How often do you clean your rifle?

How often do you clean your rifle?

  • Every single time. If you shoot it, its dirty and needs cleaning.

    Votes: 30 48.4%

  • When needed. If I shoot a few, and know I'll shoot again soon, I leave it.

    Votes: 26 41.9%

  • When accuracy falls off. Over-cleaning causes wear. I wait for a reason to clean.

    Votes: 4 6.5%

  • I shot it in the rain once. Does that count?

    Votes: 2 3.2%
  • Total voters
    62
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Dave R

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A disagreement in another thread got me interested in how often THR members clean their rifles.

I chose "when needed". With modern propellants, I don't see a need to clean if I've only fired a few and know I'll be shooting again soon. But I always clean before any extended storage.

How 'bout you? Clean every time? Never? Somewhere in between?
 
I voted for every time I shoot...

Only because all my rifle shooting these days has centered around my AR. AR's get awfully dirty, really quickly. All that gas that comes back down that little gas tube to operate the bolt brings a LOT of gunk with it. There is a new type of Armalite coming down the pike (I think it's called an AR-18) that is supposed to remain a lot cleaner due to it keeping that gas out of the receiver. I'll try and find some more about it and post. Or perhaps someone already knows about it and wouldn't mind posting some info. I think the AR-18 is supposed to be less expensive too. I did see a picture and it looked good.

KR
 
KR, its the AR-180B.

Regarding the AR, I haven't noticed that mine get very dirty at all. I think powder and load may have a lot to do with it. FWIW, I'm using a stiff load of RL-15 and either 77 or 80 SMKs. Rem 7 1/2 primer. I have had a LOT of rounds through them and they run like a Singer.
 
I chose number two. But I have guns that qualify under #4.

Some guns I am very partial to and have lots of money in get cleaned more often. Some of my truck guns (NEF 45-70, Win 94 30-30) are lucky to get a wipe down and a bore snake.

I have a Ruger 10/22 that has never been cleaned. Only wiped down (exterior) and lubed. Functions flawlessly.

Also varies with what the gun is for. AR does require more maintenance than a bolt gun. If I'm going to shoot living targets at distance, accuracy is more important so cleaning becomes more important.
 
I try hard not to over clean. I'll go about 500 rds for the M1a between cleanings, paying attention to the free movement of the gas piston. As long as it's less than 500 rds and it moves freely, lets shoot. Ends up being cleaned about 3 times a year, twice during the season and then again for storage during the winter. It sees a bore snake and fresh lube as needed, every trip.

I wait till groups open to larger than 3/4"@100yds to clean my Marlin 22mag and Scout. Of course each gets a bore snake and fresh lube as needed each trip.

The only time I clean after every range trip is when I use corrosive in a surplus rifle.

So I guess your/my answer ready depends on what you call cleaning. I don't consider a snake and fresh lube cleaning. Pulling the action and scrubbing till you have white patches is cleaning.
 
"You shoot it, you clean it" was always beat into our heads as kids. Didnt matter if you were going to shoot it again tomorrow. You take care of your weapon before anything else. Still do it and so do my kids. Guns get cleaned as soon as I get home from the range.
 
I'm probably more like "When needed", even though I was raised "You shoot it, you clean it".

Truthfully, I only really clean'm up now when I know friends will be shooting with me, probably about once a month. The other three or four shootin's a month go sans bath. Sometimes, that description includes me.:D
 
Well... None of the above.:D
I clean every 10--40 shots depending on the round just to get the soot out. High intensity rounds get the "2 wet patches, 3dry patches" routine oftener, all get a thorough cleaning at day's end.
To do otherwise is to risk your soul...:what:
Tom:D
 
This is an amazingly simple question. I clean thoroughly after every time I fire my weapons. I would never even think of putting a dirty weapon back into the rack. A weapon that takes care of you deserves to be taken care of itself. All of mine look new out of the box even thousands of rounds later because I take care of them and clen them after each use. It's just pride in owning weapons. It's like the guy who has rusty saws and neglected tools. I don't know about everyone else, but when I see rusty tools and dirty tools, it tells me what kind of craftsman he is. It makes no difference if ammo is corrosive or not. Powder residue and carbon attracts moisture. Moisture causes rust. There is no good reason to not clean a centerfire weapon after each use.
 
I usually clean my rifles and handguns first thing returning home. Every once in a while I will get distracted and wait until the next day.
 
I clean everytime.

But, the more interesting answer is that I clean according to how much I shot.

10 rounds? I just swipe a few patches with Kroil and short stroke them.

500 rounds? I clean pretty thoroughly, a bronze brush, plenty of wet patches.

Cleaning like I shot 500 when I only shot 10 is where the over-cleaning would occur.

Do you clean your car after every mud puddle? Or wipe down the dirty part? This is a better question.
 
That depends.
My Enfield receives a thorough cleaning after every trip to the range, oil-brush to loosen the dirt, bore-snake to remove the dirt, re-oiling to prevent rust.
My SL8 gets a quicker treatment, I just once or twice pull a bore-snake through the barrel and wipe clean those inner surfaces of the receicer that I can reach without disassembling it.
 
Steve...

Yeah! I think you're right. AR-180 was the name.
You wouldn't happen to remember which magazine and month of issue had the article regarding the AR-180, would you?
I'm using Federal American Eagle in my AR-15. It does seem to leave my rifle pretty dirty.

Thanks,
KR
 
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