Newbie asks: how often should I clean my 1911?

I look at cleaning a gun every time I shoot the same way I do changing my oil every time I drive my car. And I go beyond the 3000 mile interval that most people suggest...

When I shot a lot, 5" guns would get detail stripped, cleaned, and a fresh recoil spring between 2000 and 2500 rounds. At some point in the middle I'd pull the slide off and clean the rails off with a rag. The detail strip is mainly for inspection purposes. 3.5" and 4" guns would get detail cleaned and a fresh recoil spring between 500 and 800 rounds. Anytime the outside world ends up inside my firearm, it gets cleaned regardless of round count.

Several things have cut into my rangetime in the past few years, so I clean and inspect once a year, usually around my birthday as I take the week off and get bored.

Some folks don't trust a dirty gun. I don't trust a clean one.

I've heard numerous numbers regarding recoil spring replacement, one of the most common seems to be about 5k. Hot or +p ammo shortens the lifespan. If you hear a "ca-chuck" after the boom its past time for a new one...

I field strip & clean my guns almost every time I shoot 'em.
If I'm going 2 outta 3 days, I might skip one cleaning.

I don't "completely" strip 'em unless there's an issue.

For a 1911, I would remove and clean the extractor and firing pin and clean the channels as part of a field strip/cleaning. I always check the extractor for tension and wear or damage. My 1911's are my defensive handguns. I don't want to find out that the extractor turned into limp noodle when I actually need it to work.

I've never taken apart the trigger mechanism or the firing pin/bolt assembly, however they don't appear to be dirty at all.

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I take out the firing pin assembly and use pipe cleaners to clean out the not only the firing pin hole, but the extractor tunnel. The extractor tunnel does get residue, and I don't want residue accumulation around the firing pin or firing pin spring.

Ken Warner once wrote of a M1911 he was testing, the firing pin stuck forward, I think it was due to gummed up oil, but could have been residue.

As for the trigger innards. Maybe once a year, to a couple of years, to hardly ever. My main problem is getting all the parts back in the frame and getting them aligned. Darn grip safety, thumb safety, disconnector, sear parts, nothing lines up right and it takes me forever to get them back.

If you are worried about gunk, I suppose you could take off the grips, drop the mainspring housing, and blow the area out with carb cleaner followed up by compressed air. I have a 5 gallon air tank which I pump up with a bicycle pump, works fine for these applications. Then drip a light oil over things and hope it all gets to the nooks and crannies you want.

Wilson Arms used to advocate dunking a M1911 in a can of Prep Sol. Prep Sol is such a severe degreaser that you have to oil immediately or you will rust appear within seconds. http://www.dupontrefinish.co.uk/por...iaries&catid=51574957833280114101112115111108

I cannot find a price on the web for Prep Sol, it used to be very expensive.

Do not use WD 40 as a lubricant for trigger parts. The stuff gets gummy.

Just wait till you get something like a M92 or a SIG. They are real complicated.

Years ago I screwed up a beautiful Colt Python by using WD 40. It cost me over $150 to have a qualified gunsmith disassemble and clean it. The stuff might be OK for wiring and automotive parts but it ain't meant for use on quality firearms. As Slamfire noted the residue creates a gummy mess over time. The only thing I'll use the crap for anymore is cleaning off tar and spraying rusted bolts on outdoor power equipment.

I agree that more guns are damaged and their lives shortened from over cleaning and constant breaking down and reassembling. I used to be a "clean them every time I shoot them" guy. It was a hard habit to break, but it sure was liberating. And it made shooting a lot more fun. I let my guns tell me when they need a cleaning now.