I've fired my pistol **** rounds without cleaning!

H

Hawkeye

New member
I've heard this claim many times and I'm trying to understand the rationale. I appreciate that some designs (like the Glock) are forgiving of being fired dirty. I suppose that might conceivably be handy.

What really threw me was a handgun class I was taking this summer where a LEO casually stated that "I've fired my Glock over 3000 rounds without cleaning. I'm going to see how long it takes before it locks up." Now, if you did this with a "recreational" pistol, I suppose there is no harm. This was his DUTY sidearm.

My own analysis is that your handgun would rarely ever need to be fired more than 20-30 rounds. If it is, you are probably out of ammo and wishing you were much closer to a rifle. I'm rather compulsive about cleaning and wouldn't care to go through days of firing without cleaning. If my pistol will digest 500 rounds during a day's training and stays happy, I'm happy. Knowing that it will digest another 1000 rounds before jamming due to fouling doesn't reassure me. For real world use, I'd rather see and ensure that my handgun will reliably fire 100-200 rounds starting clean, for 20 repetitions, than knowing it will fire 3000 rounds before it jams.

My other concern is that a routine cleaning gives me the opportunity to inspect the pistol, looking for any wear, breakage, or problems.

I'm trying to stay open-minded, so what are the benefits of firing until you experience a "filth failure"?
 
I don't think there are any benefits, but there are benefits to owning a defense tool that go on without cleaning.

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"Get yourself a Lorcin and lose that nickel plated sissy pistol."
 
Hawkeye,

Having served in the military I "somewhat" understand this thinking. It should refer to how much junk can a pistol obsorb without malfunctioning. Not necessarily fouling. In some situations (combat, survival, hunting), guns get gunked up from elements it's exposed to. Sometimes you just can't stop and clean it. If it will still function reliably, it's good because you can rely on it to protect your keister! But for a LEO to subject his duty weapon thru that kind of abuse and still have to rely upon it to protect him, he must live in Mayberry. Did you check his shirt pocket? :D When I schedule some range time, part of that time alotted is always for cleaning the weapon when I'm finished shooting it.

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"Charlton Heston is my President"

Danny45
NRA Life Member, NAHC Life Member, Buckmasters Life Member
 
Well it's a glock, it can take it...my friend has had his G19 for many years, including time he was in the Special Forces and it has been in combat...he has never actually cleaned it, even after firing 7-9 thousand rounds, his version of cleaning was dunking it in sea water and pulling the slide back and forth.

And it fires every time he pulls the trigger. He showed me the gun, I was expecting the worst...it looked great, I couldn't believe it. Those glocks are tough as nails.

~bamf
 
I can't speak to the reasons the officer might have for his experiment. I have gone about 500 rounds without cleaning with each gun I use in IDPA competition (some are my carry guns). I do this just prior to a big match, like the IDPA Championship, to make sure they will run for a two day/250 round match without fouling induced failures.

Other than that I usually clean mine after each use. My carry gun will get a few rounds fired through it after the cleaning just to make sure everything is still in order. Then it can resume duty.

Mikey

[This message has been edited by Mikey (edited October 01, 2000).]
 
A friend, last year, bought a new Glock 19. He decided to see how long it would go without malfunctioning. (This is not his usual practice with guns, as he is quite particularly about keeping them clean.)

After 2000 rounds he said, "enough." Cleaned it and that is now his primary carry weapon.
 
Dunks it in sea water and racks the slide back and forth. :eek:
I'm not sure you should have shard that here on a public forum. That sounds like some top secret method of cleaning known only to Special Forces. :rolleyes:
 
I`ve also seen cars that have been driven for 50,000+ miles without changing the oil. That doesn`t make it smart. I`ll keep my guns clean and the oil changed every 3000 thanks. :D Marcus
 
I've gone for 800+ in my Springfield Champion (daily carry). Even thought the gun was running fine, I started feeling nervous, so I cleaned it.
 
..have a friend that hasn't cleaned his Glock 19 since he bought it.. like 4/5yrs ago?

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President, FUD's Fan Club.
 
I don't see the point in not cleaning a handgun. A combat rifle, sure---you might have to fire a couple hundred rounds or more and haul the weapon through various inclimate environments with infrequent cleanings. But a handgun? What's the point? I clean my carry gun every time I shoot it, so how long it will go without cleaning is irrelevant.
 
I'm a bit anal when it comes to a dirty gun. I field strip and clean mine after every range session and do a detail cleaning once a month. I shoot at least once a week, usually twice a week.

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Rick
 
I'm a bit anal when it comes to a dirty gun. I field strip and clean mine after every range session and do a detail cleaning once a month. I shoot at least once a week, usually twice a week. Remember dirt promotes excessive wearing on metal or even plastic parts and I have too much invested to let a fine weapon get worn out before it's time.

(sorry for double post.. was a bit too quick on the draw with the mouse) :D

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Rick


[This message has been edited by Bandit (edited October 01, 2000).]
 
"I'm going to see how long it takes before it locks up"

This sounds like the statement of the type of LEO who considers his gun a burden. It's something he has to carry with him, but never intends to use.

I hope it doesn't get him killed someday.
 
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