Clean handgun after each session, even 50 rds.?

There are folks who ENJOY cleaning their weapons. Nothing wrong with that, but as another posted noted, probably more damage has come from over-zealous cleaning than from a lack of it.
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The only damage I can see from overcleaning is at the bore and the crown, with that said I use a bore snake which is about as idiot proof as it gets and only give it a couple passses through.
 
Yes, I clean after every range trip ...even if it was only 50 rounds....

Yesterday afternoon's range trip was about 150 rds.../ I got home last nite around 8:30 .....but it was field stripped and cleaned and put away this morning before I came to the office.

( and I think that is why I have a number of semi-autos and revolvers that are well over 50,000 rounds and still perform 100% - and still look good ! ) -- because I take care of them. Learning how to take a gun apart to field strip it / or to take it down to a bare frame...is important / and easy to do properly with a little patience....and bears no risk to the gun, if its done right !
 
I enjoy cleaning my guns... Sometimes I shoot just to clean them afterwards.

Nothing too crazy, though. Punch out the barrel well, especially if I've been shooting straight lead. Wipe it down inside and out, re-lube, and reassemble.
 
I use to clean my pistols after every range trip no matter how many rounds were fired.
Now:
After a range trip - just a basic wipe down -- mostly just the outside.
My CC pistol get just a tad more attention after every range trip (basic wipedown + slide open and wipe anything I can reach, and a toothbrush to the extractor).
Brush bore at approx at 500 rounds or when I feel like it.
Field strip clean - just depends on how dirty it looks.
 
I doubt if patches and/or soaking for hours in Ed's Red will cause much damage.
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I can think of two possible problems.

Overuse of a brush -- or maybe ANY use of a brush. While brass is softer than steel, wood is also softer than stone -- but rub sticks enough on stone or concrete and you can still wear a gouge in the harder surface. And then there's the stainless steel brushes that some people use.

Meticulous cleaning including the use of stuff like brake or carb cleaner; it gets rid of hard-to-reach gunk, but it also removes lubrication and corrosion protection from areas that aren't easily relubed or reprotected.

As someone else said -- a Boresnake (or similar) pull-through device is a really effective and almost trouble-free way of cleaning a barrel. Then wiping down areas with a CLP (or similar material)-dampened rag and cleaning of the breechface, etc., should do it.
 
Over-zealous would be someone going great gonzo with a brush and rod. Ham-fisted types... "let's chuck this in a drill" types and "I will detail strip this AND THEN watch You-Tube for re-assembly!" types are what I am talking about.

A pistol that is a very good example for this discussion:
Ruger Mk I, II, III.
"Don't buy that pistol, it's too difficult to take apart and put back together to clean it."

Better answer: STOP TAKING IT APART TO CLEAN IT!

It's a phenomenal pistol and it will have a better life if the unqualified would stop trying to take it apart.
 
If it's a Glock, don't clean it until it malfunctions.
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Ive never understood the mentality behind this.

What if the next time you "really" need it, is the time it decides to choke up on you?

I have a bunch of Glocks and they get cleaned and checked constantly. Its bad enough cleaning them after my weekly outing. I couldnt imagne waiting until they choked up!

Anything I carry, is disassembled and cleaned weekly, or biweekly at worst. I dont scrub it down, but wet patch and dry the bore to get the bunnies out, blow out the frame and mags with air, and wipe everything down and relube.

It has always amazed me just how much junk a gun in a holster picks up after just a week.


A sort of related issue here, a friend of mine has a shop and you should see some of the guns people bring in to sell or trade! I'd bet some of them have never been cleaned, ever. He usualy offers way less than the normal "half of what its worth" offers dealer usually make, simply because he doesnt want to have to deal with trying to clean them up (some things look worse "after" they are cleaned!).

Funny thing is, they seem to think they should get what they paid for them, in trade or cash. :rolleyes:
 
I think many of us of a certain age were taught to religiously clean guns after each use. With modern non corrosive ammo, it really isn't such a big deal anymore. I like to do a gun cleaning day when my wife isn't around (she hates the smell of Hoppes).
 
OP, the cz-82 surplus shoulder holsters are fantastic. great for jacket weather.....okay carry on

p.s. I also use a boresnake and don't think I can do any harm with it. sometimes i'll clean my already clean gun, cause I feel like it, but not aggressively and not with a rod and brush.
 
The only gun I own who have failed me because of dirt is my Desert Eagle, and that was after 700 rounds.

I have never cleaned my Glock which I shoot extensively in IPSC. I think I´m at about 8000 rounds...

I hate cleaning, thanks to the Army and obsessive cleaning of G3.
 
Sun don't set on a dirty gun. Rifle or pistol. My Pistol is a full size 1911. Ya all know one of them baby's takes a whole 10 minutes to strip,clean and put back together. I have the 10 minutes. I kinda enjoy it anyhow. I can check for wear and tear. Does it need it- Probably not, Does it get it- Always. Im not in the band wagon of- It hurts your gun to clean it to much. If that was the case I would have 9 rifles that would be junk by now , all 9 shoot sub moa. Something about a clean pistol that just gives you the new gun feeling everytime you shoot it, even after 5 years now. Now I only have maybe 6000 rounds down it which is minor compared to a lot of youu guys.
 
If it's a full-size stainless gun - ehhh, don't worry too much about it - clean it when it stops working or looks dirty.

If it's a Glock, don't clean it until it malfunctions.
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Guns are essentially machines, just like any machine they require regular maintenance. When you have metal parts rubbing against each other with excessive dirt and grime it causes excess wear, period. I don't see the logic behind running a gun until it gets so dirty it fails.
 
Here's my thoughts. First off I never shoot less than 100 rounds at the range when I go. I'm usually there for an hour or two and put whatever firearm(s) I'm shooting through it's paces. Yes, I clean it/them after each trip. Is it required? Probably not, but it's habit and I can check to ensure that there isn't any wear, cracked, bent, or loose parts.
 
Regular cleaning isn't needed

Unless you are using dirty or corrosive ammo. I clean after every range session simply because it allows me to check the weapon for wear or problems that may lead to trouble.
 
Pardon the lack of info.Three are Makarovs, with the Russian comm. Mak (.380 Auto) used far more often than the other pair.
A CZ-82 is used some.

My carry gun for the car is a Sig 232. All of these handguns have very little wear, and all ammo is either new Federal, remanufactured TN brands, or Tula. Nothing is corrosive.

The handgun bug bit less than two years ago. These Makarovs and the CZ were acquired within the last three months. They are usually cleaned the same day, but as for removing the grips, am very reluctant about even gently touching anything underneath with a moist patch. Had a Very close call with totally unfamiliar parts jumping from a WW2 Mauser Hsc.:eek:
 
I give them a quick tear down and wipe out. the bores get brushed with Kroil oil and then a patch or two through them after every shooting session.

They get tore down and seriously cleaned after any use that would require that. I have found transporting the every day on your belt or in your truck, allows for lot of dust and debris to get into them. My revolvers i don;t sweat. My semi's, I look at weekly to see if they require a tear down.

God Bless
 
I'm pretty new to shooting so I clean after every trip to the range because I think I should. I also kind of enjoy taking them apart and putting them back together. I think you should give any pistol a thorough cleaning after every 200 rounds, that is what most of my manuals say anyway.
 
Unless I plan to shoot the handgun again in the next couple days, it gets field stripped and cleaned. I tried seeing how my Ruger SR22 would respond to less frequent cleanings, and it did NOT go well. Not only is she picky about ammo, but she needs to be kept pretty clean also.
 
I clean my handguns whenever I feel like selling them, after cleaning them I usually change my mind. Oh yeah and if I can scrape lead deposits with my pocket knife I'll clean them.
 
I shoot my carry gun everyday after work, but only a mag or two. On Saturdays I really get down to business and shoot a few different guns and a lot more ammo. On the Sunday after the shooting extravaganza, I clean and oil all my carry gun and maybe the Vaquero. Everything else I'm shooting are usually 22's and those get cleaned quarterly.
 
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