We last talked about cleaning a revolver, so let's look at cleaning a semi-auto pistol.

The same discussion applies to using WD-40 as a solvent.

It is especially important to use a good solvent when cleaning a semi-auto, as they tend to get a lot more unburned powder, soot, and other stuff inside the working parts of the pistol.

This stuff should be "washed out" with a good solvent.

We will be cleaning my Kimber Royale 1911, .45 ACP pistol, a very fine shooting firearm.

Of course, we start by making sure the magazine is removed and the pistol is completely empty.

Then you field strip the pistol to allow through cleaning.

I began by spraying WD-40 into the recesses of the slide and then setting it aside to "soak".

I also spray all the small parts and let them soak.

While the solvent is working on the slide's grime, we will clean the barrel.

I use Hoppes #9 and a .45 caliber bronze brush to scrub the bore.
And since we can work from the chamber end of the barrel, that is always preferable.

4 or 5 strokes should clean out any fouling.

Then push a tight-fitting patch through the barrel.