How to Properly Care for an Air Rifle

Are you thinking of buying an air rifle? You’ll love them for target practice, hunting, combat tournaments, or for your survival!

But if you want to enjoy your air rifle in the long run, you have to learn about gun maintenance.

Your air rifle is a tool that will degrade over time without proper maintenance. Every serious gun owner, whether for an air rifle or firearm, must learn how to maintain their guns.

This ensures that your gun lasts for years and prevents malfunctions. We encourage you to follow the steps in this guide and to share it with your fellow air rifle enthusiasts.

Choosing Your Air Rifle

Before we get into air gun maintenance, it’s imperative that you know how to choose an air rifle. It’s always ideal to purchase a new air rifle over a used one. Make sure to buy your air rifle from a credible retailer.

The previous owner of a used air rifle might not have given importance to gun maintenance. As a result, by the time you get the gun, it might be at the “point of no return” where its’ condition is concerned. An air gun retailer will also vet their supply and make sure to sell you the best PCP Air Rifle available. 

Make sure you ask the retailer about how to maintain the specific air rifle. The rules of maintenance apply to all guns. However, your model might have additional steps to focus on.

The Internal Barrel

With regular firing, you can expect the internal barrel of your air rifle to become rife with contaminants. These contaminants will include metal debris from the pellets as well as an oil buildup.

You should never add any extra oil to your internal barrel. This oil will trickle into the other mechanisms within your air rifle. If the other mechanisms get an excessive oil buildup, they will malfunction. 

Excessive oil will also lead to dieseling. This is when the oil combusts after you fire your air rifle. 

One of the gun maintenance tools you should buy is a cleaning pellet. These should get inserted into your internal barrel to clean it. As a general rule, every time you fire 10 shots, insert your cleaning pellets. You can also use a cleaning rod for your internal barrel. 

Before you fire your air rifle, make sure you inspect the internal barrel. If you notice small amounts of liquid, wipe it down with a dry cloth.

The External Barrel

With the external barrel, your main concern is to ensure that it doesn’t rust. Whenever your air rifle gets wet, make sure you immediately wipe it with a dry cloth. It’s always best to keep a dry cloth or hand towel in your pocket at all times.

As an added step, you can buy a rust protective spray. If you live in an area where flooding might occur, make sure your air rifle gets kept on a shelf. If your air rifle gets submerged in water, it might be too late to maintain it later on.

Maintaining the Action

The action is inside your air rifle’s stock and helps you fire the gun. If the action doesn’t get maintained properly, it will rust and stop functioning. Once the action is gone, you’ll have to replace it to fire the air rifle.

For some air rifles, you won’t be able to replace the action. As such, you’ll have to replace the air rifle altogether.

Even a small amount of water can seep into the action. Over time, this will cause rust and damage the action.

Make sure you invest in a gun oil to prevent such issues. You’ll have to remove the stock and then place a few drops of the gun oil to keep the action safe from damage.

Maintaining the Trigger

As a general rule, if you notice any issues with your trigger head to your gun shop. These issues are often complex and only a trained gunsmith can know how to spot the issues and fix them. 

Otherwise, you can consider de-greasing the trigger mechanism. To do this, remove the shell from the trigger. Then, you can gently spray a degreaser on this mechanism. Let it settle for a few minutes before you place the shell back.

This should only be done if you feel confident about working on your air rifle. It’s possible to cause permanent damage to the mechanism. As a result, it’s always best to take the air rifle to the retailer or to a gunsmith.

Air Gun Maintenance Best Practices

Let’s look at the best practices for your gun maintenance. The best way to maintain your gun is to prevent any issues in the first place.

Here’s what you should do:

• Never toss your gun anywhere; place it down carefully
• Don’t fire into the ground without keeping a distance
• Always use the right pellets for the specific air rifle
• Keep pellets stored in their case when not in use
• Don’t customize your gun without the supervision of a gunsmith
• Make sure to clean the wood if your air rifle has any wood components

You must also buy a high-quality air rifle bag when you choose your rifle. When your air rifle isn’t in use, it should always get kept in this bag. While you might wish to keep it on display, this increases the chances of it gathering dust and other pollutants.

As long as you take care of your air rifle, you will not have to worry about damage. Make sure you also share these best practices if you ever lend anyone your air rifle.

Learn More About Gun Maintenance

Once you find a great air rifle, make sure you keep referring to this guide for gun maintenance. By following these best practices and maintenance tips, your air rifle will last for several years. Spend at least one day per week to clean your barrel, maintain the action, and clean the air rifle.

As a final suggestion, you also want to join a network of experienced shooters. They can teach you how they maintain their guns and recommend maintenance tools as well.

Please share this guide with other air gun enthusiasts. You can learn more about air guns on our website!