Lowest Maintenence Hand Gun.

[Omni04]

I was looking at the different types of handguns and i noticed how difficult an auto loader can be to clean (plus you have to worry about the magazines)

i am thinking about a possible CCW in a few years and i always liked the idea of an auto-loader but when i look at a revolver it seems to be perfect. Low maintenence and very trust worthy, combined with high stopping power (but heavy :(...)

I also know everybody is going to say that any auto-loader with proper maintenence will be durable as well.

But in maters of disassembly, cleaning, and general maintenence, is a revolver the best choice? (as you can see i'm still kinda new on disassembly and cleaning).

thanks in advance!

[P95Carry]

In fact - whilst I am very much a revo fan - overall I think most folks would agree - the revo is actually a bigger pain to clean. More ''awkward'' shall we say.

Once a semi is field stripped - a cinch with almost all - there is little to do to get barrel cleaned and often the ''internals'' require little extra time.

I am not a Glock fan myself but from what other guys tell - you just keep shootin' the crap outa those - and maybe clean em now and again! :p

[NMshooter]

Though some might disagree even Glocks must be cleaned occasionally.

It is a lot easier than scrubbing off powder burn marks from the front of the cylinder of a revolver...

Or cleaning the area between the top strap and the forcing cone...

[DSRUPTV]

I have to agree with p95. When I was shooting glocks the field strip takes maybe 10 seconds and then a good cleaning job is ten mins at the most. A few drops of oil in key locations and your done. It has also been my experience that the glock barrel comes clean pretty easily. They are very easy to clean in my opinion. My smith 686 takes considerably longer to clean with 8 places I have to run brushes and patches on a rod. I have heard ppl say that you can shoot a glock forever without cleaning it, but I have always been of the school that you don't go to bed with a dirty gun.

[Berg01]

Any gun has to be properly maintained for it to work properly, and reliably. No shortcuts...its part of safe gun use and ownership. The whole routine gets easier with repetition.

[dolanp]

I have an easier time cleaning my XD than my S&W revolver. I can field strip the XD in seconds and take out the barrel and clean it much easier than cleaning the stationary barrel of my revolver and all six chambers. As others say the revolver is a little more awkward.

[TexasRifleman]

I'm sure there will be those that argue me, but the Sig in general is quite easy to clean to the extent necessary for most people. There's really no use to completely taking a gun apart for a cleaning.

The Sigs pop apart with a flick of the take down lever, and in 15 seconds you're down to frame, slide, barrel, spring; the components that need the most cleaning anyway.

My revolvers take forever, especialy around the cone as NMshooter mentioned.

[Island Beretta]

glocks...

[cookekdjr]

Makarov...

[45auto]

IMHO, a revolver.

[Phantom Warrior]

I'll put in another plug for the Glock. It takes a little practice to be able to push the slide back just enough (but not to far) and push up both take down tabs, but once you get it down you can field strip a Glock in about 10 seconds with your eyes closed. Clean the barrel, wipe down the internals, regrease, reassemble. Definitely not a bad choice for a low-maintenance auto.

[Omni04]

*highjacks his own thread*


what calibers can you get glocks in? magazine sizes?

also price range possibly? i was under the impressions sigs were much more expensive than glocks.

but alas, you get what you pay for :)

[P95Carry]

NIB - Glocks are significantly less expensive than SIG's. Maybe something like $450 vs up to near $900.... depending on models, of course.

Glocks have excellent mag capacities ... cals - .40, 9mm and .45asp .... oh and of course ''<spit> ''GAP .45!!

[jwmoore]

Don't forget Glocks 31/32/33 in .357SIG, or the Glock 20/29 in 10mm.

Check glock.com for a nice chart showing all models - under "Technical Info".

Now that I'm away from work, here's a link (http://www.glock.com/te_english.htm).

~W

[dmallind]

Hey a thread I can actually comment on with at least some real knowledge. At last!

I own a Glock (in my case a 19 but for cleaning/maintaining they are effectively all the same) and a 686 like an earlier poster also does.

I am one of those anal types who cleans every time after use - thoroughly and including relubing.

The main disadvantage of the revolver is you have to clean the barrel and then the cylinder which is intuitively enough like 6 extra barrels! Yep can be seven or even eight for some wheelguns of course. I also found you have to be really careful at cleaning off the back of the star on the ejecter rod, and the rear surface of the cylinder where that star sits, or you risk a buildup which causes interference and gouging when you close the cylinder. It's a bit of a pain to get in all those nooks and crannies. It takes me three times as long to clean the SW as it does to strip, clean, lube and reassemble the Glock - and I'm a mechanically inept person following only the rather sparse manual in learning how to do this - took me 15 minutes to figure it out. If I can do that someone with experience and mechanical savvy can do it in half that.

As far as mechanical reliability goes all else being equal a wheelgun SHOULD be marginally less likely to malf given its simplicity of operation, but with the current crop of semiautos like Glocks and Sigs and others too of course being as reliable as they are, I don't think the difference in reliability is likely to be too meaningful in real life. Any machine can fail and is a 1 in a million chance worth carrying a heavier, clumsier, lower capacity firearm for years when the lighter, sleeker, hi cap one has a say 2 in a million chance?

However I understand the appeal of a revolver and if you go that route you might want to check out things like the 340PD which are very light and at least relatively concealable. No revolver can get rid of the bulky shape of the cylinder obviously, but some of these new alloy ones are light enough and small enough to make it as good as it can be with a wheelgun.

Personally though for CCW it's autoloader for me.

[Omni04]

ok, well here is one more question about glocks. Where would i go to learn more about them? The different models, prices, etc...

Any good glock websites or even books i may be able to buy about them?

i really don't wanna google glock and just randomly find a site about them because i know there's biased people as well as any company's site is going to try to make their product look superior.

thanks!

[porterdog]

Any good glock websites?

http://glocktalk.com/

http://www.glockfaq.com/default.htm

Those'll keep you busy :)

[Atticus]

Once your familiar with the gun, it really won't be a big deal (there might be a few exceptions). There is basic cleaning and detailed cleaning. You don't need to do a detailed cleaning every time unless you're exposing the gun to some pretty harsh conditions. Get a gun you like, and feel comfortable with ....the cleaning is no biggie.

[GILROY]

It depends on what you call a clean revolver. Its much easier to get a very dirty SIG or Glock or even a 1911 clean than to get all the burn of the cyl of a revolver and lub all the wheels, buttons, hands and spokes.

But its more fun to clean a revolver, especially my pristine 1969 Royal Blue Colt Python. Its a labor of love. :D

[TonyB]

There's a good book out called :The complete guide to Glocks"or something like that..it tells everyting and more about Glocks.....love 'em or hate 'em they shoot everytime....a buddy at IDPA went almost 2 years w/ out cleaning his mod.34.......still shot every time......I use mine at idpa every week(50-100rds/week)and clean it about once a month...usually it's not very dirty......BTW my CCW is a revolver(sp101 in 357)I DO hate cleaning it(hate those cylinder holes)...but every day maintainence is basically,wipe it off at night.....no lubing or checking mags..on lint check.... ;)

[Fumbler]

IMO autos are easier to clean.

I have a Sig 228 and a Ruger GP-100.

If I want to clean the Sig, all I do is turn a lever and take the slide off. The barrel, guiderod, and recoil spring pop right out.
Clean the bore, wipe everything down with Breakfree CLP, wipe the locking block clean, and that's it.

If I want to clean the GP-100 I have to use an Otis cable cleaner to clean the barrel (because I don't have a good coated rod), scrub all 6 chambers, scrub the cylinder face and barrel breech face, get all the grit out of the cylinder's little start shaped thing (whats that called anyway?), wipe off everything else.

The ease of cleaning an auto comes from the ability to take the slide apart and having only one chamber. There are fewer nooks and crannies to deal with. Many say a revolver is much simpler, but if you look at what you actually have to clean in regular cleaning the auto is much easier to deal with.

Now, if I want to detail strip clean the Sig it takes a whole lot more time because of the DA/SA trigger. That doesn't need cleaning as often though.

As far as reliability, either type of handgun is going to work fine as long as you practice regular maintenance. However, if I had to take one of them into a harsh environment it would be the auto. Revolvers may generally have less reliability issues, but if you bang the thing up (which would probably never occur for me) then you have to worry about timing and alignment. Bang an auto up to the same degree and all you've done is superficial damage. A jam in an auto usually requires clearing the jammed cartridge and popping in a new mag. If you jam a revolver up and the cylinder binds then everything potentially gets out of whack and it's not so quick to fix.

That, of course, is my opinion.
Get either. You will learn how to clean it and how much you need to clean it and maintenance becomes no big deal.

If you want a light revolver look at the various titanium and scandium framed pieces from Taurus and S&W. They are amazingly light.

[brickboy240]

The Glocks and Springfield Xds come to mind first.

I prefer the Xds over Glocks, but both are pretty much maintenance and trouble free pistols.

-Brickboy240

[L-Frame]

My take on the subject is this,(and some will be hissing and booing). To clean a revolver totally is more time consuming than a semi-auto. BUT, it is not anywhere near as necessary to give a revolver that level of cleaning as it is to give a semi-auto a good cleaning. An old police armorer told me to run a brass bore brush through the cylinder and barrel, take a bristle brush to the ejector star and go to shooting. Most who clean their revolvers like my wife cleans her kitchen are doing it out of love for the gun, not necessity. I've never had a revolver fail to go bang, and don't clean them as much as some tell me I should. I've shot rental guns that were horribly dirty. The semi's would FTF and I would have to take them back to the desk, while the revolvers would keep going. I could actually feel the dirt and crap grinding through my trigger pull, but it always fired (I'm not advocating waiting that long). Anyway, I think, overall, revolvers are much easier to take care of and are more trouble free.

[trickyasafox]

derrengers

[Boats]

I agree with L-Frame. If you have a compulsion that says you need to be able to eat off of your revolver, it is a more involved cleaning.

However, unless you have a very tight >.003 cylinder gap, you can leave those carbon rings on the face of the cylinder there forever without affecting the function of the revolver, especially on stainless guns. Same deal with the deposits at the sides of the frame along the forcing cone and the topstrap--you can just leave it there.

I find that one can bronze brush every chamber and the barrel in the same time it takes to strip an auto and clean its barrel. A wipe of the ejector star and to make sure nothing fouls the hand or the pawl of the revolver takes but a moment longer.

So I'd say that cleaning my revolver to LNIB condition is a time consuming project, akin to detail stripping and cleaning one of my 1911A1s. To clean it to the point of reliable function and decent accuracy, cleaning a revolver takes no more time than doing the same for a an autopistol.

With a Lead Away cloth, even the carbon deposits don't take long. Scrubbing those out is rather inefficient when they can simply be dissolved. Of course that advice doesn't apply to the blued revolvers. :neener:

[valor1]

A gun that isn't used and always oiled is low maintenance. Just kidding. Probably the Glocks and HK fit your category. Good luck on the other opinions.

[tlhelmer]

Glock! :)

[KONY]

The Glocks and Springfield Xds come to mind first.

Lots of Glock responses and a few XDs. However, don't forget about the Steyrs which should be about as easy as the Glocks to maintain and possibly easier than the XDs as I hear their slides need to maintained regularly. Also, the Steyrs will run you only ~$300 new. However, Steyrs are more difficult to accessorize than the other two. But from what I hear, you can't go wrong with any of these choices. To read about the Steyr visit:

www.steyrtalk.com

Good shooting!

[firesafety3]

I've never owned a Glock (by choice), but the easiest cleaning autos and those that require the least maintenance are the XD series and any HK USP.

Try to shoot each gun that appeals to you. The Glock does not appeal to everyone and the HK may be too large for some shooters (I have the USP Tactical .45). I have found zero negatives with an XD with a Hogue Handall sleeve grip.

When it comes down to it, you'd much rather be able to shoot comfortably and accurately. I'd trade increased cleaning time for that any day.

[Brasso]

I love wheelguns, but there isn't a gun on the face of the earth that's easier to clean than a glock. They are also the lowest maintenance guns on the planet to begin with. Maybe some kind of single shot break open pistol is easier, but not by much.

[lyricsdad]

I am a walther p22 owner, I find the p22 easy to clean, pop the slide, clean the barrel, i have the nickle slide so I am always cleaning powder residue out of the inside of the slide, and oil and put back on.. works like a charm fires everytime too. unless I am using golden bullets, but thats another story.

Anyways, as a future owner of a p99 .40SW anyone have any comments on how easy it is to clean that handgun?

[Greymoor]

I would have to say my Sig p229 is the easiest of my weapons to clean. Flip the takedown leaver, remove the slide. Pull the barrel, recoil spring, and guide rod out of the slide. Clean as usual.

The lever is a touch easier than the Glocks small buttons but they come apart pretty much the same way after that.

If any weapon was easier it would disassemble itself at a touch :D

[Erinyes]

I find most modern autos to be easy to clean. With my Beretta 96 Centurion, all I had to do was push the button, flip the lever, and the slide, barrel, guide rod/spring, and locking block all slid off. The only thing with that gun was putting the locking block back on correctly. It's like an IQ test.

Of course, it didn't take me much longer to clean my S&W 586.

[Black Majik]

The Glock.

It wont rust if you dont oil it (XD :neener: ), it doesn't require a lot of lube, in fact, the less the better, and you just dont have to clean it and it'll run without any malfunctions.

The Glock wins this round.

[giancarlo]

Berettas, Sigs, Glocks have been the easiest.

[Kevlarman]

I'd say the Glock is one of the easiest pistols to take down and clean. I'm also from the shoot once, then clean crowd. I don't like leaving my guns in a state of dirtiness. :cool:

You can literally field strip a Glock in 10 seconds with your eyes closed, and put it back together the same way. While the same is tru of my CZ, it's my personal experience that the CZ has more nooks and crannies for dirt and grime to get stuck, making it a bit more difficult to clean.

[Brasso]

In addition, you can completely disassemble a glock with a single punch in about 30sec. Putting it back together takes longer.....almost a minute.

[TooTech]

Although I'm not a Glock fan because I don't like the trigger action, I would have to agree that they're the most straight-forward to maintain.

As much as I love my revolvers keeping one clean is much more work. 6 chambers, the nooks and crannies inside the frame, the forcing cone, all accumulate dirt more than a semi-auto will.

And as much as I love my SIGs, I think the Glock has a tougher finish.

So if you HATE cleaning guns, get a Glock.