How far do you tear your guns down?

I used to fully disassemble every firearm I bought. In fact, that was half the fun of getting a new gun for me - to take it apart and see how it well or poorly it was really made. You can learn quite a bit about what went into making a gun from examining the small parts and seeing how they fit to the slide, frame, receiver (for rifles), etc.

Guns that stand out in my mind that impressed me with their quality were:
1. S&W 659
2. EAA Stock 10mm
3. Beretta Gold Pigeon 12 gauge
4. Steyr GB
6. COP 357
7. Belgian Hi-Power
8. Colt Series 80 Gold Cup

Guns that did not impress me:
1. SKS rifle
2. Post-64 Winchester 94
3. Megastar .45
4. H&R .32 Self Loader
5. STI 2011 Custom
6. Ruger Mark II

I know - it's a weird list, and my reasons are both objective and subjective - too many to expand upon. These days, I'm just too busy to take apart every gun that I buy.
 
The overwhelming majority of guns sold and used in this country are never going to see enough rounds to warrant a detail strip. IMHO. Field stripping is more than enough cleaning for most guns and most shooters. A gun does not have to be pristine in order for it to function.

I have guns which are shot more than others. If a gun is seeing 5,000+ rounds a year then detailed strip makes sense. I strip down my higher round count Sigs, BHPs and 1911s but guns that do not get shot often do not get this level of attention because IMHO they don't need it. As long as you are not shooting corrossive ammo the small amount of powder etc... is not going to harm the gun in anyway.

It is really not that hard if you are even moderately mechinically inclinded. As others have pointed out there are videos, instruction sheets etc... for just about every gun out there. I also agree with those who have mentioned CZ as a PITA to detail strip.
 
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If your friend can strip a gun down fully and put it back together so that it works then he or she is not mechanically challenged, in my opinion...

took the trigger group apart on my Sig pistol once... it took me over 8 hours to get it back together. I'm sure there are lots that are easier.... like a 10/22 and such but I usually leave trigger groups alone because of how complicated they are to put back right... the good news is as far as I know, you do it wrong and the gun just won't work.
 
I detail strip every brand new firearm I bring home and go over everything "with a fine-tooth comb". This applies double to the detail and care I put into stripping down and inspecting any pre-owned firearms I come home with since the line between a fine firearm and a hand-grenade is sometimes a very narrow one.

Most of the firearms I've detail stripped have been fine, a few have been serious jaw-dropping experiences.

Beyond that I do a simple "field strip" after each range session and only do another detail strip if circumstances seem to warrant it (such as immersion in water or the gun starts acting up).

Most firearms are pretty simple to take down "to the screws" and, as has been pointed out, the instructions are easily found online for nearly everything. You do have to use a certain amount of care to not lose/damage bits (especially springs) and there are certain firearms that require a special tool or two to really do things right.
 
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