Do you clean new handgun before first firing?

This right here. New or used, recent or old. And it’s too easy to find a manual for used ones not to have a manual for all firearms onhand. Yes, I read them too. Usually before I field strip a gun.

JohnKSa said:

Yes, I almost always do. Here are the reasons why:

1. For Familiarization. It is part of my routine that involves reading the manual and learning to operate and field-strip the firearm.
2. To Look for Problems. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes you find things wrong. I found a bunch of what appeared to be bead-blasting media in the recesses of a new gun once, for example.
   
3. So I know how the gun looked BEFORE I fired it. That way when I come back from the range I don't have to wonder if it was that way when I bought the gun or if that happened to the gun at the range.
4. To get it clean and properly lubricated. I've never bought a new gun that didn't benefit from being cleaned and properly lubricated. It's been my experience that the factory often seems to be more concerned with preserving the condition of new guns than with carefully lubricating them for use.

The nice thing is that it's usually not a lot of work and I always enjoy messing around with a new acquisition.

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I presume new guns are treated with preservatives for long term storage, that used guns are questionable, and that military surplus guns have been dipped in codmoline that has dried or oxidized into varnish.

All my guns get field stripped, thoroughly cleaned, and lightly lubed, and barrels and firing chambers wiped clean and dry before first shot.

I always deep clean and lube all new firearm purchases. I want to clean out metal chips, rust prevenatives, and lube with a premium oil.

Always. Field strip at a minimum. Sometimes detail strip. Mainly to learn the gun. But sometimes they're all gunked up inside with preservative grease. And I have come across metal shavings not cleaned out after milling on a couple occasions. And it seems that guns that get test-fired at the factory never get cleaned before final packing. So, yes, always the gun comes apart at home before first range visit.

MrBitey said:

but honestly I couldn't visibly see a need to do this.
What do you think? Is it okay to shoot 50-100 rounds through a new gun without first cleaning and lubing it?

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Yes I do.

"New to me" and factory new.

I like to know what I'm starting with and it's a reason for a first field-strip with semi-autos.

Quite embarrassing to be out shooting and not be certain how to open-up your own gun.

Revolvers? nice time to get a look at each chamber, close view of rifling and inspect lock-up.

Or, it's merely an excuse for some intimate hands-on until I can shoot them.

But; "Is it okay to shoot 50-100 rounds through a new gun without first cleaning and lubing it?" As long as it's not bone-dry - probably "okay".

Todd.

Usually. It's more to get to know the firearm than anything else. I figure most guns are fired before they are shipped. I've always cleaned new barrels before shooting.

I clean them first. Have had a few that didn't look bad but once I got to cleaning I found a brownish film everywhere. I assume it was whatever the factory uses to prevent corrosion

Nope

Clean em??!!!???

Heck, the last three I bought I just got them to the car, checked to make sure there wasn't anything in the barrel, loaded em up & wore them home!!!



(now before there are any conniptions had - I was packing something else & the only reason I wore them home was to see how they carried in a real life situation)

Yes, clean and lube upon purchase and after each use.

This is how my Taurus Millennium PT111 arrived:



When I unboxed my PT111 it was dripping with oil. It was undoubtedly the wettest, oiliest pistol I've ever purchased. The desicant paclk was soaked with oil and it split open. Silica pellets got everywhere, including the slide rail slots and in the striker channel – behind the striker. When I took the chamber flag out, the gun wouldn't go into battery. It was jammed up with silica pellets. So I spent about 10 minutes with a toothpick getting those things out of the gun and then it worked. I wiped the gun down, inside and out and I wrapped paper towels around it and went to bed. The next morning I could see oil seeping out from the front sight, rear sight, the chamber indicator and the extractor.

Even the polymer had a coat of oil on it. Even after wiping all of the polymer with rags and wrapping it in towels, a week later when I just dry fired the gun, my shooting hand would end up smelling like oil. I feel like I needed to wash the polymer with Dawn dish-washing detergent or something.

unequivocally yes, disassemble (not to the smallest pieces), clean and lube.

Depends on the gun but it is always prudent to at least wipe a gun down and always make sure the barrel is clear before firing. Never know unless you look.

I just wiped down a 23 year old 92FS that doesn't look like it has seen the light of day since 1993. Still had some protecterant on it and the mags, guns was very dry. Mags were very dry.

I would not have simply just unboxed it and loaded and blazed away without checking the gun out and at least wiping it down and looking it over.

Clean it , no not necessary but a good wipe down won't hurt.

Yes. I do take down, clean, lubricate, and then reassemble prior to shooting a new gun.

I try to go straight from the gun counter to the range to try it out.

Why wouldn't you? What a question. Who do you trust? Yourself or a $10/hour shipping/packing clerk. No shade intended, but why would they care? Machining chips, abrasive, whatever. Clean it.

Any Les Baer owners out there that would like to comment? Is @tark out there to comment?

At the very least run a dry patch down the barrel.

I normally ask if I can take the gun I'm looking at apart before I buy it and give it a full inspection. The LGS I go to has no problems with that. They've known me for years and trust me.

If I buy it I clean it before shooting and the clean after every shooting session no matter how many rounds I've fired.

Nope. If it passes my inspection in the shop to the point that I buy it, it's ready to be fired. At most I wipe them down, Uberti's in particular are covered in oil.

Don't read the manual either, unless I have a particular need to. I like to live dangerously.

Quick wipe down and lube. That's it.

Yes. I have found some massive issues inside firearms during a cleaning that would have affected firing. I found part of a tooth under the internal hammer of a pocket gun one time.

I have shot a new gun before without fieldstripping and cleaning.
Last TC Encore barrel I bought was full of metal chips.
I would NEVER fire a gun without cleaning first after seeing that.
Some things can't be unseen.

I have seen metal filings in a few NIB guns. One shouldn't run a round through the barrel with such detritus. Very bad ju-ju.

Clean it first.

Personally, I clean every weapon I purchase as soon as it is home and at that time, I give it a very thorough visual inspection and dry fire, immediately after cleaning.

And that was true when Uncle Sam issued the weapon (other than basic training decades ago); even if it was noted to have been fully inspected. Stripped, cleaned, inspected, dry fired, then out to shoot with real ammo.