How often should I clean it?

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BridgeWalker

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I recently got a new-to-me Montefeltro and am shooting a lot more frequently than I even have before. Suddenly, doing a full cleaning every time seems a bit excessive.

I'm shooting 50-75 rounds twice a week. Should I be cleaning it each time? Weekly? Bi-weekly?

What say you all?
 
You can clean it as often as you like, but once a week seems in excess. I'd say a quick cleaning every 200rd's or so and a thorough job every 1000...this is just my opinion...

Obviously, a good cleaning anytime it gets wet or dirty from hunting...
 
I clean mine after every hunt, and after every 150 rounds of shells at the skeet range. Reason being that I shoot 3 rounds every time I go out so after every other visit it gets a good through cleaning.
 
I wouldn't bother cleaning a Benelli so often unless it's dropped in the mud or is exposed to other sources of infiltrative filth. I've fired 400-500 rounds through the M series Benellis (M1 and M4) in three- and four-day courses without finding anything to require thorough cleaning. After a while I came down to running a boresnake through the barrel, wiping out the chamber through the ejection port, and squirting lubricant inside to prepare for the next use. It's what I do with my Benelli SuperSport II also. Ninety seconds seems about right to me. I don't hunt but I can understand why a hunter might use a different cleaning regimen.

I do agree about the importance of keeping these wonderful shotguns lubricated. They have steel running against aluminum.

By the way, you're experiencing one of the problems that confront every Benelli owner I know. These things consume ammunition faster than any other shotgun I know. They don't seem to understand that shotshells cost money. I indulge mine because I'm fond of them, but even when we take them along to handgun training exercises they demand to have at least twenty-five or so rounds fired at the end of the session just to keep in practice. They must think my resources are endless.

Perhaps the best part of taking a Benelli to a tactical shotgun course is learning why they're just not as reliable as, say, a Remington 870. There's the initial lecture followed by periods of standing around waiting for other folks' shotguns, sometimes including the 870s, to be brought back in service. It's important at such times to have an absolutely blank expression with no hint of a smile because otherwise the instructor begins to boil. I look over the horizon in a version of the 100 yard stare at such times, but I am a very patient person. (I like my Remington 870 by the way.)
 
I am not sure about everyone else but I clean all of my weapons anytime the get used/shot. Even the duty weapons at work get this treatment. Now mind you it is more of a field stripping and a good scrubbing. I don't get into the internals of the bolts or anything like that.

I have never had a firing pin stick at all. Not saying it won't happen sometime in the future though. Just saying I have been lucky. Maybe someday when I have more time I'll completely take apart my mossy. Give it a good bath and put it all back together. Until then I'll just keep going the way I have been for the last 30 years.
 
I do the same with all my other firearms, Okiewita40, but not with my Benelli shotguns. Do you clean your Benellis according to that regimen each time you shoot them?

For what it's worth I've been at this for more than forty years and have no virtue at all. :)
 
Clean your guns after shooting every time. They will function properly and not let you down. This is especially true for clanger bangers. Semi autos are the least reliable action and proper care will lessen problems.
 
Your gun will tell you.

Each gun, with its owner, loadings used, and environment will dictate how often.

Montefeltro's back in the day would go 100-300 rds.
Back then, this gun in Left Hand model, was popular for left handed folks.

Now I was running Win Super X Model 1 and was shooting as much as 2,000 shells a week.
Others were running Beretta 303's and doing the same thing.
I used Beretta 303 in 20 gauge as well.

Chambers and Extraction are what I concern myself with, as these are the two most seen problems with shotguns.

In the Old Days, we used Paper shells that had a wax.
Plastic shells come out and this is when the problems with chambers became so common.
Chambers getting a dirty , gritty "Plastic" build up.

This is the "Loadings" I am referring to. Add the powders, the Quality Control of Shells being made and Reloaders re-sizing hulls in reloading.

Shoot a 12 ga shell from a Montefeltro, and if one did not re-size the hull, that shell often times would not even go into a Remington 3200 , Pedersoli, SKB chamber.

We may not clean a shotgun, per se', I assure you we cleaned chambers, and extractors.
We made our own chamber brush, that would fit into port to twist and turn while the gun was still assembled.
We kept these on the Range, as we always had one person, no matter the make or model, with a Plascicized Chamber and needed cleaning.

Battery Operated drills came to be, and this helped a LOT.
Chuck up an old cleaning rod, with a brush, Wisps of 0000 steel wool or finest grit of Scothbrite pad and fire that drill up, clean chamber, and even bore and complete barrel.
Then Screw in Chokes come to be the "big deal".

Serious Competition I and many preferred the Paper shells, besides the wax, these had less felt recoil, and the really hard shot, patterned so well.


This gun cleaning is Cyclic if you will.

Currently QC of many shells is way way down.
Guns themselves , even "better names" are allowing QC to slide a bit.

Unwritten Rule : NEVER show up with a Clean Gun for Competition or "Lessons".

NO known Gun Schools back in the day.
Before 3 gun.
WE had our version of "lessons" (we still don't call it training).
Some called what we did 'Two Gun' even though we used handguns, rifles and shotguns.
Hot range, and some would not approve of the Rules.
Some unique folks, were passing forward and sharing.

For semi auto guns, one best kept secret was using Dexcron Automatic Transmission Fluid.
For about 25 cents or so, get a Quart of this ATF and we just refilled little bottles like Ear Drops come in. Glass bottles with a glass eye dropper.


I would get for instance Winchester Western, loads, like the Police used, in 25 rd boxes by the cases, heck even buy a Pallet, and split among us in nine pellet 00 buck, and Slugs.

My '74 SX1, with over 300,000 rds through it, has more than once fired 500 rds of 00 buck and slugs, and then turned around and shot 500 rds of Skeet loads, of 2 3/4 dr, 1 1/8 loadings.

No cleaning, and I showed up with a Dirty Gun to begin with.
We all did, with SX1, 303, 870,1100s , Model 12, Model 1300, Ithaca 37...

We waited on folks with Clean Guns.
WE really really liked it when someone showed to compete with a Clean gun.
Heck we even "suggested" they clean their shotguns, provided all the stuff to clean one with.
Serious competition with serious money. All we needed was for them to drop one bird, at the worst 3 and we knocked them out of the total competition.

Had a buddy that was left handed. He brought two left handed Montefeltro, if not 3 for when serious competition was going on.
Faster to change guns, and it does not mess with mental game , by changing out , than it does when one has to mess with a gun.


Note:

We bought a 870 in 20 gauge, and a 1300 in 12 gauge.
We cleaned the Factory lube and all out of these guns, re-lubed.
Bone stock guns, and for ONE YEAR we only cleaned the chamber and extraction, and dribbled some oil (whatever handy) and wiped off the outsides.
Use an air compressor or canned air a few times, as seeds and all might have gotten in these gun.

We used quality factory loads, or quality reloads we did. Guns were used by new folks, seasoned folks, ladies and gents.

Nobody waited on anyone using these guns. Chambers, extraction and quality shells the key.

Best guess , as we quit counting at around 20,000 rds, these guns ran through about 25,000 to 30,000 rds in one year.
Folks knew NOT to clean them, use quality ammo, as we all wanted to "run the guns" and whomever wanted to use them did, and these guns were used for sure.

I ran a NIB SX1 in '75 after cleaning it of factory stuff.
Ran it for 4 months, and just did chamber, extraction and used Winchester's Gun oil in the red tin can.
About 5,000 rds, testing loads for someone, from target, to duck, to buckshot.
Oh, gas system, poked a pipe cleaner through ports if I thought about it, and maybe a air hose or paintbrush on assembled gas system.

Run the gun, test the loads and see if I could break the guns or loads.
I failed breaking anything, no failures of any kind on the gun, or loads.
*shrug* I tried ;) Had fun too! :D
 
Montefeltros are amazingly easy to clean. IME, I can strip one down and clean it faster than I can an 870. That being said, I have no qualms about running 500 shells or more without taking it apart. On a number of occasions, I've let mine go more than 1000 without a problem.

Shotguns are not rifles, nor are they pistols. I used to be obsessive about cleaning my firearms each and every time they were used. However, I've found that most shotguns tend to be pretty tolerant. If I use a gun to shoot targets in dry weather, they'll just get a wipedown. If it gets rained on, hunted with, or has a few flats of shells run through it, then I field strip it and clean it.
 
My cleaning runs towards sm's model. Rarely do I clean a bore anymore. I really only clean the rest if a particularly anal-retentive gun cleaner is going to see my guns and "ewwwww! you're a BAD gun owner!" all over me...


gp911
 
Robert,

We always Inspected and Maintained guns, and when time to clean, we cleaned.
We always shot the shotgun, to insure function, and I mean more than just a round or two, at least a box, and then left it alone.

Here is what happens. Especially with new shooters.

They mess with the gun too much being nervous, apprehensive, and exited about the Shooting event, even just hunting.

Mistakes happen, they get a part in wrong, gas system incorrect, forget the "O" Ring, or mess up the gun, being in a frantic hurry, use improper tools or technique and lose a part, break something or you name it.

I was raised Shooting is 90% Mental, and 10% Physical.
Akin to todays Software Not Hardware .

Physical : Gun , Loads, Shooting Glasses, Ears, shell pouch/vest, shoes, etc.
One has gotten the correct basic fundamentals and continued quality practice.
The Physical stuff, like Gun Fit, Loads Patterned, and everything else "fits", tested, investigated, verified, and this Physical Stuff, everything is Fit.

One this Physical is done. Do Not Mess With It !

Now the Mental Game, Mindset, Focus, Game Face, whatever one chooses to call it, is FREE to do what it does.

Do NOT use up some of that Mental 90%, messing with Physical stuff, one needs all the Mental they can, to be effective. Skeet, Trap, 3 gun, whatever shotgun use they are participating in.

If I have seen it once, I have a thousand times.

Shooter messes with a gun, the night before and maybe again the morning of.
Nervous, overwhelmed, whatever...and forgets lets say to put the gas system in correct order, or the "O" ring.

Steps out on Station 1, and the gun will not run. IF it shoots once and breaks the high house, IF it fires again and breaks the low bird, - maybe so.
Now the doubles at Station 1 and the Gun will NOT shoot the second shot.
Shooter gets rattled, Mental game is being messed with.
"First bird dead, repeat the double" Puller/RO calls out.
Meaning he /she does have to break the first bird, but they do have to break the second bird with this "malf".

Gun did not shoot the second time again. With finger holding trigger back, as rules state, RO comes over and verifies a Gun Malf.

Now the person has to get another gun, fix that one, squad is being held up, they dropped a bird and the Mental Game is continuing to unravel.

Does that sense and explain the reasoning?

Mental Game is a huge part of shooting. It too requires Correct Basic Fundamentals, Quality Instruction and Continued Quality Practice and Implementation.

Skeet Field and the stupid birds are wet, the machine is acting up and and...
Seasoned Shooter will deal with this and not let this "distraction" rattle them.
New Shooter will simply not have the experience level yet , and this can /does frustrate them, and when problem fixed, or move to another field, the Mental Game is still off, and they shoot poorly.

Some will not shoot in the rain, wind, cool/cold temps. Fair Weather they are fine, still the Mental Game of "getting the gun wet" , or "rain on shooting glasses" totally messes up their abiltity to do well.


Sticking with Skeet:
Easier part is just shooting 100/100 for the Big Boys and Girls.
The Competition is the Shoot off at the end of the day against like shooters that also ran 100/100.

If one shoots all 4 gauges, most times this means shooting two gauges in the same day.
So if one shoots 100/100 in both events, the easier part, that means TWO shoot offs at the end of the day.

One has to wait, long day , hot, Mosquitoes come out at dark, and OFTEN these shoot offs are under the lights, as darkness comes fast, trying to get all the shoot offs out of the way.

Mosquitoes buzzing and biting, white targets under lights instead of orange during the day. Some of these other folks "won't miss" :p and not uncommon to have shot 2, 3, 4 and I have shot 5 boxes in a shootoff, and it was almost 11pm when we finished.

Next morning, got the early shoot time, and that damn sun is in one's eyes on some stations...

Inclement Weather: Oh yeah, I ain't got good sense. Rain, sleet, snow, tornadoes, cold...

Gun has to get cleaned that night. I and others like idiots broke them down, dried, cleaned lube and at 11pm outside somewhere, shooting a couple of boxes , to shoot these guns the next day again.

Thank goodness for barns and sheds, as I /we have fired guns from inside to outside in dark weather to Dirty a gun , before we run the gun the next day.

WE had backup guns...we tried to keep them as were, and not used.
Murphy's Law and all that.

Some of my Mentors shot for serious prizes and all. Some might call them Hustlers.
"You did clean that gun now didn't you?"
"Nice gun, bet it shoots great, and you are going to give me a run for the money, is that a scratch I see?
I bet that gun runs better clean and with fresh lube, got a kit on the porch, help yourself".

Mental Game - Mentors taught me what they taught me.

I mean nobody said one could *not* mess with another's Mental Game. ;)

"That gun is flithy!"
"Those reloads, got tape and wax to keep pellets in!"
"Lookee there, he/she is fumbling so, just trying to get shells in a pouch".
"Oh MY! Look at that black crap coming off that shotgun, 1911, ....does he/she never clean the thing?".

Run 'em [tm]
 
Serious Shotguns and CCW guns are Dirty too.

I have shot these guns so much, I know their "personalities" , meaning when time to inspect and maintain, and when to break down and clean.

Depends on gun and round count and personality.

My focus is chamber, extraction and magazines on semi auto pistols.

I walk out to a range, and shoot the guns as I had them set back/ as carried with the loads they had.

Now at the range, I can mess with a chamber, extraction after a few mags, and add a bit of lube if need.
Before I leave, I will shoot the guns, and once loaded - they are left alone.

If time for a total clean, again, they are shot to insure function and being reliable, including all carry mags.

I have seen folks turn ghostly white, when the home/business shotgun, or CCW went "click" instead of "bang".

All this time, even LEOs on duty, had a gun, that would not run, and they never knew it .


How raised - what you do.
 
Does that sense and explain the reasoning?
Click to expand...

Yes indeed it makes sense and explains the reasoning. I'm chuckling because one of the more memorable times I've been called an ignoramus on a gun forum was when I said that I wouldn't carry a handgun I'd disassembled for cleaning until I had fired it before I put it back in service. I'd wondered if your reasoning was similar. It was. It's good to know that a mechanical device actually works before relying on it.

Just as interesting is your reference to the sense of when a gun needs cleaning or other attention. I agree there too. It's hard to explain to someone else when a gun I know well is just beginning not to feel right.

Thanks.
 
Well sir,

No doubt I have been called names for some of the stuff I do. :D

Seriously though, you have experiences I don't in areas I don't and have seen things occur that parallel what I shared.

Just makes sense to check equipment, leave it alone, until needed.

We put back candles, matches for emergencies. Put in a fresh set of batteries in a flashlight, maybe buy a Bic lighter for emergency use.
Turn on Flashlight to see if batteries are in correctly, and they work, and the bulb as well.
Bic Lighter gets tested, and once done, set back and not messed with.

Change of batteries in Smoke Detectors, two times a year, say when Daylight Savings time hits.

Truth is, that Smoke Detector is most often more important to folks, than a shotgun set back for Home Use.

;)
 
Really depends on the gun, the quality of the shells used, how much you shoot in any given session, and the shooter. Some of the cheaper promo loads smoke a lot, so these shells are going to grunge up the bore and the breach of the gun more than good quality reloads, or the STS or AA factory shells.

I shoot practice with one older fellow who shoots a pre-'64 Winchester Model 12 Trap that he has owned since it was a year old, and the bore of that gun shines like a whistle every time he brings it out. The older Model 12's like this one would be the last guns that need meticulous maintenance, you could run one of these over with your truck and then it will still break all the targets.

I know a wealthy attorney who is actually a pretty nice guy, he just spent $17K plus on a Krieghoff K-80 Special Trap Combo set, and that gets cleaned about as often as he breaks 100 (rarely). My Citori XT gets cleaned after every other session at the range, roughly 350 to 400 rounds, and that works fine for me!
 
You paid extra for a gun that offers minimal cleaning and maintenance. I'd clean it when you damn well feel like it, or when you sweat all over it and it might rust, no more often than that.
 
+1 for Armedbear.

My thinking exactly. The inertia systems don't need much cleaning. More guns are worn out by assembly/disassembly than by shooting them.

I am ex-military but I left all that crap about cleaning weapons every day as soon as I got my DD-14. The military weapons were gas operated. Believe it or not, they malfunctioned almost as much as they functioned. Too much tampering with them, IMO.

I field strip my inertia guns once a year. The gas systems, I clean the gas system after every shoot. Just yank the barrel off and wipe the magazine tube and put it back on.

A minimum of oil on the friction points and wipe the outside down with an oily rag.
 
I don't pull the receiver apart or anything, but I'll clean the gas port/piston, wipe it all down with the barrel off, run an oily rag over and through the barrel, and pull out and lube the choke tube after EVERY shooting session of my auto and similar with the pump except it has no gas piston. I pull the receiver apart usually after hunting season is over and give it a good clean/lube.

The doubles are a piece of cake. :D I'm a little anal about cleaning, but I use my guns hard afield and in salt marshes for doves and ducks. It pays to be diligent so the rust monster don't sneak up on you.
 
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