I hate gun cleaning - there, I said it

[ORAG]

CLP

No one mentioned using CLP on the gun after you have cleaned it. I do this and my guns look good and function well. I think everyone should have a few patches and a pack of cotton tipped swabs.
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Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now - Steven Wright

 

[History Prof]

I love cleaning firearms. Send them to me. I promise you will get them back. Someday.....

 

[Werewolf]

There was a time when I really enjoyed cleaning my guns but over the years its just become a chore (my father is rolling over in his grave now - I can hear my Army drill seargents shouting).

Yes - it is a chore - if done thoroughly and properly.

But I've found that guns don't really need to be cleaned after each and every range session. There are two exceptions to that for me. One is if it is a hot and dusty day. I will clean thoroughly to get rid of the dust/lube mixture that is created and can be absolute death to a fine weapon. The other is the gun I carry - gets inspected, relubed (oil dries up) and function checked every week. Otherwise my guns usually go back into their bags and into the closet after a day of shooting to await a day when I get the urge or am just plain bored enough and don't have anything else to do.

 

[redneckdan]

i like the gun cleaning chores, I call it gun fondling. I work at the university pistol range and I usually get harnessed for field stripping pistols that haven't been shot since the last time they were cleaned.

 

[Gun Geezer]

Just wipe them down

I rarely clean mine in a rigorus way.

Pistols mostly. I do use an oily rag to wipe off all the prints. When I feel like it I also run some CLP through the actions. Never had one go south on me yet.

I clean the bore of the shotguns every case or so to get the plastic out.

 

[Old NFO]

About 1200 rounds this week through the G34, Kobra and M4, about 4 hours of cleaning today... BUT they are all nice and shiney again, finally! Well except the black rifle, it's matte black

I guess I'm really old school, but I prefer breaking down and cleaning rather than the dip and go... what can I say

 

[hoghunting]

You should try Wipe-Out foaming cleaner. Great stuff. Spray the foam in the barrel, let it sit overnight and patch it out. Can't get much easier than that and the stuff really works.

 

[The Guy]

I like to sit in the smallest closet we have, otherwise known as my "room", and clean 'em all at once, with the door closed. No one else likes the smell of the cleaners (Hoppes, Sweets, etc.), but by the time I get done, I no longer am able to drive, opperate heavy machinery, make crittical decisions, or pour milk on my Frosted Flakes.

It really puts the fun back in cleaning your gun!

Hey, I'm a poet!

 

[silverlance]

hm

Cleaning is a lot more fun to do with company.

Corrosive ammo isn't as horrible as people think. I have a mosin that i shoot czech silver through. very corrosive stuff.

i just squirt lots of window washer down the barrel and chamber, squirt the bolt face... i'm too lazy to even full disassemble the bolt. a dry patch or two, then CLP... that's pretty much about it.

sig gets some bore scrubbing, poke abut it with a tooth brush, that's pretty much about it.

i like buying guns that i don't really care if they get dirty.

 

[gudel]

if you hate cleaning guns because it takes a long time to do it, you must try MPro 7.

 

[cbsbyte]

I am with you.

I dislike cleaning, it's tedious and time consuming. No clean products yet made, will remove the chore of cleaning. Chemicals, like Hopps use to give me terrible headaches, so I switched to M-Pro 7. It work just as well has the older ones, and maybe a bit better in removing heavy fouling. It also does not damage wood or varnishes. The other positive is at least I am no longer killing brain cells when cleaning.

 

[ajax]

If I could convince my wife to clean my guns I would clean the house. Thats how much I hate cleaning my guns.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I must have watched too many cowboy shows on Saturday mornings in the 50's and early 60's. They taught me that taking care of your horse (well, car now) and firearms is the cowboy way. And I enjoy it.

 

[jhco50]

I tend to clean mine after shooting.....way after, like a week or two. I can get away with it because I live in a dry climate. If I get a really dirty gun to clean, like from a pawnshop or another shooter, I remove all of the wood and run gasolene through it. Unleaded gas doesn't work as good as the old leaded gas, but it will dry clean and remove most of the old grease. Please don't tell the EPA or I will lose a good thing.

 

[JHG]

the guy ... that is the funniest response to a thread i have read in a long time ... i may need a new keyboard!

 

[Cousin Mike]

How does someone come to hate cleaning their guns?

I use Hoppe's as well... I keep trying other stuff, and it either smells worse, or doesn't clean as well. I guess for me, there's nothing better out there. I find giving them a quick cleaning after shooting is pretty theraputic and relaxing.

For the barrel, I run a copper brush through once or twice to knock out any loose gunpowder, then some patches soaked with Hoppe's until they start to come out clean on the other side. I find this cleans my barrel much quicker than the "brush, swab, brush, swab" method.

For autos, clean the rails, slide, frame and trigger, then re-oil and/or add a smidget of Wilson Combat grease to the rails.

Revolvers, I just wipe down and clean the cylinder thoroughly, and anything else with powder on it gets a wipe down and a thin coat of oil. My ported revolver is a little tougher to clean... but not by much.

Clean guns just look and function so much nicer!

 

[arthurcw]

<PIG> Cleaning guns is like cuddling after "relations". It's just something that has to be done, but I'd rather just go to sleep. </PIG>

 

[Stiletto Null]

I shoot a lot of corrosive (milsurp ammo in milsurp rifles), so I don't really have a choice. I don't mind, though.

 

[Texfire]

I resist doing it, but mostly for the fuss of setting up. So I generally wait until I have a couple of guns to clean at the same time. The only exception is when I shoot a carry gun I clean it that night. I find the actual act of cleaning can be almost zen-like, I'll put on music while doing it and the repetitive act allows me to zone out. I always feel better when I do it, and the anal retentive in me likes clean guns.

Tex

 

[Justin]

Would disassembly and soaking parts in Hoppes for a few hours in advance help? Would it damage any parts/finish?

Don't put wood in it, but a trick Standing Wolf showed me was to keep a mason jar of Hoppes on hand to soak parts in.

Soak them overnight, then the next day, take them out and hit them with a brass toothbrush. It works well for parts that get that crud baked into them.

 

[ChickenHawk]

LOL, I don't exactly love cleaning my guns, but I do love how new and beautiful they look after being cleaned.

When I get home from the range (especially after shooting a .45 ACP like my G36 or G30) the muzzle of the gun is covered with residue, as are my arms sometimes!

I always clean my guns after shooting. It seems so worth it ... when I'm done.

Cheers,
ChickenHawk

 

[thexrayboy]

An automotive parts washer works.

Take a small parts washer like the ones from harbor freight or kragen, mix up a few gallons of dilute simple green and pour into washer. Field strip guns and remove wood/ rubber grips and stocks/forearms. Remove optics and place weapon into parts washer. Mine has a pump that circulates the cleaner.
After a couple hours remove and give a cursory cleaning to most parts. I simply remove the soapy water with a damp rag then use an oily rag. Run brush down barrels and dry patch. Then just lube, reassemble and store. For very stubborn deposits I will consider using carb cleaner but only if unavoidable, this stuff can sometimes be hard on finishes. I tend to use this method for several weapons at once. For a single one I just clean the old fashioned way by hand. I like simple green because it's fairly effective, biodegradable and has yet to harm any of my weapons. Some cleaners can be harsh on things like tritium sight inserts etc. but simple green is not. About once a year I will fully strip my weapons and detail clean each one. For the rest of the year this works well for me.

 

[MartinBrody]

Like everything, if you have the right tools for the job your life will be a lot easier. I hated it too, messing with all those rods & brushes, then I got boresnakes for all my guns and it is no chore at all. I also use a clean/lube/protect all in one to keep it simple.

Once in a while, when for whatever reason I want to clean my guns, I will really break them down and have at it. I found you don't want to do this too much, because then the gun is so clean you almost feel bad shooting it.

 

[Deanimator]

I just discovered that the "Conan the Barbarian" soundtrack makes good gun cleaning music.

 

[CornCod]

Field Stripping

I don't like to clean either, but I do it anyway. I often make a decision on what to shoot based on ease of field stripping. Some guns are just a pain in the posterior to clean. I dread cleaning my Ruger Mk II .22 so much that I just clean the barrel and wait for a malfunction from gunk buildup before I take the thing apart and engage in my regular "Cussing Session." Needless to say the Ruger is not used for self-defense. Some guns like the Browning HP and AK-47 are a pleasure to take apart, so I shoot them more often.

I wonder how many suicides have been caused by the M-1 Carbine extractor nut or whatever they call the darned thing...aaarggggg!