I'm looking for advice on 1) how often hand guns (semi and revolvers) need to be cleaned and 2) recommendations for a cleaning kit. Thanks

1. When they are dirty, particularly if they are to be stored.
If I am shooting a couple of days in a row, I may do the cleaning after the second day. Guns are easier to clean right after the shooting session, before all that black fluffy stuff turns to stone.
2. Look on Brownells site and take your pick. Otis is top of the line, but there are literally dozens of good products to choose from.

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Science plus Art

Gunblue490 a Ruger and S&W Amorist on You Tube has excellent cleaning and maintenance videos. sooch00 has a Glock cleaning video . Keep it simple buy a quality kit and CLP learn as you go

Ask 5 people these questions and you'll get 7 different answers.

Start with the instruction manual that (hopefully!) came with your gun(s).

There are lots of kits out. I'd suggest getting just a basic one. Otis is good. Kleen Bore and Hoppes also have kits available.

The reason I suggest a basic kit is that you may want to try different products as you get more experience, so spending a lot on a bigger kit may be a bit of a waste.

You could also just get items separately, but that can be a bit overwhelming for a beginner because of all the options available, so starting out with a basic kit is a good idea, IMO.

As for how often, lots of opinions on that. My own personal preference is to clean my carry/self-defense guns after every range trip, regardless of how many rounds fired, or every 1-2 months, whichever comes first. The snub revolver I carry gets a quick wipe down and inspection every couple of days (it's usually carried in an ankle holster so it can collect quite a bit of dirt). With my semi-autos, I usually check them every couple of weeks to make sure they're still lubed. This is for my carry/self-defense guns. I have a couple of range-only 1911s, and I just check them every once in a while, wipe them down, make sure they're lubed before range trips. As with my carry guns, I clean and lube them after every range trip.

A lot of people will say they'll let several days (weeks? months?) or several hundred (thousand?) rounds go by before cleaning their guns. And that's a valid approach. The key is making sure the gun is still adequately lubed. A dirty gun can (should?) still run reliably so long as it's lubed. I just prefer both a clean and lubed gun. My dad was of the mind to never let the sun set on a dirty gun, and that's stuck with me. But it's certainly not the only way to go.

There've also been plenty of threads about gun cleaning and maintenance. You should do a search if you haven't already.

Just my opinion.

I like to keep "ram rodz" cleaning swabs and a bottle of Hoppes in my shooting kit. Whenever I'm done with a pistol I'll dip a swab in Hoppes and swab the bore/chambers. Let it sit while finishing up and wipe down the piece before putting it into the gun case. When I get home the Hoppes has had some time to work its magic on the gun and cleaning seems much easier.

Not a fan of gun cleaning "kits," as these may include a bunch of stuff you don't need. What you do need is a quality rod, cleaning jags, brass brushes in ONLY the calibers you need, cotton patches, and solvent. I think you are best off to buy separately. You can cut your own patches out of old t-shirts, or buy in a bag of several hundred in the appropriate size. I also like to use a brass bore guide on revolvers which must be cleaned from the crown. This cuts down on unintended crown and barrel wear from allowing the cleaning rod to rub anything. Bore mops are a waste of money IMHO. Might want a $2 brass and/or nylon brush or two from the hardware store. Cleaning mat? Nothing wrong with newsprint or an old rag. Keep it simple and buy stuff that works with your gun, not someone else's.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

I clean (but not "over-clean") any gun that I shoot, every time I shoot it. If I only shoot 20 rounds through it then it only takes a few minutes to clean. If I shoot 200 rounds through it then I spend more time because it's dirtier.

I also clean my carry gun once every 6-7 weeks even if for some strange reason I don't even shoot it. I'll blow out any dust, pocket dirt, etc and leave the moving parts with a light coat of oil. This also gives me an opportunity to check function.

I asked the cleaning question to the Air Force Colonel that took me shooting the first time, and he said to clean it whenever the gun's operation starts to feel different. His father, a Marine Colonel that saw extensive combat, called his son a profanity and told me to clean my firearms every time I used them.
I clean them every time.

The Picture below is about all I use to help Clean a Gun.

Just using a Synthetic Oil and Cotton Make-up Remover Round
wiping off the crud works very well and puts on a protective
rust barrier.

Cut for Bore cleaning and using Foam Cleaner, just push
out the cleaner, no brass brush scrubbing.

The Best to you and your Endeavors. You will find what works
best for you.

Always read the instructions on using Cleaners.

Attached Images

	gunclean.jpg (4.2 KB, 158 views)
	SW MG 629 44Mag cleaning.jpg (47.9 KB, 43 views)

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SD social distanc'n since 1889

Peak 53 has the right approach to cleaning. I would purchase separate cleaning equipment such as a good non aluminum 12 inch cleaning rod, for pistols, that has the ball bearings in the grip to spin the rod 360 degrees for all around bore cleaning. They cost a little more but will last you a long time. Check with Brownells or Midway for your cleaning needs. Purchase a muzzle protector for the revolvers since you cannot clean the bore from the breach. Purchase quality jags, brushes, in bulk, nylon and brass, patches by the bag and a small four ounce hammer to push the patch through the bore when they are tight. The good rods will take the punch and will not damage the ball bearings in the rod. Clean the firearm after each range session and at least once a week wipe down your carry gun with a dry lube on a cloth to remove hand prints and dirt from weekly acumination. Also, a good bore cleaner, such as Hoppy and I recommend MPRO 7 for lube and gun cleaner. I tell my students, if the cleaners work for you, continue the same items for cleaning. If you have a cleaning regiment, it will be easy to clean the guns and enjoy the effort you put into it when it is clean and functions properly.

Nick

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NRA Instructor\GCA Gunsmith

All the above plus hang on to old sheets, t-shirts etc. I like to throw a big piece over the muzzle and chambers when I run a brush through with solvent on it. If you clean your guns at the kitchen table ( which I’ve been known to do) you’ll need them.
Those brushes will sling solvent like a spray when it clears the barrel/chambers.

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“Look life in its iron face”

You didn't say how often or the volume of shooting or EDC!

High volume shooters are likely to have a different regimen.

Right now I have at least 5 handguns and 3 AR's that are "dirty" with between 50- 300 rounds. I shoot at least once a week. My 22 Gallery B/E gun gets at least 60 rounds a week. I clean it maybe once a year. A quick wipe down with a lightly oiled cloth. Field strip at around 300 rounds, detail cleaning at around 1000!

Any good copper clearer for barrels shooting copper. Everything else gets flushed and scrubbed with a mixture of kerosene, mineral spirits and ATF. I mix a quart at a time and is used in a sprayer to act like a pressure washer to flush out the "smutz"!

Where a grease is recommended I use Lubriplate 105 assembly lube, it's pretty thin, resembles Wilson's Ultimalube. Oil, ATF or any 5W--premium oil!

Guns on the way to the range get 4-5 drops in critical areas!

Works for me for ay least 30 years.

Smiles,

I’ll second the “Ram rods” product, like them a lot. The 22’s can be tight and break, tho.

Excellent thanks

I love the 22 rods! No real risk of damaging the rifling with the bamboo stick--everytime I've used a steel or aluminum rod it rubs the rifling or worse, the muzzle!

With the ramrods, just dip and swab, the fouling comes out of the bore pretty quickly and they're great for oiling too. No more rusty, dirty .22s.

I'll echo the comments here. For me it depends on what I'm currently using it for. After shooting all guns get cleaned, unless I'm visiting family then I leave it till I get home. Firearms should be able to go a little bit without cleaning but, as has been pointed out, lube 'em.

Carry guns get oiled "very" lightly, the excess gets wiped off. Too much lube can be a very bad thing in a carry firearm! If it stays in the safe all the time, except for the range, I lube 'em up pretty good before putting them away.

Over time cleaning kits will become the way of the dodo bird. People start out with them, I did, but usually start purchasing separate items which are of better quality for replacements. The cheap aluminum rods stink and they can damage your bore. A good steel rod (with the bearings) for handguns is a must, coated or not. I won't go into the various stuff I use but I have good sized box full of cleaners, oils, brushes, patches (store bought and home made), etc...

Lots of sound advice in the previous posts, no reason for me to be redundant.

My carry gets wiped down daily with a sheepskin (fleece) cleaner which has been lightly sprayed with silicone and it gets lubed every weekend.

My others are cleaned when I get home from the range, lubed, wiped down with the silicone sheep fleece and in the safe they go. If I haven't had a gun out to the range it will get lubed and wiped down with the silicone fleece.

Lube; some people believe their guns need to be awash in lube and others believe a single drop is sufficient. Mine are not awash but they aren't on the verge of dry either.

Don

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U.S. Coast Guard, retired CPO