Cleaning Schedule

[Chills1994]

Back in about 2006 or 2007, well...I should have bought stock in the Q-tip company.

I would wear a hatcam at matches...and then switch over to the iKam glasses.

When I would get home, I would plug the hatcam into the TV and played each stage back while cleaning my handgun.

There is a point though where I got bored with that, and just decided to add more oil to the rails, to the barrel where it slides through the bushing, and then to the barrel's locking lugs.

I first was shooting a Colt 1911, which seemed to be good for a jam at least once per match. Then I bought an STI Trojan in stainless, and that gun just runs and runs.

[RPatton]

I clean my STI when it starts to act up or it looks really bad. I run VV powder and Bayou Bullets. Same with my Glocks only more so. I've run them to 1500 rounds with regular cast bullets and it was grungy but getting a little sluggish. World of difference between regular cast bullets and the polymer coated ones.

RPatton, first I've heard of Gibbs oil. Is it anything like G96 lube? Always interested in something better or just to try something new. Anyone else use it ?

I was convinced about Gibbs Oil when my son rebuilt / customized an old Honda 550. He wanted a different look so he didn't want to paint the tank. By the time he would get the second side buffed off the first side would be rusty. He rubbed it down with Gibbs and it's been over 2 years and the tank doesn't rust. That sold me but I still wipe down my guns.....just in case. He ordered it on line. I had never heard of it until then.

[Txpastorbob]

Thanks folks

 

[lorenzobishop040]

Shoot and clean every time

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[DrewPetree]

i clean mine after every match

[lorenzobishop040]

I clean my every time I shoot

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[BeerBaron]

I don't really clean my guns. I just sit down at the table with the gun and transfer the dirt from the guns to my hands, face and clothes. Then I clean myself. Job done. 

[bokbok_05]

I clean my pistol every after match.  Detail clean after 3 consecutive matches.

[DASR4]

i clean mine after every match

[tmz]

4 hours ago, BeerBaron said:

I don't really clean my guns. I just sit down at the table with the gun and transfer the dirt from the guns to my hands, face and clothes. Then I clean myself. Job done. 

Lol  I kind of feel like I do the same thing. 

 I do once overs with Q-tips  in between  practice and before a match a good thorough cleaning.  

[CrashDodson]

I see no point in cleaning the barrel as the barrel gets "cleaned" every time a round goes down it.  Unless your shooting raw lead bullets.

My 2011's get field stripped and cleaned before every match.  I prefer grease rather than oil so I remove it all and re-grease.  I will do a complete tear down once a year unless I run into some sort of problem.  If I am shooting a multi day match I field strip, clean and re-grease after the days match.    

[Argie]

I follow Shueman advice, only bullets down the barrel, either shooting plated or fmj.

No experience with coated.

[alucardus]

I shoot almost every weekend with one weekend a month being 2 matches back to back. I try to clean it after and or before every match, so that I start each match with a clean gun. On the back to back matches it almost never gets cleaned as I'm to lazy to clean it that night after a whole day at the range. As a bare minimum I always oil up the slide if I haven't had a chance to clean it.

I'm sure a well made gun can run hundreds of rounds without cleaning no problem, but why not give yourself the best chance of your gun operating at 100%?

[TCB]

I've got a couple of ARs with thousands of rounds on them that have never been cleaned, a couple of pistols as well, no issues with any of them. I used to shoot then immediately clean, then I stopped and have had no issues. I'll wipe some guns down occasionally but when the crud builds up enough on them it just starts falling off so it seems pointless. Just keep em lubed and shoot until you start having problems. 

[Foxj66]

Clean the upper once in a while during the season and before a major. I haven't take the lower apart on my current gun so it hasn't been cleaned yet. I add oil as needed. I would guess the upper gets cleaned between 1-2K rounds. Nothing but bullets go down the bore

[teros135]

10 hours ago, TCB said:

I've got a couple of ARs with thousands of rounds on them that have never been cleaned, a couple of pistols as well, no issues with any of them. I used to shoot then immediately clean, then I stopped and have had no issues. I'll wipe some guns down occasionally but when the crud builds up enough on them it just starts falling off so it seems pointless. Just keep em lubed and shoot until you start having problems. 

Yes, that's entirely believable 

[seadog_99]

I clean the top end and frame rails every 2-4K and disassemble the bottom end once a year (spreading my competition/practice over 3 pistols that works out to about 10k), that s running coated lead bullets.

I used to be a "shoot it, clean it" type but found that many times I wouldn't shoot because I didn't have/want to take the time to clean. I maintain that you can absolutely do more harm than good with improper or too frequent cleaning. Schuemann recommends inspection but NOT cleaning their bores when using quality ammo for this reason.


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[teros135]

12 minutes ago, seadog_99 said:

I clean the top end and frame rails every 2-4K and disassemble the bottom end once a year (spreading my competition/practice over 3 pistols that works out to about 10k), that s running coated lead bullets.

I used to be a "shoot it, clean it" type but found that many times I wouldn't shoot because I didn't have/want to take the time to clean. I maintain that you can absolutely do more harm than good with improper or too frequent cleaning. Schuemann recommends inspection but NOT cleaning their bores when using quality ammo for this reason.


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That's the bore ... but how about the rest of the gun - all the moving/rubbing/sliding parts?  Those need lube, and not just a bunch of dirty oil imbedded with powder residue and other random dirt.  (Would you do that to your vehicle's engine?)

Edited October 7, 2016 by teros135

[seadog_99]

That's the bore ... but how about the rest of the gun - all the moving/rubbing/sliding parts?  Those need lube, and not just a bunch of dirty oil imbedded with powder residue and other random dirt.  (Would you do that to your vehicle's engine?)

No, but this is a LOT different than a combustion engine that cycles more on a single drive to the store than a pistol will in 2 lifetimes. I lube regularly and MOST of the by products created by firing the ammo I'm running are lubricative not abrasive. If I shoot in a sand storm or other dusty environment then I'll clean early, the rest of the time I won't. I have no issues with abnormal breakage or premature wear, in fact I'd bet my pistols run longer than average.


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[seadog_99]

I've worked/spoken with several custom builders of 2011's and not a single one of them recommend disassembly for cleaning after every range session...but what do they know?


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[teros135]

What do the major gun builders recommend?

[seadog_99]

Cleaning as necessary which will be more frequent depending on the ammo and when getting to know your pistol. I use grease when I clean and high quality oil in between at every range session.

I don't pretend to have spoken to all of the builders and in fact there is one builder/assembler that DOES recommend tearing down the top end after every range session on their website. Brian Enos himself makes reference on his website to the fact that he ran his pistols for thousands of rounds without cleaning in the desert and didn't notice any excess wear or issues so he stopped worrying about it.

This is what works/has worked for me for several years and many rounds in competition/practice. Also, I'm ONLY speaking about 1911/2011's used for competition.


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[TCB]

On 10/7/2016 at 8:06 AM, teros135 said:

Yes, that's entirely believable 

Well, I guess you don't...nonetheless. At least 2000 rounds on my 1911 (Approx 13k down the tube total) since it was last wiped down and over 3200 on a VP9 (I've never cleaned it) without cleaning...no problems thus far. Just a data point for you, feel free to clean your guns as much as you like. 

[teros135]

11 hours ago, TCB said:

Well, I guess you don't...nonetheless. At least 2000 rounds on my 1911 (Approx 13k down the tube total) since it was last wiped down and over 3200 on a VP9 (I've never cleaned it) without cleaning...no problems thus far. Just a data point for you, feel free to clean your guns as much as you like. 

Thanks, that's very helpful. 

[Norther]

My guns generally keep working as long as I lube them liberally. I clean them when I can't stand how dirty they look, not because they fail. The lube seems to float off the crud.