How often do you clean your guns?

[Jade Terfin]

I'm so excited to pick up my Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus on Saturday! So how often do you clean your guns? After every time you shoot? Once a week or once a month? And do you clean it even if you go a while without shooting it? I understand everybody probably has a different opinion. But I would love to hear what you guys do with yours. Thank you so much!

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[Mikej]

I'm so excited to pick up my Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus on Saturday! So how often do you clean your guns? After every time you shoot? Once a week or once a month? And do you clean it even if you go a while without shooting it? I understand everybody probably has a different opinion. But I would love to hear what you guys do with yours. Thank you so much!

I might start feeling the urge to clean it after 100 rounds? But I'd say, try that, and then go 300 rounds and see what the difference is? I think it's more a personal preference thing? Those little semi-auto's are dirty little boogers as far as I'm concerned. Blowing all of that dirty powder residue all over the inside of the gun.

As far as cleaning even if it hasn't been fired. I'm liberal enough with lube that if the gun, say AR15, hadn't been shot for a year it will be fine.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I'm so excited to pick up my Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus on Saturday! So how often do you clean your guns? After every time you shoot? Once a week or once a month? And do you clean it even if you go a while without shooting it? I understand everybody probably has a different opinion. But I would love to hear what you guys do with yours. Thank you so much!

Depends on the gun and for edc depends where you carry it. If in pocket have to clean it more often (I don't mean deep clean). Also if you have a red dot on your edc I would suggest get in the habit of brushing it off with a lens pen or similar often. Otherwise you might have a mess to look through when it's really needed.

Also depends on how you clean it. If it's dry lube or ceramic (boron nitride usually) dry lube it won't collect nearly as much gunk and will be easier to clean when you do clean it. If you have it wet with lube it is going to collect a lot more gunk and dirt and will take longer to clean as well.

 

[Indy62]

I'm so excited to pick up my Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus on Saturday! So how often do you clean your guns? After every time you shoot? Once a week or once a month? And do you clean it even if you go a while without shooting it? I understand everybody probably has a different opinion. But I would love to hear what you guys do with yours. Thank you so much!

I clean them after shooting, religiously (especially the AR).

I also go through and clean, re-lube them about every six months if they're in storage.

Ballistol is my go-to.

 

[Sip]

I'll clean my AR for fun.

I'll let you know when I finally get around to cleaning my AKs...

 

[Mikej]

I'll clean my AR for fun.

I'll let you know when I finally get around to cleaning my AKs...

Is that normal? Doesn't sound normal.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Depends on the gun.

AR15s? 100-500rds until broken in, then every 1,000 rds

Hi Points? What cleaning? Once a decade, maybe?

Shotguns, every 400 rds complete clean and oil. Just barrel swab after each shooting session (usually 100rds or so)

My late father detail stripped everything and cleaned and reassembled after every shooting session, IMO, excessive. But its from his military and police training days when he had to return weapons cleaner than when signed out.

 

[Indy62]

Depends on the gun.

AR15s? 100-500rds until broken in, then every 1,000 rds

Hi Points? What cleaning? Once a decade, maybe?

Shotguns, every 400 rds complete clean and oil. Just barrel swab after each shooting session (usually 100rds or so)

My late father detail stripped everything and cleaned and reassembled after every shooting session, IMO, excessive. But its from his military and police training days when he had to return weapons cleaner than when signed out.

Your late father is my spirit animal. (He was correct BTW)

 

[oremike]

I clean them when they need it.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Is that normal? Doesn't sound normal.

"It is recognized that you have a funny sense of fun"

View: https://youtu.be/BRELOVwpg_Y?si=mrAIv-tQ0DiWBK8E

 

[ilikegunspdx]

...Hi Points? What cleaning? Once a decade, maybe?

No one cleans a hi-point. You are supposed to just leave them at the range for the next poor bastard to pick up.

 

[hker71]

I clean and lubricate every weapon I purchase before shooting it (new or used). I will then clean it after I shoot it regardless of how much I shoot. For deep storage stuff I go over everything once a year to prevent rust or corrosion.

 

[Indy62]

I clean and lubricate every weapon I purchase before shooting it (new or used). I will then clean it after I shoot it regardless of how much I shoot. For deep storage stuff I go over everything once a year to prevent rust or corrosion.

Took me a couple hours to clean all the goop the factory put on my Mossberg 590. I do the same with every gun, tear it apart and set it up like it should be.

Sort of like guitars now that I think about it..

 

[Catfishmoon]

I believe it just comes down to personal preferences...
I used to clean everything every time I used it, but no longer do. It is not unusual for me to shoot my favorite all metal pistol three times a week, now I clean and lube it about every 300 - 400 rounds. I clean my polymer guns on about the same schedule.
My stainless steel Dan Wesson 1911 does get recleaned any time it is fired before being put back in the safe. If I had classic revolvers they would be cleaned every time.
I do not reclean any firearm that has not been fired unless it was stored for multiple years in which case I might check it to make sure there is no rusting etc.
I think there are some Glocks or AR's that have purposely never been cleaned just to see what happens.
At a minimum, you should keep your firearms in a condition that they will function reliably when you need them.

 

[Indy62]

So...I'm wondering if anyone else runs into this..

My daily CC is a Glock 43x. I keep it in the holster when changing pants and such. It builds up a lot of lint in the barrel. Probably not an issue but I run a swab through it regularly because of that. You guys find the same? My CC holster is open at the barrel end and it does it either with appendix or strong side carry...must be magnetic attraction to the barrel or a static situation.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

So...I'm wondering if anyone else runs into this..

My daily CC is a Glock 43x. I keep it in the holster when changing pants and such. It builds up a lot of lint in the barrel. Probably not an issue but I run a swab through it regularly because of that. You guys find the same? My CC holster is open at the barrel end and it does it either with appendix or strong side carry...must be magnetic attraction to the barrel or a static situation.

For me any edc in iwb or pocket builds up lint. Red dot is highest buildup. Btw, someone on here in the past had a good recommendation for pocket carry, turn out the pocket when you put in the wash to reduce lint in the pocket.

 

[CountryGent]

To oversimplify it, when they need it. It varies pretty widely depending on the piece. I almost always clean a new or new to me firearm. And I generally spray and wipe down some Ballistol after a shooting session. But a full cleaning, yah, when it is needed and not more.

 

[Jade Terfin]

Thank you for all the great responses and information on what you guys do! I have no idea how to respond to multiple people in one post. I often see people doing that. But I am not that technologically advanced. I have seen a couple of people say that you should clean it when you first get it, even if it's brand new. That is definitely something I just learned! So I am going to pick up a cleaning kit on Saturday when I go to pick my firearm up. Is there anything that you guys notice that indicates it needs a cleaning? Such as something like recoiling different, sounding different or even emitting a smell when it's shot?

 

[Flopsweat]

I clean and lubricate every weapon I purchase before shooting it (new or used). I will then clean it after I shoot it regardless of how much I shoot. For deep storage stuff I go over everything once a year to prevent rust or corrosion.

This. I clean every new gun before and after the first time I shoot it. Before because you have no way of knowing what it was packed in, what's still in the barrel or action from the manufacturing process, and whether it was properly lubricated. After because you may pick up manufacturing residue that's been dislodged by shooting the gun. And both because you've somewhat ingrained the disassembly, reassembly, cleaning and lubricating process.

Once the gun is broken in, I only clean them when necessary. AKs, Glocks and .22 bolt action rifles I clean about once every 5 years, but only if they need it. Seriously, unless your storage area is very humid, you have little to worry about. There are exceptions of course. For very long term storage, I cover all metal parts with Eezox. If I get a gun very wet, like shooting in the rain or dropping it in a puddle or lake, I hose it down with WD40 and then do a regular clean & lube. If I shoot corrosive ammo, typically with an AK, I hose it down with hot water, then WD40 and clean and lube.

 

[Flopsweat]

Thank you for all the great responses and information on what you guys do! I have no idea how to respond to multiple people in one post. I often see people doing that. But I am not that technologically advanced. I have seen a couple of people say that you should clean it when you first get it, even if it's brand new. That is definitely something I just learned! So I am going to pick up a cleaning kit on Saturday when I go to pick my firearm up. Is there anything that you guys notice that indicates it needs a cleaning? Such as something like recoiling different, sounding different or even emitting a smell when it's shot?

If it shoots to a different point of impact, clean the barrel. If runs sluggishly or fails to feed or eject, clean the action. I usually just do a full clean every time, but in the field or at the range I may do a quick, specific service. It shouldn't sound or smell much different. Different ammo can smell or sound different.