I used to shoot with one of my best friends. He was anal about cleaning. I learned to follow his example, which had the unfortunate side-effect of somewhat discouraging me from shooting. A fellow club-member at his club used to tease him about how he spent more time cleaning than shooting. That guy claimed he cleaned his guns "when they started malfunctioning." I've heard armourers say excessive cleaning can do more harm than good.

I've relaxed my standards a good bit.

I got to wondering what the collective does.

Question:
How often do you clean your firearms?

Choices:
After every range trip, no matter the round count
After every so-many-hundred rounds or so
As visual inspection indicates it's needed
When it starts malfunctioning
You're supposed to clean them?

Question:
How Clean Is "Clean?"

Choices:
Patches come out white & every surface, nook and cranny spotless
Kind of the "80/20 rule": Patches come out a bit gray, surfaces wiped clean, get any build-up off
You're supposed to clean them?

Question:
Do you do a live function test after cleaning a self-defense firearm?

Choices:
Yes
No
You're supposed to clean them?

 

Well let's just say I wish all my weapons were stainless. Makes cleaning the dark stuff easier.

Four my hunting rifles, they're cleaned each time I return home. All others, after a hundred rounds; give or take.

But don't you have to clean it again after a live fire check...? But then it's clean and you have to do another check...

Then clean again, then check again, then clean again, then check again.... It would literally NEVER END.

Thankfully I don't subscribe to clean after 1 shot or test fire after cleaning.

I clean carry / HD guns (if shot) in the next couple of days after shooting them. Other guns probably every 3-6 months unless a malfunction occurs (rarely if ever). Usually clean or check / lube everything in July and December.

I like shooting. Loading ammo and cleaning are done to ensure I can shoot, not because I enjoy either.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Well let's just say I wish all my weapons were stainless. Makes cleaning the dark stuff easier.

Four my hunting rifles, they're cleaned each time I return home. All others, after a hundred rounds; give or take.

True that! I probably go overboard on cleaning. I clean until white after every range trip. Also never had a malfunction directly after a cleaning so IMO no need to live fire.

I'll clean my range guns when I feel like it but my EDC guns are cleaned after every range trip.

Get a Grendel P-31. It is a PITA to clean, but it still gets done. From what I've read, I must have the only one that doesn't jam. Could it be because I clean it? Hmmm...

I'm pretty fussy because that's how I was taught. Clean and oil after every use, no exception.

Dad knew what he was talking about. My firearms are well cared for.

I don't shoot as often as I should, but when I shoot... I tend to take 1 or 2 guns and shoot them a lot. Until my skills start deteriorating. Usually a couple thousand rounds.

So, they then require cleaning. I selected the "when they need it by visual inspection" option though, as several of my guns require cleaning or attention even when not fired. Daily carry gets inspected every time I pick it up. Truck gun, every time I'm leaving the local area or have a chance I might need it. House guns, when I think about it...every 3-4 months or so. Safe queens...when I'm going to shoot them, not very often. When I clean a gun, generally I do a through cleaning. At least once a year I pick a few guns (usually 2 at a time) to break down completely and run through the ultrasonic cleaner, solvent baths, hot oil baths, etc. Parts get examined and polished, and anything showing wear gets a part ordered. This is generally when I manage to break or launch a spring or pin across the garage and order parts. My wife's VP9 has been in pieces for the last year because I did that, and then ordered a bunch of purple razoo snazzy parts. They're all sitting in a box waiting for attention. Hope it's all there, and I also hope I can remember how it all goes together. I have a majority of my firearms are stainless, so a lot of my stuff gets deep cleaned in the ultrasonic machine.

As for a live fire test....no, I like to carry my guns clean, so that would defeat the purpose. Every gun gets function tested after a cleaning...so what is the purpose of a live fire? If it passes function test, and you just inspected it for wear, proper oil/grease, etc....what is to fail? Exposure to corrosive elements and other fire residue can only cause problems.

I clean after every time I shoot them. Most of my guns are hunting guns and go a good while in between uses. I don't want any corrosive materials sitting in there.

Clean it when you first get it. Wipe it and re-grease it every once in a while - like when you have nothing else to do.

That's all.

I clean when visually necessary or when relubrication is needed. I clean to be clean, not to pass a white glove inspection and I do a dry function test after reassembly.

The only time I go beyond this is when I do a full strip to the frame. Then its clinically clean, but that happens maybe once per year.

I am very picky. If it gets one round through it, it gets cleaned.

I know there are some who do not agree it is necessary, and that is fine, to each his own.

I have never had a failure due to a gun being too clean.

quote:

I've relaxed my standards a good bit.

Been meaning to say something.

I am pretty anal when it comes to cleaning. I clean each gun after each shoot, which is at least 100-300 rounds. I have an ultrasonic cleaner and I clean until it is very clean and then lubricate it.

I clean my guns after every range session, no matter how many rounds are fired, or every 1-2 months, whichever comes first.

I do try to clean things as best I can, but I don't necessarily have to have patches come out as white as they did when they went in.

Carry guns get checked for lube every couple of weeks and get relubed as needed.

I see no reason for a live fire function test after cleaning.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:

quote:

I've relaxed my standards a good bit.

Been meaning to say something.

LOL!

I'm an ex Marine & it's taken me a very long time to get it into my head that guns don't have to be Marine Corps white glove rifle inspection clean to function properly.

After range trips I run a few Hoppes or some type of CLP soaked patches through the bore, wipe off the dirty oil & grease, then relube. Occasionally I'll detail strip a gun & give it a really good cleaning, but not nearly as often as I used to.

Not nearly as anal about it as I used to be with no ill effects seen. Clean them after a few hundred rounds or so.

I clean after every shoot. And it serves as an inspection check to ensure all is well.
To what standard do I clean?
Clean the surfaces and fresh lube. Nothing fussy. And a few specialized cleaning tools makes the job easier. Pencil test afterward.
Rotate out my carry ammo every 3 months and shoot it up.

Ouch some of these answers seem like lots of time wasted. I have two schedules.
My carry gun I do clean periodically. Not because it needs it from shooting (I only shoot it to facilitate a regular carry ammo swap) but because I attract lint, dirt, and hay like nobodies business (I live on a farm) and lots of it seems to end up in the gun.
My competition guns I clean when I think its required to avoid stoppages. That generally means they get cleaned every couple of thousand rounds. I will toss some lube on them pretty often, but not an actual cleaning. I've got a pretty good idea how much gunk is OK as I've run them all till failure to see how far they can go. And its a long time.