How often do you clean your guns?

[dmallind]

I'm an every time after shooting guy too - and if I ever went a month without shooting them I'd clean them just for the time factor since the last clean to make sure all is still well and lubed properly.

That hasn't happened yet though!

For me as a mechanical dunce it's a form of insurance. I have about the least gunsmithing knowledge of anyone who shoots regularly, so I do not trust myself to spot incipient defects let alone fix them, so by rigorously and thoroughly cleaning every time I at least make it somewhat less likely a problem will develop I don't have the skills to deal with.

Cleaning I can do, and do well.

 

[itgoesboom]

I clean mine after everytime I shoot them, but I am not the type to do an aggressive cleaning, at least not with my rifles.

My pistols get a more thorough cleaning than the rifles, and I do check my carry piece everyday to make sure that it is still clean and in good shape, and blow off any lint on it.

My rifles get cleaned, but I am now in the habit of using a boresnake, some CLP, and some common sense. I pay close attention to the flutes in the chamber of my CETME, and clean the trunion well, and make sure the rollers are oiled nicely, but after that and the boresnake, they get put away.

No need to do much more than that.

Maybe if I ever get an AR I will clean it everyday...just to make sure it works properly.

I.G.B.

 

[Zach S]

Otherwise, I just wipe them down, oil them and run a boresnake though the barrel. Occasionally, I pull the slide off and wipe the rails down.

LOL. I thought that was cleaning them.

Not really. Cleaning a gun normally takes more than a minute and a half. By wiping them down, I'm refering to the residue at the end of the slide. Pulling the slide off doesnt usually happen until the 750-1000 round mark.

 

[Standing Wolf]

If I shoot it, I clean it. I didn't say I like cleaning guns: just that I do clean my guns.

 

[Erik Jensen]

depends.

Mil-Surps using vintage ammo? as soon as I get home.
870 and AK? rarely.
handguns? usually as soon as I get home, sometimes not, depending on how many rounds I went through.

 

[trickyasafox]

i field strip regularly (every shooting) but detail cleanings are not nearly as frequent

 

[P5 Guy]

Rifles get the corrosive cleaning after each outing. I don't care what the ammo fired was wet with water patches are always used first. Rifles get a spring cleaning once a year or when they stop doing what they're supposed to do.
Pistols get quick once over after the range trip and a deep cleaning every 200 rounds.
I voted seldom and I do enjoy keeping all my stuff in top shape.

 

[GRB]

I do what an old time firearms instructor once told me:

Every time you shoot your guns you have to clean them. Then after cleaning thm you have to test fire them. Then, of course, you should clean them again, then test fire them again.

Isn't life sweet!

Best regards,
Glenn B

 

[Hardtarget]

If I shoot, I clean. Mostly I don't want the police to stop me because my truck is like the getaway ride from the last "stop & rob" and have the officer say "your weapon has been fired recently". So, if I shoot, I clean...especially my carry piece. I really just like handeling my guns so I don't mind cleaning.
Mark.

 

[deciple-of-keith]

Cleaning firearms

As my firearms are the tools of my trade (Im a pro shooter).as much as I hate doing it .It's a case of every morning after work

 

[Tinker]

It's humid here, so everything centerfire/rimfire gets cleaned within a day or two after shooting. Often the same day. If not in use they get oiled at least once a year.

The Mosin gets treated just like my black powder guns. It gets a bath and oil as soon as I come home from shooting. I've seen rusty brown patches come out of a muzzleloader that was shot just a few hours earlier.

 

[Randy in Arizona]

Not as often as I should!

dmallind - - I'm an every time after shooting guy too - and if I ever went a month without shooting them I'd clean them just for the time factor since the last clean to make sure all is still well and lubed properly.

Good habit! I need to do better.

 

[Warren]

A day that involves shooting = a night that involves cleaning.

I like cleaning them as it gives me a chance to get my kids involved and I can show them all the interesting bits in the gun.


You've heard of BA/UU/R well mine is BA/UU/C/R.

 

[armoredman]

Took four guns to the range today. The Mosin was shot with corrosive ammo - it was the first one cleaned when we got home, first with pacthes of Windex with ammonia, then regular scrubbing...man, that Windex gets gunk out! After a thoruough scrubbing bore bolt and reciever, a nice fresh light coat of oil, this being AZ, with more dust than humidity...
The two CZs were cleaned right after that. Why? They both are our carry pistols, and to have a deliberately dirty carry pistol is foolishly asking for trouble, Also, I fired my reloads through both of them, including lead round nose, and I don't want to leave leading in a barrel.
The Yugo was last, and it just got a bore treatment, three quick swabs with bore cleaner and patches. Why? The dadgum rod broke.....
Only fired 30 rounds of Wolf, non-corrosive, so I'll get the gas system tomorrow....hate me if you must.

 

[junke]

if i shoot it i clean it. somtime if im bored i'll step outside run through a mag then go clean it. the only time you will ever see one of my weapons dirty is if you go to the range with me

 

[XLMiguel]

Yeah, I'm of the 'If I shoot it, I clean it" camp. Might be a day or three later, or if I'm going back within a week, I'll just do the boresnake thing and a good wipe down, but otherwise, keep it clean, jellybean.

 

[mister hankey]

i clean my pistols when ever im bored and after I shoot if i have time. But it is a great way to pass the time.

 

[Fletchette]

Varies for the gun.

I shoot a lot on my property, so I often do not clean my "plinking" guns. Mountain air is dry, new non-corrosive ammo, no need. You might ask "why not clean?" The answer is, let's face it, then I would not shoot as much. I figure it is a better thing to shoot often even if it causes a gun to wear out quicker (very debatable).

My carry guns are a different matter. These guns I demand absolute reliabilty, and check them often. Also, one of the things that someone mentioned on this thread, I have wondered about the possibility of being stopped by the police and have my weapon checked (it has happened to me before). A dirty, obviously fired gun could possibly be used as "reasonable cause" for arrest of whatever the nearest shooting was. I keep them clean.


Rifles: I used to compete on my college rifle team (it's existence was a very well kept secret to the rest of the university!). We had a clean it everytime policy, but some of the biathalon guys, who sprung for their own rifles, "never cleaned" them, in order to keep consistancy. In reality they cleaned the actions, and ran a brush once down the barrel occasionally, but didn't scrub it for fear of damaging the crown.

For this reason, I used to not clean my rifles every time. I was worried about the wear and tear from cleaning more than from firing. Recently, I noticed a build up in a rifle's barrel, and I couldn't get it out with my brush and solvent. I became concerned that I had pitting (unexpected). After posting here, on THR, someone suggested I get one of those boresnakes. I did. One pass. It was amazing! And no possibilty of a cleaning rod damaging the crown!

Now I clean my rifles every time I shoot.

I still don't clean my plinkers much.