How often to clean your firearm

[V0OBWxZS16]

I saw on video where a guy was cleaning his with; and get this, baby wipes?! Anywho...I did see the boarsnake; that is a must have, right?

A bore snake is an alternative to a rod, brush, and patches. Your cleaning kit should have something to clean the bore in it.

I have not used baby wipes and cannot comment on that.

 

[rwsmith]

I thought I could get by...

I always cleaned my guns every time, but then I thought I'd let the semi pistols go a little longer between cleanings, which to me turned unsatisfactory quickly. Apparently shooting all kinds of bullets, coatings, powders and primers can leave some gunk build up in the chambers and barrel leade. The latter was the bigger problem, it made my chambers seem shorter than they were.

I'm back to cleaning every time I shoot them again.

 

[rwsmith]

Three places.......

OK, that makes more sense to me.

When it comes to maintenance, I put my trust in this order:

1. Manufacturer
2. Everyone else

I have developed my own routine, but it may not be the right one. Since I shoot a lot, I probably clean less than some others do. I'm not saying what I do is right. It just works for me. If I were to give advice on cleaning (and I do all the time in the NRA Basic Pistol Class), it would be to follow the instructions in the manual.

Cleaning more is never a bad thing, but doing at least what the manual says is the right way to go.

Manufacturer, Myself, Everybody else.

 

[rwsmith]

It's not the stuff...

The oil & grease used for shipping a firearm has to hold up for months, maybe years. Some manufacturers use some pretty heavy stuff. You do need to clean and lube a new gun before going to the range the first time, if not to clean it, at least to get familiar with the parts.

Good point, it's not really for lubrication but preservation. When I shoot I want the lube that I'm going to be using on the gun. The packing grease is coming off at the first cleaning anyway.

 

[kudlosguns]

I always clean and lube a new gun before ever firing it .. That includes before dry firing it more then a few times .... the Sig P238 I bought just after Christmas this year was bone dry .. Absolutely no lube of any kind on it .. and that was anywhere on it .. It almost looked like it had been degreased .. I had dry fired it 2 times just to make sure everything worked when I picked it up at my FFL .. after cleaning and lubing it was very apparent the action was much smoother ..

After each range trip or in the back forty whether I fire 5 rounds or 200 I clean it after use .. I like a clean lubed gun if I would ever need it I would know it would function properly !! If I haven't fired it in 2 weeks while carrying it every day I also clean and relube to get rid of holster dust and any dirt it might have picked up from carrying .. If I was to get it wet like being caught out in the rain I also clean and lube it too !!

I especially agree with cleaning after every few weeks of carry! You wouldn't believe the dust and lint that can build up in there! After every carry I take a can of compressed air and blow it off/out.

 

[amcline82]

Usually after every second outing to the range. And I do a cleaning after I unbox it.

 

[Phishfindr]

M&P 9 cleaning question

I bought a used M&P 9 yesterday. It's from 9/2012 according to info I found in another forum here. It fits me like a glove, and I love shooting it. I put 100 rounds through it today, and it performed flawlessly.(I however, need a lot more practice!) While cleaning it I noticed that the lube points as indicated in the manual show all points are bare metal, as I would expect. However, mine are mostly black, with little metal actually exposed. Before I go any farther in the cleaning process, I'd like to know if I should be continuing until all points on the slides are bare, or is this normal? I think it's powder residue build up, but it is really on there. The feed ramp to the barrel was black, but quickly cleaned up and is back to shiny clean. (needless to say, I am a newbie to handguns and don't want to screw anything up). Thanks in advance.

 

[pbpvusa]

I did not clean for the first 200 rounds, I started cleaning after every use as a practice. I noticed that the training ammo shoot dirty even the Winchester white box or american eagle so I clean after every use.

 

[wormraper]

most people over clean their guns.. every 500-1000 rounds is about what I do and add a little oil on the rails ever trip or so.

 

[tcon]

Still being lazy... I now have in my dirty laundry list a "fouled" Mini-30, Mini-14, GP100, MP340, Colt M4, and a 10/22. Maybe this week.

 

[boomerguy49]

I field strip and clean before firing and then after each range trip, even if only one mag. or cylinder.

+1. This was what an expert law enforcement officer and firearms instructed me to do. He said that if possible, clean it within 6 hours of firing it.

 

[wormraper]

+1. This was what an expert law enforcement officer and firearms instructed me to do. He said that if possible, clean it within 6 hours of firing it.

I personally think that's overkill. my whole family is cops and their armoror suggest cleaning every 500 or so rounds but make sure it's lubed properly. more guns are damaged by OVER cleaning than under cleaning.

 

[boomerguy49]

I personally think that's overkill. my whole family is cops and their armoror suggest cleaning every 500 or so rounds but make sure it's lubed properly. more guns are damaged by OVER cleaning than under cleaning.

I don't understand how cleaning a gun too often can hurt it. That's like changing the oil in your car too often can hurt it.

 

[boomerguy49]

Always clean a new gun! Replace the grease with oil.
I clean my guns after a trip to the range.
If I don't have time to tear them down and clean them, I clean the feed ramp and run a snake thru them. And, clean them thoroughly as soon as I can.

This especially applies to new guns that are imported on a container ship. When I received my new Bersa Thunder 380 it was coated, inside and outside, in a heavy tacky grease called Cosmoline, to protect it from the salt air while it traveled from Argentina. Its action was very stiff prior to cleaning and smooth as silk afterwards.

 

[boomerguy49]

My sister bought an old .32 revolver which misfired every other round. I cleaned it and it fired perfectly. The gun shop that sold it to her had apparently not inspected before selling it.