How often do you clean?

[M&P15_Sporticus]

Your rifles, that is.

Just wondering how often everyone disassembles and cleans their firearms. I cleaned my Sport until it was immaculate right when I bought it, quickly lubed and cleaned the bore after my first range visit, and I have put roughly 500 rounds through it since then without cleaning.

I usually run solvent through the barrel and chamber of my Glock after every range visit, but it just doesn't seem as necessary to me with the Sport.

So, how often do you all clean your AR? Or any gun for that matter. I've heard some argue for cleaning after every use, as well as others who argue that more harm is done by over cleaning than under cleaning. Thoughts?

 

[AR-Getsome]

We're supposed to clean these things?!!. I've gone over 800 rounds without cleaning my AR. I usually run a bore snake a few times after a day at the range. My AR has never had a problem running dirty. I would say I do a total cleaning once a month after shooting alot. Everyone has their own method to this madness.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

We're supposed to clean these things?!!. I've gone over 800 rounds without cleaning my AR. I usually run a bore snake a few times after a day at the range. My AR has never had a problem running dirty. I would say I do a total cleaning once a month after shooting alot. Everyone has their own method to this madness.

Lemmethink.....took my AR to the range a few times. Let a friend take it once. Went pig hunting with it once.....yeah, maybe 800 rounds, I don't shoot it much.

We're supposed to clean them? I'll clean mine when Getsome cleans his.

Wait.....you did it? Dagnabit.....cleaning is so overrated.....I clean my guns in February. if I forget, well, there is always next February.....and I only have ONE that ever complained. It's a lever action rifle that does require that the magazine spring be cleaned to work correctly. I learned that the hard way.

***GRJ***

PS:

I spray a little Ballistol on them before use. That's it.

 

[NCGlockin]

I have almost the exact same set up as you - a pair of Glocks (19 & 26) and a M&P Sport. I rarely clean any of them, and I have had no problems with any of them failing to perform. I am sure you will hear other people say they clean their guns religiously, but that's just not me. I probably give them a good cleaning once a year, and I imagine I have put many hundreds of rounds through each one. You have to decide what works for you.


_________________
I would rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

 

[jmace57]

I am one of those who cleans his guns every time I get back from the range. That's what my Dad always did, so I guess that's why I do it. My nephew probably cleans his once per year, unless he is shooting something with corrosive primers.

 

[Arik]

My Colt hasn't seen a patch or gun oil or brush in 3 years or so. So far shooting like the first day. Glock hasn't been cleaned in about 8 months or so. Have a few AKs that haven't been cleaned in years. One of them still has sand from Afghanistan in it. Run like the day they were made.

 

[Kyle M.mi]

I'm very very obsessive compulsive about these things, everything gets field stripped and cleaned to perfection after every range trip. If it's something I feel comfortable detail stripping I'll do that once every 1,000 or so rounds.

 

[gunny4053]

Let me answer your question with a question. Did you shoot it? If the answer is yes, then clean it. I am constantly amazed by people who spend hard earned cash on a quality firearm, then won't put forth the least amount of effort to protect their investment. It's your money, your weapon, do as you will. As for me, my firearms are not only for fun, but self defense. Not insuring they perform accurately and reliably would be just plain foolish.

End of my opinion, good luck and good shooting.

 

[pa5906tsw]

My Pappy tought me to clean after every trip to the range or after every hunt if fired. Nothing like having a clean and lubed fire arm all ready to go!

 

[Decipher]

I'm with the others who clean my weapons obsessively. Is it necessary for them to work? Apparently no as people seem to not have a single issue. I, however, am like everyone else who views their weapons as an investment. More importantly, I also use my weapons for self defense and it gives me peace of mind knowing that my weapons are cleaned, lubbed, and ready for action. I'd clean after each use but that's just me.

 

[Arik]

Let me answer your question with a question. Did you shoot it? If the answer is yes, then clean it. I am constantly amazed by people who spend hard earned cash on a quality firearm, then won't put forth the least amount of effort to protect their investment. It's your money, your weapon, do as you will. As for me, my firearms are not only for fun, but self defense. Not insuring they perform accurately and reliably would be just plain foolish.

End of my opinion, good luck and good shooting.

Cleaning was very important when ammo was corrosive. When I shoot surplus ammo I clean as soon as possible. On the other hand new ammo is clean. So it leaves a little carbon and a little fouling. That in no way hurts the gun or breaks anything. Guns won't rust from it and a well built gun won't break.

 

[webfarmer]

I'm with the clean after each range session guys. Throw the brass into the tumbler, clean the gun, reload the brass. It's a sickness I tell ya!

 

[lethe]

I clean after every outing. Then i'll clean again between outings because i get bored.

 

[perpster]

A bore snake before and after each range trip. Oil once in a while.

 

[kbm6893]

I clean after every outing. Then i'll clean again between outings because i get bored.

Me too. I shot a groundhog with my 10/22 last spring. It was becoming s nuisance. I did not enjoy it. Two rounds fired. Cleaned the gun (quick one of course) before it went back into the safe.

Some of my guns are over 40 years old. Still look new. And I intend them to in another 40 years.

I even give them a quick wipe and lube once or month if they're not fired.

 

[JaPes]

Unless I'm headed to the range on back to back days, I'll clean my firearms when I get home. I don't see the point of cleaning a firearm just to dirty it up again the very next day.

 

[gunny4053]

Cleaning was very important when ammo was corrosive. When I shoot surplus ammo I clean as soon as possible. On the other hand new ammo is clean. So it leaves a little carbon and a little fouling. That in no way hurts the gun or breaks anything. Guns won't rust from it and a well built gun won't break.

And this is exactly the problem. True, modern ammo is "cleaner", but when I look down the barrel of a used Glock that was shot with modern, clean ammo, and the inside looks black, it ain't clean. I'm not advocating spit and polish, but a wipe down and a brush and patch down the bore just isn't that tuff a task. I don't want to find out at what point my firearm fails, when I need it most. How do you explain to someone you couldn't protect their family member because your firearm failed...and it failed because you didn't think it was important to clean it? Hopefully it never comes down to that, I pray daily it doesn't,..... but.

 

[gunny4053]

Unless I'm headed to the range on back to back days, I'll clean my firearms when I get home. I don't see the point of cleaning a firearm just to dirty it up again the very next day.

And this is within reason.

 

[S&W SS Revolvers]

I'm with the others who clean my weapons obsessively. Is it necessary for them to work? Apparently no as people seem to not have a single issue. I, however, am like everyone else who views their weapons as an investment. More importantly, I also use my weapons for self defense and it gives me peace of mind knowing that my weapons are cleaned, lubbed, and ready for action. I'd clean after each use but that's just me.

Me too. Dad taught me that and a couple of months ago I took the 5906 out and shot 300 rounds through it. First time since the late 1990's. (I cleaned it a couple of times during storage) and it performed flawlessly with reloads from 1994.

I agree , big bucks and reliability; cleaning and lubrication is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy. I only buy quality guns and will own them until the end.

 

[model70hunter]

Clean up? For a second there I thought you'd been talking to the missus about me.

Guns get cleaned accordingly. Light use is a wipe down, hunted in the rain gets the bore oiled and wiped clean.

I will clean it to my specs, got tired of trying to make invisible stuff on pipe cleaners go away to impress a SGT in my M-16.

I have an HBAR MAtch, I clean it well. I once had an early HBAR. My son went through about 3-4000 rounds I had set aside. It did not get cleaned and worked well. Side note, my now ex opened the gun safe and let him take it out, he was 17. He did a tour of duty in the Corp, they taught him how to clean one.