Every gun owner, whether a hunter, sport shooter, or recreational shooter, knows well that this hobby requires, besides the weapon itself, accessories and equipment needed for its maintenance. In this article, we will summarize everything a properly equipped shooter should have.
Storage and carrying
The first thing you must purchase after acquiring a weapon is a case for transporting and storing the weapon. Choose the case according to the type of weapon and your carrying preference. Hunters prefer long cases, which also have space for the weapon's optics. Among our customers, hunters, the combined Mil-tec case for long and short weapons is very popular, as they can also store their hunting weapons in it, and at the same time carry it as a backpack. For storing weapons at home, safes or lockable plastic boxes are used.
For some categories of weapons, you must observe so-called concealed carry in public, which means that not even the silhouette of the weapon may be visible while carrying it. The public is used to seeing weapons only on professional security personnel and police officers, which, if the weapon is insufficiently concealed, can cause concern and misunderstanding. Therefore, always think about the safety of yourself and those around you. In such a case, we recommend reaching for cases that stay close to the body, i.e. belt holsters or holsters for concealed carry.
Clothing
Choosing suitable clothing may not seem so important to you, but the opposite is true. Every shooter should also have their wardrobe adapted to this hobby. The most important thing is choosing suitable pants, which should move together with your belt, for comfort when carrying a weapon. That is exactly why we do not recommend slim fit cut pants. Rather reach for pants with a more flexible cut. Our clear favorites are the tactical pants Helikon UTP and Pentagon Ranger, which also have pockets adapted for accessories such as magazines. As for t-shirts, rather choose wider and longer t-shirts that will serve to cover a weapon on the belt. Also take length into account when choosing a jacket, which should have several pockets and appropriately designed zippers. The most practical are jackets with two-way zippers, which you can also unzip from the bottom when changing a magazine.
Glasses and hearing protectors
More than one shooter will agree that shooting is better without glasses, but the principle is that they should be part of the mandatory gear. You can never know what might happen, so prevention is essential. Glasses protect your eyesight and help prevent injuries. Injuries most often occur when using one's own weapon, when a piece of the cartridge case or even a broken firing pin can fly into the eye. When firing, an enormous force is released, which sends the bullet forward out of the weapon. During this act, a huge amount of tiny particles of metal, plastic, and other materials are released, which can damage eyesight. A neighboring shooter can also endanger you, which is exactly why you should never underestimate eye protection and secure quality protective glasses.
When choosing, consider the overall construction of the glasses, the nose piece, and the lenses. You will wear the glasses on your nose for many hours, and that is why the nose piece is very important. It should not press on you while wearing it. It must fit firmly on the nose, otherwise it could slip off during shooting, and thus cause eye injury from flying fragments. When choosing glasses, the lenses are the most important. It is an advantage if they are coated with an anti-scratch and anti-fog layer. When used outdoors, you will appreciate the protective factors against UV radiation and ultraviolet radiation. Quality glasses should be sturdy and have durable lenses.
As you have been able to read, eye protection while shooting is very important. However, we must not forget about hearing either. Every person has different sensitivity to noise, which is why a different type of hearing protector may suit us when shooting. There are various options available, simple protectors, but also electronic ones. Beginning shooters who do not yet want to invest a lot in headphones prefer simpler models, such as earplugs or cheaper over-the-head headphone models. If you go to the shooting range with a group, you also want to talk, so you have to take the headphones off your ears. In that case, it can happen that the shooter next to you fires, which may not be pleasant. For such a case, electronic headphones are ideal, which are more expensive, but have higher quality and better functions. They can filter the hearing level and have separate volume control and the option to turn off listening to the surroundings. They are perfect for the shooting range, because thanks to these practical functions you do not have to take them off at all.
Weapon maintenance and cleaning
Cleaning the weapon should be done after every single shooting session. The weapon remains fouled, so neglected maintenance may not pay off. After shooting, residues remain in the weapon, which, upon reaction with moisture and irregular maintenance, deeply eat into the weapon. This happens mainly to hunters who fire only once in a while, put the weapons away, and pull them out again only after several months. In case you do not want to bother with regular cleaning, we recommend at least spraying a little oil into the barrel and the bolt to neutralize post-shooting residues.
Basic tools for cleaning weapons are:
- cleaning agent for removing coarse dirt,
- lubricating oil,
- a rod corresponding to the length of the weapon's barrel,
- a cleaning mop or cotton brush,
- wire tips,
- cleaning patches,
- patch loop,
- cleaning mat or or-outdoor-cistiaca-pena-na-zbran-c4g-foam-200ml-indikator"
You can obtain the accessories separately or as a set, in which you will find everything needed for cleaning long and short weapons. If you already have all the necessary accessories, choose a room where you will carry out the cleaning. It should be sufficiently ventilated, due to various fumes from cleaning agents and lubricating oils. Before every cleaning, check whether the weapon is unloaded and whether there is no cartridge in the barrel. Pay attention to safety, as you cannot know in what state you left your weapon stored in a safe or in a holster.
After inspection, you can disassemble the weapon and start cleaning it. The parts of the weapon should be sprayed with cleaning oil and thoroughly cleaned. Cotton brushes and cloths are used for cleaning. Wire brush tips can be used on the barrel of the weapon. When the weapon is sufficiently clean, lightly spray it with oil and wipe it with a cloth to absorb excess lubricant. You can also clean the inside of the barrel with a cotton brush or a cleaning rod with a patch. When cleaning the barrel, make sure that the patch does not come into contact with the muzzle of the barrel. After cleaning and lubricating, you can reassemble the weapon and store it in a dry place. It is especially important to keep weapons in a dry place, as moisture is not good for them. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly check weapons if they are stored at home in a garage or basement. Even sweat can cause problems when carrying a weapon in an inside-the-waistband holster. In this case, regular maintenance of the weapon is even more important.
