Thread: Never have I ever owned a Semi-Auto

im a newb too so you may want to wait for extra info from the vets

but i know with my gun i got it new and cleaned it before shooting it to remove the factory protective coating on the gun, cleaned it before and after my first shooting, and that's all i did and had no problems

good luck

Well, step # 1 is to clean the gun before you shoot it the first time. Many times there is not enough oil, or packing grease or something, and it can affect reliability. I see people who go to the range the first time w/ a new gun, and come back and report neg things about it from their first range trip - turns out they never cleaned it.

Go buy some Breakfree CLP - I like the bottle version, but U can get the aeresol can at Wal-Mart if need be. also, don't know if U have the right size brush and cleaning rod (Glocks and some guns give them to ya for free - some do not). Clean the barrel like your revolver - Oil on the brush, then an oiled patch, then a dry patch. Use the breakfree for oil and cleaning, unbless U get bad powdered areas.

Wipe down the inside of the slide and use a toothbrush to put oil on the rails of the frame. And, for the first time, I may wanna use some Breakfree on the inside rails of the slide with that toothbrush - in case there is any packing grease (HK's have packing grease when new).

Also, while U wanna keep the inside of the barrel wiped dry where the bullet sits, I put oil on the outside of the barrel when I am reassembling it. Parts of the barrel will rub against the inside of the slide. Its good to have that lubed.

Some people like to use a boresnake instead of the brush and patch. I bought one for my PS90 carbine, so I didn't have to keep assembling and deassembling a long rod for a barrel rifle. But for a handgun, I just use a regular brush. The 1 piece brushes are nice, instead of having to screw and unscrew the brush to the rod. I picked up some of these kind at gun shows.

Keep in mind that we all have our own ways to clean a gun. Some guys take the inside of the slide apart after every trip (where the firing pin and stuff inside is). I think that's overkill. Some guys clean their semi-autos 1x every 3-4 months (a lot of Glock owners do this). I can't stand that either. I clean mine after every use. But, we all have our preferences.

1 other thing... Even if not shooting the gun, 1x a month, I take the slide off the frame, and use a toothbrush to reoil the frame rails. Oil tends to evaporate over time, and its just something I like to do to ensure the gun will work if I need it.

Two safety tips come to mind:
- Semi-autos are much less forgiving of Rule Three violations (Finger off the trigger until the sights are on the target.) Revolver triggers are usually heavy enough that if you just rest your finger on the trigger lightly, you can get away with it. Some revolver shooters do that for years and are never even aware of it. The problem has occurred in the past when, for example, police departments transitioned from revolvers to autos. Leg shots happen when somebody barely touches the trigger while reholstering. You can get away with that with a revolver, not with an auto.

- Don't wrap your support hand thumb around the back of your shooting hand. I see many revolver shooters do that. When you shoot an auto, the slide comes rocketing back. If your thumb is in the way, there will be blood and pain. With an auto, keep both thumbs on the same side of the gun; point both thumbs at the target.

Otherwise, enjoy. You are likely to find yourself shooting much more accurately, attributable to the shorter, lighter trigger action of an auto.