Good looking gun!
Yes, the rifling in the bore is normal. Otherwise, it'd be known as a "smooth bore", which is only shotguns these days.
Yes, a cleaning kit is definitely in your future.
You could get a "all-in-one" kit, which might have a lot of things you don't need but paid for. Or, you can buy the items separately & only pay for what you want (my choice).
A coated cleaning rod is preferred as it won't scratch the muzzle or damage it in any way. A link to an example follows.
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A bore brush is critical. One wants it to clean but not damage the rifling in any way. Nylon brushes don't clean properly (in most cases) so most shooters use a bronze brush. I prefer the "tornado" style of brush. Link follows.
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There're a million cleaning solvents out there these days. I tend to stick to one of the oldest as it still works well. Hoppes #9. Link follows.
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You'll need patches to swab out the bore too. Some are caliber specific, some are open to a specific range of calibers. Link follows.
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You should use a jag to run your patches through the bore. These ARE caliber specific, so make sure it matches.
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A cleaning brush is also critical. Wives get ill when their toothbrush is used, I don't know why.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1255343755?pid=993486
So for around $30 or so, you can be set-up to do basic cleaning on a single caliber. New calibers require new bore brushes & jags .
My cleaning procedure is as follows. I've been doing this since 1975 as well as in the Marines (where a clean gun is
beyond mandatory).
1) Ensure the gun is empty & safe.
2) Field strip it, removing the slide & the barrel from the slide.
3) Inspect each piece for damage or cracks.
4) Use a baking pan about 7-8" long (not your wife's!) & pour solvent in it about 3" or so deep.
5) Drop the barrel & slide in the pan, let them soak for 10 minutes or so.
6) Use non-chlorinated brake cleaner to spray out the frame & trigger assembly. Some folks prefer Gun Scrub, but it costs more & is the same thing.
7) Dip the nylon brush into the cleaning solvent & scrub the frame's rails, dust cover & so forth. Use an old towel or washcloth to wipe off excess solvent.
8) Remove the slide from the baking pan. Wipe it off (so you won't drop it) & using the nylon brush, scrub any & all surfaces you can see or find. Be sure to scrub the rails on it as well. Wipe well when done.
9) Remove the barrel, wipe the outside down (so you don't drop it). Using the tornado bore brush, dip the brush into the solvent & run it down & back through the bore. I always make sure it exits both ends before I reverse it. About 10 times is usually good enough.
10) Nylon brush clean the outside of the barrel, being sure to clean the feed ramp in front of the chamber.
11) Wipe the barrel clean. Using the patch eyelet, run a dry patch down the bore 2-3 times. This soaks up the excess cleaning solvent.
12) Using the jag, place a new dry patch on the chamber end of the barrel & run it down the bore. The patch will fall off when the jag exits the bore, so you might want to "short stroke" it just a hair. Change patches & keep cleaning until you have a clean patch exiting the bore.
13) Take a clean patch, dampen it with gun lube of some sort (I prefer Breakfree CLP) & wipe down the entire outside of the barrel. Everything, feed ramp included.
14) Do the same for the slide, maybe using pipe cleaners for the inside of the rails as they're pretty small. Lube every flat surface you can see or find.
15) Using a pipe cleaner, lube the rails on the frame.
16) Wipe down the recoil guide rod. Not necessary to scrub it, usually. Wipe down the recoil spring. Lube the guide rod.
17) Re-assemble the gun. Rack the slide 3-4 times, checking for any abnormalities or hiccups. Dry fire it 3-4 times, checking it as well.
18) Wipe the mag body & the top of the follower with a towel or washcloth. (You can remove the baseplate later for cleaning the inside if you wish).
19) Pour the left-over solvent back into the container.
20) Done.
I tend to use lube liberally on my guns. I worry about rust (it IS the South, humidity) and function. No such thing as too much lube in my world. The gun will shake off any excess lube as well.
If I'm storing the gun for a while, I will run a patch with oil down the bore. Before I shoot it, I'll run a dry patch down it to clear it out. Never shoot a gun with oil in the bore, excess pressure.
There're loads of videos on Youtube on gun cleaning, but there's gonna be some bad info in there as well. Might best to find a buddy who knows guns to help you the first time or two?
Keep in mind everyone has their own method of cleaning. I am anal about my cleaning, imparted in me by the USMC. I've read of guys NEVER cleaning their guns (Glocks, mostly), which I don't get.
Sorry for the long post. Hope this helps!
