shootingthebreeze
Member
I don't mind cleaning after shooting. That is so part of me having been in the military for 20 years that it's second habit. So I go shooting a lot regardless of the cleaning task.
Would you shoot more if you didn't have to clean your guns?
- Thread starter usmarine0352_2005
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P5 Guy
Member
Shoot Gun, Clean Gun?
Personally I enjoy all the aspects of being a gun owner. Handloading, shooting and maintaining firearms and ammunition.
But one question comes to my mind when I see threads like this,what does the OP mean by "cleaning"? Full detail strip, clean and lube or push a couple of wet patches thru the bore, dry and wipe down the exterior of the gun just taken from the range bag?
Personally I enjoy all the aspects of being a gun owner. Handloading, shooting and maintaining firearms and ammunition.
But one question comes to my mind when I see threads like this,what does the OP mean by "cleaning"? Full detail strip, clean and lube or push a couple of wet patches thru the bore, dry and wipe down the exterior of the gun just taken from the range bag?
usmarine0352_2005
member
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Whenever I clean my guns I fully field strip, clean and lube them.
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Whenever I clean my guns I fully field strip, clean and lube them.
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rogerjames
member
I love cleaning my guns. Each time I break them down and clean them, I feel more confident that they will function properly and I enjoy handling the parts and getting acquainted with how they fit together and operate.
Ignition Override
Member
For motivation, just remembering the wear in so many classic guns' bores, while watching the Military or History Channel can be enough.
In (former Marine Officer) C. J. Chivers' new book, "The Gun" (among other books), his excerpts on how many of our guys died in early Vietnam combat when their rifles jammed might provide inspiration.
In (former Marine Officer) C. J. Chivers' new book, "The Gun" (among other books), his excerpts on how many of our guys died in early Vietnam combat when their rifles jammed might provide inspiration.
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mgmorden
Member
Nope. I don't clean after every outing anyways. I only clean my guns when I feel they need it. That's is usually either if they develop a problem, get wet, or have been shot and I am bored with time on my hands.
I have guns that I've taken to the range a dozen times or more between cleanings. Never seems to be an issue.
Heck my dad's view on gun cleaning was always "wipe it with WD40 if it gets wet and rusts up". While his guns stayed pretty dirty a lot of the time (and the actions looked HORRIBLE when I finally broke down most of the for a detailed cleaning I decided to do for him), they all kept working for 25+ years without anything other than an exterior wipe-down with a tube-sock and WD40.
IMHO, cleaning your guns helps, and for carry guns I'd say do it often-ish, but I think many overestimate how much cleaning is needed. If you're not shooting corrosive ammo then it doesn't need to be cleaned every time its shot.
I have guns that I've taken to the range a dozen times or more between cleanings. Never seems to be an issue.
Heck my dad's view on gun cleaning was always "wipe it with WD40 if it gets wet and rusts up". While his guns stayed pretty dirty a lot of the time (and the actions looked HORRIBLE when I finally broke down most of the for a detailed cleaning I decided to do for him), they all kept working for 25+ years without anything other than an exterior wipe-down with a tube-sock and WD40.
IMHO, cleaning your guns helps, and for carry guns I'd say do it often-ish, but I think many overestimate how much cleaning is needed. If you're not shooting corrosive ammo then it doesn't need to be cleaned every time its shot.
wow6599
Member
YES
No, cleaning has no impact on my desire to shoot. I'm not as picky as some when it comes to cleaning (as in, I don't feel the need to detail strip a gun every time I clean it when a simple field stripping can get the job done). I'm also of the non-military school, meaning I don't feel the need to clean a gun after every single use, whether its one shot or 1000. I do believe in keeping my guns in good working order and maintained, but believe that one can actually accelerate wear with overzealous cleaning, rather than preventing it.
Kerf
Member
No obsessive/compulsive behavior here...
you should wash your hands when they look dirty or smell bad; not every time you use them. Same criteria with guns. Fondling is a different subject altogether.
Kerf
you should wash your hands when they look dirty or smell bad; not every time you use them. Same criteria with guns. Fondling is a different subject altogether.
Kerf
NMGonzo
Member
Clean?!?
Mule
Member
I would shoot my black powder guns more if I didn't have to clean them right away.
This really seems to be based on your general outlook on chores.
I always clean a gun when I shoot it, but I also make my bed everyday, cut the grass once a week and so on. Chores don't bother me as they are just a part of life.
I always clean a gun when I shoot it, but I also make my bed everyday, cut the grass once a week and so on. Chores don't bother me as they are just a part of life.
Arkansas Paul
Member
I'm with Mule. I would shoot BP more if the cleaning process wasn't such a PITA.
The rest I shoot whenever I want and clean when I think it needs it. Never had any issues.
The rest I shoot whenever I want and clean when I think it needs it. Never had any issues.
no, it makes no difference to me. it is part of the experience. if you do not take care of your firearm, when you need it most, it may NOT take care of YOU!
Zundfolge
Member
No, I would shoot more if I didn't have to drive 45min each way to the range and back.
mgmorden
Member
Remember though that not all uses of firearms are "tactical" or "defensive". Out of the 3 or 4 dozen firearms I own there are exactly 2 that I would even be in a position to rely on to a point where a malfunction would illicit more than a "Darn. That bites.". On the other hand at least half of them are shot regularly.
Realistically, there are a LOT of guns that people own where reliability isn't a critical factor, simply because those guns aren't used in such situations.
I always clean my "carry", after shooting it, along with a function test, pencil with eraser, to check the firing pin. As for other guns I may have taken, usually I will do them within a week, if not right after. As long as I drag out the cleaning supplies, I may as well do all of the ones I fired. Also my pocket pistol gets cleaned once a month weather I shot it or not. It's amazing what can fall into a small pistol that sit's in your front pocket. I remember discussing this before, and several guys said the same about pocket guns, bugs etc. If you are relying on a piece of machinery to save your life, the least you can do is make sure it's cared for and as ready as it can be. That one time that your firing pin or dirty slide fails to work because of some dirt, is one time too many.
Renegade87
Member
I enjoy cleaning as much as I do shooting them.
The Lone Haranguer
Member
I tend to regard cleaning things as a necessary evil 
, but the necessity of cleaning guns afterwards doesn't affect how often or how much I shoot them.
, but the necessity of cleaning guns afterwards doesn't affect how often or how much I shoot them.LDNN
Member
I really enjoy cleaning...it is a zen-like state of mind for me when I clean a weapon so I actually look forward to cleaning after each range/IDPA session.
I really kind of like to clean my guns, and probably do so more often than necessary. But like others have said, the only ones I feel really obliged to clean are the ones I don't plan to shoot again for a while, so yes, the more I shoot a particular gun, the less I tend to clean it.
CajunBass
Member
Naw. I don't HAVE to clean a gun unless I want to.
Sav .250
Member
Training or the lack of has a lot to do with that.
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