Let's start with what you shouldn't use - WD40 or anything like it. WD-40 is a fine light duty oil and rust penetrator. Your gun is most likely blued. Blueing is a rust process. WD-40 removes rust. Over time the regular use of WD-40 on your gun will leave the finish bare metal! There   is a product on the market called Tri-Flow that's a Teflon based lubricant with remarkable staying power. I've recommended this product for many years and have never been disappointed. Tri-Flow has repeatedly gained first place in comparison tests. It's only possible drawback may be its odor. It has a slightly sweet smell that may be detected by game animals in the field, although I have no evidence that this is so. (By the way, I have no financial interest in Tri-Flow, I just know that it works.)

"What about grease?" 
Grease should generally be avoided. Most of it is wasted and only collects dirt. The dirt sticks to the grease and rapidly builds up deposits that creates a strain on the mechanisms. This strain can get so bad that the part either jams or breaks. Springs are especially prone to this situation. When I get this type of repair, it usually requires several hours with scrapers and solvents to dig the debris out of all the cracks and crevices it gets into. By the way, this advice goes for cooking grease (and oils) too. Not only does it present the same problems, but it smells really bad!

"I squirt some oil into my gun after hunting and then put it in my gun rack. Shouldn't this be enough?"
A lot of good guns have been ruined this way. Squirting oil into a gun does nothing for cleaning it and is about the worst way to go about lubricating it. Most parts in a gun don't need oil. When you stand your gun up in your rack and all that excess oil slides down towards the  back of the reciever, it slowly seaps into your gunstock creating oil soaked areas and stress cracks that will eventually split or break your wood apart. This excess oil also creates the same dirt collecting problems as grease. In cold weather all of this is aggravated as the oil or grease stiffens and turns into a very effective gun stopping glue.

"OK then, what should I do?"
Start with a clean, oil free gun:
1) A little oil on slide rails and bolt assemblies.
2) On shotguns with recoiling barrels lightly coat the magazine tube where the recoil spring and friction rings ride.
3) A touch of oil in the trigger mechanisms and a light coat inside the receiver.
4) Wipe down the exterior with a silicone impregnated cloths sold for about two bucks at most sporting goods stores to remove finger prints.
5) DO NOT oil the inside of pistol magazines. The oil can contaminate ammuntion and collect dirt, lint, dust, etc. which could keep your rounds from feeding properly. DO wipe down the exterior with a cloth and use a cotton swab to clean the insides.

"That's all?"
Almost. Some rules to remember:
1) Never get any oil near the gas system of a gas operated firearm. The combustion gases that work the action will immediately turn the oil into a baked on sludge which will effectively shut down your weapon.
2) Never over-lubricate. It can only trap dirt and damage your wood. Use just enough to help prevent rust and provide a little more slickness to your action. Believe it or not, most guns will work just fine with no oil at all.
3) Take the time to learn how to disassemble and thoroughly clean your firearm. I can highly recommend the assembly/disassembly books from Gun Digest written by J.B. Wood. I have them all and refer to them regularly.
4) If you do nothing else, every once in awhile pick up your firearm and look at it. Is rust forming anywhere? Does the action feel OK? Is it loaded? Did you check it when you picked it up? ALWAYS, ALWAYS check to see if the weapon you are holding is loaded. NEVER make any exceptions to this rule.

"I have a Flaming Arms Super-X .30-06 Lever Action Assault Rifle, how do these tips work for me?"
I'll gladly try to help with questions about individual brands or types of guns. Many do have more specific requirements. Give me a shout.

For each rifle that you want to check you must remove the bolt and COMPLETELY disassemble it. The stripped bolt must be able to enter the barrel breech with no resistance and the bolt face must contact the gauge properly or you will not be able to feel the lockup when you close the bolt on the gauge. Next clean out the chamber, being absolutely certain there is no powder residue, rust, oil or anything else in it that will prevent the gauge from properly seating in the chamber.

The chamber gauges are specific to the caliber of gun. Be certain you obtain and use the correct gauge for your various rifles. The gauges come in "Go", "No-Go" and "Field". The "Go" gauge is used primarily for fitting new barrels. You should only need the other two. Start by slipping the "No-Go" gauge into your chamber and then gently close the bolt on the gauge but DO NOT try to force the bolt handle down. Instead, ease the bolt handle down onto the gauge. It should NOT close completely. If the bolt does close completely remove the gauge and insert the "Field" gauge and try again. If the bolt closes completely on the "Field" gauge the gun may be unsafe to fire. If it does not close completely it is presumed safe to fire, however accuracy may suffer and the rifle should be considered ready to retire.

Just remember to play it safe. If the gun is marginal it's best to hang it on the wall in a place of honor and use something else. The gauges can be purchased from Brownells, Inc. Check out their web site for ordering info.

The above illustration of a Browning Auto 5 Shotgun shows its rings set for heavy loads.

- (1) In front of the Recoil Spring is the Steel Friction Ring with it's concave end facing forward.
- (2 & 3) In the middle is the split Bronze Friction Ring with its wide flat Spring surrounding it .
- (4) The Guide Ring permanently attached to the barrel, also has a concave depression in it.
- (5) The Magazine End Cap secures the arrangement.

When the Browning A5 is fired, the barrel recoils rearward trapping the tapered ends of the split Bronze Friction Ring between the Guide Ring and the Steel Friction Ring forcing it to compress and drag on the magazine tube. This slows the rate of recoil allowing for safe ejection of the spent shell case and subsequent feeding of the next cartridge as the Recoil Spring pushes the entire assembly forward.

If light loads are used, for example "birdshot", the Steel Friction Ring (1) would simply be turned over so that the flat end would then be facing forward, or the ring can be "stored" near the receiver behind the spring. This prevents it from compressing the Bronze Friction Ring assembly (2 & 3) and allows the lesser power of the light load to work the action.

The Browning A5 Magnum ring set consists of nothing more than two more Friction Rings and another Bronze Ring Assembly.

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