Do you clean your carry gun, before leaving the range?

[Inebriated]

Well, ever since I've been carrying, all my range trips have been planned. But today, I was killing time, so I just stopped by the range with just my Glock 26. I shot a hundred through it, and realized it was quite dirty.

Now I'm kind of anal about a clean gun. I know Glock functions, but personally I hate seeing a dirty gun. So I made a mental note to put a small cleaning kit in the Jeep, so I could wipe it down before leaving.

So, does anyone clean their carry gun before leaving, or do you just clean it once you get home?

 

[Sport45]

No. But then I hardly ever carry a gun that's just been cleaned either.

I want to know the thing works and the best way to do that is send lead down range.

 

[Texan Scott]

No. If a gun was finicky enough to jam up on 150 or so rounds' worth of carbon fouling, I might not trust my life to it even clean. Anyway, I can't imagine how much shooting crud it'd take to jam one of my .38s. I clean at home in relaxation and privacy.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Only once have I cleaned a gun before leaving the range and that was because I use corrosive ammo in my AK74 and I didn't have the time to clean it before it rusted after leaving. My XD on my hip now wasn't cleaned since the last range trip. Never had an issue with it before.

 

[Inebriated]

I don't care about it being unreliable... I know it'll run dirty. I just do not like dirty guns.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Nope, my gun waits until I am home. If I have more shooting the following day, I probably will wait to clean it until that is done with.

I keep my guns clean, but there is no reason to clean the gun immediately unless you were shooting in conditions that could cause problems (sandstorm, rain, snow, sleet, etc).

 

[TAKtical]

I wipe off the end of the barrel and slide with a patch before i put it back in my IWB holster.

 

[bigfatdave]

nope

If I'm planning on shooting it in the near future, I don't bother at home, either!
Possible exceptions for guns I won't get a chance to do at home for an extended period, those might get an extremely basic field strip and clean with the mini-kit in my range bag. Another exception would be corrosive ammo, which I've been avoiding because I'm too lazy to clean a gun immediately, quite frankly I clean them when I get around to it.

 

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

My carry gun gets an actual cleaning roughly every 500 rounds or so, unless it spent a lot of time out on a really humid day or I get caught by a flash storm while outdoor shooting. Even when I reach time to clean it, I don't do that at the range - indoor or outdoor- I wait to get home and usually clean it while watching a show or movie that I don't need to pay too much attention to. One thing I always have when shooting is a rod & gun treated cloth, I wipe all the sweat and fingerprints off my guns before packing them up after shooting, especially nickel and blued guns.

I don't belong to a 'club' yet, but if/when I do join one, good chance I'd end up cleaning my gun at the range from time to time, even then I'd probably run a mag through it after cleaning before leaving.

 

[bikerdoc]

Nope, at home, in my little quiet area. They might get a wipe down at the range, might not.

 

[pockets]

So I made a mental note to put a small cleaning kit in the Jeep, so I could wipe it down before leaving.
So, does anyone clean their carry gun before leaving, or do you just clean it once you get home?

This could be a little misleading; To "wipe it down" after a range session is one thing, to CLEAN it is another thing entirely.
I do 'wipe it down' before holstering it after shooting. However, since the poll concerned 'cleaning' I answered; 'No, I wait until I get home".
Heck, if I got car-jacked and had to use the gun while driving home from the range, I'd just have to clean it again anyway!
.

 

[beatledog7]

I never clean guns at the range unless it's to perform barrel break-in (which I'm still not sure I believe in, but that's another dozen threads).

I give a gun a few minutes to cool (while I'm gathering brass, targets, etc.) case them, and go. When I get home they get uncased and wiped down. Whether I clean them thoroughly before they go back in the safe depends on whether they need it, and part of that is how long they will be in there before they get used again.

My carry gun usually gets 10-15 rounds through it every range trip. It gets wipe down to before I depart the range, but that's more to keep myself clean than to do anything for the gun.

 

[M2 Carbine]

My range is the back yard and I still may not clean the guns for days.


I don't like cleaning guns. Most of the time there are 4-5 guns waiting for me to get around to cleaning them.

 

[Sam1911]

No. But then I hardly ever carry a gun that's just been cleaned either.

I want to know the thing works and the best way to do that is send lead down range.

That's right. I clean a comp/carry gun after ~ 500 rounds or so. Whenever it is getting dirty enough to catch my attention. If it went "bang" the last time I shot it, it will likely go "bang" next time I pull it out of the holster, unless I've monkeyed with it between times.

When I clean something I like to take it out soon after and run a few mags through it to make sure every spring and pin is back in the right place and I didn't lose a piece of cleaning rag or brush bristles somewhere they shouldn't have gone.

I tend not to go on 1,000 mile car trips right after changing my brakes, either. Best to take a few short trips around town so you know everything is settled in and working properly.

 

[mavracer]

I don't keep my carry guns "clean". They are wiped down and oiled only for carry and that is done at the house.

 

[Certaindeaf]

To actually "clean" a gun takes some time. I figure to do it right, how I like to do it, it takes about 15-20 minutes. I take my time and know it's done/do it right. Doing it at the range would just be odd and that gun would be disabled while doing so.
However, I've been known to throw a stainless black powder revolver in a mud puddle before going home but that's just me.. not that that's a carry piece.

 

[AABEN]

NO I do not carry all of my cleaning supply to the rang!! If the rang is not busy I will wipe then down.

 

[smalls]

"Never put away a dirty gun" was cemented in my head from my childhood, but my dad never had defensive guns. So, I used to be anal, and clean my carry gun after each trip to the range, but realized that I took it apart, cleaned it, and now I have no idea if it shoots. I did before, because I had just shot it.

I clean mine before every third range trip, now

 

[CraigC]

No. But then I hardly ever carry a gun that's just been cleaned either.

I want to know the thing works and the best way to do that is send lead down range.

^^^ What he said!

IMHO, too many people overdo their cleaning regimen. If I cleaned my guns every time I shot them, I wouldn't have time for anything else.

 

[coalman]

If my carry gun can't run 100-200rds at the range then get through 15-26 rounds if needed on the way home I'm getting a different CCW. I do always wipe off the chamber and breech (from slide lock) before heading out.

 

[2zulu1]

I may shoot a couple of different platforms while at the range, but there's always a clean carry in the pickup. Keep in mind that the range is miles from nowhere and the dog and I are the only ones there.

When I have a 300-400 training session (1911, 357mag, Browning Hi-Power) I'll clean at home, if I only shoot 200 rounds, I'll clean when the round count is ~ 400-500.

 

[JEB]

back when i had a 30min drive to the range i only cleaned at the range one time and that was because i was working on a load to minimize leading in my .44 mag and wanted to see just how much lead was deposited by each load. nowadays my range is about 15 steps from my front door; so no, i dont clean at the range, i just do it when i go back inside .

 

[JoeMal]

No. I carry a Glock. Nuff said

 

[allaroundhunter]

No. I carry a Glock. Nuff said

Oh brother

Sent from my HTC One X

 

[Teachu2]

I think the question needs clarification. If by "clean" you mean wipe down the exterior, yes. If you mean field-strip and brush the bore, brush the internals, and oil as needed, that's at home. If you mean detail-strip by completely disassembling the gun - only when I'm working on one.