Do you clean your handgun magazines & how often? & how important is that?

[9mm guy]

These are the little questions that I just don't the answer to. And when I ask clean your magazine, I'm talking about breaking them down and taking the spring out etc. Do any of you do that? How often? And how important do you think it is to do so for the proper functioning of your magazine?

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[Larrytpdx]

I have never cleaned any my mags

 

[SA Shooter]

I clean the weapons every other trip to the range along with the mags. That may be more than needed but that is how I was taught. If I didn't follow that process my Grandpa's ghost would come back and haunt me!

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

My EDC pistol mags do get cleaned. Not often but I do make sure lint and other crap so it doesnt gum things up and stop the follower.

Ill wipe my steel AK range mags down with oil from time to time. I dislike any rust being on my mags. The rest are in grease storage.

But the rest I dont clean, not until they give me stoppages.

 

[Cameron72]

Once when I get them. Possibly never again. Unless I drop them in the dirt.

 

[SA Shooter]

Yeah, if I was to drop mine in the dirt I'd be sure to clean 'em.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Very rarely! I mostly blow them out with an air nozzle (that's on the end of a real compressor, not canned). I lube the inside of my mag's lightly, then swab them out with a dry patch.

 

[etrain16]

Rarely. If I buy used mags or a used gun with used mags, I'll usually break them down, look them over and clean them. Otherwise, unless they're obviously very dirty inside or don't function properly, I leave them alone.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I'm on the fence with this one. Depends on the weapon's mags really. For polly mags, I usually just check the followers and springs and give them a quick wipe down. For steal mags I clean and lightly lube them to prevent rust. I hate rust! My FN/FAL mags get a cleaning after each and every range session and for storage get the springs pulled and left static. Not that I'm picky on these, but they seem to build a set over time and the springs loose tension. For general pistol mags, just a quick blow out and a light oiling do the trick, How ever my carry pistol mags get a much more through cleaning and inspection as well as rotated in and out of use. I find I get pocket/holster lint and other shmutz in my mags, plus I see accelerated effects of body contact causing rust and other contamination getting on or in my mags! I try and rotate mags every week or so and clean and check them when I switch!

Remember this, A clean gun is a happy gun and to my mind, that includes the mags. For those of us that rely on our gun to function flawlessly each and every time we put it on, I see ZERO compromise here!

 

[ron]

I clean them when I get them. And about every other time I clean the
pistol. Exception is if they are going to be used in a match. Magazines
are the number one cause of a semi-auto's malfunction. IMHO!!

 

[ditchtiger]

Wipe them out once a year and spray them with silicone lubricate.

 

[edslhead]

I kinda like dirty magazines.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I kinda like dirty magazines.

ROTFLMAOHTIHAIP

 

[Andy54Hawken]

MMMmm , Dirty Gun magazine titles :
Smokey Bore
Stock Polisher
Full Frontal Sight picture
Six O'clock Hold

Just kidding .

I clean my pistol's and rifle's magazine after every shoot.
I got the gun dirty and its now taken apart waiting to be cleaned , so might as well clean the magazine.
Andy

 

[boogerhook]

I have never cleaned a magazine. I am your "If the ashtray is full I am getting a new car" kind of guy.

 

[The Nothing]

I clean dirty mags a bit after the pages start sticking together, but only if I like 'em.


Honestly, not really. All of mine are stainless so I just wipe them down with the same rag after cleaning the pistol

 

[PaulB47]

Outside of metal mags gets a wipedown with CLP to prevent rust once in a while (since salty hands can contact it). Other than that, not much. But then I don't drop my mags in the dirt either. If I did I would need to clean the inside also.

I have taken apart older mags to clean them up, when I bought them, such as my older aluminum M16 mags (probably Viet Nam war vintage). That was when mags were in short supply. But these days I just buy new Magpuls!

 

[PiratePast40]

I break mine down after several range trips. I'm guessing that ends up being 6-700 rounds. Run a rag through the insides, clean the springs, and get the sparkles off the inside of the base plates. After cleaning, wipe down the springs and outside with a silicone cloth. Mine get dropped in the dirt and gravel all the time so need to make sure there's nothing in there to mess things up.

 

[mjbskwim]

Nope.
Maybe a mag for a 22 cause everything gets dirty with 22lr

 

[Doc In UPlace]

I clean the exterior and follower with the magazine not-disassembled, then about every 4th or 5th time, (or maybe more, I'm not that organized) I take the mag apart and clean the parts, and the mag body interior.