Cleaning Semi-Automatic Pistol

I can't stress this enough. Remove the magazine and retract the slide to ensure the chamber is clear.

I can't help you much here. If you don't know the proper procedure involved, you should probably stop reading right now and search the Internet. Many manufacturers will send you a free manual if you call them.

For this purpose you can see I'm using BreakFree CLP.

According to some, this is where the greatest potential for damaging your barrel occurs. Be sure to keep the sides of the cleaning rod from touching the inside of the barrel. Always start the brush into the barrel from the breech (chamber) end. Also, avoid touching the crown of the muzzle with the cleaning rod. Some people are so concerned with damaging the muzzle crown that don't pull the brush back through from the muzzle end -- they unscrew the brush, remove the rod, and reassemble the rod and brush for another pass through the bore. Personally, I don't bother with that level of caution, since I feel that by the time my practices damage the crown my gun will have bigger problems at that point.

Anyway, make several passes through the bore, until you feel the fouling has been removed.

Place a clean patch on your jag, wet with solvent, and pass it through the bore. This will remove the crud you've just loosened with your brushing.

Repeat with another clean, solvent-soaked patch until the patches come out clean. Then run a dry, clean patch through the bore. Inspect the barrel for remaining fouling (dark smears along the rifling). If necessary, repeat Steps 3-5.

When cleaned to your satisfaction, run a lightly oiled patch through the barrel, followed by a clean dry patch. If you're using CLP or Ed's Red, don't bother; there's already an oily film in the bore for corrosion protection.

Using a solvent-soaked patch, rag, or toothbrush, clean the fouling and any smeared oil off the inside and outside of the slide. Pay special attention to the following areas: locking lug grooves (if any), muzzle end of slide (where barrel tip moves inside the slide), breech face (where firing pin hole is), and underneath the extractor, a particularly common place for gunk to collect -- and cause problems. In the second image to the right, I indicate the area under the extractor. I like to use a toothpick to clear out the accumulated fouling from this area.

Also, don't forget the grooves where the slide fits the frame -- you want to definitely remove any grit or oily sludge from this area.

Again, remove any fouling or caked-on carbon you find. Pay extra attention to the area where the barrel locking lugs fit into the frame (usually right ahead of the trigger area), as well as the slide rails which will likely contain an oily or gritty sludge. Get a handful of Q-tips if necessary. Don't forget the bottom of the magazine well.

Refer to your owner's manual for recommended lubrication points. If you don't have a manual, here's what I generally do:

1) very lightly oil the moving parts of the trigger and hammer assemblies, and any other moving internal parts (be sure to wipe away excess)

2) lightly oil or grease the surfaces of the slide rail areas on the slide and frame,

3) lightly oil or grease the locking lug area (ahead of the ejection port), cycle the slide, and wipe off any excess (see first photo to right)

4) lightly wipe the exterior surfaces with an oily patch or rag.

Nothing should be oozing oil. If you can see oil running down a surface when you tilt the gun, you applied too much. Likewise, if you use grease, there should be no globs of grease anywhere. A very light smear, just about deep enough to leave a fingerprint, is all you should need. Any more might attract grit or harden, causing problems. As a general rule, I feel it's better to under-lubricate than to over-lubricate.

And no, you shouldn't have any "extra" parts lying around. Cycle the slide, dry-fire, and perform any other function checks you feel necessary.

That's it, you're done!