Stopped Cleaning your Gun! I did - You Too?

[mm93]

I sure haven't stopped. I clean my guns when I get home from shooting, or within a day after shooting. I wont put dirty guns back in my safes as my guns deserve to be treated better.
Now when I competed in bullseye matches I refused to clean my guns until the season was over as we shot every Wednesday, and Saturday. I figured if I had no malfunctions I didn't want to chance anything changing by cleaning between matches.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

It depends on the gun.
I certainly haven't stopped cleaning, but I also do not clean every time I fire one either.

My carry gun gets more attention than any other because it is carried in my pocket and collects pocket lint.
In my revolvers, I shoot cast bullets 95% of the time and it gets dirty on the outside after just a few shots. After a range session, they simply get wiped down with a rag damp with Ballistol. I don't break them down and clean them, just wipe the powder residue off the gun so my hands don't get filthy when I handle them.
Deer rifles get cleaned before being put away at the end of deer season.
Rimfire barrels get cleaned when accuracy suffers and the action gets sprayed out with Gun Scrubber when it starts malfunctioning. I have a Marlin 60 that I bought nearly 20 years ago. I can count on one hand the number of times the bore has been cleaned. And it's extremely accurate.

 

[balin]

I follow Jerry Michalik's thinking I clean my guns if accuracy starts to diminish. For probably 15 years I wipe them off run a bore snake through them. Oil as needed.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I dunno . I just clean 'em after range/desert trips. Maybe not a deep cleaning, but, they do get cleaned. Been doing it that way since day one. Don't believe I'll be changing anytime soon. To each their own with their firearms.

 

[.38 Special]

It always struck me funny about putting bore/copper cleaner on a copper brush and leaving it on there, just didn't ever make sense to me. It's made to dissolve copper.

I was, at one point, acquainted with a brilliant physicist - a fellow with multiple patents, awards from famous politicians, etc - who took up an interest in riflery. I once watched him clean his rifle barrel at the range, using Sweet's 7.62 on a copper brush. He spent nearly half an hour at it, pulling out green patch after green patch, before he figured it out. I was young - and crueler than I should have been - but the look on his face when the light bulb came on was priceless.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I was, at one point, acquainted with a brilliant physicist - a fellow with multiple patents, awards from famous politicians, etc - who took up an interest in riflery. I once watched him clean his rifle barrel at the range, using Sweet's 7.62 on a copper brush. He spent nearly half an hour at it, pulling out green patch after green patch, before he figured it out. I was young - and crueler than I should have been - but the look on his face when the light bulb came on was priceless.

Priceless indeed!

 

[.38 Special]

Priceless indeed!

In writing about it, I realize how much of a jerk I was back then. To his eternal credit, his response after figuring it out was something like "I'm going to remember this whenever I start feeling like I'm especially smart."

 

[sgt127]

I generally clean my guns after a range trip. Not a detailed strip. Just barrel. Breechface, rails. Fresh oil. Back in holster.

A dear friend of mine, back in the IPSC days, would shoot his 1911 until it was so fouled, you could watch the slide cycle. When it was right at the point of incipient failure, he’d clean it.

That consisted of removing the grips, and hosing it down with Berryman B12 in the driveway. It literally looked like used motor oil running out of the gun. A bore brush down the barrel. And another hosing. Lay it in the sun to dry. Hose it down with CLP. Wipe off the excess. Load it and stick it back in the holster.

That damned gun ALWAYS worked.

His shooting glasses and ball cap were always splattered with oily black goo.

I’ve always heard, there’s more wear to guns by constantly dissembling them than just shooting them.

I’ve got Ruger 10/22’s that have thousands of rounds through them between cleanings. Yet, they always work.

When I detail strip and clean a carry gun, I shoot a few rounds through it. Just to make sure, everything works.

The theory being, if it fired the last round, logic says, it’ll fire the next round.

At the very least, I’ll drop an aluminum rod down the barrel, aim it up and, pull the trigger. If the rod sails out of the barrel, I’m reasonably sure, everything works as it should.

 

[trackskippy]

Just out of curiosity here, how many who have "thousands" of rounds through things without cleaning them, ever ran into breakages and other issues that were or would have been missed because you weren't cleaning and "maintaining" the guns on a regular basis?

I haven't had too many problems over the years, but I have had a number of guns that had parts break due to use, and while the guns were still, for the most part, running with the parts broken, knowing when they might have stopped because of it is anyone's guess. Usually, at least for me, it seems anyway, that sort of thing would happen at the worst possible moment.

Cleaning is only part of this, the other part is just a general inspection of what you're cleaning during and after looking for any possible problems and fresh lube to help with the wear and tear. Just letting things go, for whatever reason, just doesn't seem like a smart thing to me.

I know that most guns (22's have always been the exception here for me) that have been kept cleaned and maintained, will generally go a long time without function issues. I don't need to prove that to myself. Ive had a number of guns go multiple cases at an outing without issue. Ive also had some not get through one before there was trouble.

I also know that any of those guns are starting "fresh" at each outing, are more likely to work longer and without issue, than something that's not been maintained, and who knows where they are in the "fixing to choke" cycle.

And of course, all of this really doesn't matter much if what you're using is just a range toy and not going to be used where it may be counted on for something serious. If this is the gun you carry and or are using for that, and plan on counting on, then I would seriously rethink things. Just "wiping it down" isn't maintaining it.

 

[LiveLife]

i also clean and lube any gun i take to the range.

I clean my guns when I get home from shooting

Once again, I think we may be confusing the definition of "clean" - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...gun-i-did-you-too.929788/page-2#post-12881452

BUT how are we defining "cleaning"?

For me, "cleaning" is disassembly of every part, inspect/clean then reassemble with lube.

In comparison, "field strip" is remove slide and barrel, inspect and swab barrel/clean parts as necessary and reassemble with lube.

I think what most people do after the range session is cursory "field strip" where slide is pulled and barrel with other gun parts are inspected and swabbed/wiped as necessary and calling this "cleaning".

I generally clean my guns after a range trip. Not a detailed strip. Just barrel. Breechface, rails. Fresh oil. Back in holster.

I just clean 'em after range/desert trips. Maybe not a deep cleaning, but, they do get cleaned.

But they are not "cleaning" by disassembling down to individual parts and reassembling. So as OP, I "Stopped Cleaning ..." but now cursory field strip. And around once a year, I will "clean" with full disassembly and "clean" individual part.

I do field strip after each range session and inspect barrel bore. If I see too much fouling build up in the bore, I will swab with Hoppes #9 to clean. If I see minimal fouling, just a dry patch.

You must take action to prevent rust ... Don’t let them rust.

When I moved to our retirement location at the coast, I found everything rusted, even stainless steel gun parts.

Now after "cleaning" individual gun parts, anything that could rust gets sprayed with WD-40 Specialist "Long-Term" rated to not rust up to a year in salt spray condition then oiled with whatever lubricant on hand (BreakFree CLP or motor oil). No more rust.

 

[stonebuster]

To each his own, but I clean my revolvers thoroughly after every range trip. I just got done with one and while cleaning the cylinder chambers I noticed the ejector rod had come loose. Would've been a PIA if it happened at the next range trip and backed out enough I couldn't open the cylinder. Or...if it was my carry revolver and bound up when I most needed it. Besides, I enjoy cleaning them, shooting and reloading.

 

[tomrkba]

Nope...not really. I may let a Glock go for a few range trips or if I am testing a 1911. But, the general rule is I put clean guns into storage.

Crud attracts moisture and we all know what happens after that.

 

[Cornhusker77]

I'm ashamed to admit I don't clean my guns after every use.
My excuse is that I usually go outside to my little range, put a couple mags into a paper plate and head off to do other more pressing tasks.
If I have someone there for a "range day" and I shoot quite a bit, I'll field strip it, clean and lube before I put it away.
Basically, if it looks dirty I'll clean it, but if it doesn't look dirty, it might go a while.
This doesn't count guns like 1911s, higher priced CZs and my dad's old revolvers. Those get cleaned every time because they spend 99% of their time in the safe.

 

[LiveLife]

I usually go outside to my little range, put a couple mags into a paper plate and head off to do other more pressing tasks.

(Since we are in "Handgun: General", we are talking about pistols and not rifles shooting old corrosive surplus ammo)

OK so for shooting modern pistols with modern non-corrosive ammo, somebody tell me what's the difference between shooting 100 to 200 rounds in one range session compared to shooting same number of rounds in several different range sessions over several weeks without cleaning.

I don't think the gun would know the difference.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm ashamed to admit I don't clean my guns after every use.

Don't be. I know everyone doesn't agree with me on this, but I think it is possible to overclean. Especially the bore.

To his eternal credit, his response after figuring it out was something like "I'm going to remember this whenever I start feeling like I'm especially smart."

I've had more than a few of those moments myself. lol

 

[CoalTrain49]

Once a year weather they need it or not. Seriously, I've gone 500 rds before a field strip and cleaning but eventually it has to be done.

 

[Mountainman2]

I’m like stonebuster, I like to shoot reload and have clean guns. I just like the looks of a clean gun and I have the rest of my life to do it. And hopefully it’s a long one.

 

[Riomouse911]

Every gun gets an exterior wipe, chamber cleaning and lube after every shooting session. Most get more, but if I am strapped for time all get the minimum until I can do better.

I have seen the extremes of gun care; from hyper vigilant, drill team clean after every touch, to stuff that looks like it was recovered from the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon.

I tend to prefer the former over the latter, but to each his own.

Stay safe.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Every gun gets an exterior wipe, chamber cleaning and lube after every shooting session. Most get more, but if I am strapped for time all get the minimum until I can do better.

I have seen the extremes of gun care; from hyper vigilant, drill team clean after every touch, to stuff that looks like it was recovered from the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon.

I tend to prefer the former over the latter, but to each his own.

Stay safe.

Shipwreck… Guilty!

some old old guns I bought looks like that too. They all clean up very well. Protective Carbon is what I call it

 

[CraigC]

I stopped cleaning religiously at least 25yrs ago and life has been much better for it. In that time and untold tens of thousands of rounds, I have adequately proven to myself that it is wholly unnecessary. I wipe them down somewhat regularly and clean them when necessary, which is not very often.

If you clean every range trip and never deviate, how will you ever know? You won't. That simple. So the folks who judge us as lazy, abusive or negligent, you really don't know what you're talking about.

Question for the clean freaks. If you're shooting on a schedule and at a square range, I can see adhering to this, to a point at least. However, I shoot 30ft behind the back door of my shop and at least a few times a week, if not daily. If I walk out there and shoot 25rds to empty a 10/22 at a steel target, should I then go back inside, strip the rifle and clean every nook and cranny? Or would you let it go for a while? A week? A month? 100rds? 500rds? What's the difference between doing that and going a few of your range sessions? To me, there is none. It's an outdated practice that serves no useful purpose.

Just out of curiosity here, how many who have "thousands" of rounds through things without cleaning them, ever ran into breakages and other issues that were or would have been missed because you weren't cleaning and "maintaining" the guns on a regular basis?

No.

 

[trackskippy]

No.

No what? You've never had parts break from use?


As far as cleaning being an outdated thing and serving no useful purpose, suit yourself. As I said, I clean mine every time I shoot, and its no big deal and just part of shooting them. And from past experiences, where Ive seen it can be a big deal if you do let things go, I prefer to err on the side of things that limit that.

 

[docwharden1881]

I think I may have already answered this so please forgive me if I have already done this. Black powder and vintage revolvers get a thorough cleaning. Smokeless cartridges less often. I'm just not as concerned with them to be candid. I do know people who seemingly never clean their guns and they always seem to shoot fine.