Hi All,

Just curious, is there a good rule of thumb for the frequency to clean a firearm, i.e., after every use, after a certain number of rounds, etc.

I usually clean after every session but i may only shoot up to 100 rounds...is it necessary to clean it at that point or am i over doing it?

thanks

Necessary? No. I like shooting guns; I hate cleaning them.

You would not believe how infrequently I clean my guns.

I clean mine after every range trip. Not really needed except in the case of my 617. With that gun the cylinder gets carboned up enough that it needs to be scrubbed out every 100 rounds downrange or I would need a hammer to drive the rounds into the chambers, not a good idea with a 22LR.

I've also found that it's easier to clean the guns up when they only have had 50 or 100 rounds run through them. BTW, all of my revolvers are stainless, so any grunge at all shows up quite distinctly.

After every trip to the range, it is time to clean the guns. The 442 doesn't take too long as the bore snake takes care of everything there. The Five Seven takes a little longer since I have to clean more parts, and I can't use the bore snake on any part other than the bore. The inside can get pretty dirty after 100 rounds.

On my blued guns, I wipe them off religiously but do not clean them on a frequent basis. On my stainless guns, I clean after 300-500 rounds. I shoot nothing but cast bullets in my handguns and the interior is lubed quite well, thank you(:>)).

I have a climate controlled house and that helps.

You must keep in mind how they are stored. When sleeping in a tent you MUST take precautions. In a climate controlled environment, not so much.

FWIW
Dale53

I run a dry brush through the cylinders after about 10 cycles. I also run it through the barrel. I clean during matches, after each stage although it's not really needed. I just don't want to get a sticky case from going in fast.

After a match or 300 rounds I give it a bath in MPro-7 to get all the lead out. A few patches until they come out clean and I'm done. The carbon buildup takes a bit extra and I may need to soak the cylinder for 15 minutes to get it all off.

My defensive/carry guns are kept maniacally clean. I clean after every range session and once every couple weeks if I don't make it to the range. At the end of the day I wipe them down with a silicone cloth. It's a lot to keep up with but I enjoy it.

Range only guns get cleaned every 500 rounds or so. Or when they're filthy. Or when I can't stand it anymore. Which ever happens first.

I hate cleaning, but do it after every range trip no matter how many rounds I put through the weapon.

I thoroughly clean any of my guns that have been shot, even if it was only a cylinder full or a magazine full. Guns that are left fouled will foul even worse, the second time around, as opposed to those that were clean to start with. I believe it is incumbent upon an owner of firearms to maintain them in good condition at all times, as one can never know which of your firearms might be called on to save your life. I will not die for want of a clean, dependable, and fully functional firearm. Also, I wish to leavewell maintained firearms for my heirs.

I clean them after I use them.

After each use or within a few days after, its just the way I have always done it.

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Take it easy. Chris

"Never let the sun set on a dirty gun."

I clean mine once a week whether I shoot them or not, but that is because I find it relaxing, and then I know my gun is in tip top shape

You are more likely to damage a gun when cleaning it than when firing it (especially the crown of the barrel). I only clean a gun when it "needs" it. This varies a lot depending on the model and the ammunition.

Corrosive ammunition is another issue entirely. Of course, you aren't likely to see this with revolver cartridges.

I always clean after each use and believe in this practice.

same here...if it's shot,it's cleaned...if hands contact the gun,wiped with a silicon cloth...unless it's one that has renaissance wax on it..then just a wipe with a soft cloth

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I clean mine within a few days of each range trip; I own 3 revolvers and one 1911 so it doesn't take too long. I honestly can't think of many better ways to spend a summer afternoon in the garage than cleaning my guns, to be perfectly honest.

I do a light cleaning after each shooting session and more detailed ones as needed. I can shoot off my patio or on my own 50 yard range, so I tend to shoot often but not a lot of shells at a time. I am not going to completely strip an auto after firing one magazine off my patio, but will run a couple of patches through the bore and wipe the outside with CLP. As round count increases, the likelihood of a stripping increases.

If I just fire one cylinder through a revolver, I will run patches through the bore and chambers, and then wipe off the outside. More rounds, more detail. I clean the bore of my rimfires less frequently. The bore on my Smith 41 rarely gets cleaned, but the outside gets wiped each session. It looks and shoots like new, and it was made in the 70's.

If it's been fired, it get's cleaned the same day!

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Stay safe people!

Clean when needed. The barrel does not need it until accuracy suffers.

If it's a revolver probably after every 5 or so range trips. I've seen cops in NYC not clean a revolver for 20 years, however, most of the time the cylinder would'nt open. If it's a Glock will probably function without cleaning for a lifetime, and still look and perform like new. Just curious, why would a gun need weekly cleaning if it's in a safe and not used ?

Ok, I just rephrased my post so I wouldn't get in trouble.
Get a bore snake, takes 2 seconds to run the thing thru. Do a real cleaning when you need to.

It really doesn't take all that much effort to clean and lubricate the gun properly. When your life depends on it, you'll clean it after it's been shot. If you're going to the range, you can accept failures. A lot of us were brought up with teachers who had to depend on them. And alot of us also went thru times when we had to depend on them. Clean it, it may save your life. If nothing else, snake it like I said.

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Pete.

Would take me about a week to clean my guns.

I clean them when 'needed'. Still wipe them down with a piece of sheepskin with wool on. Really had a hard time catching the last sheep, must be slowing down in my old age.

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Incoming fire has right of way

I like to clean each time I take a weapon to the range. Clean the bore and the cylinder if it is a revolver.

I was a clean fanatic, and would clean after every trip to the range. Now that I have started shooting competitively (IDPA, Steel Plates, USPSA) I find myself at the range a minimum of twice a week and just can not justify cleaning after each trip to the range. I do make a point of wiping each gun down after each trip to the range but, now I clean at about 500 rounds. Some of the competition shooters go for much longer intervals between cleanings.

If I shoot it, I clean it.

For any gun I am carrying, I wipe it down weekly (daily in the summer when I'm sweating like a waterfall) and run a patch thru the chamber(s) and barrel. For any auto I will depend on for protection, I field strip and wipe down and relube once a month whether it has been shot or not.

For a tool that may be needed to protect your life and the lives of your loved ones, would you risk a malfunction with a dirty gun? It takes only a few minutes to clean, do it.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I clean mine after each range session. Those I don't shoot get cleaned at least once a year and are inspected at least twice a year depending on the outside weather conditions. If it is hot and humid for a while they get inspected more often. I once left a S&W model 28-2 in a gun safe for a couple of years at my parents' home. When I did inspect it I got quite a surprise. There was a large amount of rust colored goo under the sideplate. After a very thorough cleaning it was fine, no serious damage. It gets a good inspection more often now that I have it at my home.

Every time you use them, they deserve to be cleaned. They serve you well, if you reciprocate!!!!

I don't consider a shooting session to be over until the gun's been cleaned. Generally, mine get cleaned when they're still warm from the range, whether they've been fired 10 times or 100. I'm a fanatic about cleaning. I don't consider my guns to be clean until I've removed every visible bit of grime and carbon. All of my guns, consequently, look like new. I've been following this protocol for many years. I don't believe that too much cleaning causes damage. To the contrary, I believe that guns, like most mechanical devices, operate better without the presence of fouling and grime.

Same here, no reason not to.

My dad wasn't into guns, but he was a better shot than I am. His older brother was a gun nut. The first gun I was given was a Remington Model 66 rifle. After the morning at the range, they showed me how to clean it and told me to clean it every time it was used. That was in June 1974 (I was 13) and has stayed with me, including a clean up of my new 637 with 2.5 inch barrel bought and shot yesterday afternoon.

wow...your glock must be differant then all the others

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Your right - most of them don't shoot for long even if they are clean!