Does The Bore Ever REALLY Get Clean?

[Treo]

QUOTE:"Never carry a clean weapon. If you've not shot it to verify it's proper functioning since its last cleaning, it's not been proven worthy of SD use."

Now that makes perfect sense.

 

[sm]

I suspect that is what sm is trying to say. If not - I said it.

Yep.

I was born in the mid 50s and some of my mentors were in the Military, some even Gunny's, ( I had more than one "gunny") and others were LEOs.

I am dead serious, when I share Gunny would take down his 1911, clean, inspect, including the USGI 7 rd mag, and then put it back, do a function check, then actually shoot the gun with the mags.
When done, he would insert a full 7 rd mag, chamber a round, and Cock & Lock.

LEOs carried Model 10 or Model 19s when I coming up.
Revolvers, had the stocks removed, and side plates left on , they inspected, cleaned , lubed, and still fired a cylinder to know for sure, the gun worked.


I am a product of my raisin' and times.

Bores were attended as needed, with proper technique and tools.

Gun were only broken down to (a) skill sets we had of that gun , (b) just what was needed.

Do not ask me the last time I took a 1911 all the way down, I could not tell you.
Nor could I tell you when I removed a sideplate off a revolver.

Heck, it has been so long, I would most likely have to read, or watch a gun smith gal, or guy I know do it.
I am not ashamed to admit this.

I inspect and maintain, and from shooting a gun dirty, I know what a gun will do after so many rounds, and it becomes an extension of me, so I know when it needs attention.

I was raised to not mess with what is not broken.
There is a balance of every thing working together, so if one thing is messed with, that affects something else, and that affects something else and - Domino Theory.
That is why I personally do not (a) use a 1911 smaller than the Commander size , (b) add duck butts, and full length guide rods, ambi safeties, polish feed ramps and the like.

I might smooth the back of a hammer, smooth (dehorn) any rough spots external and my very special tweak, is a gold bead front sight.


A firearm is a dangerous tool.
It is also a serious tool, and to me and mine, and those that mentored me, that gun has to run!

I have had folks arrive to the range, draw and a CCW they have carried, and the gun will not run.

I have my life experiences, and while mine are not as numerous, or serious others, mine were real, and I own them.
My dirty gun fired, it ran, and it stopped a threat.

That is what it was supposed to do, and it did.
I am typing because that gun(s) were fired after being inspected, maintained, lubed, no matter if the gun just had the top taken off, or a gunsmith took it all the way down.
Those gun were fired, with mags, before I carried it.

I personally cannot let go of how I was raised.
I am still around because I did/do how mentored.

I carry a dirty gun, I do not top off mags , a round is chambered...

 

[Treo]

QUOTE: " personally cannot let go of how I was raised.
I am still around because I did/do how mentored."

Understood, unfortunately the Army kinda beat the whole " the weapon must be immaculate to function properly" into my head and it seems to be very hard to let go of.

QUOTE: " I do not top off mags"
Just out of curiosty, is there a rationale behind that, or is it simply a prefference?

QUOTE: " , a round is chambered.."

That's a given.

 

[sm]

treo,

I had some interesting mentors.
Everybody did the same thing if you will.

Today, I am in places where I have to drop mag, rack gun, show clear and stow a gun.
I put the round that was in chamber, back into mag.
I know where that round is, and so do the folks stowing the round.
For us both it is a safety concern and offers peace of mind.

I run with folks of like mind, or I admit I pass forward to folks as I passed to.
My circle is tight, and I have some trusted folks, just as I always have.
One of the gals can toss me her gun, and I know it will run, and I know that gun was not topped off, so I know that 1911 has 7 rounds, as we run 7 rd mags.
I know a Kel-Tec P-11 has 10 rds total, is another example.

So if a P-11 needs to be busted down by one of the ladies, I drop mag, rack slide, put the ctg in the mag and she knows where all her rounds all - we all know where those rounds are.
Around new shooters, the kids, anyone, we know that gun does not have a loose round somewhere.

Safety is one reason, another is reliability on a 1911 for instance the platform was designed to take a round off the top of the mag.
The mag is part of the running of the 1911 platform, and it goes back to if I change something, it can/might/ will change something else, and I don't want the Domino Theory.

I am 53, and set in my ways, I have fired a 1911 too many times and that gun fires 7 times.
When I fire number 6, I drop mag, insert fresh mag and don't go to slide lock - If I do my part.

Repetition becomes habit - habit becomes faith.

I prefer to carry single action (1911 , BHP) , Revolvers, so in essence Double Action Only (DAO) and some years ago when asked to test and evaluate the P-11 I did, and that is nothing more that a plastic double action revolver that gets fed by a mag.
That is a niche gun, mine has always been reliable, and I shot only that gun for sometime to be as one with it.

When I shoot, my thumb will "snick" off a safety, even if I am shooting a Revolver, or P-11.

Another quirk I picked up from mentors if you will.
If matters are serious, or I am hurt, or whatever reason I am under stress, motor skills are degraded - I don't want to have to think if the safety goes up, or down , or is this gun a Decocker, or DA/SA...

Safeties snick down on a 1911, even on a revolver, or P-11 , my thumb is going down...

Weak handed, my index will go down as well.

I have nothing against new guns, and folks having a variety, heck I have an attachment to Beretta small caliber Tip-Up guns -
Minx, Jetfire and Bobcat.

My concern is folks are safe, have guns that fit them, that run , and have the skill sets to shoot that gun effectively.

These do not have to be the same guns I prefer, or even like.

I will not be at your gunfight - Awerbuck

Wise words, and Awerbuck shares with that, after he shares the pros and cons of various shotguns /guns period, get what fits you, know it like a body part, and what it takes to keep it running.

The bore might not attention to run, that fire control might though.

 

[Treo]

QUOTE:" I don't want to have to think if the safety goes up, or down , or is this gun a Decocker, or DA/SA.."

Thank you for validating my decision to only carry one gun, one way. CZ75B decocked. Pull , point , shoot.

DW carries a CZ- 82 decocked, in the unlikely event that we switch guns there's no learning curve to get behind.

 

[sm]

treo,

It is all good.
To thine own self be true.

To me, there is no "us vs them" amongst firearm owners.
Bore cleaning should not divide firearm owners.
Still it does, as some I know do not agree with me.

To thine self be true.
So if only one person that reads this thread gets to thinking that perhaps a little less time on that bore, but more time spent on feed, chamber, fire, extract repeat - then to me it is worth being thought ill of by however many.

I care, I don't want anyone getting into a serious situation, and if they do, I want their gun to run.

 

[mindwip]

sm

Thanks for the tip and reasoning behind cleaning your weapon then shooting it before you put it back on duty. So far i have always cleaned my pistols after a range season or on a long weekend, now i will plan on cleaning them right before i head out to the range. You learn something new every day

 

[Hungry Seagull]

Hm.

I have been cleaning the weapons a little and wiping off the outside a bit. Before they go to the range.

I suppose all things considered the weapons do well without excessive

Now, Im a concerned about bronze brushes. Do I need to switch to stainless brush? Or just carry on hauling lead out of there with cotton pads?