Armed & Dangerous

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Armed & Dangerous

This page contains information and resources relevant to defensive use of firearms by law enforcement personnel, private security, and armed citizens.

Weapons Maintenance How to maintain a self-defense weapon	Media Tactics by Victoria Deaton An excellent article with tips on how to handle the media after you shoot someone in self-defense

Weapons Maintenance
If you own and use a firearm for personal protection you should at least be proficient at field stripping and cleaning the weapon and it's magazines. If you have to pay someone to show you how, then it is money well spent. Following is a list of recommendations for you to follow. If you use these guidelines you reduce the chance of malfunctions.

	Daily -- At the end of every day remove your weapon from it's holster, wipe it down and place it in a proper storage location considering your circumstances. Clean and dry is the key. Do not keep it in a leather holster because leather tends to absorb and retain moisture. Zipper type gun rugs can do this as well. Guns can rust quickly.
	Monthly -- Clean, inspect and lubricate. This includes unloading your magazines or speed loaders and inspection your ammo for oil or corrosion.
	Each time you shoot -- Clean and lubricate after every shooting session. Refer to proper cleaning procedures in your owners manual. Clean barrels from the chamber end whenever possible as this saves wear on the muzzle. Don't use cleaning solvent as lubricant. Instead, use a good oil specifically designed to lubricate firearms.
	Annually -- Have a gunsmith (or armorer that is factory certified for your weapon) "Detail" strip, clean and inspect your gun. "Detail" strip means disassembled completely. Insist on a written report showing the results of the inspection and any repairs recommended or performed. Annual cleaning and inspection is important for several reasons.

Shooting deposits carbon all over the interior of a gun, gumming up the system. Cleaning this out annually keeps it from building up and causing malfunctions.

Detailed inspection will show broken parts and potentially hazardous wear patterns. A trained eye will be able to identify problems that would otherwise go unnoticed.

You develop a paper trail that shows you are diligent in maintaining your weapon. It is important to show, in my opinion, that you make sure the gun shoots when it is supposed to, and doesn't when it shouldn't. If, heaven forbid, you accidentally shoot someone, you can say you made every attempt to prevent an accident.

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