Cleaning question

Gillis2

Gillis2

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Super GunNutz
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Hi guys,

A thread in the general section has me thinking about my cleaning habits. Now I want to know what your habits are specifically in the handgun area.
Personally, I clean my handguns after every range session. Sometimes a gun has just fired 50 or 100 rounds. This cleaning obsession is time consuming and I would like to be able to put my pistols/revolvers in the safe just oily wiped but as sometimes it can take a couple of months before I use a specific handgun, I fear that the dirt will «bake in» and be impossible to clean.
Do you guys shoot your pistols, then store them dirty, then re-shoot them weeks or months later without any issue?

Thanks for your opinions

Gilbert
 
I case mine up while they're still hot, bring them home and then clean them before putting them away.
200-300 rounds per gun per session. If I'm doing more, I'll run a boresnake after about the same.
Revolver gets the same level of cleaning every time and the semi gets a field strip every time and a more detailed clean every 2nd or 3rd time depending on how dirty the ammo was.
 
A minimum of wiped down, oiled and barrel cleaned after every use. Complete strip or full clean after heavy use or before a long term storage. Also if performance seems to be affected or there is a problem I will strip and clean and lube.
 
You could just wipe out excess dirt and make a fast cleaning with a rod patch.

But I am like you, even with only 50 rounds in a pistol or revolver I do a full cleaning (full disassemble of the gun), every thing in the safe is extra clean and well lube, even for my Rugers Mark III.
 
My 1911's and revolvers get lots of love and are always presentation cleaned...then there are the Glocks. Like the red headed adopted kids in the family, even neglected they still perform as asked to. At best they get a wipe down, usually not even that. I do run bore snakes through to keep the barrel interiors clean and oiled.
 
Unless very dirty it goes away till my log shows about 500 rounds then it's TLC time, I put a dessicant pack or two in with each gun case in the summer.
 
Thanks for your replies guys.
I guess that as long as I wipe with an oily rag on the outside, I can leave them like that and do like silverfox and clean every 500 rounds. After all my safe is kept at around 46% humidity.

Gilbert
 
Careful wiping a dirty gun with an oily rag. That could cause the debris/powder to become gummy...
I do a quick wipe down after every time at the range and when I have some quiet time I clean and oil...
There is something therapeutic about cleaning.. maybe just because it gives you a reason to pull em out?
 
Trgsmith said:
Careful wiping a dirty gun with an oily rag. That could cause the debris/powder to become gummy...
I do a quick wipe down after every time at the range and when I have some quiet time I clean and oil...
There is something therapeutic about cleaning.. maybe just because it gives you a reason to pull em out?
Click to expand...
+1 :)
 
I'm pretty lazy when it comes to cleaning but I have yet to have a failure with any of my firearms. I practice at least once a week and attend a match at least once a month. I typically clean the slide assembly or bolt carrier group and barrel before every match and do a full strip down every couple months. My precision rifles and shotguns get about the same love. Cleaning once a month, after 300 rounds or so.
 
Gillis2 said:
Do you guys shoot your pistols, then store them dirty, then re-shoot them weeks or months later without any issue?
Click to expand...

Yes. The only guns that get cleaned right away are the ones that see corrosive ammo, which is none of my handguns. Also note I live in southern Alberta, which is near desert in terms of humidity. Guns don't rust (even with corrosive ammo) and can be cleaned anytime with no problems. If you live on a coast or somewhere with high humidity this may not work for you.

Glocks get cleaned when I feel like it (they can go 1000+ rounds between cleanings and it doesn't make any difference in how they run), my 1911 gets cleaned every 300-400 rounds because I shoot cast bullets in it a lot, revolvers get cleaned similarly also because of cast bullet use and rimfire gets cleaned when accuracy or function starts to degrade. I also don't store them very oily, just wipe them off with a clean, soft rag to get any gunk and fingerprints off the outside surfaces and then put them away. Again, our dry climate allows this.


Mark
 
When I first started out I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. Got to know my guns, that's good. But it is not necessary and honestly I think that more wear and tear occurs from cleaning than shooting. You can feel when your gun is dry, lube it. If you shoot lead cast bullets keep an eye on your bore more carefully than if you shoot plated or jacketed. Oh yeah, my Glock has no trouble eating cast loads. Oh my!

I am a believer in ultrasonic cleaning too. Better than scraping and scratching away...
 
Gillis2 said:
Do you guys shoot your pistols, then store them dirty, then re-shoot them weeks or months later without any issue?
Click to expand...

Sometimes...yes. I'll leave my guns 'dirty' unless they are quite noticeably dirty...in which case I'll give them a quick wipe and relube. One of the important factors is how dirty is your ammo? The BDX reloads I commonly shoot burn very cleanly, leaving no more than a light smudge in the barrel and slide interior. I've been using up some American Eagle .22LR that tended to leave some unburned powder behind that would start to cause functioning problems in my Ruger MkII and .22M&P after a few hundred rounds.

That's the other significant factor...how well are your guns functioning after a shooting session [or several sessions]? If they are ticking right along, no worries.

I believe that the obsessive daily cleaning/clean after every use originated back in the days of corrosive military ammo when it was absolutely necessary....just as it still is with the Russian milsurps and surplus ammo. I also believe that too frequent/too thorough cleaning causes more problems and wear than a bit of smoke residue.
 
Can't help being OCD after using my firearms, always clean them thoroughly after each use. Problem with me is I really enjoy doing it and don't find it a chore, I'm strange enough that I'm disappointed once I am done. Agree it's not necessary though...
 
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