How long does it take for you to clean a gun?

[monotonous_iterancy]

Today I cleaned some guns, both rifles, and it took me a ridiculously long time. It has me thinking that I'm slow when it comes to cleaning.

I know that every gun is different. But how long does it take you to clean, oil, and lubricate a gun, on average?

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Hard to answer since there are so many different types of gun. I shoot handguns mostly. Modern semi auto, about 45 minutes to an hour and 15. 1911about an hour and a half. Revolvers take me about an hour and a half. Rifles depend on the type and are any where from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. I'm meticulous. Also depends on how much I shot that day, porting, polymer or all steel, compensators. Really broad spectrum.

 

[TrickyDick]

I like to spend a minimum of an hour per gun, preferably 2. but depending on how many rounds, it could be more. It's not that I'm slow, I'm thorough. but situation dictates.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Glock = 10 minutes. Bolt gun = 15 minutes. Revolver = 15 minutes. 1911 = 20 minutes. AR = 45 minutes.

I shoot up 15 different guns weekly. I don't clean them til I think they need it and certainly don't sit around with Q-tips being anal....20 years ago I was in the clean 'em every time you shoot 'em camp and found I didn't want to shoot because of it.

 

[CVA-66]

about as much time as it takes to smoke a fine hand rolled cigar

 

[BigBore44]

The gun that takes me the longest is my M1-A at about 40 minutes.
My SBH 44 takes about 10.
My XD45 about 10.
My 1895 about 30.
My Model 70 about 15.
My model 60 about 20.
My Benelli about 15.

Now those numbers are start to finish, assuming I have all my screwdrivers, punches, solvents, lubes, brushes, ready and organized. Which I (usually) do.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Glock = 10 minutes...

Seriously? You must be able to load your dishwasher in less than 10 minutes.

 

[stressed]

About and hour or so each. I was even going through quickly if just one mag was shot through the weapon. With modern non corrisve primers we really don't have to every time, I just like everything functioning as it should. BP and .22lr get gummed up fast.

I really hate cleaning, and it stems from non stop cleaning in the Army. I remember weapons maintenance weekends, if we were not in the field and garrison, being an Infantry company they made us clean the entire battalions weapons, thinking we would do a better job then the POGS, which of course they always seemed to be still dirty. I remember spending days, sun up to sundown cleaning weapons. Ugh.

 

[The_Next_Generation]

I've been known to take 2 or 3 hours for some of the older and more "refined" (read: complicated) shotguns that I have when they get really gunked up.

CVA-66 wins the contest for best response of the day:

about as much time as it takes to smoke a fine hand rolled cigar

LOL!

 

[coloradokevin]

There's no single answer to this question...

If I shoot a qualification course at work and need to clean my Glock before getting back to work, I can have it done in 5-7 minutes. If that same gun got soaked because I was fighting someone in a creek (it has happened) or because I was standing in the rain for two hours (that's happened more often), then I usually spend more time detailing the gun.

My precision rifles (bolt guns) only get cleaned occasionally. There's no need to clean these rifles every time they're shot, and doing so only makes things harder in the field. The action gets cleaned more than the barrel, and barrel gets cleaned every 150-200 rounds or so. When I do a full cleaning, it probably takes me 30-40 minutes.

AR-15's are a pain in the butt. If I want to detail clean an AR-15 I usually figure it's good for an hour of my time. A quick clean and lube might be a ten minute deal, but that doesn't involve getting carbon off of the bolt, or getting the weapon cleaned to an "inspection" level.

Oh, and when I shoot corrosive ammo through my old 8mm Mauser, I'm probably looking at at least an hour for cleaning it. When I shoot modern ammo through that rifle I'm looking at about a 10 minute cleaning job.

 

[Rasp]

My AK usually takes me about 1 1/2 hours. Its to the point where I hate taking it out of the safe. I've got it on my bench right now, soaked with ballistol.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Actual cleaning time start to finish is different from the time I spend on it. I normally disassemble then put on whatever cleaner I'm using and leave it for about 15 minutes so it can do what it is supposed to do. Actual time cleaning with a tooth brush or Q-tip in my hands, maybe 15 minutes on a Glock. An AR, 30 to 40 minutes. Most of that on the bolt and chamber.

 

[Reloadron]

Really depends on the particular gun and how in depth I get with the cleaning. Overall, if I lump everything together I would guess on average an hour. There is no simple one time fits all answer.

Ron

 

[On An Island]

20-30 minutes for a normal cleaning.
30-60 for a more detailed cleaning.
60+ for a "take it down and fondle it" cleaning. (doesn't happen too often as my wife gets jealous)

 

[akv3g4n]

Man, now I feel a lot better. It always seems to take me at least an hour to clean any of my guns. I always thought that I was so much slower than everyone else.

The AKs have to be the worst for me. Especially after shooting corrosive ammo. It takes me about an hour to feel that I thoroughly got everything clean and then I go back 2-3 days later and give it a 10-15 minute once over just to be sure.

 

[RyanM]

Less than 5 minutes.

I usually don't worry about "cleaning," at all and only wipe down with oil to prevent rust. And that's only with the few guns I have that even can rust. Never had cleanliness-related reliability issues, including with my AR-15. I do wipe down my blued and parkerized guns every single time I touch them, though. Really prefer stainless, melonite, bake-on finishes, etc.

I really don't get why people feel the need to clean their guns every time they shoot. Do you dismantle your car's engine and scrub every part, every time you drive it?

 

[J-Bar]

It's not a race.

Why would you object to the opportunity to handle a gun?

 

[Warp]

Usually <5 minutes. (that's "less than" 5 minutes)

Sometimes 5-10 if it's been hundreds of rounds and I want it to be pretty well cleaned/lubed.

 

[Spike_akers]

When I'm cleaning after use:
1911=20
Mosberg 500=15
XDs=10
And my black powder... Well let's say about an hour.
When I actually detail them meticulously, in upwards of an hour each...

 

[bannockburn]

One of the reasons I switched principally from revolvers to semi-autos was the ridiculously long time it took me to clean my revolvers. My brother on the other hand who was only into semi-autos was done cleaning two of his guns before I even finished my first revolver.

 

[Sam1911]

It really depends. I tend to clean my semi-auto handguns about once every 500-1,000 rds. and that takes maybe 20 minutes. Revolvers, the same, though I might go a little longer between cleanings.

Rifles might fall into different categories. If I shoot corrosive ammo, cleaning involves boiling water then blowing dry with an air hose, maybe WD-40 and then oil. I usually have 45 minutes or so into cleaning an AK when I get it home.

Bolt-action guns firing modern ammo? Maybe 20 minutes, but if they've just had a few rounds through them, then a quick wipe-down will do.

 

[Esoxchaser]

I clean frequently so it goes quickly. Never more than 20 minutes tops for any hand gun, usually more like 10 minutes. Semiauto shotguns and rifles can take up to 40 doing a detail cleaning, but part of that is every time I shoot them at the range it is hundreds of rounds at a time.

 

[Batty67]

I take too long to clean my guns. About 45 minutes for pistols (Buck Mark more like 30) and an hour or more on my M1 carbine or Camp 45. More like 90 minutes for the Camp 45. It shoots filthy. I actually dislike shooting it because the clean-up takes so long.

But I need to cut down on my cleaning times, but I'm so fastidious.

 

[jerkface11]

My AK usually takes me about 1 1/2 hours.

???
How many rounds do you go between cleanings?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I can't believe some people take an hour per gun to clean them. Wow.
My muzzleloader doesn't even take that long (thank you Ballistol)!

I'm usually in the 10 minute range for normal cleaning, which is not after every use. I average 2-3 range trips per month and I clean about once a month. I only shoot 250-300 rounds between cleanings though so it's not that bad.

However I do understand taking longer than needed if you're just in the mood to fondle your guns. Certainly nothing wrong with that.