Cleaning your firearm as frequently as possible is imperative on so many levels. Cleaning your gun helps you not only learn about the weapon and how it works, but it also lets you maintain accuracy, longevity and even your own safety.
Accuracy
After every use, gunpowder builds up on your firearm, especially in the chamber and the barrel. No matter if it’s a revolver, pistol or rifle, layers of gunpowder collect in layers as ash on every moving part. This burnt powder residue not only gums up every moving part of the gun, but also along the trajectory of the bullet. This must be removed regularly to maintain intended bullet trajectory.
This build up along the barrel of the gun from the lead or copper jackets only welcomes more bullet particles and gun powder. This builds increasingly quickly as more shots are fired from the weapon. This greatly compromises space in the barrel needed for the bullet to pass. Given the barrel is ultimately what aims the bullet at a target, this aspect poses serious risk to accuracy and efficiency.
Longevity
Guns stowed away after firing without proper storage are a magnet to rust. This is because the metal guns are made of attract condensation droplets in the air like bees to honey. For this reason, it is especially imperative to clean your gun if you live in a humid climate. With proper cleaning and lubrication, the specialty hardened steel guns are composed of will last exponentially longer than dirty counterparts.
To a lesser extent, unkempt guns could even compromise the shooter’s safety. Dirty guns will eventually lead to backfire and potential injury to the shooter. So maintaining your gun will ensure it stays not only safe to you, but will remain functional and accurate for years to come. After all, no one wants to open their lockbox to a pile of rust.