How important is it to clean a new gun before firing?

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Shpadoinkel

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Reason I ask is that I just picked up my first hand/carry gun last night, a M&P9c.
I'm supposed to go to the range tonight right after work with the guys but I haven't had a chance to clean it from the factory yet. Actually, I don't even have a cleaning kit yet.

I've heard of people going right to the range from picking up a gun and having no problems, I just don't want to chance doing any permanent damage.
 
Your pistol was fired at the manufacturer, so it is ready. Will you harm your new gun.... no, not really. However, is it a good idea to clean and lube a new pistol.... yes, it will give you a chance to become more familiar with it and make sure it is properly oiled. Depending on how long the gun sat on a shelf, the original lube may have dried or migrated.

Buy your cleaning kit first, then use it, then go shoot.
 
Some pistols come pretty slathered in oil/grease (eg. my CZ P-01 was covered in stuff), which is usually not an ideal lubricant but is usually something chosen primarily for it's corrosion resistance. It's nice to get rid of that at the least.

I also like to field strip, clean, inspect and then lube to my satisfaction. Plus, by inspecting everything carefully, I can have a heads up on any issues that I may want to take up under warranty (I've never actually had to do that, but I just think you'll do better with such issues if you notice and report on them promptly, not calling up customer care 6 months and 500 rounds later because of a burr on a slide rail or something).
 
Can't speak about other mfgs. guns but when I got my M&P9c I took it out of the box inspected it with a bore light, racked the slide a dozen times, inserted both mags several times to make sure they were good. I found a light coating of lube on all the internals I coud see. I loaded the mags went out to my range and emptied them. Flawless. If looks or feels dry, lube it. Otherwise go shoot it and enjoy it. Best pistol I've ever owned. Gonna get an M&P 45 cause I think just having one M&P isn't enough.
 
Some 1911 manufactures instruct you to NOT disassemble and clean prior to shooting for the first time. I go with the manufactures recommendation in these situations. I know I probably never would have been able to put my Les Baer back together had I not shot it a few hundred rounds to loosen it up.
 
I never worried about cleaning them but I always think it's a good idea to run a patch down the bore a couple times.
 
I've done both and it didn't seem to make much difference either way. It's probably a good idea to though.

Now military surplus, especially Soviet bloc stuff is different. You do want to clean them to get the cosmoline off/out.
 
I have done it both ways also & never had a problem. I have seen someone post about finding metal shavings in a rifle on their first cleaning & many people post about their semi-autos not functioning properly until they cleaned the heavy goo some manufacturers pack new guns with. I think it is a good idea to clean first. It might avoid some frustation.
 
Follow the instructions in your manual. Research your particular weapon if the manual doesn't make it clear what to do for a break in. Break in is about "seating" the moving parts. Tearing it down can change the wear pattern and create stress points that can cause eventual failure.

My new Kimber came in a ziplock that was very oily. Per the suggestions I received on this board, I wiped it off, locked and loaded. Not supposed to disassemble for cleaning for 500, but I still lube it in the areas I can without tear down & I clean it as best I can without tearing it down til I hit that mark. Patch down the tube but nothing else I can't do with just a towel. Lube it up for next time.

Prolly get to tear her down next weekend. 500rds is like 4 hours at the range for me, I am lucky to get an hour a week.
 
Clean and lube it. I bought a brand new Ruger LCR yesterday. It had been fired at the factory of course, and if they cleaned it, it wasn't a thorough job. Barrel and chambers were dirty. Ejector rod was dirty and needed lube. Don't take a chance.
 
Manufacturers instructions are trump, short of that I wouldn't worry too much. Clean it if you can, otherwise just make sure the barrel is clean and free of obstructions. Shoot away and have fun!
 
How important? Very. I've received new guns ranging from inside a plastic bag swimming in oil to bone dry. Others report thick white grease in every cavity and orifice. Packing oil or grease is only for rustproofing during shipping and sitting on a shelf and not intended to be proper lubrication for shooting. One exception to this is Glock's copper anti-sieze compound in the barrel and slide. If you try and shoot a gun in such conditions, you will probably encounter malfunctions that diminish your confidence in it.
 
Good or bad, I literally shot my gun RIGHT out of the box. First slide rack chambered a round, first magazine inserted was my first mag at the range. Worked flawlessly.
 
The M&P's are very easy to field strip. If nothing else pickup a boresnake and a bottle of Hoppe #9 or some Remoil and run the boresnake thru the barrel and use a paper towel to clean the slide rails and get some oil back on them. This is a brand new gun and you want everything to break in properly.
 
I'd clean it. I've picked up guns before that are just absolutely slathered with packing grease. It's just a generally good idea to clean it and give it a once over when you get a new firearm.
 
I wouldn't be worried so much about it being dirty ... I'd be more worried about lubrication like Heeler said. Make sure all the goodies inside are all lubed up ... no sense having metal rubbing on the first shot! Is it going to ruin your gun ... more than likely ... no but I just like having some piece of mind!

BTW, let us know how it shoots once you blow off a few!

Take Care & Be Safe!

Frank
NJGunOwner81
 
Can't speak about other mfgs. guns but when I got my M&P9c I took it out of the box inspected it with a bore light, racked the slide a dozen times, inserted both mags several times to make sure they were good. I found a light coating of lube on all the internals I coud see. I loaded the mags went out to my range and emptied them. Flawless. If looks or feels dry, lube it. Otherwise go shoot it and enjoy it. Best pistol I've ever owned. Gonna get an M&P 45 cause I think just having one M&P isn't enough.
Click to expand...

+1 lube it make sure barrel clear and shoot
 
It was test fired at the factory, so its already dirty. If you have time, run a patch through it, if not shoot it, and clean when you get home....
 
Well, I of course did what most people told me not to... I fired it without cleaning.
In looking it over as best I could it looked to actually be in ready to fire shape. No thick grease, good light coating of oil in all the right places.

Fired 100 flawless rounds of target Winchester (that's all I had).
In a perfect world I absolutely would have cleaned it first, but circumstances didn't allow it. Barely made it to the range in time as is.
I'll spend a good amount of time cleaning it inside and out tomorrow.
 
It was test fired at the factory, so its already dirty.
Click to expand...
That was before it was dunked in preservative oil/grease and stored for however long in a distributor/dealer warehouse. Also, not all firearms are test fired. Anyone who has bought a new Marlin can attest to all the metal shavings and preservative grease in the action.
 
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