How often do you clean your firearm(s)?

[shda5582]

Intended as a discussion thread.

So, how often do you clean your firearm(s)? I know that for some (AR and AK platforms) you might not need to do so very often, and in fact it's desirable for accuracy but at some point you just have to, or else risk it failing to work.

For me, I had it drilled into me by my dad that each time after shooting, you need to break it down, clean and oil all the parts that need to be done before you store it. Now, for rifles that you're shooting corrosive ammo, this is a requirement if you don't want your barrel to rust out on you so you pretty much have to, but on a regular gun, not so much.

So how about you? How often do YOU clean and how good a job do you put towards it?

[thegamettt]

I'm lazy but I'll clean everything thoroughly after 2-3 trips.(750-1000rds). Kinda wish I still had my springer XD, I practically never cleaned that thing and it worked great.

[SactoDoug]

Every time I shoot them but I do not do a full breakdown each time. I do quick cleanings after every shooting session which is talking the major components apart, wiping everything down, running a brush and a couple patches down the bore, then re-lube everything. Every third shooting session I do a full breakdown and more involved cleaning.

[TheExiled]

.45 vs 9mm?

Depends on how much I shoot in a given session or how dusty the environment is. Carry guns get cleaned every time out and sometimes in between

[SanPedroShooter]

Do people do more damage to a gun cleaning it as opposed to shooting it?

I clean them after I shoot them, so I can put them away clean and oiled. I don't bother so much with the AK's though. Just a wipe down.

I have a near mint 1888 trapdoor that has gouges in the barrel right about where someone would start a steel cleaning rod...

[WASR10]

I clean after every session because I rotate what I take to the range. Any given firearm can sit for a while before I get back round to shooting it again.

I also clean my carry guns after every visit because I want to ensure they are in proper working order.

[CK_32]

I honestly haven't cleaned any of my guns in the past 2 years... Accept my AK only because I shot corrosive ammo.


I'll get to it one day

[bruss01]

If you've been out in the timber in the rain or snow hunting, cleaning after each such use is good advice because it will get the moisture out of the gun and coat the rust-prone parts with new oil. Same if you've been duck hunting with the water splashing around (dogs shaking themselves off, etc).

This is where the idea that WD-40 is a good gun cleaner got started. No, it's not a good cleaner, nor is it a good lubricant. It is, however, a very good substance for driving out water that may be lurking in the small spaces between gun parts which if left there when the gun is stored, will result in the discovery of a rusted or even ruined gun when you finally next take it out of the safe. There's nothing wrong with a quick spray-down with WD-40 as you load up into the truck to go home after a long, wet hunting trip. that's assuming you'll be doing a proper cleaning when you get home. Otherwise, the WD-40 can tend to gum up as the volatiles evaporate off.

As you mentioned, corrosive salts from old style corrosive primers need to be washed with water because "gun solvent" doesn't dissolve the microscopic salt crystals, which attract water vapor from the atmosphere, and will cause rust even on seemingly "dry" guns. You'd then drive out the water with WD-40 or bake in an oven on low heat (230-250 degrees). And finally clean with actual gun solvent and lightly lube.

Guns that don't use corrosive ammo can go a while between cleanings. Most people only shoot a couple-hundred rounds per range trip. Depending on how "dirty" the ammo is, you can typically go two or three range trips between cleanings and not have any issues with reliability or accuracy. If you use a good cleaner/lube/treatment such as Froglube or Fireclean it can make successive cleaning sessions quicker and easier, some people claim.

I have heard that the new thinking on .22 lr is that more guns are harmed by excessive cleaning than are harmed by being allowed to run dirty. The new thinking there is, shoot it until accuracy degrades or reliability suffers, and then clean, to maximize the usable life of the gun. Hey, that's what I read, some guy on the internet said so, it must be true, right?

[the86d]

I haven't cleaned my 10/22 in like 3 range trips, and that is probably why she was jamming so much (and I had one bad mag out of 4 too).

I haven't cleaned my AR in like 2 trips, a few months ago, as I didn't shoot it much, and been to lazy to spend 2 hours cleaning it.

I haven't cleaned my 9mm since last Sat, as I only put about 5-6mags through it. I usually clean it straight away if I put more than 400 though it since last cleaning.

I haven't cleaned my shotgun as the last session we only put about a box a 12 through it.

I cleaned the MKIII to get all the shaving out, as she was taken out the first time on Sat, so since I dropped like 700 22lr through it, she really needed some initial-TLC, to get the grit out.

[Yoteman]

Do people do more damage to a gun cleaning it as opposed to shooting it?

I clean them after I shoot them, so I can put them away clean and oiled. I don't bother so much with the AK's though. Just a wipe down.

I have a near mint 1888 trapdoor that has gouges in the barrel right about where someone would start a steel cleaning rod...

Like most everything else there's a right way and a not so right way.
I clean after each outing however not a complete breakdown unless warranted.
On my target varmint guns like 22-250 I always use a bore guide and with all guns it's breech to muzzle. De copper every 50rds with an appropriate product like

[acpbrain]

I might let them go a couple of range trips, but will lube them at the range too

[Merc1138]

Quick wipe down with a rag and a re-lube. No need to clean every couple hundred rounds(or less) like some people think they need to do. Have I shot my guns till they're so filthy they jam? Yup, but then again that was me wanting to see how far I could push them.

[davidb]

my cleaning schedule doesnt make sense but its how i do it lol

the more often i shoot, the less often i clean. if i dont shoot for a long period they end up getting cleaned really well, i'll pull them out to dry fire and fondle, fondeling turns into taking them apart, which turns into a full cleaning. if im shooting often i'll just put them away dirty knowing they will be shot again soon anyways.

[NOTABIKER]

Always as soon as i get home, in fact if i shot corrosive i do a basic clean at the range. later in the week i do another better clean. then when i am bored i clean the bores some more.
If you saw my motorcycle you would understand. better than NEW.

[Antagon3]

I clean them either:

a) when I've noticed accuracy/reliability starts to suffer

b) when I'm bored

Safe to say, they rarely get cleaned