Every shot sends hot gas, carbon and moisture into a sound moderator. If it stays on the rifle after a wet day's stalking, that moisture sits against the steel of the barrel threads and inside the moderator itself. Corrosion here is slow, hidden and expensive.
The most important habit
Take the moderator off after every outing and let it dry with both ends open. Leaving it screwed onto the barrel traps moisture on the threads and crown.
Is it user-serviceable?
Some moderators strip down, others are sealed. Check the maker's instructions before cleaning, and follow them where they differ from the steps below. Never put a moderator in an ultrasonic cleaner or a solution the maker hasn't approved.
Cleaning with a silencer cleaner
- Remove the moderator from the rifle, unload the gun and check it.
- Plug the threaded end with a rubber stopper.
- Fill it with the silencer cleaner from Ballistol's specialist cleaners range, plug the other end and leave it to soak as the product instructions direct.
- Drain it over a suitable container, then rinse if the instructions say so.
- Dry it thoroughly: stand it on end in a warm room, open at both ends, for a day.
For strip-down moderators, clean the baffles individually with the cleaner and a soft brush, dry them and reassemble.
Protecting it
Once fully dry, wipe the outside and the threads with a lightly oiled cloth. Put a thin film of Ballistol on the barrel threads and the moderator's mounting thread to stop them corroding and seizing. Don't leave oil pooled inside the moderator, and run a dry patch through the bore before you shoot.
The barrel
Moderators push more fouling back into the action and bore, so rifles used with them benefit from more regular cleaning. See how to clean a rifle.
