Advice on maintaining handguns long-term?

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BRBMD

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Hi Everyone,

I'm new to handgun ownership, and suddenly find myself the proud owner of 2, with 4 more on the way. I'm wondering what sorts of parts I should try to buy to ensure that I can keep these guns working and shooting for as long as possible. I presume things like replacement recoil springs and barrels eventually wear out--what else should I look to have an extra set of on hand?

As an aside, for cleaning I already have Tipton carbon rods with brass brushes and jags. Using Hoppes 9 for solvent and Lucas Extreme Duty gun oil. I also tend to put some white lithium grease on the slide rails and contact points in my Beretta--though not sure if I will continue that practice.

For storage I have been keeping the two handguns I have right now in an airtight case like this with some moisture absorbent packets. It seems to me that the absorbent should remove any water vapour from the air inside and prevent rusting, but then again i've also seen stuff online saying foam handgun cases are rust magnets. Any thoughts?

FYI, the guns I will be holding on to are:

- Walther P22Q 22LR
- Beretta 92FS Inox 9mm
- CZ TS2 9mm
- Ruger Wrangler 22LR
- S&W 686 plus .357
- Sig P320 Pro RXP with Romeo1 optic 9mm

Thanks in advance!
 
High density foam is terrible for rust, I once had me rem 700 in the box of the truck for a 6 hour drive in -30 or more, gun was warm when i put it in, first mistake, left it in there for a few hours after I arrived and it was orange with rust when I took it out. Luckily it wiped off, but foam is not a good storage solution, depending on your location humidity might not be much of a concern, and all the guns you listed are either coated or stainless so you might not have much to worry about in general

As far as spare parts go, it takes a long time to wear things out, especially barrels(100000-120000 rounds) recoil springs however can wear out quickly. I've replaced multiple sets. Smaller springs in the gun are also good to have on hand just in case, but they can last a very very long time as well.

Lucas extreme is great gun oil, but everyone has their own opinion on them. Simple motor oil will suffice in alot of cases, I do enjoy grease in some spots, but it does collect debris and doesn't expell it like oil will, so make sure it's in a clean operating spot if you plan to put alot of rounds down range in a single outing.
 
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Congratulations!

I store my handguns in cotton socks. My father had cotton pillow cases sewn into "jackets" for his most important guns.

Powder solvent like Hoppes No.9 evaporates. For guns likely to sit quietly for months or years, I found Hoppes Gun Grease works well to create an air barrier.

What to buy? Magazines! Some will work, others won't. But semis need them to function. Springs can make a difference to change the recoil feel and snap, but if you change them for too light, the shock on the frames can be hard. The other thing to buy might be some replacement grips, especially if the ones installed have aggressive sharp checkering. Get a second set and put the nice ones aside.

Finally, buy the accessories now when they are available. In a few months what was easy to find will be gone, and what you do find will be over priced. This includes holsters and magazine carriers.
 
That is a nice selection of handguns. Sounds like you have the storage details well sorted out. Keeping the moisture out is pretty important, whether using the disposable desiccant packs, or the rechargeable ones. After a wipe down with oil, I store mine in silicon impregnated gun socks. Directly on foam is not a good idea.
 
OP, if you're in a humid location, a dehumidifier in your safe will make all of your guns happier.

If you're not in a humid location, just make sure there is reasonable ventilation and don't put anything away while it is still wet.

It's pretty hard finding parts right now: If you don't shoot your guns, they won't wear out. The vast majority of Canadian handgun owners will never need a new recoil spring, let along a new barrel. What kind of round count are you expecting?
 
Way more handguns have been worn out by excessive cleaning than have been "shot out".

Best way to the care of handguns is to love them and take them out and shoot them every once in a while. Modern firearms don't need to be cleaned after every shooting or even all that often.
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies everyone! I don't expect crazy high round counts, just don't want the guns to wear out in 50 years.

I'm interested in what "I Dont Care About You" said above me, about more handguns being worn out by excessive cleaning.. I have been field stripping and cleaning after each range trip--which is about 50-100 rounds. Is that too frequent? I'm not totally disassembling the guns, just a field strip, barrel clean, surfaces clean, and wipe down with fresh oil.
 
BRBMD said:
Wow, thanks for all the replies everyone! I don't expect crazy high round counts, just don't want the guns to wear out in 50 years.

I'm interested in what "I Dont Care About You" said above me, about more handguns being worn out by excessive cleaning.. I have been field stripping and cleaning after each range trip--which is about 50-100 rounds. Is that too frequent? I'm not totally disassembling the guns, just a field strip, barrel clean, surfaces clean, and wipe down with fresh oil.
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A basic strip and clean after every range trip is not an issue. It is not required on newer service guns and standard polymers but it won't hurt them. For higher end target guns, most will do field strip and wipe or spray out the grim as build up can affect reliability and accuracy.

Over a half decade, I personally have never heard of any gun being worn out due to excessive cleaning. Maybe if you went crazy with a wire brush, some kind of acidic or caustic solvent, and didn't know what you were doing you could do damage.
 
Main thing is to enjoy them have fun educate yourself and others and be safe!
Normal care and maintenance to keep them running for years.
Easy on the SnakeOil you don’t need a AlumFoil lined Cryo chamber !
 
BRBMD said:
Wow, thanks for all the replies everyone! I don't expect crazy high round counts, just don't want the guns to wear out in 50 years.

I'm interested in what "I Dont Care About You" said above me, about more handguns being worn out by excessive cleaning.. I have been field stripping and cleaning after each range trip--which is about 50-100 rounds. Is that too frequent? I'm not totally disassembling the guns, just a field strip, barrel clean, surfaces clean, and wipe down with fresh oil.
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After 35 years of shooting and prob 2 dozen firearms in my collection, I tend to clean them only when they REALLY need it. Dirty is just fine if it still cycles. The only rifles I'd be more careful with are my varmint and target rifles as they lose accuracy when the bore gets overly dirty. Some 22 handguns can gum up and have trouble cycling when they get dirty. Something like a Glock or a 1911 can run just fine really really dirty.

I have a bitsa AR15 that got ABUSED and pretty much never cleaned. It never failed to run. Slop some oil into the action every once in a while and the thing just kept chugging along no matter what I did to it. The trigger group was just disgusting but it never failed to work. Life is too short to spend cleaning guns all the time.
 
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gdawg said:
Over a half decade, I personally have never heard of any gun being worn out due to excessive cleaning. Maybe if you went crazy with a wire brush, some kind of acidic or caustic solvent, and didn't know what you were doing you could do damage.
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The primary way people damage rifles by over cleaning is to drag a cleaning rod up and down the bore without a bore guide. That can result in uneven wear on the bore, especially near the throat. Also running a cleaning rod in from the muzzle is a great way to destroy accuracy.
 
Numrich carries many parts. Get lots of recoil springs and other small parts/springs...especially extractor parts.
 
BRBMD said:
... about more handguns being worn out by excessive cleaning.. I have been field stripping and cleaning after each range trip--which is about 50-100 rounds. Is that too frequent? I'm not totally disassembling the guns, just a field strip, barrel clean, surfaces clean, and wipe down with fresh oil.
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It's a fair question, and some good replies here so far. You're cleaning more than most people would, but it's fine as long as you're not being excessively rough during disassembly/reassembly.

I'd add that the handguns in your collection will get dirty in different ways, and 22LR is particularly ammo-dependent when it comes to fouling. There's a huge variety of 22 ammunition, and the dirty stuff is really, really dirty. Also, if you shoot cast bullets from the centerfires, you should watch for barrel leading.

The Walther P22 will get dirty fast, being both 22LR and a straight blowback action. But IMO, it's a good idea to let it get dirty and see how dirty it will run before you get malfunctions. Then, add a bit of lube and see how long it will go before you "really" need to clean it. This slide material is a zinc alloy, and I never trust this kind of material to be as robust as steel (obviously) or even aluminum. For long term and high round count (likely, given the type of pistol), I'd keep even field stripping to a minimum.

Both revolvers will get dirty around the forcing cone and front of the cylinder, but they don't need much more than an occasional quick scrub with a plastic brush in those areas once they start to feel rough turning (add solvent as necessary). They shouldn't ever require you to go inside the frame. (but that can be an entertaining journey)

The others will stay relatively clean with modest round counts, just keep the barrel / slide / frame contact surfaces lubed, and watch for eventual issues with extraction/ejection and fire control.
 
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