not cleaning guns cause rust?

[chevyforlife21]

if you fire your guns then dont clean the bore will they rust? i know the blueing will if not oiled. im not new to guns but isnt smokeless powder designed to not need to be cleaned until many thousands of rounds have been fired? i just have always wondered whats the point if i fire 1 shotshell when hunting. or a few .22s. what about stainless guns clean only after many rounds? im talking mostly about rifles and shotguns but you handgunners can chime in too.

 

[bigfatdave]

The issue is mostly powdery deposits in the barrel/action soaking up humidity, a safe with desiccant or a dehumidifier would help, of course.

 

[akodo]

some military ammo has corrosive primers, you got to clean the gun right after using.

aside from that a just shot gun that is kept dry should be fine with a light coating of oil. Now, heavy fowling may build up over time, but unless you shoot a lot you probably don't need to worry about it.

it may affect accuracy a bit too, but if it changes a 2 MOA gun to a 2.5 MOA gun it is still twice the gun most shooters can handle.

 

[chevyforlife21]

doesnt the shot shoot out the oil that was in the bore?

 

[jdc1244]

The bore is lightly oiled after cleaning; oil is not needed for shooting.

 

[chevyforlife21]

i know that im not new to guns even the slightest. im saying do you need to re oil the bore at least after you fire a shot or can you go without oil and bore cleaner.

 

[Oldfalguy]

If you going to shoot the weapon(one shot or 100) and are wiping it down why wouldn't you take a couple of minutes to run swab of bore solvent, a couple of strokes with a bore brush and a final pass with a swab of oil?
Sorta like changing the oil in a car-
Take the time now or pay later

 

[chevyforlife21]

yea i hear ya i have always followed that rule too. but i been wondering if it was really necessary for 1 shot. i have always busted out the hoppes and clp and rods after 1 shot even. i hunt alot, a few times a week and i always love shooting a few rounds at a can or dead tree branch when im done if i didnt see anything. my property is safe to fire on i have a good backstop and distance. i use the same method if i fire 200 rounds or 1 round.

 

[Erik M]

I know my bro has an old black powder rifle from when he was very young that he apparenty forgot to clean the last itme he shot it. the inside of the bore is flaked with rust like an old brake rotor haha.

 

[chevyforlife21]

yea black powder is corrosive isnt it? i dont know ive shotten maybe 50 guns yet not one black powder yet

 

[Fumbler]

If it's just one shot I wouldn't worry about it.
You don't always need to clean a gun, but the frequency of cleaning is up to you to decide.

-My carry/home defense guns get cleaned no matter how many shots are fired.

-A just for fun gun will get quickly wiped down with CLP after shooting with no bore cleaning as long as I know I'm going to shoot it again in a short period of time. If I don't know when I'll shoot it next then I will clean it (bore included).

-Hunting guns get wiped down with no bore treatment til I hang it up for the season.

if you fire your guns then dont clean the bore will they rust?

That really depends. If your house is real humid then fouling can attract moisture.
If I lived in a place like that and didn't want to clean my gun, then I would at least send a patch through the bore for a light coat of CLP.

 

[Shung]

black powder is not corrosive by itself.. it's residue are just hydrophile.. which means they will attract all the humidity there, and this will cause rust.

 

[chevyforlife21]

good answers. fumbler you answered my question for the most part

 

[garymc]

My .22 purchased used in 1962 did not have the bore cleaned until after 2000 and it was fine.

 

[Deus Machina]

From my experience, .22's are more forgiving. The reasons why are more noticeable from some rounds than others.

For example, shoot a whole brick of copper-washed Federals, and push a patch through the bore. You'll get some carbon with a couple streaks of lube from the grooves.

Now shoot a brick of Remington Thunderbolts, and you'll get nice big chunks of wax flaking off the bore.

IMO, it's the lube on .22's that will build up and help prevent corrosion if you don't clean it.

Everything else, I may not strip down and clean (my AK, for one), but even after a single shot, unless I'm shooting it without the next couple hours, it gets a swab of oil through the barrel.

 

[makarovnik]

They need to be rubbed every once in a while.

 

[chevyforlife21]

haha i like the last post

 

[22-rimfire]

My parents have firearms that have not been wiped down or cleaned in 20 years. No rust. No problem.

Condensation is the killer with guns. If the air temp is such that there is condensation and it is not wiped off, you have rust.

Good to clean guns now and then and certainly wipe them down after shooting even if you did not swab the barrel.

 

[PT1911]

grime doesnt cause rust.... dump a gun in oil and then cover it in dirt, soot, whatever you like... no rust if the gun is kept from moisture.