Gun Cleaning

[Doublehelix]

Cleaned 4 of my handguns today. Took forever.

Next up, a deep, deep cleaning of my competition gun and my carry gun. This involves almost a complete tear-down. I do this once a year for both guns, then test them thoroughly, and then do another standard cleaning when I am done with the testing.

After that, I take out the guns that don't get shot much, and go through them again as well, even though they haven't been shot since their last cleaning.

I either need to get rich so I can hire someone to do this, or get rid of some guns...

Hmmmmmm... I guess I'd better go buy some lottery tickets then!!!

 

[25-20 WCF]

Be very very careful when cleaning your firearms!! This is the most dangerous thing you can do with a firearm. More people are shot/killed when “cleaning their gun” than at any other time.


.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

What's gun cleaning?

 

[sparkyv]

Be very very careful when cleaning your firearms!! This is the most dangerous thing you can do with a firearm. More people are shot/killed when “cleaning their gun” than at any other time.

Sarcasm?

 

[CopperFouling]

I used to clean mine every time that I went to the range, but that started detracting from my enjoyment of shooting. Who wants to shoot for two hours and clean for two? Now, they have to see 500 or so rounds before I bother.

The only exception would be for a carry gun. Those I clean every time that I shoot them, but it's more because I don't want carbon fouling on my shirts.

 

[Walkalong]

I either need to get rich so I can hire someone to do this, or get rid of some guns...

Or stop cleaning so often........

 

[jdc1244]

It depends, of course, on what one considers to be ‘cleaning’ – yet another subject there is likely little consensus, if any.

I do not clean as does the OP.

I do clean to the extent that my guns remain accurate, reliable, and free of corrosion.

 

[ATLDave]

I’m a minimalist when it comes to cleaning, but my competition gun also gets the annual detail-strip cleaning. Gives you a chance to look at and replace springs, check for wear on other internals, replace loc-tite on screws that need it, etc.

 

[Riomouse911]

I clean carry-duty guns after each shooting session.

If a gun is shot that I know I won’t shoot again for a while, I’ll clean it well and then put it away.

If it’s a gun I know I’ll be shooting again soon, I may of may not clean it until after the next time.

I wipe down every firearm after I shoot them, handle them, or otherwise do something that may leave prints or residue that causes bluing to fade or rust. I’ve seen too many guns with a rusty or thinned bluing spot that came from handling the gun and not wiping it down.

I cleaned 6 yesterday; two revolvers, two autos and two long guns... they took me about 90 mins to knock out.

Stay safe

 

[rpenmanparker]

I clean carry-duty guns after each shooting session.

If a gun is shot that I know I won’t shoot again for a while, I’ll clean it well and then put it away.

If it’s a gun I know I’ll be shooting again soon, I may of may not clean it until after the next time.

I wipe down every firearm after I shoot them, handle them, or otherwise do something that may leave prints or residue that causes bluing to fade or rust. I’ve seen too many guns with a rusty or thinned bluing spot that came from handling the gun and not wiping it down.

I cleaned 6 yesterday; two revolvers, two autos and two long guns... they took me about 90 mins to knock out.

Stay safe

What is bluing? There is no reason to have anything other than Cerakote or stainless anymore. Wiping down a dirty gun these days is a totally useless exercise. Clean it or don’t. That is up to you. But wiping it down if it is a modern finish is useless.

 

[JONWILL]

I hardly ever do a take down cleaning. If it is bad enough I go to the sink in the basement and use LA's Totally Awesome Cleaner (at Dollar Tree, really good stuff, Yellow in a spray bottle) a toothbrush, q-tips and hot water.

Then dry and oil

 

[Riomouse911]

What is bluing? There is no reason to have anything other than Cerakote or stainless anymore. Wiping down a dirty gun these days is a totally useless exercise. Clean it or don’t. That is up to you. But wiping it down if it is a modern finish is useless.

Uhhh, of the hundred-odd guns in my safe, most are of blued steel and walnut.

I like them, and have been using blued and walnut guns for over 40 years. I hope to be using these same guns, and others like them, for 40 more.

Now, I'm not a dinosaur. I have some guns that are parkerized, some cerakoted, some stainless, some nickel, some with a Glock-like factory finish that I can't even name, and many are in combination with synthetic stocks/grips that are functionally tough as nails but are as aesthetically pleasing to the soul as a cadaver in the cooler.

And honestly, even the guns with other finishes get wiped down after every use, too. It's part of the regimen; it allows me to examine for issues such as loose screws, damaged sights or cracked parts...and besides, I like keeping my stuff nice. (I wipe down tools when I'm done, too.)

Stay safe!

 

[Dibbs]

Sarcasm?

More than likely, in the absence of witnesses, people who were either playing with or practicing with
their loaded guns had an ND/AD, and reported it as a "cleaning accident". JMHO, YMMV.

 

[herrwalther]

There are varying levels of cleaning. And most people who have been in the military know this. You have your cleanings to keep the weapon going. These are the cleanings where you think if I don't clean X part, malfunction Y will happen. All the way up to VIP X is doing an inspection or your weapon is being turned in to the armory level cleaning. Middle of the road cleanings are very therapeutic for me at least. The weapon probably doesn't need cleaning but I want to do it anyway.

 

[Old Dog]

I clean carry-duty guns after each shooting session.

If a gun is shot that I know I won’t shoot again for a while, I’ll clean it well and then put it away.

If it’s a gun I know I’ll be shooting again soon, I may of may not clean it until after the next time.

I wipe down every firearm after I shoot them, handle them, or otherwise do something that may leave prints or residue that causes bluing to fade or rust. I’ve seen too many guns with a rusty or thinned bluing spot that came from handling the gun and not wiping it down.

I cleaned 6 yesterday; two revolvers, two autos and two long guns... they took me about 90 mins to knock out.

Stay safe

This is pretty much exactly my regime for gun cleaning.

I don't at all mind cleaning firearms, though ... Set up a table in front of the big-screen, open a window, turn on a fan, pop in a Blu-Ray, maybe seasons 1 and 2 of "Miami Vice" or a movie such as "Act of Valor" and have at it while being suitably entertained.

Be very very careful when cleaning your firearms!! This is the most dangerous thing you can do with a firearm. More people are shot/killed when “cleaning their gun” than at any other time..

Uh, yeah ... those who don't abide by the Four Rules. Was this a sarcastic attempt at channeling some anti-gun folks' mantra (if so, it fell flat), or do you really feel the need, on this forum, to admonish us so?

 

[rpenmanparker]

Uhhh, of the hundred-odd guns in my safe, most are of blued steel and walnut.

I like them, and have been using blued and walnut guns for over 40 years. I hope to be using these same guns, and others like them, for 40 more.

Now, I'm not a dinosaur. I have some guns that are parkerized, some cerakoted, some stainless, some nickel, some with a Glock-like factory finish that I can't even name, and many are in combination with synthetic stocks/grips that are functionally tough as nails but are as aesthetically pleasing to the soul as a cadaver in the cooler.

And honestly, even the guns with other finishes get wiped down after every use, too. It's part of the regimen; it allows me to examine for issues such as loose screws, damaged sights or cracked parts...and besides, I like keeping my stuff nice. (I wipe down tools when I'm done, too.)

Stay safe!

Seriously, I don't know what got into me. Just being silly I think. Please disregard my foolishness. I think I was reacting to the idea that wipe down was important but more thorough cleaning could be avoided. Like many I was taught to strip and clean all guns after every shooting sesssion. Sure I stretch it to two or three now, but that’s all. Every gun gets thoroughly cleaned every 200-300 rounds. I never go past a field strip protocol, however.

 

[sparkyv]

More than likely, in the absence of witnesses, people who were either playing with or practicing with
their loaded guns had an ND/AD, and reported it as a "cleaning accident". JMHO, YMMV.

Understood, Dibbs. I will not ever own a firearm that requires a trigger pull prior to field strip.

 

[klausman]

I am with Riomouse on carry guns. If it is being carried, it is clean. I figure that in the event of a shooting situation, and I and my weapon were not directly involved, I am easily cleared by having a clean - unfired weapon. While I like the notion that all the guns in the safe are clean, sometimes there just isn't time to get it done after every session. I actually enjoy handling and cleaning them, and I want to take my time about it.

 

[Doublehelix]

To clarify my OP: I don't clean my guns after every session, only when needed. Most of the post was tongue-in-cheek.

My competition gun gets shot a *lot*. It is not unusual to shoot 500-1,000 live rounds per week (or more) during the season. My average practice sessions are 300-400 rounds, at least twice a week, matches every-other-weekend, etc. It gets *DIRTY*!

I would say I clean/lube the competition gun once a week during heavy use, so once every 500-1,000 rounds. I always clean the night before a match, it has become a ritual. Some people claim that jinxes the gun, and you need to shoot once after cleaning to ensure reliability. I have never bought into that philosophy.

I have also started competing once-a-month with my new S&W Victory .22 with an RDS. They like to run clean and start to mess up when dirty, at least that is what I have been told. I am not taking any chances and have been cleaning before each match, even if I only have 200 rounds through her. One of these days I am going to run her dirty for a while and see what she can handle.

Other guns get cleaned as needed. I am pretty picky about cleaning and lubing the EDC gun often, but other guns might get cleaned after shooting if they won't be used again for a while.

I have not shot either of my AR-15 rifles this season. I am not sure why, but I just never got around to it. I will clean and relube for the winter anyway.

We all are different, and there are no wrong answers. It is good to share our best practices and maybe pass along some ideas. It is all good!!!

 

[John Joseph]

Cleaning is part of the fun!
OTOH more guns are damaged by improper cleaning than not (so says many gunsmiths)
Every kid wants a pony, and with every pony must come a wheel barrow and a shovel
You get the idea.

 

[Doublehelix]

Every kid wants a pony, and with every pony must come a wheel barrow and a shovel

Haha!!! That is AWESOME!

 

[doubleh]

Cleaning guns is like mowing my yard or changing oil in my vehicle. It's necessary but I would rather be doing something else.

I started shooting before stainless guns and ceracoat finishes were available. Most of my firearms are blued and I like blued guns. Yes, they require a little more work to keep in good condition but I'm willing to add that into my cleaning work because I prefer them.

 

[Old Dog]

Hmm. I enjoy cleaning guns, but then I also love mowing my lawn and doing my own vehicle maintenance. Worked hard all my life to get where I am and what I have, so maybe some kind of pride of ownership thing, plus knowing my things are well taken care of. I think when some folks start looking at taking care of their stuff as a chore, they might not put as much into it as they should.

 

[Riomouse911]

Seriously, I don't know what got into me. Just being silly I think. Please disregard my foolishness. I think I was reacting to the idea that wipe down was important but more thorough cleaning could be avoided. Like many I was taught to strip and clean all guns after every shooting sesssion. Sure I stretch it to two or three now, but that’s all. Every gun gets thoroughly cleaned every 200-300 rounds. I never go past a field strip protocol, however.

No worries at all, I didn’t take anything as mean that you wrote one bit .

We all have our different practices with guns, mine was kinda pounded into me by my Grandfather. He was a kid during the depression (like most of our relatives back there somewhere) who lived 25 miles from town on the ranch. He took meticulous care of Equipment, tools, firearms, vehicles, etc. since repair or replacement was an expense or a time hassle he didn’t like. All his guns were wiped down any time they were touched, and outside of honest wear from decades of hunting deer, bobwhites, doves and turkey all of the guns he had when he passed were in great working order. I hope mind are in similar shape when my future grandkid gets my stash!

I’m like you, I don’t go into a detail strip on my stuff, but the major stuff gets cleaned when I’m done.

Stay safe!

 

[George P]

What is bluing? There is no reason to have anything other than Cerakote or stainless anymore. Wiping down a dirty gun these days is a totally useless exercise. Clean it or don’t. That is up to you. But wiping it down if it is a modern finish is useless.

Seriously? Cerakote is video game commando looking crap; a great rust bluing is an art to be done well. Some of us prefer our guns to actually look as good as they shoot.