cleaning guns after every shoot?

not immediately after, but usually cleaned before next use. Especially before matches.

Always. Left a couple for several days after a range trip once, and it nearly killed me until I cleaned them.

frankenstein406 said:

Wipe it down everytime

I leave the bore alone

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X2....I only clean the bore when accuracy goes down.

SlamFire1 said:

I grew up in an area which the air had lots of humidity and high salt content. Dirty things rusted quickly, clean things rusted slowly. I have this compulsion to clean firearms before they are put up.

Just shot a small bore prone match today, before the rifle was put up, I wiped all external metal surfaces with GI bore cleaner, wiped that off, cleaned the barrel, disassembled the bolt, oiled everything and regreased all cam surfaces. Probably did not need to do it, but that is what I do.

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Reminds me of when I lived in the Florida Keys. Many people stated they didn't have guns there because they would just start to rust. I had a SxS 12ga coachgun That I never even fired, just kept loaded for SD, and kept a thin coat of oil on it. Still started to get surface rust on the bluing in many places worse then anywhere else I have seen.

I had an 870 mag marine model that was electro nickel plated that I kept in the boat, had to have a marine model otherwise shotgun would have been reduced to rust - also cost quite a bit more then a standard 870.

Why yes, sadly I do.

I clean my guns more than they should be. Bad habit I got into when I was a young soldier and the man in the smoky bear hat would white glove the thing.
I will try to change my ways except for the black powder guns and corrosive milsup ammo.

There are some folks who notice accuracy going bad after 50 or fewer shots. Most of them are top ranked competition centerfire and smallbore .22 rimfire rifle shooters. Others clean much less frequently and are totally satisfied with that.

In my opinion, it all boils down to how well one shoots their stuff and what they want to do to keep their stuff shooting the way they expect it to.

I have never felt the need to do a thorough breakdown and cleaning every time I shoot UNLESS I am putting the gun back in the safe for an extended time. My hunting rifles get cleaned twice a year, once right after the season and again when I pull them out in the Fall.
Shooting cheap ammo in ARs and AKs I do a good cleaning after every session though I don't break them down totally. For my carry weapons I clean them thoroughly and regularly because I like to piddle while watching TV so I have a tray table with a couple of pistols that I practice taking down and reassembling.
All guns get a wipe down after handling.

You shoot. You clean. That's the way I was brought up. I'll listen to new ideas on a lot of things, but the thought of one (or any) of my guns sitting there with a dirty bore nags at me. Plus, I really enjoy handling/working with them.

Blued guns get wiped down. Glocks and ARs get little regular attention. Cleaning every time you shoot is a waste of time unless shooting museum specimens.

I clean all guns after each use. It's a ritual.

Oddly when I just sold 10 guns, ALL of them looked brand new (and all the buyers said so), and sold at good prices. Some of them I shot VERY frequently, many 500 round outings. Very well maintained and cleaned every outing and came with box, papers, all unused.

So be suspicious of an overly clean used gun!

Scoped said:

Do any of you clean your rifles after every shoot?

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No.

lee

I have rifles I have never cleaned and they shoot great. I have shotguns that have been cleaned and oiled almost every time they were shot even if it was only a few rounds. They needed the oil to prevent rust because of the finish they had.

Nope. With my Remington 700 AAC-SD I only clean if I'm switching ammo (i.e. between my plinking ammo and ammo loaded up with SMKs since I used different powders). I don't know if it makes a difference but I do it anyway.

I clean lots but leave it fouled for hunting and cold bore shots before the season.

I don't even put dirty guns in the main safe.

arspeukinen said:

I clean all guns after each use. It's a ritual.

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This

For myself the only thing I would add is the degree of cleaning. For example at the very least after 40 – 60 rounds of .223/5.56 probably just going to run a patch or bore snake down the barrel every time out and wipe it down. Then say every 3rd or 4th time out a full cleaning would then be in order.

After every outing I disassemble each gun, clean inside and out, wet patch then dry patch chamber/rifling, apply oil at contact points, and reassemble. They also get a thorough wipe down with an oil saturated rag prior to storing.

For those who prefer a reason for their actions, I offer the following link: http://www.rrdvegas.com/rimfire-cleaning.html. I share it every time I see this debate come up.

Previously I was an every time cleaner who switched to a wipe down and action only cleaner with the occasional bore cleaning. I have come full circle I guess as the above article provided compelling evidence IMO. What you clean with can also have a serious impact on outcome as well.

I think there is a wide divergence in the definition of "clean" as to what the action entails. I wipe down the outside and pull a boresnake through to remove any loose powder residue and leave a slight film of fresh oil on my guns after I have had them out because I want them to be in great condition when I pass them on to my heirs. I am not a competition shooter nor do I worry about all of my shots being within a 2" circle. If the water filled milk jug explodes at 100 yards I am happy and my rifles will do that with my cleaning regimen.

I used to be a member of the "shoot it - clean it" crowd, but no more. I don't shoot corrosive ammo in any of my firearms, so that's never an issue for me. I wipe down the outside surface and the bolt, and inspect the bore and action, which determines whether or not it requires a full cleaning. Most times, not.

Honestly, though, I always enjoyed cleaning my firearms. It is definitely a labor of love for me.