New to guns... what should I buy to clean my Benelli M4?

[Domonlord]

Anyone care to give me a shopping list of stuff I need and maybe even links to them?

1.

2.

3.

etc... I'd really really appreciate it!

 

And if there's any videos floating around that shows how to field strip and clean one... please tell me!

[Nikolai552]

1. Hoppes Shotgun cleaning kit

2. 12Ga Bore Snake. (made by Hoppes)

3. Extra pack of patches and extra bottle of solvent. (also made by Hoppes)

[Flame Red]

Definitely a Bore Snake!

 

But instead of using expensive gun cleaning potions, you should Goggle 'Ed's Red'. Best cleaner there is and dirt cheap.

 

For oiling, use Mobil-1 0W or any other fully synthetic oil in the thinest weight you can. I like to use a bit of grease on the benelli too.

[kafasi]

break free clp

[Domonlord]

So a boresnake instead of a cleaning rod?

[Unobtanium]

So a boresnake instead of a cleaning rod?

 

No, get a cleaning rod. You can "scrub" the bore with a copper brush to get all the lead (EEK CHROME IS FLAKING!) out of your bore after shooting unplated buckshot/slugs.

[ERdept]

I just got the bore snake, EEZOX or Breakfree CLP (both are cleaner, lubs, and protectants), and a rag.

 

I'm more impressed with EEZOX, but Breakfree comes in second. The first is NON flammable, but Breakfree is flammable.

 

Literally that's all you need.

 

Maybe a small set of swabs for the nooks and crannies.

 

NEVER oil the gas parts. They are dry. Oil attracts gunk in that particular location where it receives the hot gasses and crud, you don't want build up there.

 

As an aside here's the link to independent tests of cleaners.....

 

http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html

[Domonlord]

Does the bore snake and the cleaning rod do two separate things? Sorry for the stupid newbie question, but I'm really really new to this lol.

[ERdept]

Yea, they do the same thing, clean the bore and re oil it.

 

But the boresnake does it on an just a few passes because there are two wire bruches, a long length of cleaning material.

 

I put my cleaners on and then pull through several times.

[Unobtanium]

Does the bore snake and the cleaning rod do two separate things? Sorry for the stupid newbie question, but I'm really really new to this lol.

 

 

Using a bore-snake is like taking your car through a $3 automatic touch-free car wash.

 

Using a cleaning rod with a brush and then a patch/swab is like taking it to a hand-wash/wax detail shop.

 

This is as good of an analogy as I can give you.

[HOGWILD]

only problem either used wrong could mess up barrel, i would add some lubricant known as http://www.militec1.com/, i like this stuff a lot and it's not going to gum up your action!

Bore snake is kinda hard to swab plastic residue from crimps but i would own both! Hoppes is good stuff just do not get anything with solvent on black synthetic stock! I guess lotta people use motor oil on guns but they have addative packages in them and i would try to find one that would not be harmful to shotguns!

use a good choke tube and never leave tube torqued in barrel when not in use!!

This manual was originally poste by tucker301 and props to him and uncle SAM!

http://www.farrarsodfarm.com/nelli/USMC_M1014.pdf great product and easier than the Italian version unless you are stationed in Vincenza! hehe!!

[Unobtanium]

only problem either used wrong could mess up barrel, i would add some lubricant known as http://www.militec1.com/, i like this stuff a lot and it's not going to gum up your action!

Bore snake is kinda hard to swab plastic residue from crimps but i would own both! Hoppes is good stuff just do not get anything with solvent on black synthetic stock! I guess lotta people use motor oil on guns but they have addative packages in them and i would try to find one that would not be harmful to shotguns!

use a good choke tube and never leave tube torqued in barrel when not in use!!

This manual was originally poste by tucker301 and props to him and uncle SAM!

http://www.farrarsodfarm.com/nelli/USMC_M1014.pdf great product and easier than the Italian version unless you are stationed in Vincenza! hehe!!

 

I have now seen several posts where you say not to leave the choke-tube in the barrel ready to go. As long as you are using a quality lube and good PM to prevent rust, what is the issue with it?

[ERdept]

only problem either used wrong could mess up barrel, i would add some lubricant known as http://www.militec1.com/, i like this stuff a lot and it's not going to gum up your action!

Bore snake is kinda hard to swab plastic residue from crimps but i would own both! Hoppes is good stuff just do not get anything with solvent on black synthetic stock! I guess lotta people use motor oil on guns but they have addative packages in them and i would try to find one that would not be harmful to shotguns!

use a good choke tube and never leave tube torqued in barrel when not in use!!

This manual was originally poste by tucker301 and props to him and uncle SAM!

http://www.farrarsodfarm.com/nelli/USMC_M1014.pdf great product and easier than the Italian version unless you are stationed in Vincenza! hehe!!

 

Milltec 1was one of the worst performing of the test link i submitted, but, to each their own.

[ERdept]

Using a bore-snake is like taking your car through a $3 automatic touch-free car wash.

 

Using a cleaning rod with a brush and then a patch/swab is like taking it to a hand-wash/wax detail shop.

 

This is as good of an analogy as I can give you.

 

 

All you need on a shotgun. You need a more critical clean on a tight bored rifle that fires a round that need to be completely meeting the lands and grooves and not only have to shoot out to 35 yards.

 

The shotgun is a blunderbuss. This is not a precision weapon and just needs function.

 

Your long rifle that needs to reach out and whose rounds will suffer accuracy problems needs the whole patch, bruch and swab.

 

But again, to each his own.

[NJgunner]

I just got the bore snake, EEZOX or Breakfree CLP (both are cleaner, lubs, and protectants), and a rag.

 

I'm more impressed with EEZOX, but Breakfree comes in second. The first is NON flammable, but Breakfree is flammable.

 

Literally that's all you need.

 

Maybe a small set of swabs for the nooks and crannies.

 

NEVER oil the gas parts. They are dry. Oil attracts gunk in that particular location where it receives the hot gasses and crud, you don't want build up there.

 

As an aside here's the link to independent tests of cleaners.....

 

http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html

 

What gas parts are you referring to?

[HOGWILD]

for one you should always check prior to shooting, that the tube is tight anyway and just saying i left it tight does not work for me. possible for tubes to work loose! if ya leave it loose when not in use and you know what condition it's in! LOOSE so you always tighten it prior to shooting! tubes also get very hot during use and say you were one of the many that use no choke lube or clean choke threads in barrel and only throw up and bust shells repeatedly ya gotta good chance on welded choke tube! Myself have never had this issue! Steel shot,extreme pressure and corrosion all can cause issues and if ya get into habit of keeping the area clean and lubed ya got no prob! I always check my tube prior to loading for being tight, do not have to worry about it being stuck cause i leave it loose when not in use!

A Lawers friends opinion on lubes, i guess everyone knows what opinions are worth! I have no rust and have used it for a while and my opinion is it's good for my SBEII! test also talks up CLP real big which i think is over rated product!

http://www.militec.com/video/militec.html

How can you have a 3 in 1 product and all of them do their job? never have figured this one out! not in my lube kit!! Also talks down Hoppes products? i use several of them without issues?

[Unobtanium]

for one you should always check prior to shooting, that the tube is tight anyway and just saying i left it tight does not work for me. possible for tubes to work loose! if ya leave it loose when not in use and you know what condition it's in! LOOSE so you always tighten it prior to shooting! tubes also get very hot during use and say you were one of the many that use no choke lube or clean choke threads in barrel and only throw up and bust shells repeatedly ya gotta good chance on welded choke tube! Myself have never had this issue! Steel shot,extreme pressure and corrosion all can cause issues and if ya get into habit of keeping the area clean and lubed ya got no prob! I always check my tube prior to loading for being tight, do not have to worry about it being stuck cause i leave it loose when not in use!

A Lawers friends opinion on lubes, i guess everyone knows what opinions are worth! I have no rust and have used it for a while and my opinion is it's good for my SBEII! test also talks up CLP real big which i think is over rated product!

How can you have a 3 in 1 product and all of them do their job? never have figured this one out! not in my lube kit!! Also talks down Hoppes products? i use several of them without issues?

 

 

My shotgun is by my bed. I don't need to be fumbling for the wrench at 3am half asleep.

 

As to the other poster who said "that is all you need, it's a shotgun".

 

Well...yes and no. I CLEAN my weapons. That means, I remove all fouling that I reasonably can (i.e., I don't take JB paste to the bore every time). Point being, why have all that lead in your bore? All it does is grab the shot wad/work into the gas ports/provide a place for powder fouling (and thereby moisture) to reside (more important in non-Cr Lined bores).

 

There are 2 schools of thought I guess, I am of the CLP AND SCRUB! school rather than the CLP and Snake! school.

[ERdept]

What gas parts are you referring to?

 

 

The actual gas piston and the tube in which it resides. If you put oil on it, it is prone to attracting stuff.

 

Page 66 of the Benelli manual, in addition to other sources, say to that the "gas system must not be lubricated".

 

Just clean the fouling off the pistons and tubes in which they reside and reassemble.

 

Replace O rings every now and again, when necessary upon inspection.

[NJgunner]

The actual gas piston and the tube in which it resides. If you put oil on it, it is prone to attracting stuff.

 

Page 66 of the Benelli manual, in addition to other sources, say to that the "gas system must not be lubricated".

 

Just clean the fouling off the pistons and tubes in which they reside and reassemble.

 

Replace O rings every now and again, when necessary upon inspection.

 

For some reason I cant think of the part your speaking of maybe im retarded....would this be the same for a SBII?

[HOGWILD]

SBEII has no gas pistons! that require no lubrication!

[Duggan]

All the products mentioned on this page will work, and do a good job ... but if you REALLY want to be OCD about cleaning/protecting your gun, then use the best:

 

https://www.kgcoatings.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=24

 

This stuff is complete overkill for a smoothbore weapon imo, but if you really want to remove absolutely 100% of forgeign residue, this is your ticket.

 

For more information as to what does what, or in what order, I link you to Wes from mstn.biz, the guy who turned me onto using this stuff for my rifles. Your cleaning process will be slightly different when cleaning a shotgun instead of a rifle, but it is good information none the less.

 

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=134&t=146969

 

Enjoy.

[No F-Bdy Bs]

Gettin a little anal with the cleaning in here, are we?

 

You can clean the bbl?

 

News to me.

 

 

Get back to me with how that benefits ANYTHING that a smoothbore shotgun does.

 

Thats like washing the contact patch of the tires on your truck.

[ERdept]

Gettin a little anal with the cleaning in here, are we?

 

You can clean the bbl?

 

News to me.

 

 

Get back to me with how that benefits ANYTHING that a smoothbore shotgun does.

 

Thats like washing the contact patch of the tires on your truck.

 

 

Heh heh, there we go. Someone with sense. Just swab it through and knock off the big stuff.

 

Make sure the ports are open for reception, the touch down.

[Duggan]

90% of the time I use breakfree and a boresnake to "clean" my barrel.

 

10% of the time I will be at home, inspecting/really cleaning/playing with my weapons, and that's when I use a solvent and a proper bore brush.

 

I've never used my KG cleaning stuff on my shotgun, as I've stated it's way overkill.

 

I linked to it just for those who don't know about the possibilities.

[splashtx556ftw]

cleaning the barrel of a shotgun prevents pits in the barrel by removing powder deposits, and moisture. burnt gun powder creates acids that eat at your barrel. there not strong like say boric acid, or sulfuric acids, but are there just the same. it may take years to notice any visible damage, but its still a good idea to clean it as you would any thing else. oh yea, and dont forget the steel wool for the rust.