Rifle & Magazine Care and Maintenance

How do you clean a rifle magazine?

A magazine is a simple spring-and-follower system, so cleaning is quick. Unload it fully, then wipe the body, follower, and feed lips with a dry or lightly-oiled cloth to remove grit, powder residue, and moisture. Avoid heavy oil inside the magazine — it attracts debris that causes feeding problems. If your model disassembles, remove the floor plate, clean the spring and follower, and reassemble dry.

Should you store magazines loaded or unloaded?

Modern magazine springs are designed to be kept under load, so storing a magazine loaded generally will not “wear out” the spring. What does cause wear is repeated loading and unloading. For long-term storage, keep magazines clean, dry, and out of direct humidity, and cycle them occasionally.

Caring for black oxide vs nickel finishes

Black oxide offers classic looks and solid corrosion resistance with a light coat of oil; nickel adds extra rust and scratch resistance and wipes clean easily. Either way, a quick wipe-down after range trips keeps them feeding for the life of the rifle.

Fixing feeding problems

If a magazine isn’t feeding, clean the feed lips and follower first, confirm the follower moves freely, and check for a weak or kinked spring. For rimfire storage and care specifics see our rimfire magazine care guide, and for Remington owners, caring for your Remington rifle.