Do you disassemble to clean every time?

G

guitar1580

New member
I've always owned single shot shotguns, so cleaning / disassembling was quick and easy every time I shoot. I'll soon be owning my first pump, and am wondering if the bore can be cleaned from the muzzle, or if it should be dis assembled every time it is cleaned. I know it may seem like a dumb question, and I'm sure the owners manual will tell me, once I get it in a week or two.

Josh P
 
It's easier to take the barrel off, spray some crud-cutter stuff down the barrel and push the gunk out in the same direction the shot charge goes.
 
A bore snake can be used without taking the barrel off. It is such a simple procedure to remove the barrel, I would take it off and spray the GunScrubber into the innards of the action. Then spray some CLP after the GS dries.
 
Yes, I always take the barrel off of the receiver ......and take the forend off and the trigger group out as well ......

You get a fair amount of grime on the bolt, etc. inside the receiver that you can't get to unless you drop the trigger group out.
 
I take off the barrel + Forend + bolt only. I avoid removing the trigger assembly as much as possible because I dont want to wear down the pins, or fiddle with the trigger assembly.
 
If you aren't confident you can remove the trigger assembly and get everything back together easily - then I'd recommend you seek some advice from a mentor that can show you how easy it is to do.

Removing the trigger / takes just a couple of seconds - to pop the pin out with a punch / or even using a blunt nail ....it doesn't wear out the pin to remove it and re-insert it ( even if you did it 3 times a week ) ....for the next 15 years .....(in my opinion).
 
and if you don't want to worry about messing up the bluing with punch or nail, a sturdy wooden chop stick works great. You won't be disassembling anything in the trigger group, just removing it where you can blow the gunk out
 
I clean my trigger groups with a " Q tip " - carefully ...after I spray some solvent in there if it needs it - but like OneOunce suggests you just want to get the junk out of them ( and clean the bolt, carrier, etc ....depending on the gun ) ... and the inside of the receiver. You rarely, if ever, have to disassemble the springs, etc in the trigger group unless you break something - and I have pump guns that are 35 yrs old / and I've never had to do anything to the trigger group except clean it.

I use a light spray oil / on my trigger groups before I reassemble the gun ( like Rig Oil, or Rem Oil ) and you don't need much ....

I usually lube the rails / barrel connection to the receiver, etc with "Break Free" - same thing I use on my 1911 semi-auto handguns.. make sure the bolt, etc moves smoothly.
 
Thx folks. I figured it would need to be taken apart to get it clean. I'm sure I'll get used to it once I do it a couple times.

Josh P
 
Depending on your gun, there are a LOT of videos on youtube that show - step by step - on how to disassemble and clean a lot of the more popular guns, especially the pumps from Mossberg and Remington
 
I have always field stripped a shotgun, depending how and where you hunt, you may have debris in the action that needs to be cleaned out.
I just got an 887 and at a min, I will take the barrel off.
 
I am much more meticulous with my other guns than my shotguns. My shotguns I use for mostly sporting clays, and HD if need be. Shotguns I try to clean after every use, but sometimes I get lazy. Ill strip everything but the trigger assembly. I love shotguns, they take 20mins to clean and shoot everytime.

I normally shoot 1000+rds through my Mav 88 everytime we shoot clays, with all my friends using it. Sometimes I dont even clean it after 2 or 3 clay days. I wouldnt be surprised if I could get upwards of 2-3k rds through it at one time and it still not have a problem. All Ive done is ran a boresnake through it every ~200rds and its good to go.
 
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guitar1580
Josh, something you and many others have forgotten to mention is the type of gun you're referring to. Some folks are answering your OP with the care and feeding they give an O/U and others are talking about stick guns. If you have questions about a specific gun, your first source of info should be your owners manual. There will be a section on cleaning and disassembling. If you don't have a manual, google-up a copy of one. Without a manual, you may be unaware of safety precautions specific to your gun.

BigJimP likes to take his Benelli autoloader apart because it's construction facilitates easy take down (and it's interesting inside). I'm on the other end of the spectrum, my auto-loader trigger groups stay in place until they act up. Ask my friend, BigJim, how often he opens up the guts of his brace of Browning O/Us just to clean the triggers and I suspect he'll give you a different answer.

My P-guns all have push-button drop out trigger assemblies. The only time they are coming out during a routine routine range wipe-down is if they've been wet from rain or sweat. This is a good time to mention climate. Obviously, BigJim and I have developed different cleaning habits because he's perpetually facing the wet weather of the Great Pacific Northwest and I'm shooting in arid SoCal. These different environments require different levels of care.

Watch the comp shooters. Typically, they have a lot more invested in their guns and shoot a lot more than the average shot-gunner. After an event, you'll see them at the back of their trucks tending to their toys. They want them clean, but without unnecessary disassembly. There's no reason to wear out push pins and screw heads before their time.

Most comp shooters transport their guns broken-down and cased (because that's the way they came). It's a matter of habit: 1. Remove the barrel and forearm. 2. Give everything a quick once over (typically using sprays, rags and a bore brush/swab) then, 3. Return the sub-groups to the case. Removing smaller parts is best left until you get the gun over a bench instead of a tail gate. More than once I witnessed some poor shooter have a part get away from him and vanish forever into the parking lot gravel.

It's when the gun is reassembled, prior to shooting, that the comp shooter takes special care to make sure the friction points are given a fresh coat of lubricant, and any excess is wiped from the exterior. We go through all of this for several reasons, to: 1. Stop corrosion (inside and out); 2. Keep the internal tiddley-bits operating smoothly; 3. Prevent galling at the stressed pivot and lock points; and 4. Reduce the accumulation of crud.
 
Zippy is right ...... on my O/U's - if I shoot them in the rain, I take the stock off the receiver - dry, clean, lube and put the gun back together. I also take them apart ( take the stocks off ) every 6 months for general PM.

All of my pump and semi-autos get fully stripped every time I shoot them ( trigger groups out, etc ) rain or shine. If I shoot a semi-auto in a sporting clays tournament, then at the lunch break, if I shot in the morning, I completely strip the gun and clean and lube - and it is easier with a Benelli Super Sport but I would do it with a pump gun or any gas operated semi-auto as well. If I only shoot in one flight during the day - I break it down and clean it when I get back to the hotel or before I leave the club.

Same thing - if I take a defensive skills handgun class for 2 days / at the lunch break, I strip and clean my 1911's ( or any gun ) each day - clean and lube it.

Its my opinion that all of your guns will last far longer if you clean and lube them regularly / but I will also admit its kind of a generational thing / most of my buddies clean their guns thoroughly after they shoot them. It seems to be a contest with some of the younger shooters - how long can you shoot them before they won't function ... I clean my Benelli Super Sport every time I shoot it / but it shoots so clean it could go many thousands of shells before it "had to be cleaned" ...but I don't see the point.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Sorry I didnt mention the model. It's a 1973 Rem. Wingmaster. I'm getting it from an out of town friend, and wont have it or the manual for another week or two.
I've since looked up some youtube vids on dis assembly & re assembly, and realize that it's much easier & faster than I expected it would be.
I usually clean my guns every time I shoot, and will do the same with the 870. I probably won't remove the trigger assembly every time.
While watching the youtube vid, it occurred to me that a good wooden golf tee would probably be good to tap out the two trigger assy pins without marring them.

JP
 
I have been a trapshooter for 30 years and have shot a Winchester model 12 trap gun built in 1951. We shoot in snow and rain as we have a small club that only shoot a couple hours a week. I bought the gun used and I finally ran a cleaning rod down the barrel last week. It doesnt look like it was ever disassemble prior to me owning it. This gun has had regular use for 58 years and have never had a malfuntion or misfire.
 
I use a bore snake for most cleaning, may do a full cleaning once a year. A good gun, gas, pump etc. willl run without a whole lot of disassembling to clean.
 
Pretty well covered already but your 870 is very easy to disassemble for cleaning. Unless you drop it in the bay you most likely will never need to remove the buttstock from the receiver. Because it is so easy I'd remove the forearm/breechplug assembly every time, wipe out the receiver, clean the barrel while its dismounted, etc. just because its so simple to do. Depending upon how much you shoot atleast every couple of years I'd punch out the trigger assembly and soak it in a coffee can filled with enough gasoline to submerge it and scrub it with an old toothbrush. Let it drain off and spray it with some light oil before reassembling.

Atleast once a year before putting it away I'd actually take a thin rag (old hankerchief perhaps) and soak it in WD-40 or plain old gasoline and run it between the gaps on the ventilated rib until I was certain is was truly clean and I scrub the rib top with a toothbrush soaked in the same stuff. Once its all clean use your favorite oil to recoat everything, reassemble and then wipe down with a clean cloth and put'r in the rack.

Do this and you usually won't be the guy having problems in the field. You'll also know how to break it down and investigate a problem better than the guy that's never taken the time to figure his gun out.

You picked a nice gun to step-up too!

Regards,

TB
 
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