How often do you clean guns you haven't shot?

[dmftoy1]

Just curious how often you clean the guns in your safe. (The one's you haven't shot for awhile). I try to rotate through my rifles and pistols so they all get shot/cleaned, but sometimes it might be 5-8 months before I shoot something. I never gave it much thought before, but after reading the Army Technical manual that came with my M1 Carbine I started thinking that maybe I"m doing something wrong. (It recommends a 30 day cleaning interval unless the gun is put up for storage with special lube/preservative)

 

[jungleroy]

Even if i don't shoot them, I clean them about every 3 months and check for rust and oil that is hardening.
Really maintenance this way is pretty simple, there is no lead or powder to clean, and wiping the old oil off to apply new oil and or grease is pretty simple too.
Also takes the boredom out of rainy days.

 

[dtalley]

I don't really clean them. I have several guns that I do not shoot very often. About every 6 months I will pull them out of the safe give them a good looking over and relube if needed.

 

[Ed Ames]

There is no one answer.

A fully stored gun may get unpacked and cleaned every few years but there's no guarantee. 5+ isn't impossible.

A "ready" gun (one that is assembled and ready for a trip to the range) will probably get at least a re-oil every 2-4 months.

An active gun (e.g. a gun that is being carried around or going in and out of cases...) will be checked out at least once a month. The reason for this is that a lot of stuff (lint, dust, etc) can accumulate on an actively carried gun even if it is never fired.

And, of course, guns are at least stripped and inspected (which includes a lot of cleaning) if not "white patch" cleaned after range trips.

I suspect the army manual was written to address "active" guns...

 

[Regolith]

Since I've always lived in dry climates there was never really any worry about rust, so I just clean them after I shoot them and put them away. They could probably be stored nearly indefinitely with only a light lube before storage.

 

[.cheese.]

did somebody say cheese?

 

[stubob2517]

I break them all out every 6-9 months and give them a good cleaning. That is the schedule I've always used for my guns and it's the same schedule I've used since I was given my fathers guns 10 years ago.

Some of those weapons are 60 years old, and while they don't look brand new, I should look so good at 60.

 

[silverlance]

If I were to break out a gun every 6 months for cleaning, I would be cleaning guns .. quite often.

If a gun is clean, is oiled, and put in a sock inside a safe with dessicant... i'm not too worried about it.

 

[Ethereal]

I'll clean them the same day I go shooting, but if they've sat awhile then once a month I'll go back and give them a quick go through. Yes even the AK's and the Glocks....

 

[koja48]

Quarterly at least . . . all are kept in a DRY environment, but if I can't shoot them all as often as I'd like, I can at least handle, caress, and maintain them. What's not to like about that?

 

[silverlance]

If I were to break out a gun every 6 months for cleaning, I would be cleaning guns .. quite often.

If a gun is clean, is oiled, and put in a sock inside a safe with dessicant... i'm not too worried about it.

 

[Eric F]

I said 12-18 months for my 1911 as thats what I do but the sharps gets it evert time I think about shooting it black powder will rust it if I am not careful

 

[Fumbler]

If I ever feel like any of my guns need to be cleaned then I'll bring it on my next range trip.
You shouldn't have to clean an unused gun. Reapply oil, yes, but clean? why?

After shooting I clean them, oil them, and store them in a dry area. I don't think I'd ever have to clean any of them just cause they sat there.
If they've been sitting for a long time then they'll probably need more lube, but not cleaning.

The home defense guns get used enough that they're always clean and ready to go, so no problem there.

 

[rantingredneck]

About once a quarter I'll rotate through and clean/oil everything. It's rare though that I haven't shot all of them in that timespan. I tend not to keep safe queens around.

 

[elderboy02]

I don't clean them unless I shoot them. I figure the CLP will do its job. The "P" in CLP stands for "Protects".

 

[Gingerbreadman]

I only really clean my guns after I shoot them, but I periodically check to make sure that everything is in order, especially my HD gun.

 

[kfranz]

I like cheese. I've got 3 boys that are in a variety of activities, and I have other interests besides my firearms. That, and it's just not important enough to take the time to clean stuff that isn't getting dirty. I do check for rust from time to time, but I've never found any.

Stuff that does got shot: Corrosive stuff gets cleaned right away, non-corrosive gets cleaned but usually not right away, and stuff that isn't used doesn't get cleaned.

 

[Kind of Blued]

A little squeeze cheese on moving parts only after I've shot them. Jalapeno Cheddar seems to be corrosive however.

I don't even have enough time to clean guns the same day I go shooting, and I only have five firearms. I've got a full time job, 17 hours in school and homework to do dernit. I wish I could have a couple beers and clean my guns more often.

 

[DWARREN123]

I clean a new or new to me firearm then sometimes after shooting them, not always.