[vis-à-vis]

1. How often should I clean my gun
2. Is it safe to dry fire?
3. Will keeping a round chambered and a mag loaded continuously hurt the gun?


This will do me for now. Thanks for the education...

[Azrael256]

1. It depends somewhat on the gun. I like to do at least a basic swab out and wipedown every time I shoot. I do a detail strip and cleaning after three or four heavy shooting sessions, or once every six months. I do a quick wipedown of my carry piece every week to remove lint. Proper careful cleaning will never wear out a firearm, so clean to your heart's content.

2. It's perfectly safe to dryfire almost any modern centerfire weapon. CZ-52s are the notable exception. It is not safe to dryfire a .22 rimfire. With that in mind, snap caps never hurt even in a weapon that can handle it. Firing pin return springs, hammer springs, etc. will wear faster from dryfiring (obviously, since they're being cycled), but when you're talking about a part that can go 10,000 rounds between replacements, a few dozen dryfires isn't a big deal.

3. Depends on who you ask. I keep a round chambered with a full mag in my carry piece almost all the time, and it works fine. The one thing I would advise against is topping off a magazine. Load the magazine to its appropriate capacity, then chamber a round, but do not add an extra round into the magazine. For long-term storage, loading 1 or 2 rounds below capacity or leaving a magazine empty would be wise.

Bear in mind that all springs wear out. Keeping a magazine loaded or dryfiring will (depending on who you ask) wear out a spring faster. Proper maintenance should ensure that your springs are all in working order and are replaced when they quit working. Springs are cheap, so don't hesitate to replace one you're unsure about. It's also a good idea to keep spares of magazine and recoil springs, since they're the ones that wear out the fastest.

I hope this helps you out, and don't hesitate to ask all the questions you have. Most of us have nothing else to do but answer them :)