Poll: Gun cleaning

[Bwana Six-Gun]

I voted 50-1000, but that is only for my competition guns. That is about the time that down range performance begins to suffer. for those that I shoot on rare occasions, itis everytime I shoot them.

[Sestock]

On my Dawson, I clean the top end once or twice a year. The frame has not been stripped since March 2003. Maybe, 70K rounds.

[kevin c]

My first gun was a stainless Beretta 92FS, made in Italy, with the internal surfaces as clean of machine marks as the exterior. I kept that sucker so clean that my smith called it the Immaculate Beretta (it would go IN for a detail strip and clean as dirt free as the day I bought it).

Then I shot Limited with custom built hicap 1911 platforms so tight they needed cleaning every one or two matches.

Now I shoot Glocks. I clean them a couple matches before any majors, more for the sake of parts inspection and replacement than for esthetics or function.

It helps to shoot jacketed with a clean powder...

Edited August 26, 2008 by kevin c

[Micah]

I usually clean my Glock once a month...more for inspection purposes than anything else.

[Harmon]

10000 rounds of major clays loads in my 45 glock and it still shoots and no jams.

does cleaning the gunk off the outside count as cleaning?>

Harmon

[benos]

With my SVI Limited 40's, and Slide-Glide, 3000+. But if there was a button for 5000+, I would have selected that.

The cleaning thing reminded me of a funny story Frank Glenn told me long ago. (Frank used to build my revolvers for the Bianchi Cup, in the early 80's.) He was telling about this customer, who every once in a while, would give Frank his revolver and ask him to take a look at it - it just didn't "feel right." Frank said the revolver was always filthy. But he'd tear it down, inspect everything, then lube it up and put it back together. Funny thing was he never found anything wrong with it. But when he gave it back to the guy, he was really happy - said he'd fixed it. Well Frank, being the savvy old codger that he is, finally figured out that the guy was just getting Frank to clean his gun for him.

be

[dcarter]

I voted for 251-500. I just can't help myself! I can't stand to leave it dirty. I shoot an M&P and have never had any problems. Which reminds me I need to order some more Slide-Glide.

[steel1212]

Guys that clean their guns after everytime they shoot them....do you function check them after that, then clean from the function check, then function check, then....well you get my point?

I use slide glide and MG bullets with TG for my limited guns and don't really have a lot of gunk. I might clean them after about 750 or so rounds. If I'm going to a major match I'll detail clean the entire gun then run a hundred or so through it and wipe it off. My .45 that shoots lead gets cleaned more just because of the lead build up getting everywhere.

[kgunz11]

Guys that clean their guns after everytime they shoot them....do you function check them after that, then clean from the function check, then function check, then....well you get my point?

I use slide glide and MG bullets with TG for my limited guns and don't really have a lot of gunk. I might clean them after about 750 or so rounds. If I'm going to a major match I'll detail clean the entire gun then run a hundred or so through it and wipe it off. My .45 that shoots lead gets cleaned more just because of the lead build up getting everywhere.

Are we being specific to personal protection guns or competition guns? They have different rolls and are treated differently. My PP guns stay clean with minimal lube. The first time I bring it out and it doesn't go bang at the range it goes in the trash can. I shoot my PP guns enough to stay sharp on them. One is a Glock 22 and the other is a Colt Combat Commander also in .40. The match guns don't get cleaned nearly as often as they use to, and since I have been using N320 they will probably get cleaned even less. They will still get some attention around the 1000 round mark.

[kevin c]

My first gun was a stainless Beretta 92FS, made in Italy, with the internal surfaces as clean of machine marks as the exterior. I kept that sucker so clean that my smith called it the Immaculate Beretta (it would go IN for a detail strip and clean as dirt free as the day I bought it).

Then I shot Limited with custom built hicap 1911 platforms so tight they needed cleaning every one or two matches.

Now I shoot Glocks. I clean them a couple matches before any majors, more for the sake of parts inspection and replacement than for esthetics or function.

It helps to shoot jacketed with a clean powder...

I should have added that, when I shoot moly, I'll clean the barrel, since I find the coating does come off and does cause: 1) some pressure changes as shown by creeping velocities, and 2) some chambering issues if I use an aftermarket barrel with the particular brand of moly bullet I occasionally shoot. I do no or little barrel/bore work if shooting jacketed.

[wgnoyes]

Clean? You gotta clean these things?!? Or as Mary Ann Dobbs would say, a dirty gun is a happy gun!

[cas]

My Sharps, Hepburn, Rolling block and muzzle loaders get cleaned every time, right quick.

The others not so much.

I wipe em down every time.... otherwise I couldn't tell ya.

In my defense, there are a lot of them.

^IMHO...^ more firearms are damaged (functionally, not cosmetics) by over cleaning or improper cleaning, than by any lack of cleaning.

Edited August 30, 2008 by cas

[earplug]

After each range session my revolvers get a dab of Breakfree on the cylinder yoke area and a quick swab down each charge hole and barrel. When I'm in the mood I use a GI tooth brush on the recoil shield and cylinder face.

Then I wipe the goo off with a paper towel prior to shooting the next time.

You never know when you skip a cleaning, when you will get back to the firearm before corrosion sets in.

[safenate]

Well, i finally broke down & cleaned my G34 before a local shoot this weekend. It had at least 4,000 since i bought it a few months ago and this was it's first cleaning. Just a quicky with a tshirt & a GI brush on the barrel, upper, and immediate guts; didn't pull/push out any pins or take the firing pin out, etc. Maybe after another 10-20K i'll really break it down.

[sargenv]

S&W 610 - The Cylinder gets so dirty you;d think I had a Ti Cylinder.

I do clean it.. usually before the IRC and the one time I went to the Nationals with it. Otherwise, it stays the same.

S&W 627 - Same as the 610 and no it does not have a Ti Cylinder.

If it's a little dry I'll oil the contact points, otherwise I shoot it as it is.

[STI2011]

I Generally clean mine just before our monthly match or just before any other big match or if I have over 1000 rounds through it since last cleaning.

[VegasOPM]

I clean my Glock every 1000 rounds or so. Not because it needs it, I just like to work on my guns.

[jasond]

Gotta clean up the cylinder on the revo every match! I voted less than 250. Other target guns, 2-3K, ccw's a couple hundred. They all get some break free once every trip or two, helps the gunk stay soft for when I do clean it.

[Canuc Shooter]

I generally field strip the revolver or pistol after each trip to the range, wipe it down and apply a drop of CLP before putting in the vault. I try to shoot each of my firearms at least once a month or two.

[Tzygä]

Somewhere after 2000 rounds but before 4000 and always one practice before match.

[Raptor357r]

With four in the family shooting 2 shoots almost every weekend we're cleaning all the time. We shoot cowboy 2 to 4 times a month at 16+ guns per shoot, USPSA 2 times with 4 guns, and Steel Challange once with 2 different guns and 2 shooting their USPSA guns and that's not including the practice time. The "never put a gun away dirty" motto just doesn't fly at my house. All guns get the wipedown before going back into the safe and most get a top cleaning and boresnake about once a month. I try to clean all of them thouroughly about every 6 months, Whether they need it or not! Between that and loading, who needs a job!

[ATMester]

1911 STI Trojan .45 - slide glide

Once in a month / about 2500 rnds if I am really bored.

[RH45]

If I'm hunting, or, shooting a match in the rain, I'll clean/lube asap.

Otherwise, with my pistols, after a couple of matches, I'll clean them and then take them to a local range and shoot a few rounds through them to make sure everything is as it should be.

My 3-gun, AR's & shotguns usually get cleaned and lubed and taken to a local range before all matches.

My hunting guns get cleaned and lubed and then taken to the range before hunting with them.

If I'm doing high volume shooting, I'll usually clean and lube every day because I remember the time we were out shooting prairie dogs, and I was only at about the 1500 round mark, the first day with one of my ARs and I felt the bolt slowing down. I pulled the dipstick out of the truck and dripped some oil on it and it felt normal again.

[basman]

Only clean prior to a match or before storage. Never clean between regular range sessons. but may add a few drops of oil.

[Tyshoots]

I clean my guns every 500-1000 rounds just to knock some of the dirt off.