Cleaning

S

ShottyTim

New member
so guys im going to finally shhot my 870 hd up in hartsel and am curious i have already cleaned it a couple times, it has 0 rounds through it, brand new, curious how often i should clean it, i plan to put around 200 rounds through it this weekend, should i clean after all 200, or after 50, can anyone tell me whats a good rule of thumb?

Thanks guys

Tim
 
I'd say as long as you've already cleaned it and it seems to be running fine, just clean it again once you're done shooting. Its an 870, I'm pretty sure itll be able to take it. Unless it starts jamming up and giving you excessive problems, you won't really need to worry about cleaning it after 50. Just shoot the hell out of it and clean it whenever you're done. And most importantly, enjoy!!
 
I always try to clean my guns after every use. I've been told it is excessive, but the finish and bore on my 8 year old 870 Express still looks new. I always clean the bbl and bolt assembly and wipe down the exterior with an oil soaked rag. After every couple of trips to the range, I take the trigger assembly off and clean that down. I have noticed that if you use to much oil in the barrel, it facilitates the build up of un-burnt powder. This has worked for me. Good luck with your new gun.

PS A buddy of mine also has an 870 and he never cleans it and it works just fine. I think I'm just a bit more anal about keeping mine clean.
 
It being an 870, if it has to be cleaned after only 50 shells, you have the world's worst ammo. I clean my guns after I shoot them. Doesn't matter whether I shot 1 or 300 rounds. It's pretty much up to you how often you clean your guns. The 870 can take a lot of abuse and still function fine.
 
Dave McCracken once said that most shotgun shooters over-clean the bore, and under-clean the action. Meaning they never clean the action at all.

He said the action should be cleaned after the hunting season, and if that's the only time you clean the bore, that probably won't hurt the shotgun.

So I clean my 870 religiously--once a year after hunting season.

OK, I still clean the bore once or twice more, after a heavy session or two, but that's it for me.
 
I clean my 870's after each shoot. This could be anywhere between 100 and 500 rounds. I like to clean them and inspect for wear and tear. I only drop the trigger group every four or five outings but the barrel comes off and the bolt comes out after each trip to the range.
I shoot often and I figure just cleaning from handling is a good thing, especially as several of my older guns have little blue left (bought that way) and they rust easily.
Sporting clays seems to put extra handling marks on my 870's as you need to constantly carry them from cart to rack to station to rack to cart......
At the very least, I'd wipe it down with CLP after shooting to avoid rust.
Good luck and have fun,
Mike
 
Rem. 1100 shooting every weekend during the 3 month waterfowling season, I clean it after the season.

All other shotguns receiving occasional usage of less than 5 boxes of shells a year I usually clean every 3 to 4 years.

Shotguns, especially pumps are tanks compared to my pistols which I clean after every outing. I always make sure the shotguns have at least a light coat of oil, but I hardly ever strip them down to clean them.

My shotguns look beat to hell, but are not rusty just like how they should be. :cool:
 
Since my name came up....

Deep cleaning should be at least yearly, on a shotgun that hasn't been used. Otherwise, deep clean every few hundred rounds and swab out the bore after each session. Exception, after wet use like waterfowling.

An early warning system for when to deep clean is the face of the bolt. If there's visible grunge, deep clean.If you cannot recall when you deep cleaned it last, deep clean it. 30 minutes of time and elbow grease will protect your weapon and investment.

An 870 that's well maintained and used will last well into the next Ice Age.
 
Thanks guys, just got back from my outing, and suprisingly i dont think ill be buying any knoxx products just cause the recoil wasnt nearly as bad as i remembered it from a year ago, and i put close to 200 rounds through it this weekend, question, i used a rag to clean it and now i have a bunch of little white like stringy things from the rag, what kind of clothe should i use to get rid of it, really bothers me on an all black gun, thanks again guys i really appreciate the insight.

Tim
 
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