Is cleaning necessary?

[rustyx]

Dip it in some coconut oil and shoot it.

[dragonfly22588]

It's a 9 mm PX4 Storm F. I will give it a quick check and clean before putting rounds downrange.

[L84CABO]

Absolutely check the barrel for obstructions.

[blasterp7]

Yep pretty much this with a new weapon! With one I know works well, cleaning can be overdone. One of my partners was a consistent Governor's 20 shooter and he NEVER cleaned any of his weapons. I thought that was a little on the excessive side, yet I have ran many weapons with numerous range sessions on them before I have succumbed to cleaning them

[Barang]

Dip it in some coconut oil and shoot it.

in the summer not in the winter.

[rustyx]

in the summer not in the winter.

Pfft. This is California.

[CBR_rider]

It's a 9 mm PX4 Storm F. I will give it a quick check and clean before putting rounds downrange.

I would... field stripping and lightly oiling that handgun should take no more ten minutes if you really want to ooh and ahh over your new firearm.. 5min otherwise.

[Mark77]

I always clean the gun after I buy it (regardless of whether it is new or used). And after every range session.

[tradecraft]

Just shoot the damn thing, it'll probably be fine. The only time I've had an issue with any used firearm was one that was obviously Froglubed.

[IVC]

You have three categories: (1) safety, (2) damage, and (3) reliability.

First, make sure it's safe to operate. That's where you look at the condition of the barrel, tampering with sear and/or trigger, etc. As far as cleaning, that's where you'd want to clean the barrel or at least confirm there is no rust or other buildup.

Next, make sure that firing the gun will not start a long term damage process. In this category, I would at least oil the slide, possibly other moving parts. Running it without oil can be a long-term problem.

As for reliability, that's where detailed cleaning comes to play. It's not all that important at the range as you're safe and you're not damaging the gun. However, carbon buildup can affect feeding and extraction, depending on the gun design.

[IVC]

I always clean the gun after I buy it (regardless of whether it is new or used). And after every range session.

Not a bad policy, but I want to play devil's advocate here.

Say you fire 200 rounds in a range session, then clean it. Someone else shoots 100 rounds, takes a week off, then shoots another 100 rounds. As far as fouling goes, the second hundred rounds in both cases are through the equally "dirty gun." No problem either way, really.

Cleaning is absolutely critical with corrosive primers (comblock surplus rifle ammo) since those salts cannot be left on the metal for prolonged periods of time, but with modern "standard" ammo it's a non-issue.

What is important is metal protection, particularly in wet climates. If we lived in the South, we'd have to slap some oil on each gun even if we didn't clean it. It's just to prevent rust. The same goes for those who live close to the ocean and don't have dehumidifiers in the safe.

For the rest of us it doesn't have to be too strict. It's just the nature of living close to the desert and shooting modern guns built using modern metallurgy and modern ammunition.

[ac398]

I've always determined if it needed it on the field strip, but I generally lean towards clean before shooting. Patch, rub down and some oil at least.
Generally the guns I've bought have been new
including the used ones(unfired)

[Tehjosheh]

Coming from a manufacturing background, i am not confident in all manufacturers fully clearing all metal shavings from their machined parts. Because of this, I clean all my newly purchased firearms prior to use.

You are asking about a PPT. I always like to know exactly what condition I'm at with all of my stuff (guns, cars, etc). So for this reason i would definitely clean the firearm to know where I'm at.

[Jimi Jah]

I strip anything new here down and clean it all out. I remove the original lubes/coatings and replace them with Slip 2000 products.

[Jimmy's]

Shoot it until it starts smoking.