I am curios what other members do when they get a new Gun.Do you take it to the range? Clean the bore and cylinder? Wipe it down with oil? Completely detail strip and clean? Stick it in the safe? The reason I ask is because when ever I get a new Gun it is detail stripped,Completely cleaned and oiled then reassembled followed by cleaning the bluing or Nickel with Flitz followed by two coats of Renaissance Wax.

EDIT:I guess I should clarify "New" I do not mean a new production Gun,I mean a new Gun for your collection.

If it's a S&W I think most of us take photos and post them here on the forum before we do anything else.

I generally will spend some time inspecting it, then field strip it and clean it, or if its a revolver just clean it, then take the time to feel it in my hand and get used to it, and then get to the range ASAP and try it out.

Wow that sounds like a lot. If I can't go to the range that day it goes in the safe. Otherwise I go to the range. I have yet to see a gun SOOO dirty that it couldn't go to the range before cleaning. Also most of my guns are Glocks and HKs, they don't need lube to run at the range....As long as they have had some within a reasonable time period

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I hide it away from SWMBO and figure out plausible deniability for the missing $$.

First thing I do is change out of my drool soaked shirt....Then I give the gun a treat.

Shoot it!!

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It aint rocket surgery

Fondle it :-D

The wife knows most of what I have & don't care , she just loves to ask what are you going to shoot with that one or which one did you trade . Do you have to buy more dies etc . Just busts my chops a little. Oh I would go outside & shoot it

Depends on the gun. My Glock went right to the range out of the box.
My S&W M&P22 was so heavily lubed it had to get a good cleaning first.

I know this will be hard for some folks to fathom but if it is a new gun I'm not familiar with I will read the manual first thing.

Absolutely depends on the item. If it's a prewar specimen, odds are about 10 to one that the first thing I do is give it a complete teardown cleaning. It's amazing how many high quality old guns still have fossilized oil and carbon deposits inside them. You can generally tell with a single pull of the hammer or trigger in DA if it needs attention, but even if it doesn't I will open it up anyway.

Recently I bought a 90-year old Colt 1908 VP that looked brand new, but when you pulled the slide back (with difficulty) you could see structural crud everywhere. Turns out a previous owner -- maybe even from before WWII -- had taken a grease gun to the action and lubed it up with bearing grease as though it had a zerk fitting. I had to soak that thing in Kroil and go after it with toothpicks and wipes for a couple of hours before I got all the lubricant out, which was about the consistency of earwax. No wonder the gun felt stiff!

Feels fine now.

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David Wilson

Usually, I grin real big and handle it profusely. Especially when it's a Smith.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

I always clean the bore and the charge holes in the cylinder.

Bill

Me too. What a concept.

Close examination to see that I didn't miss something important at the gunshop. Then swab out the bore and do any lubrication recommended in the manual, then a wipe down. More than anything, if grips can come off they do and the grip frame gets wiped down to prevent rust.

Mine go into an ultrasonic cleaner. They are cleaned, rinsed, and then back into the cleaner for a lube bath. The lube is not real oily, but helps remove any moisture from the gun. I then wipe of remaining lube (which is dry by now), wax the gun, including inside of both barrel and chambers, drop a few drops of oil into the action, and then off to a shelf in the gun room.

Chad

Thanks for the responses,I have my ritual I go through and was curious to see if others do the same.I know that every Gun in my collection is properly cleaned,lubed and protected...It makes me sleep easier

Depends on what it looks/feels like. If it seems cruddy and the action isn't smooth, I will do a detail strip, soak everything in mineral spirits to clean it, lubricate, and reassemble. If it looks and feels clean, I don't usually do much other than remove the grips, wipe down everything with mineral spirits, and clean the bore and chambers, followed by waxing using Johnson's paste wax. Actual shooting may not take place until several weeks later.

I haven't bought a new gun for many years. If I ever do, I'd follow the same procedure.

Read the manual, if unfamiliar, at a minimum clean the bore. If a new caliber order dies & @ least 500 ea sticks of brass. Figure out if I have any powders that will work & see if there is a bullet mold that I'm going to have to own.

I guess I should clarify "New" I do not mean a new production Gun,I mean a new Gun for your collection.

Yep, that's what I do too.

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John
S&WCA Life Member

If it's a new production gun, I pull out a magnifying glass and complain about every microscopic imperfection on the forum.
Not really.
I'll clean it, fondle it, dry fire it and dream about it's first range trip.
If it's a new to me used gun, I'll check the timing and how the action feels. If everything seems ok I'll put a drop of Firepower FP-10 in the action and dry fire it a few times to spread it around and give it a good cleaning.
If it's gummy/gritty then I'll take it apart and give it a good detail cleaning/relube.
Either way, I'll start designing a holster for it.

What???

Just kidding, that's a great idea if it's something you're not familiar with. I've had to do that with several, like the P38, which I had never owned one of before. Watching a couple YouTube videos isn't a bad idea, either, especially if you can find one from someone like Hickok 45.

Chute it! Chute it quick like! Make it yours!

Then, clean it really, really well.

ask my wife if it's ok?

Field strip it, clean and lube, fire it, break it down, clean and lube, perform function and safety check and then put it the gun safe and lock the safe.

Reb

If the gun is used I would have already given it at the very least a quick visable inspection with a flashlight or better a bore light. On all guns at the least I would run a dry or wet patch down the bbl to see how it comes out, then a fieldstrip for further inspection, to make sure nothing is broken/missing/scratched etc, use the manual if needed or if I have any ?'s, or it's a gun I know nothing about. Fondle it, shoulder or aim it, SAFELY/CAREFULLY make sure it feeds/ cycles/ ejects a round, tweak anything needed like scope eye relief etc. THE LAST THING I DO IS FIRE AN UNFAMILIAR WEAPON! They call Fl the Gunshine state but I HAVE NEVER seen such filthy crudded up used guns anywhere. I'd be ashamed to sell something in that condition. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he keeps his guns & tools. I wish I kept my desk & truck as clean as my guns.

I take photos of it and log it into a computer database with all the details of dimensions, caliber, markings, history, serial number, date or estimated date of manufacture, what I paid for it, etc. This is for insurance purposes and when I croak, my heirs will know the value. One of the details I record is whether or not I bought it from a dealer or an individual. My memory not being what it used to be, I put all this down for the record. If I ever decide to sell or trade the gun, I know what I have in it, and I periodically upgrade my notes on estimated value. So many of the guns I bought years ago have escalated in value; what I paid for them is certainly not a reflection of their actual value today.

With the computer database, it's easy to get listings by manufacturer, or any other criterion, and get a sum of total value. I periodically print out a complete listing, so even without a computer, there is a record.

Then it's disassembled and cleaned, and finally -

it's off to the range to sight it in!

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Since the original poster stated that it was for new used guns I agree totally with him on what he does and my only difference I never open the side plate. Everything else he does other than that I do also.

If the gun is used I would have already given it at the very least a quick visable inspection with a flashlight or better a bore light. On all guns at the least I would run a dry or wet patch down the bbl to see how it comes out, then a fieldstrip & cleaning for further inspection, to make sure nothing is broken/missing/scratches/tool marks in the bore, etc, use the manual if needed or if I have any ?'s, or it's a gun I know nothing about. Fondle it, shoulder or aim it, SAFELY/CAREFULLY make sure it feeds/ cycles/ ejects a round, tweak anything needed like scope eye relief etc. THE LAST THING I DO IS FIRE AN UNFAMILIAR WEAPON! They call Fl the Gunshine state but I HAVE NEVER seen such filthy crudded up used guns anywhere. I'd be ashamed to sell something in that condition. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he keeps his guns & tools. I wish I kept my desk & truck as clean as my guns.

My new guns are at least 20 years old. My LGS is an indoor range. Right after the paperwork is done, I'm through the range door with the gun and 100 to 150 rounds of ammo. When the ammo is gone, it needs cleaning from shooting cast bullets.

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S&WHF 366

Usually I am so excited that after I get to the house I'll give it a quick look over then load snap cap and dry fire and check for end shake etc. Then I have to put it away so that I can calm down.

Lately when I get back to them I clean them with Gunzilla then apply Ren Wax and admire how nice they look now. I might not shoot they for months if they are NIB or brand new. There have been some exceptions w/ a rough Cobra and a 80-85% pre-27 5" that got to the range quickly.

And of course I post photos on the forum...and hope no one thinks I doing a "hey look at me" etc. No one wants to be judged harshly or to rile people up. But what the heck. I am sort of proud of my little collection.

Joe

Dude - you need to man up like me. Wait till she goes to bed, then sneak it out of the truck in to the safe. She lost count years ago and "they all look the same".

I also keep a log of all my Guns and what I paid for them,This comes in VERY handy when you go to sell or trade a Gun.I also keep a written list with all the serial numbers and current market values along with a picture of each Gun in a seperate fire safe for Insurance purposes.

I will second the FONDLE reply. It works for me.

LTC

Photograph it, and log it into my paper log book ( up to book 3) and then if it is a C&R in the bound book and finally in the computer software. Finally take it up to the gun room to meet it's brothers and sisters.

Fondle, strip, clean, flitz, ren wax, pictures, post, shoot

Sent from my Motorola Flip phone.

Most of the time I have spent weeks sometimes months researching it, once the purchase is made I already know how to tear it down completely put it back together and do anything I want to do to the gun. I read the manual, clean the gun, and plan a range trip!

DR

Read the manual. Field strip it. Clean and lube it. Reassemble and dry fire it a bunch. Order a holster for it. Fondle it. Clean it again. And finally, take it to the range.

Sounds about right to me. That's what I do, except I haven't yet graduated to Renaissance Wax. And a new production gun needs it as much as any other.

The only gun I ever bought that didn't need cleaning was a 1963 Detective Special I bought maybe around 1990 from a local policeman. He was selling it because he wanted something lighter for a backup, and I bought it because I was getting a little weary of featherweight J frames that didn't fill my hand, and the price was right. Anyway, I detail stripped it, including making a tool to separate the ejector rod from the cylinder, as I recall. Needn't have bothered. It was the cleanest gun I've ever seen. It looked like it had been cleaned by an LEO with minor gunsmithing talents who had cleaned a gun to give to his son who was going to carry it in harm's way. I guess it should have. It WAS given to him by his father.

The first thing I do when I get a new-to-me gun or a New gun is clean it. Then function and familiarize it in my hand. Then I go out back and shoot! I research a gun months ahead of purchase. Exception: my good friend needed money and sold me a blue GP-100 for $325. Even at gun shows I ask to inspect a gun before buying. I don't impulse buy. I shoot alot and reload, alot. A clean gun is a functional tool. DW

For me it varies.....sometimes the first thing is changing the shoes.
I like clogs

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Clean bore and charge holes, then shoot, then clean. Then the fun part, I get to wax it. As far as the wife, my problem is she will talk me into buying revolvers. The guys at the gun shop like to see her come into the shop with me. I can not talk her into shooting one though.

Fondle it. Enter it into MyGunDB. Fondle. Read manual, fondle. Full takedown, fondle. Dry fire, fondle. Obsess over not being able to get to the range, assuage my guilt with a thorough fondle. Finally get to the range, shoot it, clean it, fondle. Fondle it into one of the gun safes. Fondly lock the safe. Re-open the safe to make sure it didn't shift while the door was closing, fondle. Re-lock the safe. Wish I could just go to sleep without going over the shooting of it, imagine fondling it. Fall asleep, dream of shooting it.

OMG!!! I HATE new guns! Who has the time for this???

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Fight socialism. Never stop.

That is a great question. First I re-inspect the timing and lock-up, remove the stocks, clean the bore and chambers, give it a complete wipe down with a soft rag squirted with Rem-oil, Soft tooth brush, Q-tips, pipe cleaners for the hard to reach areas, and apply oil on critical points. After all that and the guns seems to function well it goes to the range with a variety of ammo to see what it likes. Nickel guns get a complete hose down of Rem-oil to remove any remnants of ammonia. A light rub down with Semichrome IF I think it is need, then wax and admire. If, during the process, I detect any problems I will removed the side plate to see if I can identify the problem. Some variance, depending on the gun. Eventually the side plate will come off all of them for detailed cleaning/lub.

First, I check the action mechanics, then cleaning it to my liking.

getting ready to strip and clean my new M&P 22LR....as per the manual before 1st use....I do this with any brand new or new to me gun....I want to know what I have before I pull the trigger the 1st time

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carpe diem
one day at a time

That is very true...

#1. POLISHING THE CYLINDER STOP BOLT: For all SA and DA revolvers - the single most important preventative action you can take and the 1st thing I do on any revolver of mine, new or used is pull the cylinder (or open it, in the case of DAs) and polish the cylinder bolt! They all come with file marks just waiting to needlessly cause an accelerated wear line and groove in your cylinder finish. This is especially true on stainless which is relatively soft and therefore similar to aluminum when it is machined in that it has a tendency to gall like those little cuts or chisel marks seen on SS cylinders from a sharp edged Cyl stop.

Once that's done, I've taken the mitigating action and after that it's just normal wear. I never think about the cyl line again except for proper handling:

Eventually you will get a line on the cylinder but it should never be completely around the cylinder; only 1/2 way to the next cylinder notch. A simple habit when you close the cylinder, with your left hand grasp it around the bottom of the frame with thumb and forefinger in opposing flutes positioning them at 3 and 9 o'clock when closing the cylinder will prevent scribing and becomes so natural after a while, one doesn't even have to think about. This works on five shot cylinders as well by positioning two flutes at 4 and 8 o'clock. Once closing the cylinder in alignment becomes a habit which is like after the 2nd time you do it for most of us, it's no "effort" what so ever; or about as much effort as remembering to breath. This WILL prevent a full cylinder ring and at least limit it to an interrupted ring.


Everything I do after that is already mentioned.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

First thing - photo it, with a note next to it telling exactly what it is, and s/n. Email that to wife - she maintains the Excel spreadsheet labeled 'Hardware'. Goes in the proper place on spreadsheet.

Then - complete teardown and cleaning. Couple of years ago, I picked up a near-pristine M1917 that had been absolutely packed with what appeared to be axle grease. Thankfully, most are not that bad, usually old oil or WD40 varnish.
Then - enjoy!

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275