Lever action rifles like the ones made by Winchester are American classics. They are known for their abilities as well as their durability. Owning a rifle that can last several decades sounds good, but you must care for it well to achieve this longevity.
One essential part of caring for your rifle is cleaning it when needed. Read this guide to learn how to clean a Winchester 30 30 lever action rifle, even if you are a beginner.
How to Clean a Winchester 30 30 Lever Action Rifle
Cleaning a lever-action rifle is simple once you get it the first time. However, you must invest in good cleaning supplies, dissemble the rifle and then clean each part thoroughly. After cleaning, you must dry the pieces before reassembling them. Let’s explain each step more.
Get the Cleaning Supplies Ready
The first step is to gather some common cleaning supplies. Next, get some gun-cleaning solvent and some clean patches. You should also add gun oil or lubricant to the kit before settling down.
Dissemble the Rifle
One of the most critical steps in cleaning a gun is to dissemble it. When disabling a lever action rifle, you need some tools like a wrench and screwdriver. You may also need to research how to disassemble a 30-30 action rifle.
You can choose to clean each part as you remove it and return it to its original position immediately. You may also choose to disassemble the entire rifle, clean it, and assemble it afterward. Whichever method you choose, you must remove all the dirt and debris from each part before you are done with the cleaning procedure.
Clean Every Part
After disassembling the rifle, you can start cleaning it part by part. For example, many people with hunting rifles start cleaning from the barrel. To clean the barrel, attach a clean patch to a bore brush.
Add some solvent to it and run it through the barrel several times. The best way to approach this is to go from the breech end to the muzzle, not otherwise. Run the brush through a few times until you are sure there is no grime left in the barrel.
If you don’t have a bore brush, there are a few alternatives you can adopt. One is to use a bore snake or a cleaning rod. Douse the bore with solvent to remove all the fouling in it. Then, insert a clean patch and see if all the dirt has been removed.
After cleaning the barrel, go to the receiver and clean it with a clean patch and solvent. You will have to repeat the same process for the stock if you intend to clean the entire rifle thoroughly.
Once you clean the rifle’s inner parts, move on to the outer parts. Cleaning the outer parts is easy as you can just put some solvent on a clean cloth and wipe every part. The components of a hunting rifle that need to be cleaned include the barrel, receiver, and bolt mechanism.
Dry and Reassemble
After cleaning, you must dry all the parts before assembling. First, you should run a dry patch through all the pieces to ensure no moisture is left anywhere. That should come before you oil the rifle and assemble it for another day of shooting.
To reassemble your rifle, follow the instructions in the manual. The process is straightforward so you won’t need the manual after the first few times. The cleaning procedures will end after reassembling your rifle back to its proper condition.
Optimally cleaning the 30-30 rifles requires you to know and practice these steps regularly. However, after a few initial tries, you will get the hang of the whole process.
Are Lever-Action Rifles Hard To Clean?
No, it is not hard to clean a lever action rifle. The most critical task is to get the lead out of the muzzle early and keep it dry always.
Here are some tips for keeping your lever-action rifle clean.
Clean After Every Use
You should clean your rifle often, ideally after every day of shooting. This is more so if you use cast lead bullets that can easily cause fouling. The dirt and dust that comes with leaving your rifle unclean may cause a drop in your eyebrow-raising accuracy.
Cleaning your rifle after every use will ensure you do not store your rifle with lead. If you do not use cast lead bullets, you may not need to clean it after every use. However, cleaning your rifle after every 10-40 rounds is ideal.
Do Not Store in the Case
Many gun owners store their guns in the case, but this is not a great storage option. Keeping your gun in the case can make it generate and retain moisture. Over time, this can lead to rusting, which will reduce the accuracy of your rifle. A simple alternative is to create a space for your gun to hang after every hunting expedition.
Use the Right Cleaning Supplies
Another essential tip for cleaning your rifle is to use the right cleaning supplies. Your cleaning kit does not have to contain much. You only need a good solvent, a clean patch, a bore snake, and gun oil. You may need some mineral spirits or turpentine if your gun has oil-based stains. You can also buy a gun-cleaning solution if you see one that works well for your rifle.
What is the Most Important Thing to Remember When Cleaning a Gun?
Cleaning a lever-action rifle is similar to other guns in many ways. The most important thing to remember when cleaning any gun is to make sure it is unloaded. This should be the first thing you do before you get into full cleaning mode.
Next, remove the jacket of bullets while turning the barrel to a safe spot. The rule is never to make your barrel face anything you do not intend to shoot. Once you remove the jacket and magazine, you can start disassembling and cleaning.
Another thing to remember when cleaning a classic-looking, American-made rifle is that the method matters a lot. You should be aware of the crown if you have no option but to clean the bore from the muzzle. Passing the cleaning rod continuously through the crown can cause damage to it. When the crown is damaged, it affects your accuracy.
Conclusion
You likely knew there were many steps to properly clean a rifle, and hopefully this helped to ease your mind a bit. Now you can confidently say you know how to clean a Winchester 30 30 lever action rifle.
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