Clean or Dirty Glock

[Poconolg]

I shoot a Glock 23 every week using 100 rds.  I always clean it after each week .  This week I did not clean it and shot another 100rds, I shot much better with the dirty gun.  Maybe I won't clean it so often.  Does this make sense that a dirty barrel shot better than a clean one?

[Rustygun]

I also have a  Glock 23 and went through the same decision making process.  Will spare you the long story and just say I was going to challenge the notion that a Glock could be abused and still work.  I Shot every kind of cheap ammo and my reloads without even wiping it off, no cleaning at all, and it still shot accurately and flawlessly.  After about three months and 1200 rounds I felt so guilty I had to strip it down and clean everything.  Don’t think the clean/ dirty condition made as much difference but just spending extra trigger time trying to get it to fail improved my results and confidence in that Gun.

[malobukov]

In theory yes. Dirt fills up clearances so there's less inconsistencies in position of locked barrel relative to sights. Muzzle velocity from clean and fouled barrel can differ.

 

In practice I don't think you'll see any difference. But it's easy to check. Just start recording your group sizes when you shoot for accuracy and compare. You'll need to average several groups to get reliable results. The smaller the difference, the more groups you will need.

[Beef15]

Not uncommon at all in precision rifle shooting to see a modest improvement in accuracy after some number of fouling shots.

Not sure most pistols and their shooters are accurate enough to discern a difference.

Cleaning every 100 is IMO excessive, I clean my Glocks every couple thousand rounds or so without issue. I shoot cast and coated, if I change something I'm not sure about I will monitor for leading.

[72stick]

Long before you'll see any degradation in accuracy you'll start seeing malfunctions like failures to feed and stove pipes. The extractor will build up carbon under it and in the extractor cutout in the slide. When enough carbon builds up, it won't be able to move freely and cleaning strip the next round off the top of the mag. If the rim of the next round coming out of the mag can't smoothly slip under the extractor hook it binds up. An extractor that can't move freely can also lose control of the empty case as it extracts from the chamber causing the stove pipe.  

[Postal Bob]

You're supposed to clean a Glock? Who would've guessed. 

[CaliYeti]

Glocks can take lots of neglect.  Don't abuse it though, just clean it once every 10 years or so.

[Mason]

I like to take apart my 35 Glock and wipe it down every few weeks, but I live in a dusty place and it gets everywhere and that window cut isn’t doing my any favors. I honestly couldn’t tell you last time I cleaned the barrel, maybe 1000rds ago? 

[Glock021]

 

Once or twice a year, usually after a Run 'n Gun, is about all the deep cleaning my Glocks get.

 

[HesedTech]

Maybe, and I don’t mean to be snarky, it’s the idea you practice every week and now that practice is paying off in greater accuracy. 

 

Truthfully, unless the carbon and lead residue is tightening up a loose barrel fit, the dirt should make very little difference in the accuracy of a hand gun. Now I’m told rifle barrels “need” to be “broken in” to establish a consistent group with a particular ammo load. But, I have zero empirical data to prove any of it.

 

Shoot and enjoy, clean as necessary. 

[noylj]

I shot several seasons of IPSC and Bullseye competition and cleaned my guns once a year.

When you start with a clean gun, accuracy if off until the barrel is "seasoned." This may take 3 shots or 25 shots.

Wipe off the feed ramp, breech face and extractor with a dry rag or dry brush and that is that.

[Jess409]

Some days you shoot better than others. Try shooting 200-300 rounds in a range session and see if it gets better after the first 100. 

[Boudreaux78]

It’s a Glock, clean it when you feel like it and shoot away. The best thing that you can do is put in a Barstow barrel and it will shoot lights out with anything. My Glock and Springfield XDM both have them and shoot amazing groups with just about anything you feed through them. Worth the money if you plan on shooting it for a long time.

[bodybag0]

For me, I never clean my G34 barrel before a match.  I always felt that a slightly dirty barrel gave me better accuracy.   I will clean the trigger group before a match.

 

Edited October 12, 2018 by bodybag0

[mwc]

Clean is always better and while your at it check it over for any worn or broken parts.   Just because you can get away with not cleaning most of the time doesn't mean you shouldn't.