GUN CLEANING intervals

Discussion in 'Firearms' started by Tango3, Nov 11, 2008.


  1. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    I don't know if i'm just anal retentive, misinformed or what but I some how got the idea a gun shouldn't be "dirty" and iIhav always cleaned mine right after shooting; any range time no matter how few rounds are fired brings out the patches and hoppes.. (I think I got into this habit shooting cheap dirty rimfire as a kid.)( andin the military). reading the saiga thread and a few others I see some folks clean way less than that.. Shooting corrosive surplus in the Enfield, I know it needs to be cleaned asap , What about you guys how often do you clean yours ? ?
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Trap gun is swabbed out after every range session. Complete tear down, clean and lube once a year. 870 gets once a year, fired in that year or not. Center fire rifles (non corrosive) minimum of once a year somewhat depending on use, let's say every 500 rounds more or less. Rifles with corrosive ammo, every outing without fail. 22 plinker rifle, clean and lube once a year or whenever the spirit moves me, or not. 22 target rifle, every time out. Hand guns as needed based on post range time inspection results.

    It wasn't always that way. 30 years ago, powders and primers were not as they are now, and I cleaned after every range excursion. These days, either I'm getting lazy or they don't seem to need as much attention.
     
  3. RouteClearance

    RouteClearance Monkey+++

    With both of my Prom Queen AR10's, they get a complete cleaning after each range session, or twice a day(or more) if in the field. If in the safe, I give them a go over every two weeks or so.
     
  4. tommy20/69

    tommy20/69 Monkey++

    whether i shoot them or not i do a complete take down and cleaning every two months.. i can't see leaving a gun for a whole year without oiling it that thing would be a rust bucket.
     
  5. WestPointMAG

    WestPointMAG Monkey++

    Corrosive ammo ASSAP. Other then that when it stops working clean it and only clean what it takes to get it working again.

    I run all of my AK clones with out oil, oil does nothing but collect dirt. The only thing I use is a little dry lube on the rails. My SKSs get about two drops of oil about twice a year I have yet had one not work when I need it to.

    If it is not broke don’t mess with it, unless it is an AR. I have as of yet seen an AR go over 250 round without screwing up.

    My FFL was telling one day he sold a customer a rifle and the customer came back bitching that it would not shoot a tight group. My FFL ask him if he was keeping the bore clean. The customer said yes he was cleaning it every few round. My FFL told him if it not working then stop doing it and to go back to the range and keep shooting without cleaning it and see what happens. He said the guy cam back a few days latter and said I don’t believe it the dirtier it got the tighter the groups got, after I cleaned it I was back where I started.

    It astonishes me how many shooters do not know if there rifle will work when it is dirty because they never let it get dirty. How rounds will your Homeland Defense Rifle fire before it stops working, would you rather find this out now or in the middle of a firefight with a bunch of BHFs.
     
  6. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I clean my pistols after every match. My Rifles get a wipe-down after a range session and usually a good cleaning unless the honey-dos have stacked up. I do have a few rifles that do not get cleaned other than an occasional oily rag to wipe away the powder residue; one FN Fal has over 10,000 rounds without a cleaning and it still bangs away. Battle rifles don't get cleaned as often as show-off stuff except for the ARs, since they eat and crap out the same orifice. This is not a chore but rather, a labor of love. I equate it to grooming your horse; you get to know it better and the horse loves it.
     
  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    My ARs are the ones that go 500 or so. On Wolf. If they screw up before that, something else is wrong. [troll]

    [boozingbuddies]
     
  8. tommy20/69

    tommy20/69 Monkey++

    yea have passed 500 rounds easiely through my m4 . something must me wrong with his if it starts messin up after 250 rounds.my aks never messed up.


     
  9. kckndrgn

    kckndrgn Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    If a gun is fired in training, it is cleaned, no sense in putting away a dirty gun. This gives me a chance to inspect and make sure no parts are broken or worn out (yes, I've had glocks work perfectly with broken pins)

    Usually twice a year I wipe down and re-oil guns that have not been fired recently.
     
  10. RouteClearance

    RouteClearance Monkey+++

    The biggest problem with AR reliability is faliure to follow proper lubrication procedures.

    When I was in theater, I would give the bolt carrier a light coat of oil, then put one drop of oil in each hole of the bolt carrier chamber, then one drop of oil in the carrier key it self. I never had problems period. I had even had my m4 on the ground in with Blackhawks overhead creating a lot of dust. When we RP'd from that particular mission. I asked my Plt. Ldr. if we could stop at the test fire pit and test my M4 with it being dusty as it was . He said no problem. My weapon went throught two mags with no problem.

    AR's can be either under or over lubed, which causes 95% of all problems. The rest can go to falty mags.

    During the socalled test that the US Army did last year was a classic example of over lubing AR/M16/M4 weapons. Which in case the testers literally drenched the M4's with CLP before being placed in the dust chamber for the test itself.

    Firearms maintainence is something everyone needs to find for their particular weapons, because what may work for one type of weapon will not work for another type. Always follow the manufactures directions in the owners manual.
     
  11. tommy20/69

    tommy20/69 Monkey++

    living less than 15 miles from the gulf and having a strong south wind all summer with that salt in it things corrode easy around here. i can oil a gun and if i leave it for more than two months it's gonna have rust developeing on it.
     
  12. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    I was taught any powdery residue collects and holds moisture...
     
  13. tommy20/69

    tommy20/69 Monkey++

    gun cleaning is like eating an egg do this and don't do that but then a month later you find out that hey it was really ok to do that but not this. [beat]
     
  14. BAT1

    BAT1 Cowboys know no fear

    I clean after every range session. I do a total clean every 500 rounds. I've been using Mother's FX Polymer car wax as a final clean, it gets a ton more of stuff out and then I put a clean swab in and shine that barrel. I do that once a month on all my guns, whether I use them or not. It really works good on the Jeep too.
     
  15. Sharpie44

    Sharpie44 Monkey++

    My rifles get a complete tear down one a year, unless I use them during hunting season then they get an extra cleaning after that. I clean the bore and wipe them down after every outing. Revolvers are the same way. My .45 XD gets striped down and cleaned every time I shoot it even though I hate the thing. Biggest waste of $400 ever.
     
  16. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    .22 rimfires - clean & LIGHTLY lube every few range sessions, or before storing for a good time. Swab bores ONLY when changing ammo brand & type, or accuracy begins to fall off. Takes a good half-dozen shots to 'reseason' the bore after cleaning.
    Milsurps - If using corrosive ammo - field-strip and clean at range while still warm. Detail clean only when needed. CETME gets fluted chamber and bore cleaned more often - gotta keep my "Spanish Lady" douched properly.
    Hunting/sporting rifles - remove bolts, clean & lube. They don't get shot as often.
    Handguns - field-strip, clean & lube when needed. Depends on how 'dirty' the loads I'm using are, and how much i shoot it.
    BP/Cap&Ball - strip and soak parts, clean & lube after each shooting session. The new Hodgdon Triple Seven powder does not create corrosion like real BP and Pyrodex - so cleaning can be delayed if necessary.
    Shotguns - go to Dad's place and dust off, clean & lube once a year - 'protecting my inheritance'..... He hasn't shot them in thirty-plus years. :lol:
     
  17. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I used to shoot a lot more than I do currently, and when I left the range my Glock's, 1911's, Berettas, and others were cleaned right away. I still wipe down my Les Baer, and run a patch through it typically after shooting. The XD's were not cleaned until they had well in excess of 500 rounds through them. No malfunctions either. Now I clean them every couple of hundred rounds. After a couple of hundred rounds the AR's are cleaned. The AKs would prefer to be dirty. The bolt guns are cleaned once a year, as are the shotguns. My 16 yr. old daughter learned how to break down the XD's last night. After field stripping it about five times, we had a competition where I did one with my eye's closed while she did one with her's open. I won, but not by much. Next up will be proper cleaning, then the same with the 1911's.
     
  18. franks71vw

    franks71vw Monkey+++

    if your gun needs cleaning after everyrange use (unless using corrosive ammo) I think you should get a gun that doesnt require cleaning lol...[gone] I shoot 4500 rds through my glock and about 1000+ rounds through my ak, sks's etc and just but them back no worries after 1 year or so I tear them down and clean and oil... if the shtf and your gun needs to run clean your gonna have a problem.... [cow]:lol:
     
  19. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I like to clean my guns every few days. It is kind of like taking a bath; something that I also enjoy but certainly do more than is needed. I do own one FN FAL that I have never cleaned except to scrape the powder gunk off once in a while. This rifle has been abused beyond belief and it has become a point of pride not to clean it until it stops shooting; it will probably out-last me or at least my supply of ammo. Not cleaning a weapon just because of some convoluted notion that cleaning it will make it less reliable is kind of silly, in my opinion. Take care of your weapon and it will take care of you. CLean it often, needed or not, to familarize yourself with it and learn to spot problems before they bite you. A weapon is a tool and sharp tools cut better.
     
  20. falnovice

    falnovice Monkey++

    I field strip and clean after shooting....and maybe every another month if the guns haven't been out of the safe. Other than that I probably do a detail strip every 5,000 rounds.....or sooner if I am bored that day. :)

    I am confident in my guns running without the cleaning, but the engineer in me won't let it happen. Firearms are machines, and all mechanical devices inherently want to be cleaned and lubricated.
     
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