Is Cleaning Guns a chore for you?

[buck00]

I just want to ask this because I've come across various attitudes. Personally I really like taking a few hours on a Saturday morning to clean all my guns and drink coffee. I find the motions of cleaning and the heavy smell of remoil relaxes me a great deal.

However, I also have buddies who shoot A LOT and find cleaning to be a burden. One buddy puts it off as long as possible. So I just want to see what your feelings are about cleaning guns. And also throw in how, when, and where you like to clean them.

 

[esmith]

I used to have fun cleaning guns. Until i did it for the fifth time and it became a pain to do. But ill do it anyway.

 

[30 cal slob]

it depends.

if you bring more than one gun to the range, and shoot full-auto ... then it's a chore.

there is more zen to cleaning one gun.

 

[Tin Gizel]

I actually enjoy cleaning my AR's....must be the part of me that misses being in the military....

My glocks, well, I don't really clean those. Maybe run a boresnake through the barrel but that's about it.

M1a - that one i don't really care for cleaning, but I also don't shoot it much.

AK47 - hasn't been cleaned yet....still very new.

 

[Valkman]

I took the middle option. Any joy I used to get is long gone and now I field strip, use brake cleaner, oil, Bore Snake, reassemble and done.

 

[j1133s]

I don't understand how anyone can like cleaning their guns. I enjoy taking mine apart and working on them, but I really hate cleaning... it is so boring and tedious. At the last IDPA match people commented that my gun looks dirty when we were gearing up at the safe area, and I told them that I've not cleaned it for the last 500+ rounds Hey, it functions just fine.

 

[j1133s]

Personally I really like taking a few hours on a Saturday morning to clean all my guns and drink coffee. I find the motions of cleaning and the heavy smell of remoil relaxes me a great deal

Wait until you switch to "Breakfree with CLP", it's got a smell that (at first) is hard to get used to if coming from RemOIL... but after a few times w/ Breakfree, you won't be able to smell RemOIL.

Also, what if you get some oil/residue/powder into your coffee, will you be able to taste it? I hope you aren't cleaning your guns on your breakfast table

 

[ConfuseUs]

My guns are ALWAYS cleaner than my house or my car. I chose the "I like to clean" option, but it's really more of a chore that I enjoy doing, as opposed to a chore that I don't enjoy doing.

 

[ftierson]

I clean my guns within hours of when I shoot them...

If shooting corrosive ammo, I swab the bores with GI corrosive bore cleaner at the range after firing and then clean them with boiling water and soap when I get back from the range...

I do none of the cleaning because I like cleaning guns...

But I do like my guns to be rustfree and clean...

Forrest

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

I rather enjoy it too. Like spending some quality time with my guns, as odd as that sounds. It is relaxing, kinda gets your mind off of everything BUT what you're doing with your guns.

Also, while cleaning my guns, I always do so on the porch (solvent and oil fumes are nasty) and the simple little joy maybe freaking out an anti or two walking or driving by is a nice little bonus.

 

[MD_Willington]

I do it outside, and my kids like to hang out with me while I do it. We go over the rules etcetera...

 

[CountGlockula]

I enjoy it, because "if you take care of it...then it'll take care of you."

 

[Dave Dembinski]

Depends which guns. Some are a major pain to disassemble/reassemble, and I don't enjoy cleaning those much!

 

[bearmgc]

I don't like to do it but it gets done.

 

[chiliPEQUIN]

I used to enjoy cleaning my guns, but when you start building a collection and then go shooting a bunch of them at once, it becomes a chore.
One of the things I've noticed though are that my guns don't really appear to be needing to be cleaned every time I shoot.
Sure I'll clean out the barrell, but I don't think I will be breaking them down every time I clean now.
It would also be less of a chore if I had a good work area to clean my guns.

 

[Beatnik]

I like cleaning them because they're all new enough that I learn something new about each one each time.

I recently traded one because I noticed that it was a lot older that I thought, and didn't think it should be getting shot. If I wasn't cleaning it unnecessarily, I wouldn't have noticed the SN and markings.

 

[DawgFvr]

I enjoy cleaning revolvers...autos less so.

 

[1BLINDREF]

I don't mind cleaning my guns - it's part of going shooting.

 

[texas bulldog]

i don't know if i enjoy it, per se. but i always clean a firearm thoroughly after i shoot it. some are more enjoyable to clean than others. i second dawgfvr's sentiments that revolvers are more enjoyable than autos. rifles are a bit more burdensome to me, especially if i just shot dirty ammo. but i would never skip cleaning after shooting.

what i haven't done yet is to start doing a basic cleaning on some sort of a regular basis whether i've shot them or not. as my collections grows, i think i probably need to start doing this, especially for the ones i shoot less often...just to make sure they stay lubricated and protected from rust. maybe just a silicon cloth and some remoil where moving parts make contact.

 

[Dorryn]

Depends on the gun. Cleaning my Beretta or my Glock, or milsurps, are generally delightful and pleasant. Its something fun to do.

On the other hand, my S&W 637 is so frustrating to clean that there are times I would rather pound one hand with a hammer than clean it. I buy half the ammo for that gun as my others, and it takes twice as long to shoot it, because I find cleaning it so unpleasant that shooting it has become unpleasant...

 

[romma]

Gotta be honest here. I would rather shoot them and have fun. But it is important to know the workings inside and out!

 

[thunder23js]

I don't get to shoot as often as I would like but I can honestly say I don't look forward to cleaning them but I always do after each session. The pistols are definitely more enjoyable over the rifles, I guess you can call me lazy!!

 

[Black Adder LXX]

I like my guns, so cleaning them is cool with me.

 

[JesseL]

I love spending time in front of the safe fondling my guns, but cleaning them is too much like work (of course I still do it and wouldn't trust anyone else to do it).

 

[Smokey Joe]

Blaugh!

I clean my firearms as necessary. That doesn't mean I have to like it. Frankly, I hate all forms of maintainence--Just putzy busy-work to me.

As a target shooter I shoot quite a bit, and dirty up my guns regularly. And I don't clean them as often as Senior Master Chief Petty Officer Elmo P. Stitt (ugh) would like.

But, they get cleaned, say, before the dirt affects accuracy or function.

I change my own oil & filter in my car, too. Does that mean I'm supposed to like lying on my back getting stuff off the engine dripped in my face? If I were filthy rich that would most certainly be on the butler's list of things to see to. But I think I'd still clean my own weapons.