Gun Cleaning

[Diabolus]

My gun cleaning equipment is being shipped to me and will not arrive until next week. I am new to this stuff and hoped someone could answer a question for me.

I want to go shooting tomorrow and I would like to know if it would be ok to wait about a week before cleaning my guns?

I am using non-corrosive ammo.

Thanks

[ldivinag]

normally, i clean BEFORE shooting it.

usual packing grease (as SIG likes to do) wont cut it as normal lube for a firearm.

of course if SHTF and all you have is your new firearm, by all means, fire away... ;)

as for waiting... i cringe if i dont clean say day as i shoot...

[Diabolus]

I am new to this so please forgive my ignorance, I am learning.

What could happen to the guns if I do not clean them the same day and wait a week?

[The Soup Nazi]

Well, (what kind of gun do you have anyways?) assuming that your gun isn't something thats brand new that just came out of the factory and your seller took care of it like his first born, it might be covered in some sort of grease (ah, buy your Mosin Nagant now and get /free cosmoline/!) to help preserve the rifle. After a while it might produce some gunk in the bolt assembly, and/or the barrel. But the fact is that its going to remain in that state whether you clean it today or next week, your rifle isn't going to fall apart the moment you take it from your dealer without cleaning. But it is very noticeable when you have a rifle that needs cleaning. Just visit a gun store that sells older rifles, pull the bolts and you might run into a little or A LOT of resistance (I encountered a Russian M44 with A LOT of grease and gunk which gave a lot of resistance when pulling the bolt mechanism)

[Diabolus]

Thanks for the reply.

The guns were cared for by someone who loved them dearly and they are in mint condition and all look well lubed.

Of course I have read all the manuals and made sure that all parts that need oil are oiled.

I will be shooting a .45 and .357

[C.G.]

Thanks for the reply.

The guns were cared for by someone who loved them dearly and they are in mint condition and all look well lubed.

Of course I have read all the manuals and made sure that all parts that need oil are oiled.

I will be shooting a .45 and .357

If they were shot before and cleaned, I wouldn't worry about it too much, except maybe too much oil in the barrel. You might want to run a dry patch before shooting.

[PistolKidd]

My gun cleaning equipment is being shipped to me and will not arrive until next week. I am new to this stuff and hoped someone could answer a question for me.

I want to go shooting tomorrow and I would like to know if it would be ok to wait about a week before cleaning my guns?

I am using non-corrosive ammo.

Thanks

hey diabolus..

if these guns are newly acquired, I would say its more important to clean them BEFORE you go shooting.

This ensures a couple of things. You get to inspect the gun for things like wear..cracks, fractures, broken bits that might otherwise go unnoticed..

also, it allows you to ensure that the barrel is clear and not full of oil..too much oil here can cause damage... i dont know how prevalent it is with pistol cartridges..but its safer to just ensure that the barrel is clear of any debris and excess oil..

as for not cleaning it right away... depending on the finish, you can wipe it down with just a rag and let it wait.. nothing is going to get damaged... people who say to do it immediatley are too anal...its not a bad habit..but to say you need to is crazy.. ive gone weeks without cleaning my sigs and glocks...and they still shoot and shoot and shoot.. those things dont need that much maintenance...

in all honesty, if you're new to the whole regiment of cleaning, I say you underclean rather than over do it.. i typically jsut wipe my down with some CLP and a rag..i then punch the barrel with another patch with CLP..followed by a dry patch to remove the excess oil.. this is my 10 minute maintenance basiclly.. it keeps the gun nice and lubed and free of loose grit..

[Diabolus]

Great, I am going to shoot today!

Everything went fine. In the future I only plan to shoot one gun per day, I have been cleaning for four hours.

[Turbinator]

It has been said that more guns have been ruined by cleaning, not by shooting. Make sure you aren't overdoing it.

Case in point, I had been scrubbing a Beretta 92FS barrel for hours only to later realize that the grey discoloration I kept getting out of the barrel was actually the chrome lining. Yikes! I thought it was fouling.

Turby

[CowtownBallin]

I don't really clean my Glock. The Smith & Wesson wheelgun gets much love. Even have one of those little silicone impregnated cloths to wipe off the skin oils and fingerprints. :D