Cleaning How Often

I don't baby my handguns nearly as much as some of the people here apparently.....if my gun can't survive and operate being a little dirty then I have no use for it. I don't buy just to sit and look at, I buy so I can use. I clean when a visual check indicates that it needs to be done. Especially for the first few hundred rounds I actually prefer to not clean, to see how much I can trust the reliability.

As for cleaning every time regardless of round count......I know people who have NEVER cleaned their handguns (low overall round count over extended time) with no ill consequences. Modern ammo just isn't corrosive enough to worry about. But like others have already said, cleaning is just one of those personal things that everybody is different about.

Obviously a conceal-carry handgun is a different story, and meticulous cleaning and care should be used at all possible times.
 
My preference is to clean after every range session, usually the same day, but not always. If I don't get one cleaned, I don't sweat it like I used to. I do make sure I get a little oil on the rails of my semi-autos. I also don't worry about getting every bit of the carbon fouling of the cylinders of my revolvers. I give them a moderate amount of attention and then move on. Now, if I were preparing to sell one, I would put more effort into the cleaning.
 
After shooting they get a wipe down. I tear down maybe once a year if I think about it. Yeah, it's neat not having to do anything but open a door and fire away. I usually do go outside but that's just to keep SWMBO happy. Empty brass is a lot easier to find in the kitchen or living room than in the grass.:D
 
I clean them after every trip to the range.

Sometimes it takes me a day or two to get to them but it gets done.

I don't think it would really hurt anything to let them go 2-3 range trips before cleaning, which would be about once a month, but I don't want to get into the habit of procrastinating when it comes to gun maintenance.
 
Indiana Dave said: I shoot once a week. My revolvers always get cleaned after my range vist. I actually enjoy cleaning them. Ahhh the smell of hoppe's #9.

That nicely sums me up too.

Cordially, SandyEggo Jack
 
Gun Cleaning

I shoot, I do a field strip and clean, after 100 to 250 rounds, a complete tear down inspection and cleaning after a thousand or so. Seems to work well for me, haven't had a firing problem in years, but of late two of my newest guns got recalled because of ftf, fte problems. The .380 was repaired and returned and has since been sold and my plans are to sell the other one when it is returned. Needless to say I will not buy another gun from either of these two companies again.
 
This question gets asked a lot. I clean after every range trip. I have been shooting steadily since 1948. I have never witnessed a firearm fail due to being properly cleaned & lubricated....I said properly. I have witness firearms fail that I thought were due to not being cleaned. Design engineers do try to make allowances for dirt, but they most always design firearms to work best when everything is to nominal tolerance, and that normally means a clean firearm.

Bottom line. In over 55 years of shooting I have never seen evidence that dirt enhances the operation of a firearm...just the opposite.
 
I had this friend...

He was testing some loads in his 38 Super-chambered compensated optically-sighted high-capacity Caspian-parts USPSA gun, and he fired from indoors out the back door.
It blew highly visible smoke ring marks on the ceiling.

We were visiting my friend, my wife and I, and after seeing those marks (and the broken ceiling light fixture, ruptured from the blast) she gave me 'the look'.

I shoot outside.
 
I don't do alot of cleaning with solvents - the majority of what I do is just remove the old lube and add a light coat of clean lube. I don't do the white glove treatments anymore because I don't have the time and it really isn't necessary anyway. The old lube typically has fouling in suspension and the important thing is to get rid of this crud so it doesn't become abrasive or harden. Doesn't take long - just do it.
 
on my Xd i typically clean and oil it after every shooting session. my 870 i generally just clean the barrel and give the action a once over and if it looks like it needs some attention i give it some.
 
I clean my guns after each shooting session.

I was taught that a clean gun is an accurate one, and I feel this is true through my own personal experience.

But each shooter needs to find what works for them, not for someone else.
 
Before the jump in price of ammo , I use to shoot more often. Now its like once a month rather than once or twice a week. I still clean my pistols/rifles after every range visit, Is it just me or is there something relaxing about cleaning my firearms. On the rare occasion that I cannot clean my firearms within 24 hours of coming home, I spray a little clp and one quick patch, then finish the job as soon as possible.
 
I clean thoroughly after every session. That includes making the bore and cylinders as pristine as possible and trying to remove all traces of powder residue from exterior surfaces. It bothers me -- I don't know why -- to have dirty guns around the house. Also, my wife and I shoot a lot of .22s, several hundred rounds a week, and I find that our guns are usually incredibly dirty after a couple of hundred rounds. I'd rather stay on top of the problem then get behind the curve.
 
I clean them every time I shoot them / and I don't see any reason not to.

In terms of a complete strip down on the weapons / I try and do it twice a year / maybe a little more often on guns I shoot 2 or 3 times a month ( take side plates, etc off revolvers / completely strip down a 1911 or any other semi-auto ). I strip all my mags down as well every 6 months ...

But to me, its just not that big a deal.
 
I clean my guns about every 500 rounds or so. I have been shooting for 15 years and see no need to clean after every trip to the range. Keep in mind this is non corrosive ammo and the guns get wiped down before they make it into the safe. Never had any rust or premature wear. Keeping guns properly lubed is the key to longevity.
 
Every time.

I picked up the habit of cleaning my weapons after each use from my time in the military (23-years in the Marines). The rings on the face of a stainless steel pistol cylinder can be quickly removed with a steel brush. The brush does not erode the stainless steel of the pistol, as far as I can tell.
 
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