Cleaning and lubing on the range

[jaysantosauxiliarypolice]

I've never shot more than 100 - 120 rounds at one time on the range since ammo is expensive. However I may go to a range soon and shoot more than 100 rounds for sure.

How many rounds should an AR or a 10 22 be cleaned? Also the barrel. Is the lubing of the barrel mainly to prevent rust, or like a car's engine, oil prevents wear and tear.

Nowhere near a gun expert so be patient to this grasshopper.

[Calico1404]

You will get 17 different responses. So here is mine.

I never would clean a firearm AT the range, that being said, whether I shoot 50 rounds or 500 rounds I will bring the firearms home and clean them.

If it is a brand new barrel and it is going through a break through period then my guessearch goes to 100 rounds then bore snake. But others will have better info. (I would run a snake at the range)
As far as lubing the barrel I have no info here. I am however a firm believer in always keeping your equipment clean and functional.

[81turbota]

You're fine without additional lube sessions with that round count.

I always keep oil and grease in my range bag in case something acts up. I ran ~350 rounds of dirty 7.62x54R through my Maxim 1910 on Sunday, it didn't need any additional cleaning, oiling or greasing. Then again 350 rounds is nothing for what used to be a HMG.

Plenty of weekends in the desert running through a case or more of 7.62x39, the guns get filthy but run great.

I shoot a lot of corrosive ammo so I tear the guns down and do a quick cleaning before I leave the range (boresnake and ballistol), thorough cleaning when I get home otherwise I'll have rusty guns. This is crucial on autoloaders like my SVT40's, K43 etc.

[BigFatGuy]

My 10/22s don't particularly seem to need cleaning. I run a boresnake through every few hundred rounds, at home.

I always keep lube in my range bag just in case a gun starts acting up (if it does, it gets taken apart and cleaned before my next trip).

I hate cleaning guns, I don't trust guns that require cleaning every time they are used, and I don't understand people who do it. :-)

[boopiejones]

You should be able to get well over 1,000 rounds out of pretty much any modern gun before you even need to think about cleaning it. That being said, j always bring oil with me to the range, just in case.

[Divernhunter]

You are not even close to needing to clean either firearm.
Maybe after 4-5 trips you might what to think about cleaning
Oiling the barrel is for rust and it really does not effect wear. For most people the barrel will still be fine after they are gone to the shooting range in the sky. The best way to ruin/shoot out a barrel is rapid fire. If you cannot hold the barrel in your hand it is time to stop shooting and let it cool. That is why you need 1-10 other rifles to shoot the same day. You just cycle thru them shooting ones that have cooled off.

[17+1]

Run the 22 until it starts to jam. Depending on the ammo and gun, can vary quite a bit. My ruger mark 3 pistol goes 750 between cleanings with CCI ammo which is known to run clean. My CMMG 22 dedicated upper will get through about 1.5 boxes of Federal AutoMatch (325 rounds each) before it starts to jam and give me issues.

For centerfire rifles, they will require less cleaning than the 22. If it’s just a range gun, oil the BCG before you go out. The PSA upper I bought has 400~ rounds between 2 range trips and all I do it oil the BCG before I go. Plan to go to 1000 or so and then field strip and clean. I am using only my own reloads so YMMV.

[omega]

no cleaning is necessary at the range, it can wait until you get home for regular cleaning

100 rds is nothing to worry about

I only use a light coat of oil in the bore for storage

[JackEllis]

I've heard different things from different people. For rimfire, I clean every few hundred rounds unless it starts acting up. My new Marlin 60 stopped ejecting cases ATM one point. I just cleaned around the bore and the action end of the barrel with a Q-tip and some solvent. It was fine next trip. For center fire, I clean more frequently. For better or worse, I couldn't shoot decent groups out of my 30-06 and blamed the rifle. Turns out it was just very dirty.

I did put 200 or so rounds through my .223 with no apparent problems during a squirrel shooting session.

I do not clean or lube at the range. No reason to fiddle around while people are waiting for the table bench I'm using.

[hambam105]

So far the OP has been lucky.

California Law clearly states that One whom shall go-eth to range-eth must clean-eth said rifle after-est the one hundred and twenty first rifle shot is fired.

[keith1911]

I don't clean my .22s (rifles or pistols) until they start to jam. They are all range or plinking guns so it doesn't matter and depending on what tool you use it is easier to damage the crown and shallow rifling of rimfires. Most .22LR is also outside lubricated so the protective coating of grease is helpful to leave in, at least that's what I've been told.

As far as the AR you can clean it every time you go out but you could easily shoot 3-5x that number of rounds before cleaning.

As many people stated have some oil with you.

Wait until you get home to clean anything. It's not going to hurt anything for them to sit for a few hours.

[CouchOperator]

I do a basic wipedown every 3,000 or so rounds.
Normal pre-flight inspection before the range and i usually just squirt some mpro7 in through the chamber with the bolt held halfway back, release, and cycle the bolt a bunch and call it good

[Wordupmybrotha]

I've shot hundreds of rounds through my AR and 10/22 without cleaning. I wouldn't clean it at the range and waste valuable shooting time. I wouldn't reapply the lube during the shooting session either. Lube goes a long way.

[Maht_g]

[watevers1]

clean it after 2-3 range sessions.