I skipped through most responses...
I was brought up to clean a firearm after every outing, whether it was fired or not.
And this came from my Dad, who hated saluting senior officers during that Korean thing-a-ma-jig but did as was instructed. (And, YES, his guns were mint!)
A couple of months ago I "sinned", fired one round through my 1911 and did not get cleaned for weeks,,,,,,,,,,,,
oops......
So........clean your firearm, not only will you appreciate it but that heirloom's inheritance will (hopefully) like it also.
ETA After reading my post I just have to add this.
This is not our permanent residence. We are not to store up treasures on Earth, but I believe it is nice to pass them on to our children and grandkids to enjoy for the short time we all are here.