How often do you clean your guns?

[Andy54Hawken]

I clean my firearms after every outing with them.
This includes my both my modern and muzzle loading firearms.

I also "clean" as in give my firearms a wipe down with an oily rag and a function check , if they have been sitting awhile.

My firearms mean a lot to me on many different levels..and ...
A long time ago...It was extremely important for me and others who were with me to have a clean and functioning firearm...so this habit of going over all of my firearms , no matter if they have been shot or not...still gets done.

Speaking only for myself....cleaning and maintaining my firearms is simply another aspect of owning them....
Plus I enjoy doing so.
Andy

 

[Flopsweat]

I clean my firearms after every outing with them.
This includes my both my modern and muzzle loading firearms.

I also "clean" as in give my firearms a wipe down with an oily rag and a function check , if they have been sitting awhile.

My firearms mean a lot to me on many different levels..and ...
A long time ago...It was extremely important for me and others who with me to have a clean and functioning firearm...so this habit of going over all of my firearms , no matter if they have been shot or not...still gets done.

Speaking only for myself....cleaning an maintaining my firearms is simply another aspect of owning them....
Plus I enjoy doing so.
Andy

Great point that I forgot! Any dedicated defensive guns get cleaned every time I shoot them. Whichever gun I'm carrying gets inspected weekly and cleaned & lubed as needed.

 

[MotoManGunner]

I used to clean every gun I shot same day after I got home. Now, many guns and years later, I now only do that with guns I carry or plan to grab in SHTF situations. But there are a few inherited guns I'd clean even if I only put one round through them.

I wouldn't judge anyone who goes 500ish rounds through a well made gun though. The fun guns I have never had issues doing that. I'm sure my carry pieces could also handle that, but its a piece of mind thing to clean those.

 

[Nosferatu]

I just chuck 'em off the boat back into the water and let the crabs have whatever goodies they want off them.

 

[coreymet]

Every time I shoot one of them. Learned that from my father and boy did it stick. Now that I have developed a minuscule case of "senioritis" it is just easier to do so than try to remember how many rounds were put through a particular firearm. Perhaps if I had fewer and did not have to decide which to "exercise" any given weekend it would be less an issue.

 

[dangerranger60]

I have a couple guns that get shot daily. those get cleaned when I have the cleaning kit out. Most of my guns get shot once or twice a year. Those get cleaned before they are put away.
My EDC though gets cleaned every time it gets shot, and if it has not been shot it gets wiped down with an oily cloth every Sunday. part of that weekly cleaning is getting a chance to find a loose screw, loose sight, loose grip etc... DR

 

[CamoDeafie]

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

By detail-stripping, I mean all the way down to the very last pin or screw; except iron sights if they're drift adjusted.
M16 for example, take EVERYTHING apart, including FSB, detents, staked gas key.

 

[oremike]

Yes field strip, clean and lube when first brought home. New or used. Except Glocks when new, They come with a copper colored break-in lube. Today I was shooting my GP-100 that hadn't been cleaned in a while plus the last few times I'd shot it I was shooting 38 Specials in it. The outside was looking kind of dull and smoky and I was getting sticky case extraction when shooting the full house 357 Mags. So while it was working fine it told me it was time for a through cleaning.

 

[L84Cabo]

Generally at 500 rounds or if they're going to be sitting longer than one month. Carry guns get cleaned after every outing. YMMV.

 

[TTSX]

I clean em when they get dirty. My definition of dirty is subject to change without notice.

 

[JuglansRegia]

It depends, if plan on using it again soon, l won't clean it until then.

 

[nammac]

What is this gun cleaning y'all talking about?

They need to be cleaned???

Who knew…

 

[gmerkt]

I clean mine within a day after I shoot. Once in a while, if I know I'm going to shoot one within the next week, I may let it go between sessions.

My cousin was a gun fancier and shooter. He would leave guns uncleaned for years. He asked me to liquidate most of his collection back in the early 2000's. Some of them were very cruddy; some had rusted during that time. Many had green verdigris in the bores. This kind of neglect is to be avoided.

 

[Alexx1401]

After a range session I "plan" to clean each gun I shot. As so many well laid plans it seldom happens the way I plan.
The reality of what normally happens? I come home, take the range bag down to the bench. There is part of some project I did not finish on the bench. So I put the range bag down and plan to come clean up and start. Days later the range bag is still sitting there along with the stuff from the other project I did not finish. Sometimes a week may pass before I finally get mad, go clean off the bench and start in with the guns. Always do carry guns first in case I get lazy and don't want to finish.
For guns that are safe queens and never get shot. I will try to get them out yearly or so to give a quick go over. Always seems like they really did not need it.

 

[arakboss]

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 will let you know when I clean one.

 

[Member 74756]

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.

`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.` Wot Mikej said, my higher end bolt rifles I will pull them out every 4 months or so and run some Ballistol over them and run a couple of lubed patches in them Bring on hunting season im getting the shakes already..

 

[Jay Walk]

Every time I shoot one, mostly so I can remember the last time it was cleaned.

 

[DB is Here]

My only comment on Ballistol is that I wish it came as an aftershave...that is all.

 

[bad pony]

My pistols: every couple hundred rounds or so dpending on what ammo I was using

My AR: every 1000 rounds.

My AKs:

 

[Jade Terfin]

My only comment on Ballistol is that I wish it came as an aftershave...that is all.

Somebody please tell me why…lol! No really! Should I get this stuff for my pistol? I have seen that specific brand mentioned several times. Must be tried and true. And maybe luxurious?