The 5 Biggest Mistakes in Gun Maintenance (and How to Avoid Them)

by Adrian Ostermayer

If you want your firearm to remain reliable, precise, and well-maintained for years to come, proper care is essential.

Many shooters make the same preventable mistakes over and over. Let’s break down the top five—and show you how to avoid them.

1. Confusing Cleaning with Lubricating

One of the most common errors is using the wrong product for the job.

Many gun oils on the market are marketed as “all-in-one” solutions that both clean and lubricate. But here’s the catch:

To clean carbon fouling and residue, these oils often contain solvents like isopropanol or alcohol. That helps break down dirt and grime—but it also thins the lubricant film, reducing its ability to handle pressure and friction.

It’s like adding half a quart of solvent to your sports car's engine oil—not something you’d ever do.

✅ Best practice:

  • Use solvent-based products for cleaning.

  • Use dedicated gun oils or greases for lubrication.

  • Advanced lubricants with solid additives (like micro-ceramics) greatly improve pressure resistance and wear protection.

2. Improper Stock Care

We get many questions about stock care—from shooters struggling with sticky, blotchy, or greasy finishes.

The main culprit? Cheap “stock oils” and universal sprays.

These products may quickly darken and shine the wood but don't nourish or protect it. Worse, they often seal the wood with mineral oils that clog the grain.

Result?

  • Uneven wear, especially at the fore-end and grip.

  • Difficult, costly restoration later.

Imagine polishing your living-room floor with Vaseline—it’d be dangerously slippery and never truly dry.

✅ Best practice:
Use drying oils designed for stocks. Our Stock Oil Gold is formulated to penetrate deeply, dry fully and clear, and protect against weather while letting the wood breathe.

3. Winter Malfunctions

Cold-weather hunting often reveals neglected maintenance.

We’ve all heard of guns failing on winter hunts—fail-to-fires, frozen firing pins, or jammed safeties and bolts.

The problem? Temperature-sensitive lubricants.

Some gun oils start to harden at 32 °F (0 °C) or below, impairing movement.

✅ Best practice:

  • Always check your lubricant’s temperature range.

  • Our premium gun lubricants stay fluid from -58 °F to +482 °F (-50 °C to +250 °C), ensuring reliable performance in any condition.

4. Oil vs. Grease – Choosing the Right Lubricant

Many shooters use the wrong type of lube for the job.

Tribology (the science of friction and lubrication) tells us there’s no universal solution.

✅ Grease is for open systems with high pressure and heavy contact (think machinery gears or chains).
✅ Oil is better for closed, low-pressure systems (like car engines or transmissions).

Gun grease forms a thicker, pressure-absorbing layer than oil. That’s why military machine guns like the MG42 were famously lubricated with grease.

✅ Best practice:

  • Use gun grease wherever possible for better protection against wear.

  • Reserve gun oil for precision-fitted sporting arms with tight tolerances.

    5️⃣ Corrosion at the Muzzle

Shotguns and rifles often suffer corrosion at the muzzle—a surprisingly common, easily avoidable problem.

Here’s why:

  • Many barrels are cut at the muzzle and left unblued, making them more susceptible.

  • Fouling deposits minerals and salts that accelerate rust.

  • Using thin, universal oils for protection often fails over time.

Why? Gravity. Stored muzzle-up, the oil runs down the barrel. Within hours or days, the muzzle is unprotected.

Worse: excess oil can migrate into the firing pin channel, hardening with age or cold and causing misfires.

✅ Best practice:

  • Don’t rely on runny universal oils for rust prevention.

  • Use a dedicated corrosion inhibitor that stays in place through electrostatic adhesion, protecting precisely where applied for years.

✅ Final Thoughts

Proper gun care isn’t complicated—but it demands the right approach.

✔️ Use separate cleaners and lubricants.
✔️ Treat your stock with true drying oils.
✔️ Choose temperature-resistant lubes for winter hunts.
✔️ Know when to use grease vs. oil.
✔️ Protect your muzzle with products that don’t drip away.

At Ostermayer Hunting, we design every care product to solve real-world problems serious hunters face.

Because your firearm deserves better than shortcuts.

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