Geronimo45
Member
A hundred rounds should be no problem. After five hundred, it's a good idea to clean it. At a thousand, do it for sure. They're not surgical instruments.
Don't need to clean semi autos?
- Thread starter davidd
- Start date
- Status
Todesengel
Member
I clean them after i shoot them, it's fun and i can also inspect the gun and be aware of possible problems. Yea, i know they say you can burry your Glock in mud and it'll still be reliable w/o cleaning it. Ever heard of Kaboom? Most reasons for it are obstructions in the barrel.
I don't need to clean my Guns after every range session but I do it anyway. It's like 5 minutes per gun.
I don't need to clean my Guns after every range session but I do it anyway. It's like 5 minutes per gun.
Last edited:
I'm glad my pistols don't know they need to be cleaned after each range session, that would be much more work for me. Seriously, I think too much aggressive cleaning is not good for a firearm. Every 500-750 rounds, I'll check the action smoothness, touch-up the lube, and maybe use a chamber brush. If gunk build-up starts to be noticable, then I'll do a detail cleaning.
outofbattery
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2004
- Messages
- 874
I usually take 8-10 different guns to the range with me- what's the point of having them if you don't shoot them? I might shoot a mag or 2 through each so it takes months for any of them to shoot a couple hundred rounds.I wouldn't want any pistol that can't shoot a few hundred rounds without any worries at all.The only pistols I really concern myself with are the .22's as obviously fouling enduces failures far more often with them.
Regarding Glocks,I'll clean mine about every case or so but I have ~ 600 rounds through the G19 on my hip and it's not really particularly filthy.I wipe everything down before putting it back in the safe,I'm more concerned with sweat than grunge and on average,each gun will still get cleaned ~ 3 times a year and that system's been working for me for over a decade.
Regarding Glocks,I'll clean mine about every case or so but I have ~ 600 rounds through the G19 on my hip and it's not really particularly filthy.I wipe everything down before putting it back in the safe,I'm more concerned with sweat than grunge and on average,each gun will still get cleaned ~ 3 times a year and that system's been working for me for over a decade.
Relodr
Member
If it's a plinker, clean it when it starts to shoot poorly (If it ever does!) or when it's going into storage.
Defensive hand cannons? Best to keep the crud from building up in the innards, especially the semi-autos. The're finicky enough as is. Revolvers not so much so. Barrels? I've never encountered any internal damage with modern, quality, factory ammo in barrels left dirty for years. Most if not all guns shoot better with dirty barrels anyway so I guess that's still debatable. All that aside, the body heat and perspiration of daily carry is a whole different thing.
Defensive hand cannons? Best to keep the crud from building up in the innards, especially the semi-autos. The're finicky enough as is. Revolvers not so much so. Barrels? I've never encountered any internal damage with modern, quality, factory ammo in barrels left dirty for years. Most if not all guns shoot better with dirty barrels anyway so I guess that's still debatable. All that aside, the body heat and perspiration of daily carry is a whole different thing.
With each of the semi-autos I've owned I have made it a practice to put 1000 rounds through the gun without cleaning, but lubing every 250 rounds or so. If the 1000 rounds are fired without any malfunctions then I trust the gun to be reliable. After that I clean them every few hundred rounds or whenever I think it's needed. I have owned several pistols and have had exactly one malfunction -- and it was very early in the 1000 round count, like in the first couple of magazines full.
So my take on it is that cleaning is important enough to do on a regular basis, but a good pistol should run fine without being cleaned after every range session. Lubrication is also very important.
So my take on it is that cleaning is important enough to do on a regular basis, but a good pistol should run fine without being cleaned after every range session. Lubrication is also very important.
It really depends on the gun and it's purpose. Some guns just keep running and running without cleaning, and some don't. If it's a gun you may need to trust with your life, it should be clean and lubed just to be on the safe side.
I have an old Ruger P-85 that's mostly just used as a loaner to new shooters. Over the years it has proven to be unbelievably reliable. To the point that I really don't clean it very often. Maybe every 4000-5000 rounds. I do drop a little lubrication on it occasionally to protect from wear. It has over 30,000 rounds on it and has never malfunctioned once and shows no wear of any kind, so that routine works for that particular gun. My carry gun is kept spotless though, as are my home defense guns.
I have an old Ruger P-85 that's mostly just used as a loaner to new shooters. Over the years it has proven to be unbelievably reliable. To the point that I really don't clean it very often. Maybe every 4000-5000 rounds. I do drop a little lubrication on it occasionally to protect from wear. It has over 30,000 rounds on it and has never malfunctioned once and shows no wear of any kind, so that routine works for that particular gun. My carry gun is kept spotless though, as are my home defense guns.
MD_Willington
Member
Those swabs are cool, plus I bet you could shoot them out of a .22 air rifle..
My academy training taught me to never carry a fired weapon. In a shooting if my partner fired and was found wrong the fact that my weapon was clean could save my ass. That and the fact that clean and lubricated properly for the environment function properly means a lot to me.
Clean after every range trip? Uh, yeah, right...and I wash my car every time it rains. 
But really, you should clean your gun everytime it is in a fire, or this could happen.
But really, you should clean your gun everytime it is in a fire, or this could happen.
1shotonly
Member
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2007
- Messages
- 24
Wow, this thread sure stirred up a lot of comments in a short time.
Do you need to clean an autoloading pistol? As most people have mentioned, you should clean any gun. But do you need to? It partly depends on which autoloader, most people I've talked to that own a Desert Eagle say they cann’t shoot a full clip with out the gun jamming on them. On the other hand many Glock owners have put many thousands of rounds though thier gun without a jam, and then there are the stories of burring it in the ground for months and it still shoots. A simple answer might be that you don't need to do anything you don't want to do, but wouldn't you want to keep your gun reasonably clean?
Do you need to clean an autoloading pistol? As most people have mentioned, you should clean any gun. But do you need to? It partly depends on which autoloader, most people I've talked to that own a Desert Eagle say they cann’t shoot a full clip with out the gun jamming on them. On the other hand many Glock owners have put many thousands of rounds though thier gun without a jam, and then there are the stories of burring it in the ground for months and it still shoots. A simple answer might be that you don't need to do anything you don't want to do, but wouldn't you want to keep your gun reasonably clean?
KINGMAX
Member
Clean after every outing ??
I clean my guns after every trip to the range regardless of the amount of rounds fired. A hand full or an ammo box full, it dosen't matter.
I have several AK's, SKS's and Mosen-Nagants rifles. Because I use corrosive ammo they get cleaned w/ ammonia=windex. After a good 'washing' I do the bore mopping gig w/ solvent of some type, brass bore brush and finish w/ lightly oiled cloth patch. I then wipe the entire gun w/ a lightly oiled cloth. Prior to storing I wipe the wood down w/ Natchez Solution.
Other guns get a good cleaning after each trip to the range, and inspected for fair wear & tear, missing or loose screws, bolts or pins. You know - the PM STUFF.
Remember Grandma Pyle's saying - 'Take care of your stuff, and it will be there take care of you when you need it.'
JOMHO = 'just one man's humble opnion'
I clean my guns after every trip to the range regardless of the amount of rounds fired. A hand full or an ammo box full, it dosen't matter.
I have several AK's, SKS's and Mosen-Nagants rifles. Because I use corrosive ammo they get cleaned w/ ammonia=windex. After a good 'washing' I do the bore mopping gig w/ solvent of some type, brass bore brush and finish w/ lightly oiled cloth patch. I then wipe the entire gun w/ a lightly oiled cloth. Prior to storing I wipe the wood down w/ Natchez Solution.
Other guns get a good cleaning after each trip to the range, and inspected for fair wear & tear, missing or loose screws, bolts or pins. You know - the PM STUFF.
Remember Grandma Pyle's saying - 'Take care of your stuff, and it will be there take care of you when you need it.'
JOMHO = 'just one man's humble opnion'
hotpig
Member
I do not shoot my mil surps as much as I used to because I do not have the time to clean them. The Glock is a work gun so as long as it is lubed it will keep on going.
I can see that I will have to start cleaning it more often from now on. Due to ammo prices I will be shooting more target ammo and reloades this year. Some of the factory target ammo even leaves the outside of my Glock dirty.
I can see that I will have to start cleaning it more often from now on. Due to ammo prices I will be shooting more target ammo and reloades this year. Some of the factory target ammo even leaves the outside of my Glock dirty.
I subscribe to the Pat Rogers school of cleaning. Also noted, on Bushmaster's website they said the same thing.
More guns are worn out from overzealous or improper cleaning rather than actual shooting.
So, I use a liberal amount of bore cleaner in my bores and that is about it. If it is really bad I'll give it a pass or two with a brush but not usually. Let the bore cleaner do its job.
On the rest of the gun I just use Strikehold which is like CLP. Spray, wipe everything down, lubricate normally and call it a day.
I don't scrub every tiny imperfection but, I'm not looking to wear out my bores either.
More guns are worn out from overzealous or improper cleaning rather than actual shooting.
So, I use a liberal amount of bore cleaner in my bores and that is about it. If it is really bad I'll give it a pass or two with a brush but not usually. Let the bore cleaner do its job.
On the rest of the gun I just use Strikehold which is like CLP. Spray, wipe everything down, lubricate normally and call it a day.
I don't scrub every tiny imperfection but, I'm not looking to wear out my bores either.
alucard0822
Member
my cleaning regimen is to run a boresnake a couple times and wipe the inside and outside with a CLP soaked patch and relube, takes less than 5 min especially on a glock and to drop a pencil, eraser end first in the barrel and dryfire pointing up, if the pencil hits the ceiling all is well, every few trips to the range, or about 2k rounds I do a more thorough and detailed cleaning with solvent mops and brushes. If anything a light cleaning every time it is fired makes it easier to clean when it needs it, and keeps the loose dirt down.
- Status
