How often do you clean your guns?

Every now and then my dad will dig out his 22 rifle for some reason or another and shoot it. Usually it goes years between shots, so he always cleaned it before he put it away. It didn't matter if he only fired 1 round, he cleaned it before he put it away.

When I got my first gun I guess I inherited that from him. I fire my guns a lot more often then he does, but still not every day, usually not even every day, sometimes it's months :(

Since I never know how long it will be before I fire one again, I always clean it before I put it away. It doesn't matter if I fire 10 rounds or 1000, I still clean it.

I hear of some people who will let their guns go through thousands of rounds without cleaning it, but I'm not sure that I trust that. I mean if I can pick up a clean gun and fire 1000 rounds through it without needing to clean it, that's great, but where is the breaking point? 1001, 1010? I guess I'm of the opinion that since I know it works perfectly when clean, I should keep it clean.

Overkill?

I'm like you. I run a boresnake through the barrel after every shooting. My safe guns I clean and lubricate about twice a year if I haven't shot them. My CCW, I lubricate once an month in summer, and every 3 months in winter. I run a boresnake through after every shooting. Has worked good for me.

I clean mine when I first get home after a range session - doesn't matter how many or how few rounds I fired. I know some of the plastic fantastic guns don't necessarily need to be cleaned everytime, but I prefer to do it. Also, I reoil the rails on my guns about 1x a month (even when not being fired)

After every time I shoot , no exceptions.Then it doesn't dawn on you 3 weeks/3 months later you forgot to clean them.......

My CCW I clean once a week(lint etc etc)

Hmm... I've gotta be stranger than some of you guys. Does anybody else keep a spreadsheet recording every time you shoot your gun?

Since I've owned them I can tell you exactly how many and what brand of ammo I shot, where I shot it, and if I cleaned it afterwards.

Last year I started keeping track of the shots I fired. I flipped my gun collection to all new guns, so I was able to do it. I do it in Microsoft Word, not a spreadsheet. But I track the date, the # of rounds, any hollow points, and any issues, if any.

Yeah, unfortunately all of mine were bought used except for my PT92, but I can still keep track of all the rounds that I've put through them.

after every use collectables twice yearly inspections every three monthes.

I take a max of three guns with me most of the time. I could not sleep if I went to bed and left them dirty. To me it tells a lot about a man in the way he treats his guns, dogs, & kids.

I don't clean mine as often as I should. I think I've only broken down my Bersa for a real good cleaning once. The other two... I try to clean them once a month, but sometimes I just don't. The Sig really should be cleaned more often since I carry it daily and I get dust bunnies in there. I just... don't.

However... if I am overly stressed out and can't afford ammo, the guns get the spa treatment! LOL! Anyone else find cleaning your guns to be a little (or a lot) relaxing? Had this conversation at work a few days ago and we thought we were the only crazy ones until we admitted it. So I'm curious.

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Originally Posted by SuckLead

I don't clean mine as often as I should. I think I've only broken down my Bersa for a real good cleaning once. The other two... I try to clean them once a month, but sometimes I just don't. The Sig really should be cleaned more often since I carry it daily and I get dust bunnies in there. I just... don't.

However... if I am overly stressed out and can't afford ammo, the guns get the spa treatment! LOL! Anyone else find cleaning your guns to be a little (or a lot) relaxing? Had this conversation at work a few days ago and we thought we were the only crazy ones until we admitted it. So I'm curious.

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I find it kinda relaxing but I also find it like doing my dishes(I live alone),I usually put that off till I got no clean silverware:mrgreen:

I clean mine every time I shoot, as soon as I get back from the range. I am also one of those people that keep track of how many rounds I've fired in all the guns I have bought new since 1992.

I do not use black powder or corrosive powder/primers so I clean my guns when I get a http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...0/ed835b6f.jpg

Regards,

Richard :D

If I'm bored I'll clean my guns, regardless of shots fired...or not fired. It's relaxing for me.

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Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons

Hmm... I've gotta be stranger than some of you guys. Does anybody else keep a spreadsheet recording every time you shoot your gun?

Since I've owned them I can tell you exactly how many and what brand of ammo I shot, where I shot it, and if I cleaned it afterwards.

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I am just the opposite. I lube more often than I clean. I shoot mainly Glocks and clean them maybe once every six months or so. My Kahr is newer, but I haven't cleaned it in two or three months. The KelTec pocket gun gets wiped down weekly, but really cleaned only occasionally. I shoot a lot, so the guns are pretty cruddy, but they still work fine. If I relied on a 1911 for defense, I'd clean it more often.

I don't remember the last time I cleaned my M4gery, but it still works well. The 870 maybe saw a rag through the bore after last dove season. I did shoot some semi-corrosive Korean ammo through my Garand on Memorial Day, so that got cleaned right away. I think I squirted some Break-Free into a couple of .22s last year.

I live in the very dry Southwest, and so rust isn't really a problem here.

I have no idea exactly how many rounds I have fired through my guns. For the Glocks it is in the tens of thousands. In the thousands for the Kahr and getting near a thousand for the KelTec.

When and if any of them break, I'll just get a new one. <shrug>

Every time they get shot, they get cleaned.

I also bring only two or three guns to the range per visit.

I clean my handguns every 200-300 rounds. That usually means after each range trip.....

My shotguns (hunting and skeet) get cleaned every 500 unless they get wet........

Clean them regulary after each use :smt068

I clean mine after trip to the range no matter how few or how many rounds went through it. My carry gun gets cleaned weekly.

I also keep an Excel spread sheet to tell me date, number of rounds, type of ammo, and any problems.

It looks like everybody has a system that works for them. I'd say with the modern significantly less corrosive ammo that exists these days my practices might be a little overkill. Being said I believe I'll continue right along with what I'm doing. I've never had a gun fail to function because it was too clean!

I clean my pistols after every time I shoot. I clean my AK and Shotty every few months. Clean mosin after every outing seeing as how I shoot corrosive ammo.

I clean all my guns...very time I shoot.

And every 3 months all my guns get a thorough cleaning!!!

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Originally Posted by Mike Barham at Galco

I am just the opposite. I lube more often than I clean. I shoot mainly Glocks and clean them maybe once every six months or so. My Kahr is newer, but I haven't cleaned it in two or three months. The KelTec pocket gun gets wiped down weekly, but really cleaned only occasionally. I shoot a lot, so the guns are pretty cruddy, but they still work fine. If I relied on a 1911 for defense, I'd clean it more often.

I don't remember the last time I cleaned my M4gery, but it still works well. The 870 maybe saw a rag through the bore after last dove season. I did shoot some semi-corrosive Korean ammo through my Garand on Memorial Day, so that got cleaned right away. I think I squirted some Break-Free into a couple of .22s last year.

I live in the very dry Southwest, and so rust isn't really a problem here.

I have no idea exactly how many rounds I have fired through my guns. For the Glocks it is in the tens of thousands. In the thousands for the Kahr and getting near a thousand for the KelTec.

When and if any of them break, I'll just get a new one. <shrug>

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I'm with you. I don't clean 'em unless they start showing the need for it. I do tend to wipe them down with a silicon rag when i'm done though. I've got over 3000 rounds through my ruger .22, my xd40 and xd45 without cleaning. I've only got about 1400 through my Taurus 627 and the brass isn't quite falling out like it used to. Probably clean that up one of these months. The long guns are on a per-gun basis. I keep cleaning my 1894 without shooting it, my FAL whenever I shoot it, my shotguns rarely if ever and my HiPoint never. When they fail, i'll clean 'em. Otherwise they're fine (I don't shoot corrosive).


-=Whittey=-

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Originally Posted by Whittey

When they fail, i'll clean 'em. Otherwise they're fine (I don't shoot corrosive).

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I don't know if I could do that. My luck it will fail when I need it most. Of course in an ideal world, I'll never need it at all.

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Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons

I don't know if I could do that. My luck it will fail when I need it most. Of course in an ideal world, I'll never need it at all.

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I agree.......Murphy's Law........ take the chance out of it....... Half the fun of owning a gun ....is shooting it....... and the other half is cleaning it!!!!