An officer’s sidearm is one of the most important tools they’ll use while in the field. However, due to how critical these weapons are, law enforcement officials need to take matters into their own hands when it comes to maintaining their handguns.

While cleaning your gun is a big part of firearm maintenance, there’s a lot more to the process than you might realize. This quick guide to police firearm maintenance will help ensure you do everything within your power to keep your gun in working order.

Simple Cleaning

Whether it was while you were on duty or getting some practice in at the range, every time you fire your gun, you need to take the time to clean it afterward. Too many officers skip regular cleanings because they’re a bit time-consuming. This can be a big mistake, though.

Gunpowder builds up quickly, which can lead to malfunctions if not regularly cleaned. Even if that doesn’t happen, the dirt and grime that builds up will attract moisture, which will cause the firearm to rust over time.

In order to combat these issues, you need to do a simple barrel cleaning after each usage. Any firearm accessory store will have all the gun cleaning supplies you need to wipe down and re oil your barrel. With the right tools, this will take you no time at all.

Deep Cleaning

If you need to buy yourself a gun cleaning kit, be sure to get one with all the tools you’ll need for a deep cleaning. Even though simple cleanings will help keep your sidearm in good condition, you’ll still need to take the time to fully dismantle your weapon and clean it from the inside out.

This process will take much longer, and you won’t have the time to do it every time you use your gun. Still, deep cleanings should happen about once a month or after a particularly lengthy practice session. Be sure to clean out every nook and cranny during this process.

Be sure to be careful when re oiling your firearm. Adding too much lubricant can force the oil into a section of the gun it shouldn’t be in, while not using enough can cause unnecessary wear and tear on your parts. Either way, an improper amount of oil can eventually cause your firearm to malfunction.

Firearm Training

This guide to police firearm maintenance wouldn’t be complete without a section on firearm training, as the person behind the gun is the most important element of keeping it in good condition. Officer’s should train regularly to familiarize themselves with the function of their duty issued firearm.

This training will cover how to handle a police-issued sidearm properly, but that’s only part of the education process. Officers use a wide variety of weapons, so knowing how to use them all is essential. Plus, you might forget certain aspects of firearm maintenance over time, which is why yearly retraining is mandatory. If you take these sessions seriously, the condition of your firearms will significantly improve.