OCD cleaning after each range trip...or leave it dirty?

I once heard this maxim: "Never let the sun set on a dirty gun". Works for me.

Then again, I tend to wipe my hindquarters promptly as well. Maybe I'm OCD? Nah... :)
 
The practice is a holdover from blackpowder and corrosive primers, when not cleaning a fired gun could cause serious damage. Unless you were or are a grunt or groundpounder, you probably haven't seen a seriously dirty weapon.
I don't think the auto's fail from dirt. They fail because they are dry! Modern lube melts carbon fouling, and flushes out grit and dirt. So unless you have enough crap to obstruct the barrel, hit it with some lube and off you go.
More guns get screwed up by tyros cleaning them!
 
I clean right away. Even when I'm on the road I sneak cleaning supplies into my hotel room. Didn't know there was another option.

I'm Berettaprofessor and I'm a guncleanoholic
 
I clean them when I think they need it or when I want to. Whichever comes first.

My carry gun is put away after it's cleaned. I'll carry another until it's been to the range and fired a few times.

Then again, I tend to wipe my hindquarters promptly as well.
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What does that have to do with gun cleaning? Maybe we shouldn't ask where you carry yours. :)
 
There was a time I detail stripped and thoroughly cleaned a firearm every time I got it home from the range.

Rimfires would only get cleaned every 500 rounds or so, but it was a thorough cleaning.

After years of that approach, I decided that I was probably doing more harm than good by detail stripping the guns each time they were fired and scaled back to detail stripping centerfires after a decent round count but still doing a field strip & cleaning after every range trip.

Rimfires stopped getting a detail strip & clean unless there were functioning issues and I stopped cleaning every 500 rounds and let it go a little longer.

There were no detectable ill effects as a result of those changes.

I finally realized that it wasn't hurting my guns to have a little bit of gunpowder residue on them from time to time and now I only clean after the round count has run up past a couple hundred rounds. If I do a quick 1 or 2 box range trip, I won't clean and if I follow that trip up with another similar trip I probably still won't clean unless I get bored. Detail strip & cleanings happen pretty rarely.

I've just about stopped cleaning my rimfires unless I note accuracy or function issues (which almost never happens). Usually I end up cleaning them because I get bored and want to fiddle with a gun.

I have actually had a gun get so dirty it started jamming, but that was after over 950 rounds in a single range session and even then it only jammed under one pretty specific set of circumstances. I've had several that shot reliably even when impressively dirty. I bought one used gun a few years back and took it to the range without cleaning it. It worked very well--in spite of the fact that when I got it home and cleaned it I found that it was very dirty. I even found leaf fragments in the action that had been left there by the previous owner.

I have witnessed a couple of situations where a gun jammed as an indirect result of being cleaned. In both cases the guns had been thoroughly cleaned but hadn't been properly lubricated after cleaning.

I'd say that given the human error component that can't be totally eliminated, cleaning (and the associated issues that go along with it like: improper reassembly, disassembly/reassembly wear, improper lubrication after cleaning, solvent in the wrong places, etc.) is probably more likely to result in malfunctions than lack of cleaning, certainly in the short term. As the round count without cleaning grows, at some point that probably ceases to be true.

Should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway--I'm NOT talking about black powder firearms or the use of corrosive ammunition. Those both demand prompt and proper attention after a range trip to prevent damage to the firearm.
 
If I go often (once or twice a week) ill let em sit dirty, if its gonna be several weeks in between then ill clean em.

It was a lot easier when I only shot 1 or 2 pistols :D
 
Depends on the gun, but as a general rule a clean gun is a more reliable gun.

Henry .22 lever action gets the barrel cleaned out every 100 rounds or so. I take it apart every now and again to clean it more thoroughly.

Marlin .17 HMR bolt action stays very clean, and not necessarily because I clean it constantly. I can take a clean rifle, shoot 25 rounds through it, and put 1 wipe with cleaner on it through the barrel, it will come out with a tiny bit of powder residue and the next wipe going through it comes out the same color it went it.

Taurus .17 HMR stays very clean.

My range trip is going out the front door and shooting... They don't have boxes and boxes of ammo run through them before being put up. I just sort of get in the mood, load up the gun, walk outside and shoot at stuff.
 
I think it's a good practice to clean weapons after firing. It doesn't need to be a detailed "white-glove" type cleaning.

If it strips easily, break it down. If not (shotguns, lever guns, many .22s, etc.), run the bore snake through a few times, a quick scrub with the toothbrush and a wipe down with a rag.
 
I cleaned the heck out of that thing no matter how many rounds are fired through. It also allows me to inspect for any potential damages. It is in my nature to keep things clean and this include all the firearms. I figure I spent some hard earned $$$$ on them so I might as well keep them in good condition all always.
 
I clean after every round fired. Sure, it slows down my day at the range, but then I know my guns are really clean. Seriously, if I go to the range and fire 100 rounds or so each through 2 or 3 guns I may not clean them at all, other than wiping down the outside of the guns. After two or three trips like that I take the time to clean them. I used to spend quite a bit of time with Hoppes#9, an old toothbrush and a lot of pads, but now I usually use a combination cleaner and lubricant on the broken down gun parts, the same chemical on the bore snack for a few run throughs the barrel, and a treated gun cloth to wipe down the outside. So far I have no gun condition related issues and the guns look pretty good. I guess if I were the type of shooter who puts 300 to 500 rounds downrange at a single session I would be much more diligent about cleaning.
 
I clean my rifle and handguns after every trip to the range.

My 12ga....not so much. Every few trips, or if I think it needs it, I'll break it down, but it's not nearly as often as my others.
 
everytime

i clean my guns after every trip to the range. how thoroughly depends on how many rounds i shot and how long there going to sit before i go to the range next
 
I clean them when I think they need it or when I want to. Whichever comes first.
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Amen brother. My carry gun always goes out clean with me so there can be no question whether the gun was fired or not.

But every gun...every time it's shot? Don't think so. I take up to 10 pistols with me, two rifles and a shotgun for a trip to the range. I'm hardly going to clean 8 or more guns every time I shoot. I do keep track of how many rounds go through each gun, and they get cleaned at a specific round count interval.

But - everytime they're shot? Nooooooo.....I have other things that have to be done too.
 
Read this thread for a fine example of why I never carry a gun that hasn't been fired a few times since its last cleaning.

I want to know the thing works, not just think it will.
 
I've asked this same question before on another forum but was attacked rather then given a good answer.

are there no ill effects of leaving a gun dirty for months if it only goes to the range once every couple of months and fires 40 - 100 per session?

I usually clean after each range session out of fear of pitting.
 
are there no ill effects of leaving a gun dirty for months if it only goes to the range once every couple of months and fires 40 - 100 per session?
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None that I'm aware of unless you are shooting corrosive primed ammo.

Of course you may be labeled a gun abuser in some circles. :)
 
I agree. I've not seen any ill effects.

If you live in a humid environment you may have issues if you don't maintain your guns, but the problem isn't that the gun hasn't been cleaned, it's that the protective agents which prevent rust may be worn off or compromised during a shooting session and may need to be reapplied.
 
I clean my guns after shooting. I love cleaning my guns and feel it is part of shooting. There are times I will clean a gun that I have not used for a few months, just to have something to do.
 
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