Clean your own guns?

Scout21 said:

I'm very surprised that I'm the only one so far that has said that they don't need cleaning. Granted, I don't shoot nearly as much as many others, but I've never had a gun stop working due to being dirty. I'm not an expert shot, but I've also never noticed any degradation in accuracy from unclean bores.

I wipe them down after each use with a lightly oiled rag to ward off rust, and maybe a pull through with a lightly oiled bore snake if they'll be sitting for a good while. Otherwise they're left alone.

The last time I cleaned a gun was actually somewhat recently. I cleaned up the bolt, breech face, and receiver of my 10-22, simply because I wanted to see what it looked like clean. Didn't touch the bore.

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Actually, .22 LR bores are pretty much self-cleaning. The problem of corrosion begins with copper-jacketed bullets shot from centerfires. Unlike lead bullets, which are wax lubricated, centerfire jacketed bullets leave a coating that doesn't protect bores, in fact, it leaves them dry and naked to corrosion from humid conditions. When I was younger, I forgot to clean my varmint rifle after the season and months later, tried to look down the bore and could barely see through it due to Rust! I had intended to keep using the rifle through that varmint season, but with new babies, forgot all about it. By the time I woke up and tried to look through the bore, I could barely see light through it. In a PANIC, I worked hard and long to soften the corrosion, so I could get a cleaning rod through it. I finally did, but the bore was badly corroded. I took it to the range, expecting to see the effects on grouping ability, or tumbling, but it shot just as well as before!!! Still, it had a rough bore and would accumulate copper jacket material, so got rid of it to someone who wanted a cheap varmint rifle.

Many moons ago, I bought a surplus Mauser from a pawn shop for deer season. Without the long story of why, when I got it, there were spider webs in the barrel and it was overall coated with grime and dirt. The owner wasn't big into firearms, he was more a tools and jewels seller, which was why I got it so cheap (60 bucks plus tax in '88).
Cleaned it up, shot a couple through it to see where it hit, as I wasn't really planning on the hunt that year, got a deer anyway, and then took it back to get at least some of my money back.

Here's where it gets interesting. When the guy saw it again, it was like a different rifle, and he gave me exactly what I paid for it (!) back and here's the kicker: he offered to pay me twenty bucks apiece to do the same for his small inventory of firearms, because they were all in the same shape.

After I did that, he bumped up the prices and suddenly, hardware that had been literally gathering dust started going out the door.
Shouldn't have shown him how to do it, but I had better things to do at the time.

Personally, I give mine a cursory bore cleaning and brushing, followed by a light schmear of CLP and call it good. When it's looking real grungy I do a detail cleaning, but I don't shoot like that anymore. The idea of someone else cleaning my weapons is unsettling to me, it's part of the whole experience.

Cleaned after every use. All copper removed and most of the carbon. All firearms are kept in meticulous condition. My group sizes prove the result of having a standard by which to judge results. It's a ragged hole or nothing. Bores are inspected after every range session. Thats a new procedure since acquiring a bore scope. Thats what works for me, I'm not going to judge other methods.

I had my first M1 Carbine ultrasonically cleaned and lubed by my gunsmith. It had been in a closet since the 60's when I bought it and needed a deep clean. If I could afford it I would have my all my guns professionally cleaned. As it is I do it myself as needed ie rarely.

I have been considering trying out the $75 Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner. Anyone have any experience with cheap cleaners?

Twice I’ve also cleaned
a Friend’s guns. Maybe just a couple of them ( his horse kept him busy— now owns Six).

Even many such German natives don’t want to clean; hard to believe.

Jimbo80: I’m also curious about H Freight lower-cost Ultrasonic cleaners.

wow.
An ultrasonic would be Far better for somebody tempted to do a Detailed strip of a CZ-82/83’s tiny internal parts.

Some guys never get the sear bits & spring together correctly, or damage the dinky spring.

my rifles, without exception are more accurate cleaned. I am not crazy about having to do it. That's one reason I quit shooting black powder years ago.

d2wing said:

my rifles, without exception are more accurate cleaned. I am not crazy about having to do it. That's one reason I quit shooting black powder years ago.

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I only shoot black powder because it’s easier to get a tag in most western states. And the season dates are usually better, especially for elk.

Jimbo80 said:

I had my first M1 Carbine ultrasonically cleaned and lubed by my gunsmith. It had been in a closet since the 60's when I bought it and needed a deep clean. If I could afford it I would have my all my guns professionally cleaned. As it is I do it myself as needed ie rarely.

I have been considering trying out the $75 Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner. Anyone have any experience with cheap cleaners?

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I use very cheap bore cleaners, called bore brushes, patches, solvent, and preservatives, applied by cleaning rod.

our rifles are family heirlooms. i hope one day my grand children take deer with them.


so yeah we clean/ oil after almost every use. especially if it was a damp day or the next trip may be a while

Jimbo80 said:

I had my first M1 Carbine ultrasonically cleaned and lubed by my gunsmith. It had been in a closet since the 60's when I bought it and needed a deep clean. If I could afford it I would have my all my guns professionally cleaned. As it is I do it myself as needed ie rarely.

I have been considering trying out the $75 Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner. Anyone have any experience with cheap cleaners?

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I've cleaned my guns and some belonging to others, when I ran a part-time gunsmithing service, when first married. I still use Hoppe's #9 bore cleaner, bronze brush, followed by several bore-cleaner applied patches, then a dry patch and finish with one having Rig or Break-Free on it.

GBExpat said:

Wow.

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When I had a part-time gun-repair business, I had several customers who didn't even clean their own guns. DUH!!! They apparently were afraid of doing something wrong to their guns. One guy even had me sight-in his Browning Semi-auto with receiver sights on it, then clean the bore...so I did. (In over 5 years, I never had to correct the first adjustment setting.)

PzGren said:

I have a lot of traditional blued firearms and at least wipe them down after using them and run a bore brush and mop through them. My cheap carry gun, a SIG Sauer P365 is only getting cleaned, oiled and inspected once a week.

The "cleaning" is more of a conservation and rust prevention and my guns are worth that to me.

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A dirty Korth just does not look as nice.

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Nice guns! I like the Python the most, because I had a couple of them, long ago. Used the 6" when a part-time officer and firearms instructor. She was a great shooter!

Clean often, usually after a gun range trip. Copper gets removed when accuracy goes south.

I clean my centerfires every trip "unless I will be more testing that week" I clean rimfires once a season because they take a while to season and I'm not ruining a match breaking it back in. When I go home to my dad's house, I get to clean all of his

I clean my own

beag_nut said:

None of the offered options are what I do: I clean after EVERY firing, no matter how many rounds were used. Taught by a WW2 staff sergeant, 'way back when. And no regrets!

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You shoot it, you clean it ( for three days) taught by my Gunney,. Every time I shoot them I clean them but not for three days anymore!

Bruce D Pease said:

You shoot it, you clean it ( for three days) taught by my Gunney,. Every time I shoot them I clean them but not for three days anymore!

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My last patch always puts a light coating of Rig, or similar protectant. It doesn't make much of a difference in POI, but makes me feel that my rifle won't rust from morning moisture or rain.

d2wing said:

my rifles, without exception are more accurate cleaned. I am not crazy about having to do it. That's one reason I quit shooting black powder years ago.

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I somewhat dislike cleaning guns, but do it quickly and easily in my shop. I have several one-piece cleaning rods of different diameters/lengths in a rack on my gun cleaning bench. I don't shoot black powder because I love to shoot and don't enjoy cleaning black powder guns.

I clean mine myself. I clean to some degree after every use. To what degree depends on the gun, how much it was shot and the weather conditions. No one else has ever cleaned my guns, at least not since I've owned them. But I have cleaned others guns on occasion. Usually after a rainy day hunt at Deer Camp when everyone has returned to camp and started cooking supper or doing other chores.

I like cleaning guns, I clean them sometimes even if I don’t need to. Maybe it’s from cleaning the crap out of an m16a1 constantly decades ago and it stuck with me. Then again I liked cleaning them as a kid.

I didn't see a choice that represents how I do it, so no answer to the poll. I have never heard of someone cleaning my firearms other than me, and probably wouldn't let someone do it.

I always clean centerfire firearms after they have been shot. Now, how fussy and detailed the cleaning is varies. For rifles and handguns above .22LR, I always put at least 3 or so patches through the barrel. I clean the chamber area and the bolt and oil the exterior. At other times I do a more detailed cleaning. The only exception to all these self-imposed rules is with .22 firearms, which I clean after 2 or three range trips since they are not normally self-defense weapons.

I clean after each trip and sometimes just to do a rust check and refresh for ones I don't usually shoot but then I live in a very humid region. I have seen rust start to form the next day from a range trip. One of my AK's is really bad about this. But I really enjoy cleaning my guns, pride in ownership and all that. My process is pretty simple though. Lay towels out on the dinning room table. Wet everying down with Hoppes #9. Let sit over night. Nylon brush the bits and nylon brush the bores. Wipe dry, q-tip/pipe cleaner the hard to reach spots. Light film of CLP. Usually at the field strip level. Detail strip every few sessions or every trip if the "communist caliber" gus with known corrosive ammo are involved. Keeps me entertained in the evenings while the wife watched her crime shows.

OP, none of your options fit what I do, in fact they were a bit over the top to my thinking. Im probably between seeing it as a necessary chore that always gets done, not just 'usually' but not that white gloves things you mention. Guns get cleaned in some way after every time they are taken out for the day. The degree of cleaning depends on the type and use, whether its removing fouling from a high velocity rifle or just wiping down a 22LR with an oily rag after handling.

Id seen some Commie caliber firearms that careless people shot corrosive ammo out of them assuming they were not corrosive.
Seen a mint looking Polish M-44 bore that had 40% of its rifling.
Bore as bad as some kitchen drain pipes on inside.
My first time seeing a Chinese Paratrooper SKS that had the gas piston locked with corrosion into the gas tube, corrosive primer salts sat uncleaned for almost 8 years.
There again even chrome didnt stop the salts.