[DontShootMe]

Is it just me, or does anyone else clean the H3LL out of their guns everytime you shoot them?

Went to the range today. I just finished cleaning. My guns look unfired. I'm going back to the range again tomorrow - will clean them again then.

What's wrong with me?
:confused:

[3 gun]

It would be harsh to say something is wrong with you. It does sound like to me you are over cleaning. With trips to the range so close together a quick run with a bore snake and some fresh lube should be enough. Unless you use a case of ammo each trip. I shoot a lot, USPSA, IDPA, steel, practice, etc. I use about 300 rounds a week. I'll seldom to a major cleaning before I hit 1000 rounds. Even longer if it's running well. I will do a major clean a week before a major shoot. I never show up for a major with a clean gun. The biggest down side from over cleaning is field stripping the gun so often could cause more wear that the shooting. Of course if each range trip was a month a part cleaning after each trip more since. Never store a dirty gun.

[cool45auto]

I do the same thing. I shoot every Tuesday at least 150 rounds. I field strip mine and make sure everything is cleaned. I try to get it as clean as it can be. Then again, I'm a neat freak.

[Kahr carrier]

Sounds normal to me .I like to keep my guns clean and ready to go also.:)

[stevelyn]

What's wrong with me?

Absolutely nothing! A clean gun is a reliable gun. Besides with the amount of money invested in one these days, it pays to take care of them. Check my grid coordinates. With the weather and marine environment, I'll err on the side of being anal, and over-clean.

[gudel]

is there something wrong with a very clean gun? no.

[Dave T]

Those of you who don't like cleaning every time you shoot were obviously not taught the finer points of firearms maintenance by a drill instructor.

Ask the people in the 507th how important cleaning is!

[Jeeper]

Is there something wrong with a clean barrell? Maybe!!!

This is from the Schuemann barrell company. They aren't exactly rookies with barrels!

http://www.schuemann.com/clean2.htm

[Brad Johnson]

You can't "over clean" a gun unless you are using chemicals or abrasives that can harm it in some way (and you shouldn't be using those on a gun anyway!)

My Springfield XD may work fine after putting 500 rounds through it, but I'm not going to trust my life to it until I know that it's in top working condition. This includes being spotlessly clean and properly lubricated. I also don't want a bunch of gunk in my guns that can attract moisture and dirt, which can result in rust and other nastiness.

My guns may not look "unfired", but they are clean and properly lubricated. Because of this I rest easy at night, and during the day, and in my car, and at my job.... :D

Brad

[yotehunter]

I also am a clean freak, My stainless revolvers look better than new. I just cannot stand a dirty firearm. I understand that alot of disassymbly can wear parts but thats a problem I can live with for now.

[Standing Wolf]

A great deal depends on how carefully a gun is cleaned. Force rarely does a gun much good, and a ruined muzzle crown makes accuracy a thing of the past.

[DontShootMe]

Dang those ports! My Taurus is the only SS gun I have that wont come completely clean - even with lead-away!

I shot. I cleaned. I polished. I shoot again. repeat. rinse.

[10-Ring]

I clean my guns after every use. I learned a long time ago that it might be a long time between uses & it's better to put away a clean gun vs. a dirty one.

[cratz2]

I use a boresnake and two soft cloths. FP-10 is the only thing that touches my centerfire handguns anymore so I really don't think I can over clean with these products. :p

Nothing wrong with having a clean gun. Now if you obsess about it, there might be a problem... do you drive home faster than you usually drive for fear that the brand new Winchester ammo is going to corrode your firearm if you go the speed limit? If not... I think you're just fine. ;)

[Bowlcut]

Yea I was starting to wonder about myself sometiems. I put around 100 rounds or 150 though my gun a week it seems. I come home and within a day or so I usualy strip and clean the gun. Looks pretty much unfired still yet. Do like the look of a clean sw99, pretty site to be seen

[arinvolvo]

Nothing wrong with a clean gun...but just wear some rubber gloves or something...Coming into contact with nitro solvent and all of that lead and what not cant be good when it is that often.

The only gun I dont clean is my ruger 22/45....thousands of shots, and never even so much as a bore snake down the barrel.

[WhoKnowsWho]

I like my guns very clean, that's why I got the Lead Away cloth for the new revolver.

If I know I am going to the range again in a few days, I don't clean them fully, just a quick bore snake. But most of the time, they sit for a while, so they all usually get a full cleaning.

Though my Marlin 60 has only had a bore snake cleaning, nothing else so far.

[themic]

i only shoot about once a month usually, so for me it's a full clean/lube every time. if i'm going back to shoot the next day, i'll usually skip it that night.

Hoppes #9 followed by Militec on my 1911. RIG in certain places for rifles and shotguns.

[BigG]

Boy, that Schuemann Barrel FAQ is enlightening. No barrel cleaning for stainless steel. Sounds scary what they say about some mainstream gun cleaning solutions...

[JiminCA]

Can anyone here cite an example of damage to a gun from overcleaning?

The only true risk that I can think of is someone who forces the gun apart, uses an inappropriate abrasive, or someone dinking a barrel crown.

[gudel]

Can anyone here cite an example of damage to a gun from overcleaning?

i don't think anyone can. :D
hey jim, i notice you're in SB. where in SB? i'm in goleta.

[hansolo]

I don't have a 1911 in the collection yet, and my 9mm's field strip by merely removing the slide stop. Considering the pressures encountered inside the weapon by exploding gasses, slide/frame rail friction, frame and slide slamming together with enough force to crush a bone, I don't "get" how a normal disassembly and moderate scrubbing of the internals can come CLOSE to normal firing of a handgun...or ANY firearm. Just sounds like an excuse of a person who doesn't want to clean at regular intervals....Plus, I actually enjoy the process. :uhoh:

If there is a handgun that can be damaged by regular disassembly, I don't want to own it!

[HBK]

I think I might overclean one of my guns. I think I use too much solvent. My Walther has some places on the barrel where it looks like the solvent might have rubbed the blue off a little. I swear every time that next time I'll use less solvent, but I never seem to do that.

[BigG]

Schuemann was referring to the cleaning solutions, some of which are very aggressive and contain ammonia and others contain chloride. Stainless steel (I guess) has some additives in its composition that are attacked by the solutions, especially if they are mixed (i.e., used in tandem). Secondly, the stainless steel is softer (I've noticed how you can polish scratches out with little effort myself) for whatever reason than carbon steel and brushes will scratch the bore allowing the solutions to attack more of the bore surface. Schuemann measured wear on a bore from the cleaning solutions that would not be present after firing tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition. :what:

I clean using Breakfree CLP with usually a soft cloth but will refrain from using the hard core solutions inside a SS bore from now on.

[Longbow]

I usually clean my range/competition guns(1911's and Para P16) every 500rds or so, without experiencing any ill effect. 700 rds or so, is kinda pushing it. Of course I only use my reloads most of the time. I only use Hodgdon Clays powder (very clean burning) and no lead bullets for me. But my HD gun (S&W model 10) is kept clean all the time. I have to agree, there's absolutely nothing wrong about cleaning guns right away after every range session! I just know through experience that I can slack a little bit.
BTW, my Glock 17 can go up to 2K rounds w/o cleaning! I did it in purpose just to see how much it could take. It FTF'ed somewhere around 2K.

[Handy]

I can't seem to make time to clean the guns. Probably because I keep frantically washing my hands every couple of minutes.

[DontShootMe]

1. Went to range
2. Came home & cleaned guns
3. Met old buddy - havent seen in a while
4. Back to range
5. End up at local watering hole
6. Came home
7. Felt guilty for letting guns sit 'dirty' for 3 hours
8. Cleaned guns

:confused:

[incursion]

Handy, use nitrile gloves.