Experts from online marketplace GunBroker.com share a tip for keeping pistol slide rails in pristine condition. 

An important piece of maintenance for pistol owners, keeping a gun’s slide rails clean is crucial. Often neglected in routine cleaning, GunBroker.com provides an expert to ensure that any pistol slide rails stay spotless.

“When cleaning a pistol, the slide rails are often overlooked,” suggests a GunBroker.com representative, speaking from the online marketplace’s headquarters around 30 minutes north of Atlanta, Georgia.

According to Kennesaw-based GunBroker.com, the unwanted build-up can collect in a pistol’s slide rails. As such, it’s important to pay attention to this key part of any pistol when cleaning. Thankfully, cleaning a gun’s slide rails while following their advice is not only quick and easy, GunBroker.com states, but also relies on zero additional cleaning supplies.

While several practices exist for keeping pistol slide rails in tip-top condition, GunBroker.com recently shared a method that has garnered significant praise from gun owners and enthusiasts. The method preferred by GunBroker.com utilizes nothing more than regular spray cleaner—in this instance, Eezox Premium Synthetic Gun Care spray—plus a paper towel and a credit card, plastic gift card, or similar.

Applying spray cleaner to a paper towel, a small piece is then torn off and eased into the slide rails using a credit card or similar card. The card can then be moved up and down the slide rails’ length, applying the cleaner of choice neatly and effectively to the entire surface.

Because the soft paper towel is directed into and along the gun’s slide rails with a flexible piece of plastic, there’s no risk of damage. If an individual were to use a metal implement instead, for example, there would, GunBroker.com reports, be a genuine risk of scratching the rails. “People have used small blades in the past with some success, but these will quickly cut through the paper towel, and there’s always an inherent risk of scratching, damaging a gun, or, most importantly, injuring yourself in the process,” suggests a GunBroker.com spokesperson.

A plastic credit card, they point out, alleviates both of these risks. “Repeat with a clean, dry piece of paper towel, and your pistol’s slide rails will be sparkling and free of build-up in barely a moment,” adds the online marketplace’s representative, “ensuring continued performance and longevity of any firearm.”