gun oil selection

Choosing gun oil I have been asked on numerous occasions by those new to the world of shooting whether gun oil is any better than any other oil you'd pick up at the hardware shop? And what about gun maintenance products. Won't good old WD-40 or 3-in-1 do the same…

how to clean a shotgun

At the end of a shooting lesson I usually give some time to show a pupil how to clean a shotgun. It's an important part of gun maintenance.  Whilst professional shotgun cleaning at the end of the season is always worthwhile, every shooter should know how to clean a shotgun…

28-bore AYA No.2

How to make your wooden gun stock look like new

Fausti Aphrodite shotgun

Always store guns muzzle down Which way up (or down) should you store your gun when you put it back in the gun cabinet? Well, the answer is that you should always store guns muzzle down. Wondering why? It's very logical when you think about it. The reason is that…

wildfowling in snow

Dangers of obstructing gun barrels In the countryside, normal life goes on in wintry weather. And that includes shooting, which usually thrives in snowy conditions. A bit of old-fashioned hard weather keeps the birds from straying, while a decent covering of snow adds a winter wonderland aspect to a driven…

fixed-barrelled guns wildfowling

Take 10 minutes to clean a semi-auto shotgun properly every time you use it and you'll avoid a lot of issues. Another reason is that you also save money on repairs and get more for it if you ever want to trade it in or sell it. Lack of cleaning…

What happens when you shorten a rifle barrel?

Bruce Potts finds out what happens when you shorten a barrel and fire .270 Winchester rounds

shotgun choke

What can you do if your choke tubes are stuck fast in your shotgun? And how can you prevent this happening?

Advice on storing a shotgun

Storing a shotgun The usual way I care for my shotguns when I put them away at the end of the game season is as follows: Intermittently strip the gun. Make free with gun oil, drenching ejectors and breech so they look like the aftermath of a shipping disaster 
in…

professional shotgun cleaning

Professional shotgun cleaning Faced with a bill of just over £800 for putting his grubby old gun back together, a local sportsman wasn't very receptive to my advice that it was a good idea to invest in professional shotgun cleaning at the end of each season, or every two at…

rifle accuracy checks

Problems with rifle accuracy frequently frustrates rifle shooters. It's not surprising really. A rifle is a fine precision instrument. Everything within it needs to work correctly. Many things can affect rifle accuracy. Some you can fix yourself, others you will have to bring to a gunsmith's attention. Four things that…

stock bolt tightening

I have finally, after much grunting and cursing, succeeded in loosening and removing the stock bolt from my Miroku 6000. When I re-assemble the gun after cleaning the action, must I put the bolt back as tight as it was?

Man shooting semi auto

Gun cleaning: I have been told that if I clean my .22 rimfire it will lose its accuracy. Is this true?

cleaning a stalking rifle

How to clean your rifle: You've been out with your rifle, had a great day, but it's come back filthy and soaking.

gun cleaning tips

  Never neglect gun cleaning. A little effort will keep your guns safe, reliable and rust-free Do not put a gun in a gun slip into a gun safe. You want air movement Do not put a heater or a lightbulb in your gun safe. Your stock will over-dry, warm…

There are a number of accessible working parts on a shotgun that need lubrication.

second focal plane

Q: With all this rain of late, 
do you have any tips for cleaning my rifle scope and keeping it safe? Bruce Potts, our resident expert gives his advice A: People tend to put a scope on 
a rifle, then forget about it and never consider cleaning it until something…

sound moderator

If not, you will have a badly fitted and sometimes dangerous moderator and suffer the consequences of moderator failure long before its sell-by date. It constantly amazes me that some people never clean their rifles, let alone any ancillary equipment – they are just stacking up trouble for the future.…

airgun target

A: If you used a cleaning kit that was designed for airgun barrels it is very unlikely that you've caused any damage. The most likely cause of the loss of accuracy is your barrel being too clean, as pellets seem to run best when there's a fine film of lead in the bore. I've known it to…

gun cleaning kit

A: Cleanliness is next to godliness but when cleaning a rifle, especially the action area, it is very difficult to clean the section where the bolt recesses into the action. The locking lug area in a rifle's action accumulates primer residue, cleaning solvents, debris and brass chips. These can all affect a rifle's performance. I use a Sinclair…