Am I too anal?
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mljdeckard
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We didn't say cleaning a firearm wears it out. We said OVERcleaning a firearm wears it out. Don't believe me? Check out the arms room of any army training unit. They are so obsessed with eliminating all carbon and dirt from all areas of the firearm, the finish is worn off of a lot of them. I have caught soldiers using things like shaving cream to try to get out the black. They strip them more than they fire them, the function check them so many times that the pins rattle loose, there is play between moving parts where there shouldn't be, and the lockwork is all either stiff or mushy, because the play between every step exaggerates the problem. The crowns are dinged up, the rifling is gouged, the locking lugs and chamber are scratched to death, the bolt end that meets the bolt carrier has the finish scrubbed off of it because of years of people using dental picks to get all the carbon off, (same with the surface inside the bolt carrier where it contacts it,) which means the original finish, which was somewhat resistant to carbon buildup, is completely gone.
In repeatedly stripping and messing with a gun, you increase the odds that you will damage it. You can get brush bristles broken off and stuck where they shouldn't be. You can damage springs by pushing on them and jamming things between the coils. If you use some parts of the gun for leverage to force a brush into a nook, you can do damage. things like this.
Like we said. the OP probably isn't doing any harm. But it absolutely is possible to damage a gun if you repeatedly strip it and clean it mostly because you just want to play with it.
In repeatedly stripping and messing with a gun, you increase the odds that you will damage it. You can get brush bristles broken off and stuck where they shouldn't be. You can damage springs by pushing on them and jamming things between the coils. If you use some parts of the gun for leverage to force a brush into a nook, you can do damage. things like this.
Like we said. the OP probably isn't doing any harm. But it absolutely is possible to damage a gun if you repeatedly strip it and clean it mostly because you just want to play with it.
Cleaning in and of itself doesn't wear out much of anything. (assuming that you are using a bore guide) The frequent disassembly does take it's toll on screw heads and the like. I've worked on a lot of guns that have been severely over-lubricated though.
If you do a site search on this and other sites I think that you will find the one thing that people can't seem to agree on is cleaning.
"that and caliber selection"
Or gun type, model, carrying tactics, shooting technique, etc... It is a sad fact that there is rarely an agreement in internet forums. Even if a couple people agree that, say, 1911's are the best, someone will come out of the woodwork to say "Glock's/CZ's/XD's are the best."
Same thing with any other type of forum in existance. Computers, cars, watches... anything!! :banghead:
We are all human, and opinions are like ****'s: we all have one. All we can do is sit back, get some popcorn and get entertained.
Or gun type, model, carrying tactics, shooting technique, etc... It is a sad fact that there is rarely an agreement in internet forums. Even if a couple people agree that, say, 1911's are the best, someone will come out of the woodwork to say "Glock's/CZ's/XD's are the best."
Same thing with any other type of forum in existance. Computers, cars, watches... anything!! :banghead:
We are all human, and opinions are like ****'s: we all have one. All we can do is sit back, get some popcorn and get entertained.
mcdonl
Member
And they all stink.
Sheepdog1968
Member
I already posted on page 3 my general thoughts. I thought of something else to add. At one point, I shot one of my pistols a fair bit and didn't have a chance to clean it. I ended up moving several times, career was taking off, etc. I didn't take that pistol out for 15 to 20 years and hadn't cleaned it. During those years, I totally ignored it and didn't lube it. It was kept in the house and experienced the changes in season like I did. When I finally took it out, there was no rust or any damage. I cleaned it before I shot it. When I shot it, it worked fine. I don't reccomend neglecting firearms like this, but if you have the proper finish on it, I think they stand up quite well.
KBintheSLC
Member
My general rule is that defensive weapons get cleaned and lubed immediately after a trip to the range. Plinkers & target guns only get cleaned when they start choking. Carry guns get cleaned once per month whether I shoot them or not.
swiftak
Member
I know the M16s I was issued in the army in the early 1970s were all worn out. Not from shooting but from cleaning.
HisSoldier
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Gun cleaning on a schedule is an idea that makes people feel good, but it has no basis in reality. If your gun shoots well at 4000 rounds without cleaning why would it shoot any better after cleaning?
Wash your hands after going pee pee. Your momma taught you well. That's good.
The facts are that cleaning the barrel should be a rare activity if it ever needs doing, while the interior of some guns are more or less sensitive to byproducts of combustion than others, you should know for yourself whether or not yours is. Some powders burn much cleaner than others, maybe you will want to clean it once a year.
If you take the bathroom morality out of it and approach it scientifically you may come to the conclusion that cleaning after every range day is a waste of solvents, time, and barrel material.
But read what a major barrel maker says about cleaning the barrel of a handgun. Cleaning too often can result in lower scores as well as shorter barrel life.
Post 84;
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=279567&page=4
Wash your hands after going pee pee. Your momma taught you well. That's good.
The facts are that cleaning the barrel should be a rare activity if it ever needs doing, while the interior of some guns are more or less sensitive to byproducts of combustion than others, you should know for yourself whether or not yours is. Some powders burn much cleaner than others, maybe you will want to clean it once a year.
If you take the bathroom morality out of it and approach it scientifically you may come to the conclusion that cleaning after every range day is a waste of solvents, time, and barrel material.
But read what a major barrel maker says about cleaning the barrel of a handgun. Cleaning too often can result in lower scores as well as shorter barrel life.
Post 84;
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=279567&page=4
bdb benzino
Member
Mine are cleaned after each use, unless I know I am going shooting in the next few days.
I might rewipe the pistol with an oily rag after it has sat unused in the safe for several months or if it has been handled alot.
I might rewipe the pistol with an oily rag after it has sat unused in the safe for several months or if it has been handled alot.
jimmyraythomason
Member
The long and short of it is this. It is your time and your guns. If cleaning them makes you happy then have at it and enjoy!
sohcgt2
Member
Who cleans a firearm with dental picks? I use solvent and patches on my steel frame guns and my polymer frame guns go in the dishwasher.
This makes sense with both the screw and screwdriver being of similar hardness. I don't have any guns that require the removal of screws for cleaning
jimmyraythomason
Member
I do. All of my revolvers, lever actions,semi-auto .22s and others.
Choclabman
Member
All pistols fired are cleaned after every range trip.
Carry pistols are cleaned once, sometimes twice a week.
Carry pistols are cleaned once, sometimes twice a week.
oldfool
Member
as some have said, "cleaning" is a word with a broad range of connotations, but I do believe all would agree that there certainly is such as
poor cleaning technique
poor choice of cleaning "tools"
OVER cleaning
abrasion
I do clean a gun if it has been fired that day, (other than a hunting rifle, which might only get cleaned once or twice a season), but "how done" has a lot to do with it
I have never yet taken sideplates off a revolver, for example
(no need to if the gun runs smooth, locks up tight, etc)
I have never had to remove "screws" to clean a gun, unless dropping a forestock counts
field stripping an autoloader is a far cry from a full breakdown
(If it can't be taken apart in 60 seconds or less, it don't need to come apart)
if I really thought it needed a gunsmith quality breakdown, I would hunt up a gunsmith
for me, a ziplock bag full of clean patches and a can of CLP gets it done
a brass or other non-steel pistol rod, a quality coated rod for centerfire rifles or non-abrasive patch pull cord (I use heavy test mono leader line on smallbores)
when CLP wet patches thru the barrel look clean, then it's a dry patch or two and done
If a CLP soaked patch rubbed on gun with my finger don't get it off, it don't need to come off, and always wipe down gun after to remove excess
(excess oil + grit = grinding compound)
Very rarely use a nylon bristle brush, virtually never use any metal brushes: The bronze/brass brushes that come in gifted cleaning kits may last me the rest of my life, most never get used
Various and sundry foul out cleaners in the closet, bought "just because", most have never been opened, shiny mirror clean bore is shiny mirror clean bore, and expected accuracy does as expected, that means clean enough
if you shoot the multiple-mach screamers out of rifles, sure you may need some copper foul out from time to time
but the handguns and mid-range rifle loads I push thru my stuff, I probably never will need to crack that bottle open
those black rings on the cylinder face... they supposed to be there folks
that star pattern on the end of the muzzle, you glance at that, before wiping most of it off with you finger, just to see that it looks symmetrical
unless you have Godzilla fingers, you are not going to hurt good bluing (much less SS) with a CLP spritzed cotton patch and your finger.. holster wear will do a lot more than that
PS
when I finally do get around to washing my pickup truck every other year, I don't use bronze brushes on it either
but neither bluing nor SS is corrosion PROOF
just like water resistant watches are not water PROOF
I had a sales counter guy once tell me that SS rifle I was buying, "no cleaning required, SS, corrosion proof, but I didn't feel like wasting my time to tell him any different, just wanted the gun
also had to spend some elbow grease cleaning up tannic acid pitting off a functionally perfect S&W bought used, somebody must have left in leather on a closet shelf for 10 or 15 years - got a heckuva good deal on the gun though !
poor cleaning technique
poor choice of cleaning "tools"
OVER cleaning
abrasion
I do clean a gun if it has been fired that day, (other than a hunting rifle, which might only get cleaned once or twice a season), but "how done" has a lot to do with it
I have never yet taken sideplates off a revolver, for example
(no need to if the gun runs smooth, locks up tight, etc)
I have never had to remove "screws" to clean a gun, unless dropping a forestock counts
field stripping an autoloader is a far cry from a full breakdown
(If it can't be taken apart in 60 seconds or less, it don't need to come apart)
if I really thought it needed a gunsmith quality breakdown, I would hunt up a gunsmith
for me, a ziplock bag full of clean patches and a can of CLP gets it done
a brass or other non-steel pistol rod, a quality coated rod for centerfire rifles or non-abrasive patch pull cord (I use heavy test mono leader line on smallbores)
when CLP wet patches thru the barrel look clean, then it's a dry patch or two and done
If a CLP soaked patch rubbed on gun with my finger don't get it off, it don't need to come off, and always wipe down gun after to remove excess
(excess oil + grit = grinding compound)
Very rarely use a nylon bristle brush, virtually never use any metal brushes: The bronze/brass brushes that come in gifted cleaning kits may last me the rest of my life, most never get used
Various and sundry foul out cleaners in the closet, bought "just because", most have never been opened, shiny mirror clean bore is shiny mirror clean bore, and expected accuracy does as expected, that means clean enough
if you shoot the multiple-mach screamers out of rifles, sure you may need some copper foul out from time to time
but the handguns and mid-range rifle loads I push thru my stuff, I probably never will need to crack that bottle open
those black rings on the cylinder face... they supposed to be there folks
that star pattern on the end of the muzzle, you glance at that, before wiping most of it off with you finger, just to see that it looks symmetrical
unless you have Godzilla fingers, you are not going to hurt good bluing (much less SS) with a CLP spritzed cotton patch and your finger.. holster wear will do a lot more than that
PS
when I finally do get around to washing my pickup truck every other year, I don't use bronze brushes on it either
but neither bluing nor SS is corrosion PROOF
just like water resistant watches are not water PROOF
I had a sales counter guy once tell me that SS rifle I was buying, "no cleaning required, SS, corrosion proof, but I didn't feel like wasting my time to tell him any different, just wanted the gun
also had to spend some elbow grease cleaning up tannic acid pitting off a functionally perfect S&W bought used, somebody must have left in leather on a closet shelf for 10 or 15 years - got a heckuva good deal on the gun though !
mgmorden
Member
I'm pretty lax on my cleaning. With pistols, I go by the "if it quits working, then clean it" mantra, but typically if I pull out the stuff to clean 1 of my handguns then I go ahead and clean all of them at that time.
Rifles - just whenever I feel like it. Despite owning a lot of them there are really only a handful that get shot a lot, so those get more cleaning.
Shotguns about the same as pistols - I clean them when they start having issues, but typically just the one gun.
Heck my dad flat out doesn't "clean" his guns in the traditional sense. Now, he really only uses 2 guns - a Remington 870 12ga and a Remington 742 .30-06, but until I became an adult and occasionally cleaned his guns for him, he NEVER - EVER, cleaned them. He's owned both for over 20 years. The most they got was a wipe-down with WD40 if they rusted (ie, he'd been hunting in the rain). Internals were never touched. They were both still working, though admittedly when I first broke down the 870 it felt very stiff and gritty compared to my newer (and better maintained) 870. A lot of gunk came out of that thing, but as said, it was still working, and after a good cleaning it started working just fine again.
Rifles - just whenever I feel like it. Despite owning a lot of them there are really only a handful that get shot a lot, so those get more cleaning.
Shotguns about the same as pistols - I clean them when they start having issues, but typically just the one gun.
Heck my dad flat out doesn't "clean" his guns in the traditional sense. Now, he really only uses 2 guns - a Remington 870 12ga and a Remington 742 .30-06, but until I became an adult and occasionally cleaned his guns for him, he NEVER - EVER, cleaned them. He's owned both for over 20 years. The most they got was a wipe-down with WD40 if they rusted (ie, he'd been hunting in the rain). Internals were never touched. They were both still working, though admittedly when I first broke down the 870 it felt very stiff and gritty compared to my newer (and better maintained) 870. A lot of gunk came out of that thing, but as said, it was still working, and after a good cleaning it started working just fine again.
The_Blacksmith
Member
Each person's gun is his/hers for their preference...
Me? I shoot it... I clean it. Like others, I take care of all of my tools as I use them. If it's clean, I can inspect (usually at a glance) for any tell-tell signs. In the ARMY, I never returned a weapon to the Armorer unless cleaned.
If I borrow a gun (for whatever reason) or if given a gun to test for a friend... one, I field strip it. If dirty I clean it before firing. Then clean it again before returning.
But again... YMMV
Me? I shoot it... I clean it. Like others, I take care of all of my tools as I use them. If it's clean, I can inspect (usually at a glance) for any tell-tell signs. In the ARMY, I never returned a weapon to the Armorer unless cleaned.
If I borrow a gun (for whatever reason) or if given a gun to test for a friend... one, I field strip it. If dirty I clean it before firing. Then clean it again before returning.
But again... YMMV
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