I always oil them, which provides rust protection, and generally wipe them clean.
But I don't really consider that a 'cleaning'.
It is the scrubbing of the bore, to remove copper and lead particles every time with non corrosive ammo that is excessive.
Some residue also acts as lubricant itself.
But even if you don't completely clean the bore of all foreign metal some oil to prevent rust is always a good thing.
A completely cleaned gun before oiling is when the metal is in the least protected state. Oil and residue is removed and bare metal is fully exposed to moisture and oxidation.
Cleaning and not completely greasing/oiling the metal is typically more risky for the firearm than not cleaning the firearm each time. So if you are going to clean be thorough when adding protection. Just going through the motions, and stripping away existing protection can be more harmful than helpful.
Likewise partially removing some of the protective finish on a firearm because you have to polish or shine it up or give it a perfectly clean surface every time can do more harm than good. The finish ceases to protect the firearm sooner, and some factory finishes are more durable than what you are likely to replace them with.
Larry Ashcraft said
Shotgun chambers will rust and pit if not cleaned after each use, even in this dry climate.
Interesting. Smoothbore shotguns are firearms I do clean the bore of each time, it takes very little effort and imparts very little wear to clean a smooth bore compared to a rifled bore. There is also no lands that will receive most of the friction and wear down disproportionally while trying to perfectly clean out the grooves.
Working with machinery I have found greasy oily and slightly dirty machines far more durable than pristine looking machines. They resist friction, and have barriers to oxidation and moisture and generally stay as they are longer.
There is exceptions though, if you get foreign hard particles on the machine they need to be removed. Likewise metalic flakes or other wear needs to be removed for the same reason.
Sand or dust on a firearm for example would require all the grease and oil the be cleaned off and replaced with sand free oil and grease.
But non corrosive powder residue? That just mixes in with the oil and grease and makes it darker until the next time you clean it off.
It really depends on what you did on your outing.
Someone that just went hunting in the rain or high humidity and barely fired their firearm would be in more immediate need of a cleaning than someone that just went to an indoor range and fired 100 rounds of non corrosive ammo.
Someone that had their firearm picking up dirt or dust or exposed to water even if it was never fired may need an immediate cleaning, while someone that fired numerous rounds may not.
Someone dropping magazines in the dirt and then using them shortly thereafter as in many competitions for example clearly needs to clean the firearm after introducing all those foreign particles to the firearm.
Any firearm that is going to be stored and not likely used or cleaned in the near future also needs a thorough cleaning. People with large collections that may not use a gun again in the near future obviously need to clean it in preparation for storage.
People in humid climates are more vulnerable to moisture and will have oxidation problems from inadequate oiling sooner.
Just as those shooting in a dry dusty environment are more likely to need to clean out sand and dust regularly to prevent friction.
While the person that just took their clean gun, from its clean storage location, and went and shot it indoors in a clean range, and practically never took the firearm outside as many urban shooters do, can be just fine simply oiling it a little each time and cleaning it as needed.
In the meantime I'll just keep on keepin' on.
