Lint is not your friend -

[ImDrRich]

Ever notice that your carry guns get a lot dirtier than others?

I try to do a clean up of my carry guns at least once a month because the insides (rails, slide, moving parts, etc.) get all messy with particles from clothing.

What do you guys do about this?

 

[Rustyt1953]

My pea shooter resides in a Desantis Sticky when being pocket carried. About every month, or so, I will clean and oil. I also wrap packing tape (sticky side out) around my fingers and de-lintify the inside of the holster.

 

[WardenRoss]

A worn out soft toothbrush and compressed air is your friend.

My problem was always deodorant debris finding its way in there and dog hair.

The other paraphernalia were even worse at gathering debris.

 

[Malysh]

My friend's wife carries a small Beretta plastic 9mm. They asked me to take a
look at it because the rear sight is rusting.
The sight needs to be replaced. While examining the empty gun I was amazed at the amount of lint I found in the gun.

She didn't educate herself about gun maintenance - oiling and wiping down the gun surface regularly. I briefed her on the subject.
I bought her a couple of Hoppe's silicone cloths and I'm going to give her some basic cleaning supplies (along with giving her some more detailed lessons) next time I stop over.

 

[ladder13]

I shoot lint dead.

 

[kev74]

It puts on a heck of a show if you shoot it before blowing the lint out!

 

[Marshal Tom]

I don't let it build up on anything. I usually inspect my firearms all the time prior to carry and if needed, i clean, Debras as necessary. Holsters and mag pouches not as often and probably should get more frequent inspection than I give them.

 

[ispcapt]

When I was still working the job I inspected my gun and wiped it down at the end of every shift. It was no different than my squad car, ink pen, flashlight, etc. I went over everything to make sure it was working so my next shift or if called out I'm not needing to put gas in the squad, checked the oil, looked at my tires, my pen doesn't write, my flashlight needed batteries or charged. Same with my gun. Was it ready to go if I got called out.
We got paid every 2 weeks. When the paycheck arrived then my gun got stripped and cleaned. All parts were examined to make sure nothing broken, cracked or needed replaced.
Now that I'm retired I've found I've slipped a bit. However, when taking it off for the day I still give my carry gun a once over and wipe down. A thorough cleaning about once a month.
It was no different than in the military. If your gear wasn't ready to go then you weren't ready to go.
If you're not ready to go then you aren't prepared when needed.

 

[Malysh]

When I was still working the job I inspected my gun and wiped it down at the end of every shift. It was no different than my squad car, ink pen, flashlight, etc. I went over everything to make sure it was working so my next shift or if called out I'm not needing to put gas in the squad, checked the oil, looked at my tires, my pen doesn't write, my flashlight needed batteries or charged. Same with my gun. Was it ready to go if I got called out.
We got paid every 2 weeks. When the paycheck arrived then my gun got stripped and cleaned. All parts were examined to make sure nothing broken, cracked or needed replaced.
Now that I'm retired I've found I've slipped a bit. However, when taking it off for the day I still give my carry gun a once over and wipe down. A thorough cleaning about once a month.
It was no different than in the military. If your gear wasn't ready to go then you weren't ready to go.
If you're not ready to go then you aren't prepared when needed.

Well said.

 

[haywood]

I check and clean and my firearms all the time. Especially when I'm in Florida for the winter.

 

[jbull380]

I'm shooting or dry firing my carry guns on a weekly if not daily basis. Not a problem for me. My wife's Kahr K9 on the other hand…..

 

[max503]

It's amazing how much lint can get into the action of a pocket carried J frame revolver.

 

[Imissedagain]

My LCP attracts more lint than my
stainless S&Walther PPKs.

Both pocket carried in a holster and
checked daily.
Safety/decocker off when carried.

Dry air from Scuba tanks, used mainly for airbrush
work on boats and tire inflation, are handy to have.
Dive shop set them up long ago.,
Two water traps on airbrush compressor used in house.
Keep a hand pump and tire plug kit in vehicles as well.

 

[WR Moore]

If you ever need to remove lint from a pocket, drop a loaded magazine in there for a couple of days. Yes, it can cause failures to feed. Fortunately, I discovered this on the range after using the watch pocket of my jeans as a mag holder.

Also, never stack hay bales while carrying. I say no more.

 

[Rockrivr1]

I pocket carried a Keltec P3AT in my pocket for more then a year before I took it to the range to shoot with it. Didn't give it much thought until I pulled the trigger for the first shot. A HUGE cloud of lint and dust came out with the bullet. Enough that people next to me on the range asked what I was shooting thinking it was an ammo issue.

Now I shoot my CCW much more often and give it a cursory cleaning at least once a month.

 

[BE Mike]

Ever notice that your carry guns get a lot dirtier than others?

I try to do a clean up of my carry guns at least once a month because the insides (rails, slide, moving parts, etc.) get all messy with particles from clothing.

What do you guys do about this?

When I shoot my carry piece that resides in my pocket, I shoot it, lint and all. My Sig P365 has never failed to work as advertised.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Most the these posts are about bottomfeeders. As a revolver guy I don't worry as much. Pull the trigger five times it goes bang five times. (442)

But then I use a OWB holster 95% of the time and a sticky the other 5. While I shoot my rifles twice a week the revolvers see the range once a month at least.

 

[Echo40]

My Ruger LCP gets extremely dusty from Pocket Carry, so I find myself having to clean it more frequently than anything I carry OWB.

Fortunately, it's not difficult to clean, and I once test fired it while it was caked with dust, and all that happened was it blow dust out of all the nooks and crannies, yet fed just fine, no malfunctions, so even if I got caught in a bad situation where I needed it yet hadn't cleaned it in awhile, it would most likely function just fine.
Granted, I wouldn't want to have to rely on it to function flawlessly every time under such conditions, and it's unlikely that I ever would because I routinely clean it, but still.

 

[ameridaddy]

... all messy with particles from clothing.

What do you guys do about this?

Just like you; field strip it, clean it ~ once/mon.

 

[SquarePizza]

There was a video a long time back, maybe its on youtube, of a guy attempting to find out how much lint would stop a glock. He ended up using dryer lint and having to push lint into a field stripped pistol and it still had very little effect.