Though to most of us this seems obvious, there are still too many out there (you know who you are) who neglect to properly clean their guns. It is of paramount importance to give our guns a proper clean at the end of the season as this will help prevent any rust and improve the life of your trusty companion. Ensure you give the gun a good going over with an oil rag and spending some time thoroughly cleaning your barrels with the correct brushes being sure not to neglect the chamber or chokes. It’s a good a good idea to use a cocktail stick to get into those hard to reach places. Once clean and back in the safe it may be good to add some silica gel sachets to your cabinet to keep any moisture out.
Alternatively, why not let us do the dirty work for you? We offer a range of services from a ‘strip, clean and check’ to regulating ejectors and trigger pulls. During a service, your gun will be thoroughly cleaned, examined and tested by our expert gunsmiths. Any faults or condition issues will be reported by the foreman with advice on any necessary adjustments, replacements or repairs.
As with your guns you should also be taking care of you clothes and accessories - there’s nothing worse than coming back to mouldy breeks on the 12th of August.
Whilst dry cleaning is still the preferred option when it comes to tweed, most modern shooting clothing is now machine washable so there’s really no excuse for smelling like a tom cat. Modern waterproofs are tough, don’t be afraid to break out the jet washer and give them a good soaking. On the other hand it’s always prudent to be more gentle when dealing with wool. We recommend hand washing your shooting socks (baby shampoo works well!) and reading the label carefully when it comes to tweed.
It may be that you have worn through your shooting gear, which is no surprise if you have been wearing the same set of tweeds for nearly 15 years….the post season sales are a great place to find a bargain.
Be sure not to overlook cleaning out the boot of your car as well. There is nothing more awkward than driving down to the South of France for the Easter holidays and having live shells roll out as your car as it is being searched before crossing the channel.
Though the season is over this doesn’t mean that you have to stop shooting altogether. Remember how many times you said you should have had some lessons at the start of the season? Perhaps this is the year to keep that fine form going.
At Holland and Holland we offer a variety of packages and events such as the monthly Holland 100 to keep you shooting throughout the year.