Do we overclean nowadays?

[artherd]

In the days of modern, uncorrosive ammunition, do we overclean our rifles and handguns?

Other than gumming up to the point of causing a reliability problem, what is the point in keeping a modern firearm in 'squeaky clean' condition?


Is the carbon/stuff produced by burning smokleless powder an abrasive? How hard is it? what's it's Rockwell rating? Will it errode precision machined surfaces of treated aluminum or steel? (or will it just make a twinge of friction and otherwise subjugate much like graphite or any softer material?)


How about cleaning the chamber and barrel of a gun, does doing so every 100 rounds actually cause MORE wear than not on your average .30-06 rifle?


Back in the day of corrosive combustion byproducts being the norm, I can easially see why the Cleaning Imperative was strong in our minds. But are we hanging onto a practice 40 years out of date?

 

[Fred Thompson]

On Parris Island we were taught that there is on such thing as overcleaning a weapon. Even if things are better now, a clean weapon will give Mr. Murphy less opportunity to mess with it...

 

[esheato]

I think we do tend to overclean.

A line has be drawn though on which weapons you're talking about. Self-defense weapons should be squeaky clean to give Murphy as little room as possible. Well, not squeaky clean...clean the firearm, then shoot a few to make sure it works and then you're ready to defend the homestead.

As far as regular shooting irons, I think a lot of people overclean. I shoot my pistols until they're full of gunk. Then I shoot some more.

My guns get a thorough cleaning only before matches. The rest of the month I shoot until they stop working.

esheato...

 

[Ala Dan]

Hello!

I'm a fanatic about keeping MY weapons clean. I clean
both pistols and revolvers immediately after I return
from the range. During this process, I try not to
over use the bristle brush in the chambers, barrel, etc.
The harshish substance I use on firearms is a little dab
of SimiChrome on stainless steel, and in some cases
nickel firearms; as it restores a nice, clean full lustre
to these weapons.

Nothing gripes my rear end any more than to have
someone pull out a poorly cared for, vintage handgun
out of a darn sock! I have a friend that came
into possession of a very old nickel 4" barrel Colt
Python. One night he said to me, "Dan, how about
taking this old gun home with you and cleaning it up
for me?" Not knowing what to expect at that time,
I took control of the "sock and its content's". When
I looked inside, I found a old 60's (possibily late 50's)
nickel Colt Python. I was flabergasted and remember
saying, "Bill, why in the hell have you got this firearm
in this damn sock?" The next night at work, he showed
me the original bill-of-sale whereas his deceased paw
in-law had paid $125.00 + 6% sales tax for a total
amount of $132.50 for the weapon.

Moral of the story is this, I restored the weapon back
to near its original condition and returned it to
ole' Bill. Again he says to me, "Dam, I didn't know
that thing would come that clean". Then we had a
nice heart-to-heart conversation about what a fine
firearm he had. I'm sure he carried it home and
placed it back inside that old trunk that he dug it
out of!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Hal]

Correctly cleaning a firearm in no way affects it and can't be overdone.
Rubbing all the finish off the outside or dinging it up by doing it wrong are a differnt matter.

Dano-
hehe, reminds me of when my bride and I were dating back in 1979. Her dad and I were talking about guns, and he asked me if I'd mind cleaning up his vintage WWII Walther P38. He shot it with a couple of his buddies, then greased it up and stuck it in a sock for a decade or so.


























Got ANY idea how tough it is to get VASOLINE!! out of a P38??!

 

[Devonai]

It can't be any worse than Cosmoline.

Just don't get caught "racking your slide" getting that vaseline out!

I have the Glock annual 2003 publication which has an article about "Ten minutes to clean your Glock." Since I usually spend at least 45 minutes each on my pistols I regarded that article with ire.

 

[Zach S]

I rarely clean mine. I'll wipe the rails down, run a borenake through the barrel, and lube. I'm done cleaning before the popcorn comes out of the mic. I change recoil springs about evey 2000 rounds, it gets detail stripped and cleaned then, and I go right back to my shoot/wipe/boresnake/lube routine when I shoot it again, which is normally the same day or the day after.

Overclean? Not me.

I do keep my thompson clean though, but it doesnt get fired as often as my pistolas. IIRC, last time I took it to the range was before thanksgiving. I normally just take it out of the safe a few days a week and fondle it since its so expensive to feed .

 

[MoNsTeR]

Honestly, what's the point of cleaning? Do your guns not work when they're dirty? Funny, mine do...

I used to clean my guns fairly frequently, and until they were absolutely spotless. Then I realized that aside from the aesthetics of a shiny gun, I wasn't getting anything out of it, so I pretty much quit. My rimfires tend to gunk up, but they just need a quick wipe down to get going again. Other than that, I keep them lubricated and coated for rust protection and that's it.

 

[Art Eatman]

I guess it depends of what kind of ammo and how much you shoot during a session. If I run two or three boxes of lead bullets ahead of 231 through my 1911, I figure a thorough cleaning is mandatory. Three or four "function test" rounds of carry ammo, and all I'll do is a quick wipe-and-oil.

Most of my centerfire bolt-actions don't get shot enough at any one time to justify more than a general anti-rust wipe down, and an oily patch through the bore. I'll periodically use a copper-remover cleaner on the bore, of course.

Those whose range time includes many, many rounds downrange have a different level of cleaning to consider...

Art

 

[Roadkill]

I save my detailed cleaning for a visit from a friend who will bore the hell out of you conversationally. Great guy, but really a slow limited talker. I've detailed more guns listening to him than you can imagine. Also loaded thousands of rounds of ammo. All you need to do is interject a "yup" or "really?" or "okay" and he can go on for hours.

rk

 

[fix]

Gentle cleaning is accomplished by not letting the weapon get so dirty in the first place. Keep it clean all the time and you will not have to scrub the crap out of it.

 

[Sean Smith]

There is an interesting article on Schuemann's website about the problems that too aggressively cleaning a barrel can cause.

http://www.schuemann.com/Content/clean2.htm

How often I clean depends largely on what I'm shooting. If I shoot alot of cast loads, I clean more often than if I'm shooting mostly jacketed stuff.

 

[Boats]

I love the NP3 on my main shooter. Just a wipe and all of the crud falls right off as it never adhered in the first place. The only chore about it anymore is if I use lead bullets as the inside of the pipe is left untreated.

 

[Jeeper]

I'm with zach an monstor here. I rarely clean my guns. I make sure they dont get rust on them but beyond that I only do it when I think they need it to function correctly. My IPSC limited gun usually goes about 2-3K rounds between cleanings.

 

[Gocart]

If you folks would not shoot so much, you wouldn't have to clean your guns so often.

Seriously, I clean my glocks 3-4 times per year, or after I know thay have 3000-4000 rounds through them. I also clean them right before qualification because our firearms instructor at my SO is a self-proclaimed CLEAN FREAK.

 

[cratz2]

I'm of a pretty basic opinion... if you're cleanin' it when it ain't dirty, you're overcleaning it, otherwise, you're just cleaning it.

If you shoot more than once a month and you clean more than twice in between shootings, then that might fall into the category of overcleaning. But cleaning between each session isn't overcleaning in my opinion. Unless you use stainless brushes on a rimfire you shoot every other day.

 

[OF]

I only clean my guns when the slide is so gummed up you can watch it cycle. Or they start to smell bad...

Seriously, I clean them when I think they are getting to the point where reliability may be impaired. Not every time out, that's for sure.

- Gabe

 

[Ala Dan]

Hey Hal-

I've never tried digging Vasoline out of any handgun;
so itlooks like you are one up one me!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Cacique500]

I clean mine immediately after each range session - and actually enjoy cleaning them (except that damn Ruger .22 )

 

[Brigrat]

I clean and lube after each outing, or weekly, whichever comes first. A little Mobile 1 goes a long way!

 

[ChickenHawk]

I'm with Cacique500 (what does that mean, anyway?)

I clean after each range outing, and actually enjoy the experience. I didn't used to enjoy it, but it kinda grew on me.

Cheers,
ChickenHawk

 

[Jake Mountain #35806]

As an avid Cowboy shooter I clean my Single Action Rugers fairly infrequently ( 5-600 rounds each ). But my Marlin rifle I clean after about every match to keep Mr. Murphy at bay.

 

[Selfdfenz]

I clean my guns.....probably too much.

Over the T'giving holiday I was reunited with a 22 I bought in high school.
(that would be 1969 or '70 IIRC)
I can't say that in the 34 years my Dad had and shot that little 22 it was ever cleaned. That info was verified by my Mom who dang well should know as she watched by Dad clobber Biblical numbers of winged fruit tree raider with it while I was far away and .....unconcerned. Natuarally there was not even a memory of a bottle of Hoppes #9 anywhere in her recollection or her house.

And, it was dirty when I again saw it for the 1st time in a long time but I cleaned it up and I shot it.

The inside of the barrel, once cleaned, looked like new. Now rust, no pits, no throat damage that I could tell.

And....even after 34 years and narry a bore patch in sight, it still shoots at least as well I ever remember back in the day.

The outside is another story. The rust on the barrel and the somewhat banged up stock bothers me not as my Dad, who is gone now, put it there.

I left it at Mom's.
Yep, I left it dirty. Didn't clean it. Mayby this summer when the kids and I are back there again if I get up the energy.

But I started the clock on the next 34 years

S-

 

[Standing Wolf]

Other than gumming up to the point of causing a reliability problem, what is the point in keeping a modern firearm in 'squeaky clean' condition?

I like clean guns. I believe my guns are more reliable and accurate because they're clean; whether they are or aren't, I like them better clean.

 

[cdbeaver]

I like clean guns. A pride of ownership thing, if nothing else.

I also change socks and underwear every day. Does that qualify me as a "clean freak"?