NEW SIG OWNER HERE. I am shooting 100-150 rounds weekly. Ive been cleaning after every trip, but with twins and family, I thinking about cleaning after every two trips. About after how many rounds, should I clean a P226?

Thanks

I only clean my guns when I want them to work the next time I use them.

Okay, a P229 will probably work the next time even if I’ve fired a couple of hundred rounds, but keep in mind that the more a gun is fired, the more time and effort it takes to clean it. Waiting until it’s fired 400 times may not take twice as long to clean it as after 200 rounds, but it may take somewhat longer. In addition, some firing residues are easier to remove right away rather than after they’ve had a chance to mature for a longer time. I could tell a war story about that, but people aren’t interested in war stories and is one reason why veterans are reluctant to tell them, so I won’t.

If a gun is only used at the range for practice, I’m not as diligent about cleaning; if it’s a gun that might be used for serious purposes, see my first paragraph, above, and then it doesn’t matter how many rounds I’ve fired: One or 300, it gets cleaned. The reason is that cleaning a gun accomplishes two things. The gun gets cleaned and properly lubricated, and it gets inspected—which is just as important as the cleaning, and perhaps more so.

Mostly personal preference when we are talking about that many rounds. I’d LIKE to clean after every trip, but it’s not going to happen.

Skipping to every other trip shouldn’t present any issues. If it were a carry gun, I’d still try hard for every trip.

I try to clean the after I shoot them (the old Marine in me). Lately though, I shoot at least twice a week with different guns, so I am not cleaning so often. Pistols I use in weekly Precision Pistol matches get cleaned every 500 rounds or so. Most other guns I shoot still get cleaned right after shooting them, but that's just me, it is not really necessary with today's modern primers and powders.

You should wash your hands & forearms while at the range and shower immediately after returning home from every range session. Heavy metals are in the primer and powder not just the obvious jacketed lead.

As far as your Sig, slap some grease on the rails and barrel after every trip, and clean every 1000 or 1500 rounds.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
slap some grease on the rails and barrel after every trip, and clean every 1000 or 1500 rounds.

That's my usual approach for most of my modern handguns and long guns. Just run a bore snake through the barrel and put a few drops of lube on the critical areas. I only really clean every thousand or so rounds.

Duty guns and primary defensive guns get the lint and dust blown out and a few drops of lube reapplied every month, and get cleaned every 500ish rounds, or whenever they're exposed to inclement weather or excess dirt/mud.

My old collectible rifles, which are shot infrequently and spend most of their time in storage, are the only ones that are cleaned after every range trip. Especially when shooting old corrosive ammo, in which case the bolt face and bore are flushed at the range and then cleaned immediately upon arriving home.

Clean and lube after every shoot for me. Its not so much about cleaning, as it about an inspection of the whole gun to ensure it is in operating condition and no worn or broken parts.

Clean an lube every time here too.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:


That's my usual approach for most of my handguns and long guns. Just run a bore snake through the barrel and put a few drops of lube on the critical areas. I only really clean every thousand or so rounds.

Duty guns and primary defensive guns get the lint and dust blown out and a few drops of lube reapplied every month, and get cleaned every 500ish rounds, or whenever they're exposed to inclement weather or excess dirt/mud.

Yep. I go slightly a step above and clean or lube my duty guns every other week, whether they get used or not. If I've shot them in the past couple weeks, they get a cleaning. If not, they get a quick wipe down, and relubed.

Clean and lube mine after every trip to the range.

Auto pistols.. after use I try to wipe the old grease off the rails, put new grease on the rails. Wipe off the feed ramp. Wipe the outside with oil.

Truly "clean" them? For things that see lots of rounds like match guns (lots of rounds and lots of sand where I shoot), a few times a year. Others once a year... or once a decade... or maybe never.


(I have plenty of guns I've never truly cleaned and others that have been cleaned once in 40+ years. They all get lubricated and wiped down externally however)

With modern semiauto pistols it takes 10-15 minutes to field strip, clean and lube them, max. No reason not to do it after every trip to the range but also not really necessary. I typically do. I have a Ruger MKIII that only gets cleaned about every 1,000 rds because it is such a pain in the ass to break down and reassemble.

Jim

For me, no kids, plenty of free time & I really enjoy cleaning the pistols.

I only wash up after I'm done with solvents, oil & grease.

I thought that the right time to clean your guns is when the daughter brings her boyfriend home.

Oh, that's the time to clean the 12 ga. Racking it more than once.

Nope ,ain't going to do it,every time is not necessary.
I clean every now and then,when they get real grungy.

^^^^
Same here. Just a wipe down and a little lube on the rails and other points on autos before shooting.

I never clean the barrels unless there is lead build up.

Cleaning modern guns shooting modern ammo is way overrated. Keep in mind most combat handguns have been torture tested by police or military agencies with thousands of rounds between cleanings. Most of those that focus on spotless cleaning are mostly brainwashed military people ( I did basic in the mid 1980’s and can tell you we pretty much wore things out excessively cleaning And repeatedly disassembling guns. Another group is those taught by old timers who shot in the era of corrosive priming when cleaning was much more important. These days I will clean my semi auto pistols about once every thousand rounds or so. Spotless is no way superior to clean enough to run

You are going to get six million answers to this question. It will largely depend on how you are using it. Is it a range toy, bedside gun, carry gun, match gun, truck gun, etc.? Do you have others to fill various rolls or is this going to serve multiple functions?

For carry or bedside I'd clean every time I shoot it and lightly lube it, some would even suggest dry lubes to prevent dust/dirt getting trapped in gun.

For range guns, every 500-1000 rounds to clean, light wipe down and grease every time (five minutes).

Match guns, usually after every match for me, I want that thing running wet with lots of grease. Reality is I've shot multiple matches in a row without cleaning and never had a failure from an 226.

Truck gun, once a couple of years, mainly just for rust protection, so if you live somewhere humid more often.

All the above being said. I *usually* just clean them before I shoot them again. Either right after match/range or the more often at 10PM the night before range/match trip. I am not a huge fan of the quick wipe down. If I break out my box of cleaning supplies I'll usually do a full cleaning just because I'm slightly OCD and it bugs me to do something partially.

1,000-1,500 rounds is the max I would go. I usually do a torture test after the first couple cleanings to see how far I can push it before a failure. Never had a failure yet, usually give in and clean it at about 1,000 rds, the world may never know how many licks it takes to get to the center.

PS welcome to the forum and congratulations on purchasing what I would consider the best pistol ever made.

After every shoot - I love the smell of Hoppe's in the safe.