How often to clean guns?

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Armueller2001

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I took my M&P 9mm and AR15 out the other day, shot 150rds through the 9mm and 45 of .223. I disassembled and cleaned them both, including bore brushes, etc. and it looked like neither gun really needed it. I've also heard things about overcleaning being bad for your guns... I think the next couple trips to the range I might do a quick wet/dry patch job and be done with it. I can see how scraping the bore out with a brush every time may do harm, when it's not needed.

How often do you guys clean your guns? Do you recognize overcleaning as a valid concern?
 
I know I couldnt clean it for 500 rounds or more without any kind of problems, but since I have time for that, I clean it every 2 shooting sessions ... at least the barrel. (for ARs)

Pistols ? I clean them every 6 months...

cap and balls and black powder guns ? after every session.
 
I'll try to clean after each session. Nothing fancy, just swab out the bore, wipe everything down.
 
I'm concerned that the powder residue will wreak havoc on my firearms so I try to clean them up right away after I shoot them. I've got it down to a science so it doesn't take me too long to clean them up.
 
I enjoy the time I spend cleaning weapon systems so I do it sometimes for something to do. I can totaly break down my Ruger standard I have owned since I was 11 and clean every nook and cranny.
When an action is as smooth as butter then you know you have it right.
 
Everyone has their own regiment, I clean mine after each range trip, whether I shot 10 or 110 rounds. It'd be kinda like putting a baby to bed with a dirty diaper to not clean after use.:D
 
I clean my guns after every firing, especially black powder guns. The problem that most often occurs from "over" cleaning is oil residue. Only a very thin film of oil should be left afterwards. Basically, if you can see oil it's too much.
 
After every session.

I agree with ronwill about the amount of oil you leave on. I'll clean off all the dirty oil/carbon/gunky dirt and then use a clean rag to spread some oil around and wipe off the excess.
 
I clean all of my firearms within a couple days of them being used. That goes for all of my range weapons. Depending on the weather conditions or if they get wet or something I clean them within hours of them being used. My hunting firearms get cleaned daily when I am at the camp and my carry weapon gets cleaned once a week.
 
I was always taught to clean after every use.

I do the whole sha-bang... brass brush and bore wipes. Wipe it down with a lint free towel, and lightly oil. Then wipe it down again, until all finger prints are gone and I place it in it's box for storage in the safe.

My HD piece then gets loaded and put in my fingerprint safe for easy access in the master bedroom.
 
Once upon a time, (a few years ago) I was duck hunting for the first time of a new duck season and my Rem 11-87 would not cock. (the hammer would not lock back). I had to use a nylon comb to punch out the pins that hold the trigger group in the receiver and remove the trigger group. I found that the trigger group was full of oil, grease, gunpowder residue, mud and rice straw. I picked out the big chunks and swished the trigger group in pond water until I could see most of the parts. I put it back together and finished the season. I cannot remember having cleaned the trigger group for the past five or six duck seasons.

I wipe my guns down after every use and now throughly clean them once a season or once a year.
 
anything blackpowder or having fired corrosive ammo, I clean as soon as I get home from shooting.Anything else, I just do when I get the time or inclination, or when its getting gunky enough to need it or is bugging me.
 
Anything that I shot corrosive ammo gets cleaned as soon as I get home. .22's get cleaned whenever I feel they need it...Usually about 300rounds down the tube. Larger rifles and AR's get wiped down completely and the bore gets some oil. Hanguns are wiped down and the bore is oiled.
 
i clean them every time i go shooting with them, or every 6 months, whichever comes first

im a bit OCD, so every time i clean them they get at least field stripped and the Q-Tips come out

i like being thorough when i clean them, it gives me time to go through and inspect them and check for any issues that might be popping up before they get serious
 
I over-cleaned in my youth--
I used to enjoy it.
As I've aged I've learned about diminishing returns, losing small parts needlessly, and just got lazier.

Now, meh, when the spirit moves me or the thing starts to malfuntion I clean.

I DO clean the little Colt .32 ACP and my wife's mod. 36 when they are used as they are blued and have sentimental value.
 
Most guys seem to like to clean their guns, its extra play time with guns after the range time is over. For me its just a chore and added exposure to toxic things. If the gun isn't that dirty or accuracy isn't suffering I don't see any real benefit. As you can guess I don't clean much and am not one of the guys that thinks you need to clean a gun if it was shot no matter how few rounds.
 
Enjoy it

But developing a sensitivity that makes my hands burn after exposure to my cleaning materials so I have to wear rubber gloves now. Do a barrel swab after every session and a tear down and complete cleaning after a few hundred rounds whether its a day or 6 months to shoot that many out of a particular gun.
 
When I first got my Glock, I cleaned after every range session...no matter how many rounds I put into it.

I've been going to the range almost every week, so I'll begin to clean when I miss two or three weeks.

But maybe you should just get a Snake Bore so you can do a "quick" cleaning rather than a detailed cleaning.
 
I quite cleaning my .22s except for a quick wipedown on the outside and around the chamber/action. If they stop working, I'll break them down and clean. I clean everything else after every use... but I probably don't need to.
 
When you're bored.
When your teenage daughter has teenage boys over.
When the !@#$ thing stops feeding every few rounds.
When accuracy degrades.
When you feel guilty about paying a grand for something, then letting it get caked with crud.
Whenever you use it, immediately (black powder and corrosive milsurp ammo only)
 
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