleaning a gas-operated gun is only marginally dif-ferent to that of other guns. After a basic cleaning as described before, both the gas cylinder and the linkage must be cleaned scrupulously and treated with a suitable oil, such as Ballistol Universal Oil. It is then im-portant to remove the excess oil in order to prevent the oil from burning and thus to avoid the formation of oil carbon. Mostly, oil carbon that has formed is very hard to remove. GunCer ceramic gun oil has a particularly pronounced and efficient soot-releasing property. Allowing it to take ef-fect for a short time is sufficient to make residues disappear easily and completely.

In the case of guns with a gas channel, AR15 system, the barrel cleaner must be used with particular care to avoid the gas channel being filled with barrel cleaner as well at the same time as the barrel. Otherwise, the

Projectile paving milkThe right projectile paving

milk can help to minimize the residues in the barrel and en-

sure that they can be removed as easily as possible later. An

emulsion of Ballistol Universal Oil and water on a ratio of

1:1 does an excellent job as a projectile paving milk.

Cleaning 59

gas channel could not be completely freed of barrel cleaner when the cleaner is let out. Then the residues, in conjunction with humidity and oxygen, would attack the material and lead to corrosion. In the worst case scenario, the system could thus become leaky. Therefore, never fill up such barrels. Putting in Robla Solo MIL with a piece of barrel cleaning felt will normally suffice; this procedure may have to be repeated.

Moreover, care is also needed when cleaning guns with a gas pressure-de-layed blowback system. Only cleaning agents with integrated corrosion protection should be used. The reason for this is the breech mechanism, which has small bores (gas withdrawal bores) in the barrel. Part of the pressure operates directly or via a piston – against the return flow of the breech. Although this mechanism is practical, it involves a problem when it comes to cleaning: residues of the barrel cleaner can penetrate through the bores in the barrel into the breech mechanism. If the bar-rel cleaner does not have integrated corrosion protection or if it does not reach everywhere in the post-treatment, corrosion can arise in the breech mechanism. The best-known guns with a gas pressure-delayed blowback system include the German Volkssturmgewehr VG 1–5 from 1945, the Steyr GB pistol and the gun series HK P7.

CLEANING AIR PISTOLS AND RIFLES

When cleaning spring pressure, compressed air or CO2-operated pistols and rifles, particular attention should be paid to cleaning the spring me-chanics and greasing the guide. Apart from that, a classic barrel clean with felt and silk tow, as well as an external clean of the metal parts, is to be carried out here as well. It is important to look out for possible particularities in the case of pistols and rifles that work with compressed gas pressure. Both the piston and the piston's interior are to be lubricated in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications only. If, for example, the gun has a leather piston, this can be maintained most easily with Bal-listol Universal Oil or Ballistol Vaseline Gun Grease. Incidentally, old leath-er pistons can also be made smooth again with Ballistol Universal Oil.

60 Cleaning

One of the major advantages in using Ballistol Vaseline Gun Grease is that it does not contain any volatile components, preventing the occur-rence of the feared diesel effect in the compression chamber. In the case of this diesel effect, residues of old oils and greases on the piston are com-pressed so heavily that they self-ignite. This danger exists especially with air rifles with high compression or a high piston speed. Should such a self-ignition occur, the risk of damage is great. In the process, correspond-ing combustion residues and oil carbon are, of course, also produced, which, in turn, need to be cleaned.

Ballistol Vaseline Gun Grease consists of the finest white quality and is outstanding for lubricating all mobile metal parts. Vaseline Gun Grease is extremely easy to use. For selective use, you are best to use a toothpick or a cotton stick. In the case of larger surfaces, it is recommended to apply the grease using a fuzz-free cloth.

MAGAZINE CLEANING

As part of the regular gun cleaning, the magazine should not be forgotten either, as powder smoke settles here as well. In order for the cartridge guide in the magazine to remain slidable, the smoke residues should be removed – preferably with a fuzz-free cotton cloth, with which Ballistol Universal Oil or another suitable lubricant such as Gunex or GunCer can easily be applied. Pipe cleaners are very good for cleaning even the parts of the magazine that are difficult to access. Only a small amount of oil should be used to clean the magazine, as this adheres to the cartridges and can thus lead to inaccuracies, since oil residues prevent a clean obtu-ration of the cartridge (see oil shot). If possible, magazines should always be disassembled so that they can be cleaned as carefully as possible.

CLEANING MECHANICAL PARTS

A good gun oil such as Ballistol Universal Oil or Gunex is usually fully suf-ficient for lubricating the sliding mechanical parts. Specialists with corre-

Cleaning 61

sponding requirements prefer high-quality BALLISTOL products such as GunCer Ceramic Gun Oil or GunCer Ceramic Gun Grease, which are resin and acid-free and thus fulfil even the highest standards.

Should a gun oil not produce the desired cleaning result due to particularly stubborn soiling, special products such as the Ballistol Cold Degreaser, the gun part cleaner or brake and parts cleaners from the BALLISTOL technical range are required. The latter impresses with its physical cleaning performance thanks to the high spray pressure. With mechanical parts such as trigger arresters or safety catches in particular, it is important that old lubricants be removed before fresh oil or grease is applied again – be-cause even high-quality lubricants are subject to ageing due to soiling or wear and should therefore be renovated from time to time.

CLEANING THE BREECH MECHANISM

With gas-operated guns in particular, cleaning the breech mechanism is an important guarantor of flawless functionality. With each shot fired, the propelling charge strikes back onto the breech mechanism as well upon ignition. Powder smoke and fine particles thus come onto the mo-bile parts of the breech and settle there. To prevent the breech mechan-ics from becoming stiff as a result or even jamming, this part of the gun should be cleaned particularly intensively and afterwards it should be oiled with corresponding care. To this end, put some Ballistol Universal Oil on a cotton stick or a pipe cleaner so as also to clean the parts of the mechanism that are otherwise difficult to reach.

Subsequently, excess Ballistol Universal Oil can easily be wiped off with a soft cotton cloth. Here, exert as little pressure as possible so that a thin film of Universal Oil remains on the metal and protects the mechanism. In dynamic disciplines and if calibre .22 change systems are used, a spe-cial gun oil is essential. GunCer was developed precisely for such applica-tions. Extensive test series have shown that reloading faults are thus a thing of the past.

Grease with indicatorA highlight among the gun oils is the Club 30 grease, which includes an integrated wear display. An indicator in the grease shows by means of colour change whether a replacement is needed. It is blue when new and changes colour to between light grey and black when it needs to be replaced.

62 Cleaning

CLEANING IN THE ULTRASONIC BATH

A special form of cleaning is the use of an ultrasonic bath, which can be recommended for individual components of the gun or in the case of heavy soiling.

A clean in the ultrasonic bath is quick and very effective; general dirt and old lubricant and soot residues, in particular, are removed without any problem. It is important to disassemble the gun into the individual com-ponents as far as possible – only so much that it can still be reassembled well, of course. This is because an ultrasonic bath clean of complete gun parts or components is problematic, as loosened dirt, deposits, water or cleaning agent can settle in inaccessible areas. These deposits could en-tail faults or corrosion and could thus not only destroy the advantages of the ultrasonic clean but could also cause long-term damage to the gun.

The result of an ultrasonic bath clean can be improved significantly with a cleaning additive in the water. Here, we recommend an emulsion of wa-ter and approximately 10% Ballistol Universal Oil, with which excellent results can be achieved. Pre-heating this emulsion strengthens its clean-ing capacity considerably. After the cleansing bath, all the parts must be dried and moistened again with a protective film of oil that keeps them functioning smoothly.

When an ultrasonic bath is deployed, no coated or painted components should be put in the bath. Additionally, only suitable cleaning agents should be used (under no circumstances, combustible solvents) and the components should be treated separately from each other so that they do not rub against each other and by way of ultrasonic oscillations, damage each other. An intensive clean in the ultrasonic bath should not be carried out too frequently.

Cleaning 63

CLEANING SILENCERS

Use of silencers by public authorities is long established and they are in-creasingly being used by hunters as well. As for the gun itself, to maintain the functionality of its silencer and prevent it from becoming damaged, regular cleaning is required.

Combustion gases, soot and unburnt powder settle on the lamellas and inner walls of the silencer and form a rough surface. This results in op-timal conditions, for subsequent oxidation, which negatively influences lifespan as well as silencing performance and which, in the worst case scenario, leads to a detonation of the non-burnt propellants that have collected in the silencer.

Cleaning a dismountable silencer is relatively uncomplicated. After the disassembly, the individual components are sprayed with or placed in gun oil. After an appropriate application time, a post-treatment is performed with the brush. If a satisfactory result has been achieved, the silencer is degreased – with the Ballistol gun part cleaner, for example – and put back together again.

Of course, in the case of dismountable models, the screw connections must also be cleaned regularly and lubricated again with assembly pastes. Here, GunCer Ceramic Gun Grease does an extremely good job.

On the other hand, cleaning an enclosed silencer is far more difficult. Even placing it in gun oil for days or using an ultrasonic bath often does not produce the desired effect. Here, it is helpful to use the silencer cleaner from BALLISTOL.

Simply fill the locked silencer with this effective soot releaser and leave it for 1 to 3 days – depending on the degree of soiling – in the gun cabinet to take effect; the silencer should be placed in a glass or dish for safety rea-sons. Instead of laborious scrubbing with the brush, the Ballistol silencer cleaner loosens the soiling. After the cleaner has been poured out, the si-lencer is simply half-filled with water to rinse it, locked again and shaken.

64 Cleaning

The residues in the rinsing liquid give evidence of the good cleaning re-sult. In the event of particularly stubborn soiling, it helps to use a bot-tle brush. The application time is reduced markedly if the cleaner bath is heated up to approximately 30°C–40°C. Subsequently, the silencer needs only be dried and the existing threads perhaps oiled or greased slightly.

INTENSIVECLEAN

CAREFUL

Cleaning 65

BROWNINGSLING

STOCK

66 Care

CHAPTER 6

CARE

IN SHOOTING SHARP CONDITION

In the regular cleaning after use of the gun, there is a very clear focus on removing combustion residues and projectile deposits. However, from time to time, all components of the gun should be thoroughly maintained and signs of usage removed so that the gun presents itself in top form in terms of function and appearance – indeed, in a sharp shooting condi-tion. This includes recurring work such as maintaining the stock and the rifle sling as well as tasks that are to be performed only when needed, such as touching up the browning or overhauling the stock.

In this chapter, we devote ourselves to all these topics that are relevant from time to time in addition to normal cleaning procedures.

Care 67

THE BROWNING

The browning of the metallic surfaces of guns not only provides for an at-tractive appearance, but rather serves, primarily, the purpose of corrosion protection, of course. It is a not layer that is applied like paint, but rather is a change to the surface of the metal in which a black or dark blue mixed oxide layer consisting of FeO and Fe2O3 forms.

In the case of gun parts, this protective layer is mostly produced with the complicated and cost-intensive hot browning procedure, which is dangerous and highly cor-rosive due to the crystalline sodium hydroxide. Therefore, hot browning is not recommended for laypersons.

The so-called double browning, with which an extreme-ly tight, even and closed surface can be achieved, is par-ticularly long-lasting. However, even though this type of browning is largely abrasion-resistant and tempera-ture-resistant up to around 300 °C, the oxide layer – which is only a few thousands of a millimetre thick – must be properly cared for to prevent corrosion effectively. For this reason, the browned parts of a gun should be regularly maintained with a high-quality gun oil such as Ballistol Universal Oil – with a soft cloth, as far as possible.

Even if great care is taken to maintain the browned parts, the browning can become damaged, whether while rough hunting or assembling the gunsight or due to constant rubbing on clothing or the holster.

68 Care

In order for you to enjoy the jet black browning of your gun for as long as possible, you should clean the browned parts with extreme care and only with a soft cloth as far as possible. Should the browning get damaged nevertheless, cost-intensive decoction and an expensive rebrowning in the double browning bath is not urgently necessary.

Instead, the oxide layer can be easily touched up – with a bit of skill and the Quick Browning from BALLISTOL. It should be noted that only steels with a chrome content of a maximum of 3 to 4% can be browned; the same applies to housing made of aluminium or zinc casting. Coloured metals such as brass or copper contain a dark-grey colouring.

TOUCHING UP THE BROWNING

In order to achieve an equal browning, the corresponding parts must first be completely degreased, for example with Ballistol Cold Degreaser. Apply the Cold Degreaser onto the site to be browned several times by spraying or using a brush and wipe it off again. The last time you ap-ply the Cold Degreaser, hold the part to be browned di-agonally so that the Cold Degreaser runs down the side. Once the last residues of Cold Degreaser have dried off, take a new brush, apply the Ballistol Quick Browning to the corresponding sites and smear it lightly. After up to 5 minutes, a slightly yellowish-green coating will form. Now the touched-up area must be rinsed off with plenty of water. Remaining water residues are mopped up gently with a soft sponge, a cotton cloth or a paper tissue. Final-ly, the treated part should be sprayed lightly with Ballistol Universal Oil or Gunex before the browning finally be-comes stable overnight.

The next morning, the excess oil can be wiped off with a soft cotton cloth. The new browning now appears with the usual, jet-black matt shine and is abrasion-resistant and oil-resistant. Those who already have initial, suc-

Tip for Quick BrowningIt is also possible to blacken entire components with the

Quick Browning. Here, it is particularly important that the foundation material be

correspondingly prepared – a basic requirement for a perfect

result. If the material is sanded, this may take place with a maxi-

mum grade of 320. In the case of more honed surfaces, equal

oxidation through the Quick Browning is not ensured. To accelerate the reaction, the

component should be preheat-ed. A temperature between 20 °C and 30 °C is sufficient.

Care 69

cessful experience with Quick Browning can also brown smaller barrels completely. The same applies to individual parts such as screws, nuts and bolts.

Should the metal have been previously treated with a silicone-containing oil, it cannot be browned without a corresponding pretreatment. In this case, the surface must first be treated multiple times with silicone de-greaser to ensure that no silicone residues whatsoever are left on the gun. Subsequently, the sites to be browned are to be ground slightly with fine steel wool and are to be cleaned very thoroughly with a fuzz-free cloth or paper towel.

Caution is needed with some small-calibre rifles such as a few Remington models. Here, a individual gun parts look like they are browned, but in fact they consist of an aluminium alloy or a similar material and are only painted matt black. As these paints are often not oil-resistant, they can quickly become damaged and should be cleaned with a damp cloth only. Here too, however, the barrel and the breech are always made of steel and therefore should always be maintained using Ballistol Universal Oil.

STOCK CARE

There is a lot of truth in the old German hunter’s saying “the barrel shoots but the stock hits the target”. After all, the stock is largely responsible for the accuracy of a gun. The stock of a rifle should be looked after just as well as the gun’s barrel and mechanics.

Most rifles have a so-called oil stock, whose stock wood was already equipped with oil impregnation by the manufacturer. Only in the case of a few guns are the stocks not oiled but treated in other ways. Many American guns, for example, have a stock that is coated with a synthet-ic resin paint, while high-quality English hunting guns, in contrast, often have a shellack stock. The latter is to be maintained, not with stock oil, but with Ballistol Universal Oil. For stocks painted with synthetic resin paint, gentle agents such as a Ballistol Universal Oil emulsion or special plastics cleaners should be used.

70 Care

Oiled stocks must be maintained and oiled regularly so that they remain water-resistant and are protected from decay and mould growth. Balsin Stock Oil and Scherell’s SCHAFTOL can be used for this – two outstanding care agents with which even old, brittle and weathered wooden stocks can be regenerated, maintained and preserved.

Balsin Stock Oil, which is perfected with silicone and sol-vent, penetrates particularly deep into the wood, thus of-fering a high level of protection and visually emphasizing the woodgrain contrast.

With Scherell’s SCHAFTOL, in comparison, only the choic-est natural products at the maximum finishing stage are used, with silicone and solvent consistently avoided – nevertheless, Scherell’s SCHAFTOL offers a high level of resistance to weather-related influences. The application sponge from Scherell’s is especially practical; with it, the oil can be applied manually with particular ease.

Both with Balsin Stock Oil and with Scherell’s SCHAFTOL, the colours can be mixed with each other, allowing the desired shade to be achieved. Both can be used to treat noble wooden stocks precisely according to your wishes – whether they are made of burr walnut, standard walnut, beechwood or pinewood.

Of course, it is not just wooden stocks that the products can be used to treat. The oils are outstanding for caring for furniture, antique woods and natural-wood floors and thus prevent wood becoming rough or spotted.

Safely storedWhenever work is

performed with cleaning and care agents, it should

be taken into account that some of these are com-bustible and that with used

cloths there could be a danger of self-ignition.

Therefore, cloths soaked with linseed oil

or used for shellack, for example, should be

stored in a sealable sheet-met-al reservoir specially intended

for this purpose or disposed of directly in an environmentally

friendly manner.

Therefore, particular care is needed in workshops in which soldering or welding work also

takes place.

Care 71

OILING AND OVERHAULING THE STOCK

Depending on the condition of the wooden stock, it must first be sand-ed with emery paper. First with a rougher grade of around 280 until all noticeable irregularities have been removed. Then with finer paper, with a 400 grade, for example. To achieve as smooth a surface as possible, the stock is also repolished with fine sanding fleece.

If a stock is being completely overhauled, it should be given an intermediate rinse after the last fine sanding. This allows the wood to swell. After the subsequent drying, ris-ing wood fibres can be feather-edged with the finest emery paper. Here, it is impor-tant always to sand in the direction of the fibres!

Now the smooth, even surface can be wiped with a fuzz-free cloth to re-move all wood dust residues. Before you now begin to process the stock wood with stock oil, you should make sure to spread out an underlay to prevent stains getting on the work surface – for example, use a cut-open plastic bag. Please take into account that oil can also cause stains on nat-ural stones, PVC flooring and textiles. During the work, use the octagonal indent on the side of the Balsin folding box to position the bottle steadily in the lying box.

To enliven the prepared wood with the stock oil, i.e. to emphasize the nat-ural colour of the wood, use either a suitable brush, a small sponge or a fuzz-free cloth soaked with the oil. Balsin or Scherell’s SCHAFTOL light is also recommended for the regular routine maintenance of the stock. If you would like to achieve a darker colouring of the stock, opt for the corresponding shade.

72 Care

If the stock to be treated is already visibly weathered and dried out, it should be oiled on several successive days and be left to dry overnight each time. The stock oil can thus penetrate deep into the wood and – if you have opted for treatment with Balsin – the silicone formulation con-tained therein can connect on the surface in order to form a water-repel-lent layer on the wood.

In the event of a comprehensive overhaul of a gun, it should without fail be taken into account that the silicone contained in Balsin can lead to problems in the case of a rebrowning; thus, here it is necessary to work with particular care.

On the day after the last application of the stock oil, rub in the residues that are still on the stock wood with a fuzz-free cotton cloth. To this end, use the cloth to form a small bale and move it in small circles across the entire oiled surface so that all the wood pores are filled equally. Alterna-tively, you can also perform this final treatment using the palms of your hands. The gun should now be left again overnight at room temperature.

Tip for oiling the stockWhen using Balsin Stock Oil, you should always ensure sufficiently good ventilation and neither smoke nor have a naked flame nearby. This is because Balsin Stock Oil contains a combustible solvent that is part of the silicone formulation, which permeates particularly deep into the wood and thus provides for the perfect water roll-off effect. Therefore, the solvent smell that arises when working with Balsin is completely normal. Nevertheless, Balsin Stock Oil of course contains the optimal proportion of oil basis to care for the stock and the woodgrain in the best possible way. Stock oils must always be used with the greatest care, as soaked cloths can self-ignite.Stock oil should always be applied extremely sparingly, as otherwise excess oil could get into the gun’s trigger or safety catch, which would lead to malfunctions there. This would possibly necessitate a repair by a gunsmith. In the case of a completely overhauled stock, Scherell’s Stock Oil should be heated to approximately 40°C when used for the first time. The oil thus becomes even lighter, allowing it to penetrate the wood particularly deeply. In the event of rough wood pores, these can be filled with pumice powder and stock oil. The pumice powder sets colourlessly with the oil.

Care 73

The next morning, the stock wood will show a nice, silk-matt shine and will be coated with an invisible, water-resistant film that even the strong-est rain rolls off. The entire stock is then protected excellently against rain, wetness, decay and mould for a long time and can be transported on the shoulder in the hunting ground or at the firing range.

CLEANING OTHER STOCK MATERIALS

Cleaning and maintaining stocks made of laminated wood, plastic or car-bon fibre is significantly easier. Here, residues and soiling can be removed relatively easily. We recommend the use of a gentle agent such as a Bal-listol Universal Oil emulsion or a special plastics cleaner. The latter cleans the plastic reliably and gives it an appearance as if new. The surface re-ceives its original secure grip again. Special microfibre cloths improve the overall result markedly.

CLEANING OPTICAL SYSTEMS

Particular care should be taken when cleaning gunsights, binoculars and spotting scopes. Here, the care instructions of the manufacturer for the corresponding product are always to be strictly followed.

However, it is to be mentioned that the lenses are the most sensitive component of each optical system. They may not be rubbed, neither dry nor slightly damp. Before the first contact with a special microfibre cloth, existing dust and dirt particles must be rinsed off under flowing water. In general, only special, mild cleaning agents, extra-soft optical brushes and fine microfibre cloths should be used for cleaning optical systems. Under no circumstances should lenses be blown down with a compressor, as the high pressure could displace the in-built sealing, causing the gas con-tained in the optical systems to escape. Only water and a soft cleaning cloth may be used to remove external dirt on gunsights and binoculars.

74 Care

OILING THE RIFLE SLING

Like the metal parts of the gun and the wooden stock, leather rifle slings also need a bit of care from time to time, of course.

If the gun is stored in very dry conditions, the sling becomes hard and brittle over time; storage in conditions that are too damp, on the other hand, can lead to mould formation. To avoid both cases, the sling should be treated with Ballistol Universal Oil – it thus remains elastic and supple.

Damp or wet slings may not be stored in the gun cabinet, as this would lead to increased humidity in the interior of the cabinet and to mould formation on the leather.

Instead, they should be hung up to dry outside the gun cabinet. After they have dried, rub Ballistol Universal Oil lightly into the leather to keep it soft and smooth.

BROWNINGSLING

STOCK

Care 75

STORAGESAFE

PROTECTED

76 Protecting

CHAPTER 7

PROTECTING

STORAGE AND PRESERVATION

Correct gun storage is a very important topic for sports marksmen and hunters but especially also for collectors, with most of their guns, after all, spending much more of their time in the gun cabinet than being carried and used. It is all the more important, therefore, that the gun be stored in a well protected manner, so that external influences such as fluctuating humidity cannot harm it.

Consequently, the final chapter of the gun guide provides information and tips regarding the preservation and storage of guns and ammunition.

Protecting 77

READY FOR THE GUN CABINET

Before you put your gun in the gun cabinet after cleaning it, it should, of course, be protected from corrosion. To this end, you are best to use a non-resinous, preserving gun oil such as Ballistol Universal Oil or Gunex, with which flash rust is effectively prevented, including over longer peri-ods and despite fluctuating humidity.

To this end, simply pull a piece of tow or a felt plug moistened with Bal-listol Universal Oil through the barrel so that its interior is coated with a thin, protective oil film and is thus protected from corrosion.

You should, of course, also protect the outer metal parts by rubbing the metal surface of the gun, without strong pressure, with a cotton cloth moistened with Ballistol Universal Oil, so that a wafer-thin film of oil re-mains on the gun. Treated in such a way, your gun is now excellently pro-tected from damage due to corrosion and can now be stored in the dry gun cabinet.

78 Protecting

THE GUN CABINET

Even the most careful preservation of the gun with a good gun oil such as Ballistol Universal Oil is no guarantee that corrosion damage will not occur on the gun.

Even if normal conditions with regard to temperature and humidity ac-tually exist in a gun cabinet, an air exchange takes place. As hardly any gun cabinets are gastight, condensation water can form due to the air exchange and temperature fluctuations in the interior – for example, due to the general humidity, a fridge in the same room or temperature fluc-tuations between the exterior and the interior of the gun cabinet. There-fore, an air dehumidifier and dehumidification granules or bags should be placed in the gun cabinet as well.

AMMUNITION STORAGE

If you also store ammunition in your gun cabinet, it should be taken into account that it will more or less degas over time – even if only on a very small scale that is therefore not easily demonstrable.

The reason for this is that the propelling charge of cartridges is, in itself, a highly unstable chemical compound that “self-combusts” due to its struc-ture. Upon ignition, this process takes place extremely quickly; however, even at room temperature an extremely small conversion takes place. For this reason, cartridges can be stored for only a limited time. Depending on the quality and quantity of the stored ammunition, an enrichment of corrosive gases can occur in conjunction with the existing ambient air humidity; this can damage a gun.

STORAGESAFE

PROTECTED

Protecting 79

Where possible, the ammunition should always be stored in a separate compartment of the gun cabinet. Additionally, regular ventilation is rec-ommended here – in addition to an air dehumidifier – in order to ensure sufficient air exchange.

Used military ammunition boxes are ideal for storing ammunition, as these mostly have rubber sealing and are gastight. In this way, the am-munition can degas only until there is a gas balance in the box, which provides for longer durability and storage capacity of some ammunition types, e.g. surplus goods.

APPENDIX

BALLISTOL PRODUCTS

80 BALLISTOL products

RELIABLESINCE 1904

UNIQUE

BALLISTOL products 81

Ballistol Universal Oil

Ballistol Universal Oil has convinced gun owners for over 110 years with its numerous valuable properties. Whether as rust protection or lubricating oil, as a care or cleaning agent – Ballistol Universal Oil offers a high level of creeping capability, does not resinify, does not age, penetrates even the most subtle of capillary cracks, dissolves residues such as resins of unsuit-able oils and, to top it all off, also is highly effective on bacteria and germs.

82 BALLISTOL products

• Ballistol Universal Oil – the all-rounder

• Cleans and removes powder residues as well as lead, copper and tombac deposits

• Neutralizes combustion residues

• Does not resinify, creeps into the subtlest cracks, protects from rust, loosens old soiling and resins of unsuitable oils

• Also for cleaning, maintaining and preserving stock wood and leather

• Unique and unsurpassed in its application – the only true Universal Oil on the market

• You will find more information about this "wonderoil" in the BALLISTOL story

No other oil is as versatile and effective. Ballistol Universal Oil is superb for cleaning, maintaining and preserving hunting, sports and used guns of all types. It neutralizes acidic combustion residues, removes projectile deposits, keeps the mechanics smooth and is also ideal for maintaining wooden stocks and leather slings.

Ballistol Universal Oil is silicone, PTFE, acid and resin-free and does not resinify. In addition, it is biodegradable, food-safe, skin-friendly and harm-less. Ballistol Universal Oil is free of chlorinated carbohydrates.

BALLISTOL products 83

GunCerCERAMIC GUN OIL AND CERAMIC GUN GREASE

GunCer Oil and GunCer Grease are the special products with a ceramic additive for long or short firearms that ensure maximum functionality and shooting accuracy. Developed for gun tuning, especially for precision marksmen, hunters and law enforcement, GunCer reduces the wear of the firearm, reduces performance losses when reloading self-loading pis-tols and rifles and smooths surface roughness thanks to the ceramic ad-ditives it contains.

The soot-loosening additives contained in GunCer Oil and GunCer Grease ensure that the solvation of the soot particles takes place significantly faster and more efficiently than with other oils. Additionally, both offer outstanding corrosion protection and prevent fretting rust.

84 BALLISTOL products

GunCer – ceramic gun oil

• For precision marksmen, hunters and law enforcement

• Ensures functional reliability and shooting accuracy in extreme condi-tions and reduces wear

• Settles in the surface roughness of the wear points

• Prevents abrasion and dirt adhesion

• Reduces performance losses when reloading semi and fully automatic firearms

• Outstanding corrosion protection, pre-vents fretting rust, loosens soot, is water-resistant, does not resinify

• High creeping capability, GunCer Spray with foaming function provides for outstanding distribution

• Temperature use range from –40 °C to over +1,000 °C

• Suitable for all types of long and short firearms as well as knives and tools

GunCer – ceramic gun grease

• Synthetic special gun grease with ceramic additive

• Outstanding sliding properties with good adhesion

• Maximum wear and corrosion protection

• For lubricating all tribological pairings, such as guides, rollers, detents, locking lugs, hinge bolts

• Temperature use range from –50 °C to +150 °C

• Ensures emergency running properties

• Neutral towards plastic, paint, wood and browning

BALLISTOL products 85

GunexSPECIAL GUN OIL

The super all-purpose oil Gunex, originally developed for the US army, cares for and protects metals of all types long before corrosion. With Gunex, powder and tombac residues can be removed reliably. It keeps the entire mechanics of rifles, pistols and revolvers slide-active and also loos-ens resins of unsuitable oils.

Gunex’s biggest advantages include that it eliminates water from metal surfaces, creeps into even the slightest cracks, cleans soiled mechanics, keeps mobile parts slide-active and is extremely temperature-resistant from –40 °C to 150 °C. It is free of silicone, PTFE, acids and resins, meaning it cannot agglutinate or resinify.

In addition to use for protecting and maintaining guns as well as for maintaining fishing rods, telescopic slide-outs and rollers, it is also used for numerous purposes in industry, trade, homes and gardens, for motor vehicles as well as for ships and boats.

• Removes powder, tombac and gun-shot residues as well as unsuitable oils and dirt

• Protects against rust in extreme weather conditions

• Keeps mechanics smooth, does not resinify or agglutinate

• Very good creeping and lubricating properties

• For care and maintainance of hunt-ing and sports firearms, signalling devices and captive bolt pistols

86 BALLISTOL products

Robla Solo MILBARREL CLEANER

The barrel cleaner Robla Solo MIL is the logical development of Robla Solo, with which even better results can now be achieved – so convincing that Robla Solo MIL is also used by special units. Robla Solo MIL dissolves tom-bac, copper, zinc and lead deposits in the barrel automatically and reliably and thus improves shot precision when projectile deposits are the cause. As a tried-and-tested barrel cleaner, Robla Solo MIL attacks neither steel, nickel nor chrome and is thus suitable for all guns.

• Dissolves deposits of copper, tombac and lead as well as soiling due to nickel projectiles

• Does not attack steel or chrome and reaches areas that are difficult to access

• Also suitable for filling the entire barrel

• Optimized and developed in collaboration with the mili-tary-technical service center in Erding

BALLISTOL products 87

Gun Parts Cleaner• Effective special cleaner

without acetone

• Neutral towards all materials on guns

• High pressure for an optimal rinsing effect

• Allows evaporation without residues

• Practical brush attachment

• Pleasant smell

• Uses the power of nature (citric strength)

Black Powder Solvent• For easy and effective cleaning of

black powder guns, flare guns and blank-cartridge guns

• Special formulation with active foam (spray)

• Reliably removes inorganic salts and acidic combustion residues

88 BALLISTOL products

Quick-Browning• Light damage to the browning can

be repaired quickly and easily

• Guarantees permanent and abra-sion-resistant browning

• Note: Iron and steel with a chrome con-tent of up to 3 % can be browned without any problem

Cold DegreaserCLEANER & DEGREASER

• For the complete basic cleaning of your gun

• Stubborn oil, grease and resin residues are completely removed

• For pre-treatment when browning with Ballistol Quick-Browning

• Acetone-free and neutral towards all components on a gun

BALLISTOL products 89

Balsin Stockoil• Stock and wood care

• Brittle, weathered stock wood be-comes water-repellent and weath-er-resistant again

• Preserves the natural breathability of the wood

• Regenerates the woodgrain, intensifies it and gives it a slightly darker nuance

• Suitable for all types of wooden stocks

• Available in three shades

Scherell‘s Stock OilSTOCK AND WOOD CARE

• The solvent and silicone-free alternative to Balsin

• Brittle, weathered stock wood be-comes water-repellent and weath-er-resistant again

• Preserves the natural breathability of the wood

• Regenerates the woodgrain, inten-sifies it and gives it a slightly darker nuance – suitable for all types of wooden stocks

• Available in five shades, which can be mixed with each other

• With innovative application sponge on the bottle

90 BALLISTOL products

Silicone oil• For lubrication and protection of

parts made of rubber, plastic and metal

• Ideal for maintenance and upkeep of CO2 and airsoft guns as well as blowback systems

• Prevents plastic parts from drying out and becoming brittle

• Extremely productive

Trap oil• For lubricating and maintaining

fishing gear, also suitable for self-shooting traps

• Odour and taste-neutral special oil

• Silicone, PTFE, acid and resin-free

• Temperature use range from –50 °C to +150 °C

BALLISTOL products 91

Trophy bleaching• Bleaches crowns and other bone

parts to pure white in the initial preparation or restoration

• The safe alternative to hydrogen peroxide

Vaseline gun grease• Resin and acid-free gun

grease consists of the finest white quality

• Outstanding for greasing metal parts that are hard to reach

• Lubricates and protects all metal parts as well as the breech and the mechanics

• Long-lasting lubrication

• Tried-and-tested for generations with pneumatic guns

92 BALLISTOL products

Silk tow WHITE SUCOLIN

• The affordable alternative to cotton and microfibre patches

• The right tow for every barrel, calibre and surface

• High absorbency for gentle dirt removal

• SUCOLIN: For cleaning short guns and rifle barrels (silk tow, white)

• SUCOL: For cleaning shotguns (rifle cleaning tow, flax brown)

Flax tow FLAX BROWNSUCOL

BALLISTOL products 93

Flex-Clean• Handy cleaning set for trips

• A flexible rope for all calibres from .17 to 12 GA

• Practical can with window

• Adapter for felt and brush

• Stable enough to push objects or soil out of the barrel

Cleaning Felts• Cleaning tailored precisely to the

calibre

• Excellent results in the area of the land/groove edges

• Optimal carrier medium for oil, solvent or pastes

• For the best possible mechanical barrel cleaning

Microfibre patches• Optimal cleaning utensil

made of microfibre

• High absorbency combined with high strength

• High-quality patches for perfec-tionists

• Optimized microfibres that retain both oils and dirt

Cleaning rod• With double bearing

• Easy to move and smooth operation

• Maximum stability thanks to the carbon

• Versatile in use

• A removable handle for all cleaning rod variants

• Made in Germany

Silencer cleaner• Simple silencer cleaning without

extra mechanical work

• Odour-neutral and water-based

• Colour change as indicator of dis-solution

• Neutral towards aluminium, tita-nium, steel and browning when applied correctly

94 BALLISTOL products

UNIVERSAL

OIL

BICYCLE

CARE

ANIMAL

CARE

BODY

CARE

GUN

CARE

DEFENCE

SPRAYSTING-FREE TECHNICAL

PRODUCTS

EVERYWHEREKIND TO THE SKIN

UNIQUE

ECO-FRIENDLY

Ballistol Universal Oil – lubricates, cleans, cares and protects everywhere at home, in the garage, in the yard and on vehicles. The proven universal oil for metal, wood, leather and much more. All BALLISTOL products can be found on:

www.ballistol.eu /ballistol

BALLISTOL – The brand for people, animals and all things mechanical.

SINCE 1904

EVERYWHEREMAINTENANCE

ECO-FRIENDLY

1. BEFORE SHOOTING

2. BASIC CLEANING

De-oil barrel & chamber• Screw on 2 pieces of felt cleaners and soak with Ballistol Cleaner for Gun Parts or Ballistol Cold Degreaser• Push through starting at the chamber and remove the front felt cleaner• Pull cleaning rod out and turn second piece of felt downward• Remove oil and grease from chamber

Barrel cleaning• Spray Ballistol Universal Oil into the barrel while it is still warm

with the nozzle down and allow the oil to flow through• Lean slightly downward for approximately 5-10 minutes (do not

let residues flow into breech!)• Continue cleaning with pieces of felt in the same way as the

cleaning „Before shooting“• Repeat the process until only a little gray discolouration is visible

on the felt• Do not forget the chamber, the breech and the magazine!

(picture 2.3.)

Preservation• For preservation purposes, push a

piece of felt soaked with Ballistol Universal Oil through the barrel. Do not forget to de-oil barrel and cham-ber prior to the next shot (oil shot)!

• Then wipe the gun on the outside as well with a cloth damp with Bal-listol Universal Oil so as to remove dirt and fingerprints and neutralize hand sweat.

1 .2 .

2 .2 . 2 .3 .

1 .1 .

2 .1 .

1

296 Barrel cleaning

APPENDIX

CORRECT CLEANING OF THE BARREL

3. INTENSIVE CLEANING

Barrel cleaning – carbon• Spray GunCer into the barrel while it is still warm with the nozzle down and allow the foamed oil to flow through

it. Alternatively, soak felt with oil and push through.• Fix the weapon in the vice

• For approximately 5-10 minutes while the oil takes effect (do not let residues flow into breech!)• Continue cleaning with pieces of felt in the same way as the cleaning „Before shooting“• Repeat steps 3.1. - 3.3. until only a little gray discolouration is visible on the felt, then continue with point 3.4.

3 .2 . 3 .3 .3 .1 .

3 .5 . 3 .6 . 3 .7 .

Barrel cleaning - copper and tombac• Soak felt with Robla Solo MIL, push slowly through the barrel and retract.• Wait 2-3 minutes to let it work

Preservation• After the intensive clea-

ning, the barrel must be protected with GunCer, Gu-

• Push through a new, soaked felt. Green-blue colour shows dissolved copper and tombac

• Repeat steps 3.4. - 3.6. until no blue colour change is visible on the felt• Repeat steps 3.1. - 3.6. alternately until felt remains clean• Note: In case of contact of Robla Solo MIL with browning surfaces, treat

the latter immediately with Ballistol Universal Oil so that the black finish does not fade/ is not dissolved. Robla Solo MIL is harmless to steel, plastic or wood!

nex or Ballistol Universal Oil. For this, push a soaked piece of felt through the barrel. Do not forget to de-oil barrel and chamber prior to the next shot (oil shot)!

• Then wipe the weapon on the outside as well with a cloth damp with Ballistol Universal Oil so as to remove dirt and fingerprints and neutralize hand sweat.

3 .4 .

3Prior to the cleaning, please follow the manufacturer-related safety precautions. Please note that after the intensive cleaning, the point of impact of the gun can deviate minimally. Barrel cleaning 97

98 The company

APPENDIX

BALLISTOL – THE COMPANY

BALLISTOL GmbH is a company embedded in tradition that emerged from F.W. Klever GmbH. For over four generations, the BALLISTOL products have been manufactured in Germany and sold worldwide. The core product, Ballistol Universal Oil, was originally designed as a wound and gun oil for the imperial army. However, it soon devel-oped into an incredibly versatile household product. Since then, mil-lions of consumers have experimented with Ballistol Universal Oil and have found more and more surprising new applications for it. A product that can be used on people, animals and technology.

THE INVENTION OF BALLISTOL UNIVERSAL OIL

In 1874, in Cologne, Friedrich Wilhelm Klever, a lawyer with entrepreneuri-al talents, founded Chemische Fabrik F.W. Klever. He started with the pro-duction of coal-based oils and fats, and soon acquired a mine in order to be independent from raw-material suppliers.

The company made a breakthrough at the turn of the century, when the German Imperial Army needed an all-round oil with very special proper-ties: a Universal Oil that would be suitable for all the materials of a gun – for cleaning, care, and conservation of the metal parts, wooden stocks, and leather straps. At the same time, it was to be used by soldiers as a wound oil for smaller injuries, skin cracks, and abrasions.

Such a Universal Oil was successfully developed in 1904. The son of the company founder, Dr. Helmut Klever, who was at that time a chemistry lecturer at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, developed the special oil with all of the desired properties.

SINCE 1904UNIQUE

BALLISTOL has been manu-

factured in Germany and sold

worldwide for over four

generations. Originally devel-

oped as a weapon and wound

oil for the imperial army, it soon

became a valued household

product in Germany, Austria

and Switzerland.

The new Universal Oil was named “Ballistol”, from the

word “ballistic” and the Latin “oleum”, meaning “oil”. From

1905, the Ballistol Universal Oil was used in the German

Army and became increasingly well known as a “miracle

oil” in the years afterwards, thanks to its surprising ver-

satility.

In the following years, millions of consumers experiment-

ed with Ballistol Universal Oil and found more and more

surprising new applications. After the Second World War,

which only the branch factory in Leverkusen survived, the

sites in Cologne and Krefeld were relinquished. In 1971, the

young chemist Dr. Heinrich Zettler joined the company

and from then on ran it as the managing director.

Dr. Heinrich Zettler recognized the potential of the BAL-

LISTOL brand, and took over the company after the death

of Jenny Klever in 1989, together with his wife Herta.

They gradually developed it into a commercially healthy

and globally operating brand manufacturer. In 2006, Dr. Heinrich Zettler

passed the company onto his sons Dr. Christian Zettler and Andreas Zet-

tler, who now manage BALLISTOL GmbH.

You can � nd more background and details about BALLISTOL and Ballistol

Universal Oil in the BALLISTOL story.

The company 99

Gun careGuide

Tips and valuable information about gun care

BALLISTOL GMBH

Ballistolweg 1D-84168 AhamGermany

Telefon +49 (0) 8744 9699-0Telefax +49 (0) 8744 9699-96export@ballistol.de

www.ballistol.eu

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BALLISTOL – The brand for people, animals and all things mechanical.

The Ballistol gun care guide for hunters, sports marksmen and collectors, contains plenty of information and tips for cleaning and maintaining your guns in optimal fashion as well as lots of useful advice and interesting background information.