New Guns, Clean them first or no?

[Brubz]

I confess I am guilty of shooting new guns right out of the box. Is this a mistake? How many of you clean and oil a gun first before you fire it?

 

[LocoGringo]

I clean and oil now. From my understanding, the oil put on new firearms is intended for corrosion protection, not lubrication. I could be wrong, but what if I'm not? Does it hurt to clean and lube before the first use?

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Me for one.
I presume factories use a protectant on new guns so the guns don't rust in the stay in the warehouse, transportation to dealer, storage in the stock room etc. I assume a new gun needs to be cleaned and lubricated before first use.

 

[TacticalJanitor]

Clean plastic guns before shooting? Nope.

Clean metal guns before shooting? Yup!

I mainly clean "nice" firearms before shooting them to inspect for problems/blemishes/issues. If you haven't fired it yet and find an issue, I have found it's easier to ask you LGS to let you return it and pick something else with no penalty;.

 

[hawg]

Yes. That stuff on and in new guns is for rust prevention. It is not a lubricant.

 

[Varminterror]

I push out bores, flush out preservants, and lubricate.

 

[hemiram]

I have done both, it depends on the price of the gun, and if it appears to have lubricant on it, and not just protectant. Most of my guns are used, and they always get cleaned up and lubed before I shoot them.

 

[.38 Special]

I'd be interested to hear from someone who wrecked a new gun by shooting it before cleaning and lubing it.

 

[hawg]

It won't wreck a gun but it can make one not function correctly.

 

[red rick]

Yes , I clean it before firing it and if one of my guns sits for a long period , I oil it and swab out the barrel before firing it .

 

[Blue Jays]

Who is so urgently pressed for time they cannot briefly inspect, clean, and lubricate new firearm prior to first use?

 

[Valkman]

Who is so urgently pressed for time they cannot briefly inspect, clean, and lubricate new firearm prior to first use?

Exactly. Plus if it's a new-to-me type of gun I want to get to know the works of it better.

 

[JohnKSa]

When I get a new gun, I read the manual, and clean it before taking it to the range. Sometimes I find things that need attention. Once, I found a lot of what appeared to be blasting media jammed into a small area inside the works of the gun. Sometimes I'm just doing it to make sure the gun is lubricated and that I have an idea of how it all looks. The latter is good because that makes it less likely that I'll get it home and see something that I haven't seen before and decide that the first range trip damaged/broke something when really there's nothing wrong.

Besides, I just like doing it. It's a new gun. It's fun to look at and handle, it's fun to learn about it. Maybe if I didn't like guns I would do things differently.

 

[CDW4ME]

New guns get cleaned before shooting and they subsequently get cleaned after every range trip.

 

[jar]

Cleaned before being fired. Doesn't matter if it's new or old it's still clean, inspect & lube before being fired.

 

[Tallball]

My LGS is meticulous about cleaning their used guns, so cleaning those is generally pointless.

You can inspect a revolver and know if it's clean and lubed or not. I don't clean them if they're already clean.

It's usually a good idea to field strip a new-to-me semiauto. They can have surprises inside.

 

[Buzznrose]

I check the bore for obstruction and I lube them up.

But I’m no longer in the “clean after every use” camp, so definitely not going to clean a brand new gun.

Maybe if I buy a used gun…if I’m concerned about it.

 

[Buzznrose]

….

Besides, I just like doing it. It's a new gun. It's fun to look at and handle, it's fun to learn about it. Maybe if I didn't like guns I would do things differently.

I think this is the reason those who say to clean it do. I’m not saying not to ops check it and make sure the bore is clear, I’m talking cleaning.

It’s not that I “don’t like guns, I just don’t like to clean them. I like to eat at supper…I don’t like to do dishes. But actually, we do run new dishes through the dish washer when we buy them, but that is to get any residue from manufacturing off them.

 

[Coyote3855]

New or used, clean and lubricate before shooting.

 

[FL-NC]

Yes, clean out whatever the factory put/left in it (esp. the bore) and lube. Give it the opportunity to work correctly out of the box.

 

[drband]

Disassemble, Clean & lube. I like to know how a gun looks and works.

 

[AK Hunter]

Yes I always break down my guns, clean & oil them because the oil they have on them from the factory is only a anti corrosion film, it's not much of a lubricant. I have also seen things that fall into the actions like small screws or packing stuff from shipping bare parts. I wouldn't want to fire a gun with packing peanuts in the chamber.

 

[Spats McGee]

I clean, lube and inspect first. I'm no gunsmith (not by a long shot), but it's a chance to check for bore obstructions, major defects or damage, etc. Besides, it's a new gun and a good excuse to fondle it.

 

[Tallinar]

Depends on the gun, for me. If the gun is noticeably caked with some sort of factory stuff, then I'll certainly clean it. If it's a semi-auto of any sort, I'll want to clean it.

Yesterday I took a Ruger American Rimfire out of the box and shot it. It wasn't dripping in oil. Had no visible cake anywhere. Seemed clean enough. My FFL where I pick stuff up has an indoor range. I had the ammo. I had the ears and eyes. Choot it!

 

[tws3b2]

Most owner manuals I have seen say clean it first.