How often do you clean your guns?

[GBExpat]

Everyone, keep in mind that there can be a BIG difference between returning fired/dirty firearms to a RH-controlled gunsafe or just leaving them out.

And you need to keep in mind that "Everyone" may not live where there is a "BIG difference" between ambient humidity and an RH-controlled gun safe....

Something that I am well aware of, thank you ... but that is not the case for most of the folks that frequent these forums.

 

[cdk8]

If it can't go 1000+ rounds without needing a take-down cleaning it quickly becomes a safe queen. I just wipe them down with an oily cloth and run a bore-snake pass or two.

As was said above, no real point to being obsessive about it when its likely to be shot again soon.

Only exception are my actual carry guns, but they get shot infrequently, most I have duplicates or analogs of (example: carry S&W Shield .40, shoot ~50 rounds/week through Shield 9mm, practice ammo cost savings quickly paid for the 9mm pistol) and these get the regular treatment.

I tend to find that...
...I reason that I will shoot a gun again real soon and so I give it a brief or no cleaning and then don't shoot it for a long time.

versus

...I reason that I am not going to shoot a gun for ages so I give it a thorough cleaning and I wind up shooting it the next week.

I can't win. :banghead:

 

[Wanderling]

I used to clean after each range session. But it got a bit tedious.

I do it now after every second range session. I rarely put more than 100 rounds through each gun in a session, so it's not like they are really dirty.

 

[moxie]

Tell us more about this frog snot. Is it biodegradable? How much does it cost? More than Pennzoil?

Keep your guns clean. Treat them as well as your favorite coffee mug at minimum.

Frogsnot is essence of Amalie racing oil, 20w-50. Am I going too fast for you?

 

[Steve C]

I clean my center fires after every range session. I clean my .22 rimfire target pistol used in a .22 bullseye league before the start and at the end of the 10 shoot season and maybe one time during the season if it starts to have issues.

 

[tactikel]

I clean after every shooting session, field or range. I need my gun clean, reliable, rust free. it is important to understand the functioning of the firearm.

 

[cfullgraf]

Frogsnot is essence of Amalie racing oil, 20w-50. Am I going too fast for you?

I use Redline in my race car. One of these days I'll sidetrack a quart to the gun room.

 

[moxie]

Last you a month or two, if you clean at slow speed.

 

[BSA1]

Generally speaking a year whether they need it or not.

During the winter to fight off cabin fever I reload all of the fired brass in every caliber I have and clean all of my guns. With the guns that I have not shot all I do is change the gun oil and lube. I shoot a lot of cast lead bullets so you can imagine those guns are quite dirty so they get broke down and deep cleaned.

I have to correct myself and say most of my guns get cleaned once a year. The other day I ran a across a 9mm pistol that was dirty from being shot. I can not remember when the last time I shot it was so it has been several years. Since it is in the factory box I somehow overlooked it. It was stored all of that time without any bad effects. Anyway it is clean now.

 

[Barry the Bear]

Depends on how much I shoot if it's a lot I will clean same day if only a little I wipe whatever I was shooting down with a silicone cloth and re holster.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

I clean them after every range trip. No reason not too except for laziness. I know people like to "test" their guns, but you'd be in an endless test loop since you'd have to re-test them every time a part broke or a malfunction occurred since every dirty scenario or broken part would be different. To put it simply, I don't test how long my vehicle will go without maintenance so I'll know for sure when I break down in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Derry 1946]

After every range trip, and otherwise check them every couple of months for corrosion. The carry pieces get looked at every day for lint, grime, etc.

 

[Bama Drifter]

Clean gun is a HAPPY gun.

I clean them after every range trip. No reason not too except for laziness. I know people like to "test" their guns, but you'd be in an endless test loop since you'd have to re-test them every time a part broke or a malfunction occurred since every dirty scenario or broken part would be different. To put it simply, I don't test how long my vehicle will go without maintenance so I'll know for sure when I break down in the middle of nowhere.

^^^ +1
So so so so TRUE. I don't understand guys wanting to see when their $500 toy will break. You wouldn't do it to a bike, boat, car or other "toy", so why the need to abuse a firearm?

Anyway I'm mostly in the Clean it EVERY time you shoot it crowd; however my SBH may get neglected for a couple of days if I'm trying out a new load/powder and am taking to the range again soon. Even my Glock 19 gets a bore snake and wipedown every time... & it's a GLOCK!

 

[Sport45]

I clean mine whenever I think they need it, but generally about once a year. The ones that get real cruddy (shooting cast bullets) get cleaned more often.

My carry guns don't get cleaned after they're shot, they get shot after they're cleaned.

 

[dh1633pm]

I clean everything I own twice a year. Its a light cleaning with the outside oiled and basically an oiled patch down the bore. Any with a dirty patch get a better cleaning. All rifles taken to the range get a good cleaning when they get back.

I live in the east and it can be pretty humid at times. Have to keep things from rusting. We do have a basement dehumidifier and we do have central air that extends to the basement. In between AC and Heat in the Spring and Fall the humidity can be high.

 

[Ravinsomniac]

You are supposed to clean your guns ???

Well okay,
Should I put them in the top rack or the bottom rack of the dish washer ?

 

[AKElroy]

If it can't go 1000+ rounds without needing a take-down cleaning it quickly becomes a safe queen. I just wipe them down with an oily cloth and run a bore-snake pass or two.

As was said above, no real point to being obsessive about it when its likely to be shot again soon.

Only exception are my actual carry guns, but they get shot infrequently, most I have duplicates or analogs of (example: carry S&W Shield .40, shoot ~50 rounds/week through Shield 9mm, practice ammo cost savings quickly paid for the 9mm pistol) and these get the regular treatment.

This describes my practice. It's one or the reasons I now carry a Glock; quick and easy to detail strip for dirt / lint / deodorant removal to keep it reliable. Everything else gets a simple wipe-down and a bore-snake, and a few dabs of mobile-1 after an extended range session, or when the season is over.

My safe has a goldenrod, and humidity is a non-issue in the low 40's.

 

[Mosbyranger]

After 31 years of intensive, wife directed husband training, it has been beaten into me that clean things run better, look better and last longer. While this, uh, training, is directed more towards household items, it occurred to me that my corrected and improved attitude could be profitably applied to my firearms. Thus, after every range session or hunting season every firearm that has had a round down the barrel gets cleaned. Stainless revolvers get the lead cloth to remove carbon rings. Everything gets snaked, hoppied and oiled. Although the contents of safe do not get inspected for cleanliness like the rest of the happy domicile, I am confident that they would pass with flying colors. The thought of a crudded up firearm sitting forelornly in the safe is now like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

 

[I6turbo]

My guns are in pristine condition under the carbon.

That's pretty much me. If I touch a blued gun I wipe it down with an oily cloth upon putting it away. If a gun gets wet, I clean it thoroughly. Otherwise, thorough cleaning is not frequent, and depending upon how often it goes out and how much it gets shot, it might be many years between thorough internal cleanings. I've not had a gun corrode, inside or out, in 50 years of such treatment.

 

[FLNT4EVR]

I clean and inspect my firearms after every range session. If my life is going to depend on it I want it to work, every time.

 

[taliv]

my carry gun has 17k+ rounds through it since christmas before last. it's been cleaned maybe 4 times that i can remember. probably due for another one. heck, i'm not even sure how to take it apart. i just take it back to the LGS where i bought it and they cuss me then take it into the backroom for a few minutes... i think i've squirted slip2k on it another 3 or 4 times in addition

 

[ColoradoShooter77]

I shoot multiple guns every week and I hate cleaning them, lol. I've decided to pick on Sunday every month and clean them all. That'll be about a 500 round span on each of them.

I did a field strip on my AR after about 450 rounds fired, it wasn't bad at all. I figure I can go 1000 rounds before I do it again, plus I'm using powders that are pretty clean.

 

[Hondo 60]

mesinge2 - I'm like you in that at first I cleaned after EVERY range session.
Since acquiring more than one handgun, I've gotten a just bit lazy.

After seeing your post I decided it was well past time to clean my S&W Model 10.
I had gone several thousand rounds & the accuracy was starting to deteriorate bit.

You shoulda seen the dry patches - they were bad.
But it's all cleaned up now.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

Put 50 rounds through my carry gun Sunday. It's still dirty. I usually do a quick strip and wipe, re oil and go.

 

[mesinge2]

It's just that I shoot 3 different guns once a week every week. So, to clean after each range session is cleaning 12 different guns every month. It gets tedious!