Do you clean your handguns after every range session?

My carry gun yes because it will get much more dirt in it as I carry it.
My other guns no I let them get about 200 to 300 rounds through them before a good cleaning.
If I had a .22 pistol I would clean it after every range trip because most .22 ammo shoots very dirty.

I do, but not a deep cleaning. I brush the soot/powder residue off, and run a bore snake through it a few times. A few drops of oil where needed. Maybe a quick wipe down with a cloth.

My carry guns are cleaned after each range trip, more because I don't want gunshot crud getting in my holsters, on my clothes, or even smearing around in the gun safe... the gun itself can handle it though.

Light cleaning every time, deeper cleaning when necessary.

I have a dedicated range Glock 17 which is identical to my carry gun. It almost never gets cleaned since my hot reloads burn so clean now. Literally 2000 rounds between cleaning is normal, probably more. It only malfunctioned once after several hundred rounds of steel case crap ammo.

Each gun has a different cleaning regimen due to powder and use. If I had to pick a "round number" (pun!) I'd pick 300!

As a former revolver competition shooter, I began to feel a little sluggishness at that round count.
My Semi-autos got the same treatment but probably could go a little higher in round count.
At most matches the round count was 300 rounds for the weekend. Having two competition revolvers gave me peace of mind "just in case"! Of course, cleaning in the evening was always an option too!
I once pushed one of my Bullseye .22's to 1,000 rounds. The gun functioned just fine because I did run a "bore snake" through it after every match!

Of course, EDC gets cleaned as needed even when not fired!

Smiles,

I rarely deep clean a gun. I almost always wipe the spot off with an oily rag though and that generally includes a few drops of oil in the pertinent parts. I rarely clean the bore.

mus said:

"…Light cleaning every time, deeper cleaning when necessary…"

Click to expand...

This is my approach. At the very least they get aerosol sprayed, wiped, and lubed.

I clean as soon as able unless I know I'm going to shoot it again within a day or so. Exceptions are centerfire using corrosive primer or black powder. Those get cleaned asap regardless.

I swab the bore, clean the feed ramp and breech on my semniautos after each range session, but only do a deep clean about once a year, or if I have any function issues. Revolvers get the barrel swabbed and cylinder bores and breech face cleaned, and they all get wiped down. Rifles get a full cleaning, especially the AR.

My CC gets cleaned fairly well after a range session; it's like having on clean underwear if you have to go to the ER. Who wants to have a grotty gun on if they get into something?

My handguns are like my rear end, gets cleaned if used no matter how little.

Yes.

I remember reading this, but don't remember who said it:
"Never let the Sun
Set on a dirty gun."

If 'clean' means wiping the outside, maybe adding oil, I do that before putting them away unless I'm doing a no-lube test.

Otherwise, I clean for accuracy and function.

Carry guns get cleaned so they can't be mistaken for being fired, and for reliability.

Non-carry guns might sit dirty for a bit. Centerfires get left dirty if I intend to go shooting again soon. Rimfires for sure get left dirty for several shooting sessions, although the revolver chambers need cleaning long before the bore does.

Oops. Double Tap…somehow.

Just yesterday at a Small Bore Prone match, I talked to a lady who also shoots Bullseye Pistol (with a 22lr, a 45ACP is way too much for her!). Her boyfriend provides the pistol and the ammunition. I know boyfriend, he is an amazing rifle and pistol shooter, but he is one of those who does not clean their competition guns until they malfunction! And guess what, lady friend's loaner pistol is malfunctioning.

I think it stupid to drive half and hour to two hours to go to a match and have the pistol choke because accumulated crud caused it to malfunction. So even though I will only fire 90 rounds through a 22 lr at a Bullseye Pistol Match, I clean the pistols before putting them up. I clean the bore, paying particular attention to the chamber. Feed and extraction is enhanced when the chamber is clean. Recently I purchased a five gallon air compressor, noisy bastard, but just wonderful for blowing out unburnt powder residue and old oil, from the tiniest nooks and crannies. I make sure all surfaces get saturated with some sort of powder solvent, (incidentally, I purchased a gallon of Liquid Wrench. It also dissolves powder residue) and then wiped off. This is for rust prevention as carbon against a steel surface will cause rust pits. Then I lube everything.

No rust on this M46. Had collector value till I had it drilled and tapped for an Ultra Dot!




Putting away clean guns means I can leave them in the safe for years, literally, and not have to worry about rust. And I can pull them out, rapidly check to see if the lubricant has dried, and if the lube is good, the pistol is ready to shoot.

For your self defense gun, do you care that the pistol goes bang when you need it? I am surprised that actually LEO's are rather dismissive about keeping their firearms clean. A shooting bud of mine, a retired State Trooper, told me he visited the house of one of his troopers and pulled the pump shotgun from that man's cruiser. It was so rusted shut, he could not rack the fore end.

Back when I first started shooting, I neglected to clean my guns. I was rewarded with rust on a few of them.
I learned my lesson and clean everything as soon as I get home. now.

Sun never sets on a dirty gun. Yes I clean after every range trip. Usually nothing too deep. Sweep out dust and carbon from slide rails, magazine well (a lot can get in there if you do a run and gun match), barrel, chamber, and inside the trigger group. Put lube back where lube goes, grease where grease goes.

Every time, just a habit I've had from the beginning.

If I pull the trigger once or 100 my 686 gets cleaned.

Yeah, I clean after each range session. It might just need a quick swab in the bore and chambers, a bit of lube, and a wipe down with a silicone cloth, but it gets done. Only takes five minutes or less and I like the look of a shiny bore. Got into the habit from shooting muzzleloaders, where it's not optional. Plus, I'm one of those people who takes satisfaction in clean and rust-free guns.

Jeff

Blackpowder? Always. Others usually get a wipe down with, of all things, Pledge. Not firing a great number of rounds with any gun on a range trip I usually wait until the third or forth session to go thru them. 22Rimfire might go even longer.

Despite knowing that, depending on the environment, it's unnecessary, I clean mine after every session. I'm just too compulsive not to.