Whether you carry for work, personal defense, or just because it’s your second amendment right one thing is true - you rely on your handgun to function properly, and at a moment’s notice. With regular maintenance, you can rest a little easier knowing that is one variable out of the equation.

The Basics:

Always make sure the firearm is unloaded and refer to your owner’s manual before you tackle field stripping and cleaning your firearm. Check out our video and blog on our 3 step cleaning process here.

How often should I clean my EDC?

We absolutely recommend that you should perform a thorough clean of your firearm every time you shoot it. If your firearm hasn’t been fired, a once a month cleaning will do. We also recommend an external wipe down before you lock it up for the night.

How you carry can play a big role in how often you need to clean your EDC.

Lint, dog hair, tater-tot crumbs and a wide variety of other pocket debris can make its way into your barrel, slides, trigger housing gaps, etc. on small caliber pocket guns and really gum things up. If you’ve got holster or gun-on-skin contact, sweat is another thing you’ll want to battle. Just be aware of what you’re exposing your gun to and do frequent checks to make sure you’re not neglecting a good clean.

What should I use to clean and maintain my EDC?

To keep your handgun operating properly, it is important to keep it lubricated. Make sure you lubricate the slides, rails and all areas where there is metal on metal contact. Please refer to your owner’s manual for recommended lubrication points. Regularly inspect your handgun to ensure lubricant hasn’t worn off from everyday wear and reapply as needed.

We recommend Mission Critical MC-10 Lubricant (learn more about MC-10 here) because of its light, non-greasy finish, metal protective qualities and overall reliability. If you’re in a situation where you need to draw your CC, it is because you need it performing. That’s the big reason we recommend MC-10.

Aside from high friction areas, you can also apply a small amount of MC-10 to the exterior of your firearm to help combat corrosion from body sweat. Its hydrophobic qualities keep the moisture and salt from your perspiration from doing damage to your firearm. MC-10 is also an inert lubricant, meaning it doesn’t have any solvents in it (like some CLP’s and lubricants do) that can destroy your clothing.

The MC-10 cleaner is the perfect complement to wipe away debris and to prep the surface for a fresh coat of the MC-10 Lubricant. They were designed to work together so you’ll get the best results if you use them exclusively.

We are also big fans of good old Otis O85. It is our tried and true CLP (cleaner, lubricant and protectant) that offers a great clean with the added bonus of carrying lubricating and protectant qualities. If it’s been a while and you want to start from scratch, Shooter’s Choice Quick Scrub is a great cleaner to get you down to bare bones and then get started on your MC-10 regiment.

Of course, to remain comfortable with your handgun, make sure you’re heading to the range regularly to practice. Besides target practice, get comfortable drawing and holstering your handgun as well as loading and unloading your magazine.

Don’t neglect your holster either. In addition to the occasional cleaning and wipe down, look for signs of wear and tear. For example, leather holsters can develop dry rot if not maintained, screws come loose, polymers crack, and clips can wear out and so on. After holster tune ups, practice holstering and unholstering to make sure there aren’t any issues.

And don’t forget about your other EDC items… keep your knife sharpened and your flashlight batteries in working order.

What else do you EDC and how do you maintain that?