New gun - Clean before shooting?

[Donut]

My 10 days are up on Saturday, and I want to start shooting it ASAP. It'a a brand new Browing Buckmark Stainless Camper.

I'm picking it up at the range on Saturday morning, since I'll be there getting some shooting in before IDPA on Sunday, so I'll be at the range on Sunday as well. Can I take a brick of ammo with me on Saturday, or should I bring it home and take it down and give it a thorough cleaning on Saturday afternoon and then shoot it?

 

[10-Ring]

I usually field strip my new guns, clean & lube before a first shoot...nice way to get acquainted w/ a new gun

 

[glockman19]

I like to clean them when I get them nothing comelete but I like to clean the bore at least. I run a little hopps some brushes patches and light oil. I like to breake mine in by firing 20 rounds and running a bore snake through a couple of times thropugh the first 100 rounds then every 50 rounds through 300 and then every 100 rounds through 500. I then generally clean the barrel and action after every range trip.

 

[CWL]

It doesn't hurt, especially if its your first gun. You may as well learn how all the parts fit together.

FWIW, My Buckmark is ~8 years old and I've not disassembled it yet for a cleaning. I just spray it with brake cleaner and bore snake it every so often.

 

[Donut]

It's not my first gun, or my first new gun, but my first non-Glock autoloader.

I haven't heard about the Buckmark being as easy to takedown or being as idiot-proof as the Glock, so I'm just a bit apprehensive. I suppose field-stripping the Buckmark won't be rocket surgery.

 

[yongxingfreesty]

I don't clean it til after the range, but you guys make a good point

 

[fattsgalore]

I shot my Glock out the box with 200 rnds with out a Hiccup. Got 1300 rounds through it with out a single problem ammo or gun related. All carry pieces need to be as flawless or why trust it?

And to be honest, the gun store I shop at has an indoor range and it's hard not to shoot it before you take it home.

 

[czbegenner]

So your saying that i need to clean my rem870 before i shoot it,and my cz 75bd police before i fire it?

 

[Ala Dan]

Always

clean the weapon before shooting; just to insure that no metal shavings or
other particles were left in the firearm~!

 

[ZeSpectre]

Greased for shipping NOT shooting

New guns are greased for shipping NOT shooting. Detail clean it and then re-lube it. I've lost count of how many people have come to me complaining that...

-Something was broken or defective and they didn't know until they went all the way to the range.

-The gun was a jam-o-matic

-The trigger was disgustingly gritty or some other part of the action was gritty.

and 90% of the time the trouble was nobody had ever cleaned the shipping lube out and re-lubed the gun.

 

[Jomax]

The only gun I purchased that ever needed a cleaning BEFOREHAND was the Kahr PM9. A very dirty gun with lots of polymer flash and grit throughout it. It came that way right from the factory in a sealed box, dripping with oil inside a plastic bag and with the nylon strap intact on the slide. Although I've done it with my other guns before and since, I never actually had to except for the Kahr.

 

[TX1911fan]

My Buckmark was packed with shipping grease. It probably would have malfunctioned if I hadn't cleaned it first.

 

[CWL]

You guys do all know that every new gun that's sold is "proofed" at the factory by test firing it before they ship it?

Some guns get 1-3 bullets, hi-end customs may have been fired several hundred times.

Except for custom jobs, guns don't get cleaned after they get fired at the factory.

Most of the crud you see isn't from manufacturing, it's from test-fire residue.

 

[New_geezer]

As a Camper owner, let me give a heads up, a classic annoyance is after about 200-300 rounds, the rear-most screw on the sight base tends to loosen up causing misfeeds and FTF. The fix is easy, just use a little medium strength loctite on the sight base screws and all is well.

Some of the Campers use a plastic rear sight base, I'm not sure about the stainless. The plastic base 9 times out of 10 will end up cracking directly behind the rear most screw. If so, you may want to get either a scope base, (Tactical Solutions makes a good one) or the metal sight base which consists of 3 parts, the sight base, the rear sight, and a pin to hold the sight to the base. Either option runs about $65 IIRC.

The rear sight is integrated into the plastic base and can't be made to fit on the metal base. Look at your rear sight. If there's only one pin for the elevation leaf - you have the plastic base. The metal base will have two pins, one holding the rear sight to the base, and a second for the elevation leaf.

 

[RNB65]

ALWAYS clean before shooting. If there happens to be a big glob of factory grease sitting in the barrel, the gun could KB! in your hand on the first shot.

 

[gezzer]

Clean and lube it. The factory test fired it I will bet and never cleaned it after.

Cleaning it will help familiarize you with the working of the pistol.

 

[thebaldguy]

Give it a good clean and lube before first firing. Give it a function/safety check as well.

 

[Steve C]

The factory usually sprays a gun down with a rust inhibitor, stuffs them in a plastic bag and in the box for shipping. Since they don't know how long a gun will stay on a distributors shelf before being sent out, its important to make sure the gun doesn't rust before its new owner gets it. This rust inhibitor isn't a lubricant and often inhibits proper movement of the gun parts. This is why a new gun should be cleaned and lubricated before use.

Now you really don't have to get rid of every last spec of rust inhibitor. Just take a cleaning rod with you to the range along with a good gun lube/cleaner combination or some oil and some bore cleaner as an alternative along with some patches. Wipe down the pistol with a oily rag, run a patch down the bore with some bore solvent or CLP. Wipe down the contact points where the slide and frame engage and add a little lubricant at these points. Wipe off the magazines and you should be good to go for your initial range session. If you get sluggish cycling or even some jamming the gun probably just needs some more thorough cleaning. Do a complete field strip and cleaning afterwards.

 

[CajunBass]

The only guns I've ever cleaned before firing were Mil-Surps. Makarov, SKS, Mosin. With those there was NO doubt they needed to be cleaned.

 

[shooter429]

Inspect it first

Clean it if it needs it. Buckmarks are great little guns, but mine tend to need a bit more tlc than my centerfires. Why not just give it a quick cleaning while you are at the range? Ours have cleaning stations right by the entrance.

Shooter

 

[obxned]

Always - not only does it mean one less source of problems on your first trip to the range, but it is a really good way to gain familiarity with your newest best friend.

 

[targatop]

I typically lube the slide barrel before my first outing. Usually they will let you do that right at the store you are purchasing from. Doesn't hurt to clean the gunk out of the barrel either.

That being said, some guns require more cleaning than others - notably CZ guns and Bersa seem to come gunked pretty heavy from the factory. My new Sig 226 I picked up yesterday had almost NO gunk save for some yellow grease on the spring.

 

[FieroCDSP]

Hey! Respect the gun. Clean and get familiar with the thing before you shoot it.

 

[KINGMAX]

Take time out FIRST to do a quick clean and inspection prior to firing any new weapon for the first time. Without fail run a lightly oiled patch throught it, verify that nothing has taken up residence in the barrel or chamber. Insure that everyting works as desinged. Then have a good time !!

 

[Ops Officer]

This is another endorsement to at least field strip, clean, and inspect any gun, new or used, that comes into your possession. Don't forget the magazine, which is also part of the operating system of the gun.