Care and Maintenance

Your PCP Air Rifle is a high-performance pressurized gun; your gun needs to be constantly cleaned and maintained. A regular cleaning regime will help maintain high accuracy and performance and will avoid costly maintenance later.

Why Clean a Newly Bought PCP Airgun

Most Airguns are shipped, with shipping and packing,  guns are coated in grease and oil to protect the weapon from sea air and dust, affecting the accuracy of your barrel and pellets. Not every Airgun owner thinks it's necessary to clean an Airgun. There are no live fire residues typically found when firing gun powder and no metal filing found from firing copper jackets. Most air guns fire lead pellets. The inside of the barrel in an Airgun has microscopic pits and imperfections commonly seen due to the manufacturing process. Although shooting lead pellets through the barrel helps fill in these imperfections, over time, the lead build-up starts to affect the weapon's accuracy. Especially if you are firing heavier lead rounds. Moisture is also a factor if firing CO2. Moisture will eventually lead to rust.

Purpose Of Cleaning A PCP Airgun

The primary purpose of cleaning a PCP Airgun is to remove any lead residue left behind by firing lead rounds. The frequency of cleaning will also determine the weight and amount of pellets you put through the barrel. For instance, if you fire heavier rounds, the residue will accumulate faster than lighter rounds. If you are firing a thousand lead pellets, you will be leaving more residue than firing fewer rounds. We recommend that you clean your barrel after every thousand rounds to increase the accuracy of your rifle.

Tools Of The Trade

Cleaning kits are very common for cleaning your PCP Airgun

most consist of

• cleaning rod
• cotton pellets (which are available for any barrel size)
• cotton swabs
• gun oil
• an assortment of cleaning brushes

Most PCP gun owners do not recommend a rigid cleaning rod for airguns, instead opting for the pull-through method using a more flexible cord with a weight at one end and loop at the other, rigid enough to "pull-through" a piece of a moistened cloth. Several weapon owners use this method to avoid damaging the breach and the crown rifling at the tip of the barrel.

Cleaning the Barrel

Cleaning Pellets;

Cleaning pellets are cloth pellets that are lubricated and "dry" fired through the barrel of your gun; although they will clear up the lead residue, they are primarily designed to be used often and slow lead build up but are not recommended for a good thorough clean.

The Pull-Through Method

This method is the go-to method for most PCP gun owners. It is suitable for all Airguns.

• make sure you have a clean, well-lit area to work off; a soft cloth on a table with a spotlight will do
• You can buy caliber-specific cloths, although you can use one or two extra smaller caliber pads for cleaning larger caliber weapons.
• Remember always to use gun-specific noncorrosive gun oil to avoid the perishing of seals.
• If you do not have a pull-through, one can be easily made by flattening one side of a weed eater cable and cutting it with a Stanley knife to thread your cloth pads through it.
• Remove any extra barrel bits such as silencers and scopes
• moisten your cloth, but they must not be wet or dripping with oil
• when using the pull-through; make sure the moistened cloth travels in the same direction as the pellet.
• When pulling the cord, make sure it is kept even and pulled well away from the edges to avoid abrasions on the crown.

Remember always to wipe your barrel down if wet; water can seep in and seriously damage the internal metal workings of your PCP Airgun.

Cleaning the Action and the Trigger

The action is in the stock of your weapon; when cleaning it, do not tinker with any internal mechanisms. You could cause serious harm to your gun and could seize motors, just dab with a bit of gun oil to prevent rust.

 The trigger mechanism is considered very important. Generally, it is left alone and only touched by the manufacturer or someone who has expert knowledge of cleaning the cocking mechanism. A can of compressed air will help keep the trigger clear of dust, and some silicone gun oil will keep the rust away. If you are a weekly shooter, we recommend that you service your rifle thoroughly every two years.

Conclusion

A well-cleaned Airgun will keep accuracy and avoid costly maintenance.