Clean handgun after each session, even 50 rds.?

I'm always curious at the "cleaning hurts the gun" scenario. Firstly I'm careful and technically competent and have made my living off of being clever with my hands and precise with machines. I know how to identify the right materials for a job. Secondly none of the tools or techniques I use harm metal plastic or wood. I've seen "professional" people use a portable drill to hammer in a spring pin or shrug off the need to etch or even clean a threaded hole before applying loctite. That type of thing disgusts me. I'm not in a foxhole in the Ardennes, I'm in a comfortable workplace at 75*F and it's dry. I have the right tools and products with me. I take my time and I do it right. It will be hard to convince me I have caused harm.
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It sounds like you've given a lot of thought to how to clean guns the right way--without hurting them. It should be pretty plain that cleaning guns the right way doesn't hurt them. Cleaning them the wrong way can hurt them, and it seems pretty clear that you understand that or you wouldn't be able to explain how and why you clean your guns the way you do. ;)

That said, it is generally true that overdoing something can cause issues even if the process involved is harmless when not overdone. For example, many guns can be safely dryfired. Unfortunately some people take that to mean that pounding away hundreds of repetitions, night after night, year after year, will never cause any wear or problems. The result of that kind of thinking is broken and worn parts, even pistols with the breaches broken and driven forward by the force of innumerable dryfire repetitions.

Does it hurt to brush out a particularly heavily leaded centerfire bore with a stainless steel brush once in a great while? Probably not. But that certainly doesn't mean one should do it after every shot, or even after every range trip.

Does it hurt to use abrasives or metal brushes to clean all the burn marks off the cylinder of a stainless steel revolver before selling it or taking a picture? Probably not if it's done right. But doing so after every single range trip probably isn't helping the gun any.

Virtually anything can be overdone. Complete disassembly is another example. It's worthwhile to do a detail strip and clean at intervals--maybe once a year for a heavily used gun--or every several thousand rounds--but it is not necessary on a frequent basis. Taking a gun apart completely too frequently can cause problems. I've taken a few armorers courses and the guns used in the classes had been detailed stripped many, many times. They were definitely much the worse for wear in spite of having been shot very little, if at all.
 
If I plan on shooting within the next two weeks, I won't clean it. I don't shoot corrosive and I store my guns in a dry place, so I don't sweat it. If I am putting them away long term, I will do a detailed cleaning no matter the round count.
 
The frequency depends on many factors. It could be after zero rounds fired if a freshly cleaned gun was dropped into mud or into some beach sand. A blued gun always get wiped down after handling it even if it were not fired. I used to clean all my firearms regardless of type if even one round was fired. Nowadays I usually put 500 to 700 rounds through my auto loading pistols before I clean them. My carry and night stand guns usually get quick wipe off and a few drops of lube. The same schedule is followed for my auto loading shotguns. If a particular gun feels a little sluggish before that amount of rounds, I'll clean it sooner. I don't like to wait for a gun to malfunction before it gets cleaned.
 
I clean after every range session, regardless of number of rounds fired. Can't say it is necessary for reliability....certainly not. But, it doesn't take long and I just prefer it that way.
 
It sounds like you've given a lot of thought to how to clean guns the right way--without hurting them.
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I like to think so John. But I'm always willing to listen to a better way, too.
 
Gun Cleaning

I stopped shooting corrosive primed military surplus ammo my anxiety over gun cleaning has subsided.
Most of the time I clean my guns BEFORE I go to the range. :eek:
 
I don't know what to do after reading this thread.
So - some guns I clean after firing, some not for many rounds.
My carry guns - every time :)
Got it all covered lol
 
Cleaning guns to me is the dessert after a trip to the desert or the range. An enjoyable, relaxing activity. So long as I don't have to clean any 22s...
 
"So long as I don't have to clean any 22s..."

I had a H&R 923 snub, 11 holes. That was one reason I sold it.
 
I've got an SP101 with 8 chambers. Doesn't bother me a bit because it only very rarely needs to be cleaned, and even then it doesn't take much cleaning to keep it working perfectly.
 
I usually shoot 100 rounds during a range session. My blowback pistols get quite dirty, so I try to clean them after each session, but they can wait until after a second session.

For a carry gun, I'll lube it if it gets exposed to rain, or on a monthly basis if it doesn't get shot. For a gun that isn't getting used, I'll examine and lube it annually.
 
If it's a gun I only shoot once in a while, it gets cleaned each time. Guns that get the most use get stripped down after 2 or 3 trips to the range.

Competition guns get cleaned after every match. Same with carry guns.

Sometimes I get energetic and clean them when I get home from the range or match. Carry gun is always cleaned asap.
 
Clean handgun after each session, even 50 rds. per gun?

I clean every firearm after firing it each time I return from an outing, regardless of the round count. Just hangover from my USMC days, I suppose.
 
Over cleaning? My experience has been that usually means over oiling and greasing. Very bad. This becomes a magnet for dirt to collect. Even while just being carried in a holster. I suppose the question is what sort of gun are you shooting and for what purpose. There's a reason we're taught by our range officers to clean properly after shooting our service weapon before leaving the range. And the same should apply to your carry gun. Don't be lazy. You're carrying a gun to defend yourself and loved ones. I don't like the idea of experimenting to figure out how many rounds till failure. There's a reason we're trained and drilled on clearing malfunctions. That's because semi-autos (all of them) at some point in time or after so many rounds will malfunction. Its mechanical and bound to happen. Why add to that possibility by leaving it dirty? If you read your owner's manual I'm fairly certain it recommends cleaning after every time you shoot.
 
What do you consider a "cleaning" after 50 rounds? A quick wipedown of the feed ramp, muzzle area, etc, are all that is needed IMO at that interval if you just want to put them away without buildup.


It isn't dirty after 50 rounds. There is just some firing residue on the gun. Guns are "dirty" after 500-800 rounds IMO depending on the ammo. Even then, they may only require a minor cleaning and not a full disassembly. Wipe the grime off of wherever builds up in the feed ramp and toss it back in the safe.

There is no need for a detailed cleaning at 50 rounds, or 200 rounds. Hyperactive or white-glove cleaning is just an expression of object fetishism and an excuse to the wife for spending more time with the "big boy toys" before having to put them away and go mow the lawn.

My firearms get cleaned when they are dirty. They are not dirty after 50-200 rounds. They function fine and exhibit no additional wear than one cleaned compulsively or one that just sits in the safe unfired.
 
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I cleaned my HK45C last night after a range trip. First time in 4 or 5 trips. I cleaned it mostly because I used Bullseye powder in my .45 handloads for the first time and it has a reputation for being a dirty powder. Well, I could have gone a few more range trips. A trace of carbon on the frame near the breach, that was about it. Cleaned the bore because I was there.

Bullseye is a lot cleaner burning than I was lead to believe. I think coated, plated and jacketed bullets go a long way to keeping you gun clean too.

One of the reasons I like poly guns with good metal treatment like HK or Glock is you don't have to fuss over them, and IMHO, a good combat gun should be capable of firing many hundreds of rounds with no maintenance at all.
 
OCD

OP, FWIW...i have a Soviet Military manual that had been translated and they cleaned their Maks at least once a week even if it wasn't shot. They even recommend using "sticks" to get to hard to reach areas as the combo cleaning rod/extractor tool could mark and scratch the insides....BUT, thats military regimen stuff as usual.

Steel case 9x18 usually runs pretty sooty if you know what I mean but it is non corrosive. It is my opinion that a Makarov could run a long time w/o cleaning except for a wipe off to prevent corrosion. Your .380 Mak is identical to the military except for sights, grips, and chambering.

Long arms are different of course, but in the case of the M1 it is not generally recommended to field strip too often under NORMAL shooting conditions with non corrosive ammo. Some FS their Garands once a year because doing it more often will eventually loosen stock fit and effect accuracy.

BTW, the steel cleaning rod, and over zealous GIs played havoc with the muzzle of some M1s and is a primary reason for high erosion readings rather than the number of rounds shot. You can still clean and re-grease as best you can without completely field stripping although an op rod and some internals will likely have some surface corrosion. This "loosening" effect MAY apply to some handguns as well.

Me, I have an ODC complex about dirty guns and probably F/S and clean them more often than necessary.
 
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