How Often are you Supposed to Clean your Gun?

I'm pretty meticulous about cleaning my guns, probably a hold over from the daily cleanings I gave my M4 in Iraq. buggers get sand in every nook and cranny. I clean my guns whenever I shoot them, whenever I feel like, or whenever I feel I need to smell Hoppes no.9 :p Once I get em clean, they get a light oil and back in the cabinet, or in the holster if its my carry gun.
I shot my .22 before leaving town for a couple months, and it's been bugging the heck outta me. I'll probably clean it shortly after I get home.
 
Depends on the gun:

My revolvers, after I shoot them, but definitely with-in 24 hours of firing them.

My rifles, after I shoot them.

My safe residents (Those Who Reside Inside the Safe), every couple of months, I take them out, wipe them down and re-oil or re-grease them.
(Safe Residents currently include: a dozen shotguns, a dozen rifles and a few semi-auto handguns that I am not interested in shooting right now.)

Shotguns: When I get around to them. I had one (Browning 12 gauge, 28" Field Model) that has been kicking around in the barn for a few years. She is uglier than me and more abused than a chicken in a fox den, but has always worked well. I brought her down the house the other day and wiped her down and oiled her. She'll be back in the barn either today or tomorrow.

Sometimes I clean guns that have already been cleaned. I get bored and will break out the cleaning kit and sit and clean the guns while watching tv.
 
I just don't feel right unless I clean my guns after they've been fired ... that usually means a range session of 50-200 rounds, depending on the gun ... maybe it's OCD --- I'm afraid something bad will happen if they're not clean ...
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Amen bikerbill; hell, I can't sleep if I got a dirty weapon in the house, perhaps I should seek help.... :o
 
Back when I shot once every few years, my guns all got a hard-core full take down cleaning each time, scrubbing the bore until the patch was the same color going out as going in.

Now that I can go shooting once or twice a week, any gun that goes gets an oily rag rubdown, and cleaned if it isn't a range regular. If it's one I shoot often, I wipe it down, I might clean the bore if it's been awhile, but more often than not I just put it back in the safe.
 
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Depends on what the word "clean" means. :) I "field strip" my guns after each shooting session and clean and lube them. However, I have yet to ever disassemble my semis any further for a more thorough "cleaning".
 
I "field strip" my guns every time I shoot them...

about every 1,000 rounds - I will remove and clean the firing pin assembly and the extractors ...so on some guns that is once a month / some its once a year...

I will "detail strip" every gun that I shoot often ( if I shoot them a few times a month ) / about once a year - down to a bare frame - a variety of Sig Sauers, 1911's, S&W Revolvers ....( and that's probably 9 handguns ) out of the collection. I think that bare frame stripping is important to pick up on any parts that might be wearing a little.

My favorite range gun / that I put 6,000 rds a year or so thru ( a Wilson Combat 1911 in 9mm ) gets a lot of extra attention / and a full frame strip about every 4 months / just in case - and springs replaced, etc.

Some guns I rarely shoot ( 25 or so handguns ) / older revolvers, some guns I still like but don't shoot them because I have something I like better in the same caliber ...and I will take them down to a bare frame once every 2 or 3 years -- just for the heck of it / even though my safe is inside the house and I get no condensation inside my safe. I just want to make sure there is no surface rust on them / take a look at them once in a while.
 
I clean my Mauser right after I get home from the range. While at the range I spray oil in it before putting it away because of the corrosive ammo. My other guns after a day or two when get back. I also clean them before my wife's friends come over (I love the smell of Hoppes #9).
 
Everytime you shoot it. I shoot mine ,i clean it. Last week i shot 8 rounds for the heck of it,compleate break down and cleaning. Never take a chance on a dirty gun working.Bad time to have a miss fire when you really need it. Seems anal and maybe it is,but better safe than sorry.
 
The main reason the venerable Colt 45 wore out in the military is from constant disassembly for cleaning. Ask just about any military armorer. I'm older so I knew many who worked on the old guns. So it seems reasonable to me to clean the bore and receiver after shooting sessions. Wipe down after carrying. Unless some unexpected event happens like dropping it in mud or water or sand etc etc, disassemble and clean, lightly lube annually. And don't forget the magazines
 
Every time I shoot a weapon it gets completely cleaned, after cleaning I lube as needed. With my blued revolvers every time I handle them they get wiped down with a soft cotton rag.

Have a fun and safe Labor day weekend all:D.
 
If it's been fired, it gets cleaned. If it's been only handled, it gets wiped down. I consider it part of the process. Like doing the dishes after dinner.
 
If I just fire a shot or 2, I don't rush to clean it. It does get a good cleaning everytime I shoot more than a few rounds thru it. It being any of my firearms, be they handguns or long arms.
 
Without exception, every time I shoot. Why?

Because I'm a fanatic about cleanliness.

Because I don't think that dirt makes a gun more efficient or accurate but that it can affect efficiency and accuracy.

Because the grime that accumulates on a fired gun contains toxic substances, including lead compounds, and I don't want to absorb them into my system.

Because my life may depend on my gun operating as intended and by cleaning the gun I often pick up and deal with potential problems -- such as loose screws -- before they become real problems.
 
I'm in the "every time I shoot it" club. And I kinda enjoy doing it.

As far as manuals go, I find myself not giving them much weight anymore. Generally written by lawyers, almost everything has a CYA slant. Much of what's in them is meant to keep the makers out of liability, warranty and malfunction tussles. By the time you get to any meaningful info about the gun, they're out of space and it's written in 4 point type so you have to read it with a magnifying glass...

Same reason you can't even buy an extension cord without 8 warning tags in 6 languages welded to the damn thing....
 
I grew up cleaning guns only when they got slam filthy. You'd be surprised how long a gun can go without being cleaned. 11-87 gets cleaned about once every year or two. 22 rifle once every few years. I've got a Beretta 92fs that i just cleaned for the first time after owning it all summer. It's had several hundred through it and I only cleaned it because I was bored and hungover on a Sunday morning.
 
I own 3 glocks, and I used to shoot it everytime I hit the range. But after seeing some many glock torture tests....I'm getting lazy, so I'm down to like once every few range/plinking outings. My carry still gets the 1:1 ratio.
 
My old CPO said" A man that won't clean his firearm after use probably doesn't clean his behind after use every time either!" I don't know about that, but it always comes to mind when I come in after hunting, or the range. Once a week a light cleaning for the carry, and complete about every six weeks.
 
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