I was thinking about rifle cleaning tonight and was wondering at approx what round count could someone (a lazy person) expect their rifle to malfunction at due to being dirty? I realize there are variables for each rifle and ammo so I'm just curious as to a ball park figure.
How many rounds before it NEEDS a cleaning?
- Thread starter KDX
- Start date
This is like asking "How often do I get a new car?"
What kind of rifle? Semi-auto or bolt? Service rifle or long range target? What caliber? What do you do with the rifle? I clean my Tikka's after I shoot them, but I leave my SR-22 for months and thousands of rounds without cleaning it.
What kind of rifle? Semi-auto or bolt? Service rifle or long range target? What caliber? What do you do with the rifle? I clean my Tikka's after I shoot them, but I leave my SR-22 for months and thousands of rounds without cleaning it.
- Location
- St. John's and/or CBS Newfoundland
I love my guns too much and bond with them by cleaning after every range trip. However as along as the ammo isn't corrosive and theres not too much lead fouling, lets just leave it at a long ass time.
- Location
- Montreal, Quebec
Call me obsessive, but if I fire only one round, it gets cleaned afterward.
Technically, clean it once you start seeing reliability or accuracy degrade, however good lubrication is FAR more important than a clean weapon.
Google Pat Rogers and the Filthy 14.
He put something like 25,000+ rounds of 5.56 through a BCM AR on an intensive shooting schedule (1300 rounds every few days) with just lubrication(SLIP2000) and preventative maintainence on wear parts(extractors, springs, etc) before it started to have seriously have malfunctions. He cleaned it and ran it past 35,000 rounds before retiring it.
We ran 20,000 rounds+ of .22lr through a Marlin 981T over the course of like 2 years in s**tty conditions on the farm, just hosed it down with WD-40 or oil once in awhile, and it was good to go. Accuracy went to s**t by the end but it never choked on standard bulk pack ammo. Same with the 10/22, we probably put 8k-10k through that sum##### before tearing it apart. We wore out 2 butler creek banana mags before we cleaned it and the gun still ran fine with good mags. My Beretta Xtrema2's run like f**kin sewing machines and i dont remember the last time we cleaned them. Maybe twice since we bought them 4 years ago. Good lubrication is the key for any moving machinery.
So unless your shooting bulk corrosive goodness, i would just lube the hell out of your guns and shoot them. I think we all know what happens with corrosive ammo and moisture, but its not as serious as everyone makes it out to be. On the farm I give my 858 a quick once over every few days if im shooting alot and its just fine. These are supposed to be military rifles, not benchrest queens.
As long as you dont put them away dirty and oiled to all hell for months at a time, i think you'll be fine.
Google Pat Rogers and the Filthy 14.
He put something like 25,000+ rounds of 5.56 through a BCM AR on an intensive shooting schedule (1300 rounds every few days) with just lubrication(SLIP2000) and preventative maintainence on wear parts(extractors, springs, etc) before it started to have seriously have malfunctions. He cleaned it and ran it past 35,000 rounds before retiring it.
We ran 20,000 rounds+ of .22lr through a Marlin 981T over the course of like 2 years in s**tty conditions on the farm, just hosed it down with WD-40 or oil once in awhile, and it was good to go. Accuracy went to s**t by the end but it never choked on standard bulk pack ammo. Same with the 10/22, we probably put 8k-10k through that sum##### before tearing it apart. We wore out 2 butler creek banana mags before we cleaned it and the gun still ran fine with good mags. My Beretta Xtrema2's run like f**kin sewing machines and i dont remember the last time we cleaned them. Maybe twice since we bought them 4 years ago. Good lubrication is the key for any moving machinery.
So unless your shooting bulk corrosive goodness, i would just lube the hell out of your guns and shoot them. I think we all know what happens with corrosive ammo and moisture, but its not as serious as everyone makes it out to be. On the farm I give my 858 a quick once over every few days if im shooting alot and its just fine. These are supposed to be military rifles, not benchrest queens.
As long as you dont put them away dirty and oiled to all hell for months at a time, i think you'll be fine.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
I was shooting my new Norc M4 to find this out. I was cleaning often at the beginning and didn't find any issues.
Then I put in some lube and didn't do a thing till it started to short stroke at around 600rds. Took it apart and fouling was light so I just wiped the surfaces of the bolt and carrier - didn't even take it apart.
Relubed and it feels much smoother. Will try again and expect that it will run just fine.
So far, 600+rds with only lube being the main issue.
I will have a look after another 300 to 500rds. Will keep up with the lubing though as I have seen this as a significant issue.
I put a light smear of syn grease on the bolt carrier and lube the bolt lugs well. That's it.
I am not a fan of oil in a semi - runs and splatters. So far, the grease is working like a champ.
600rds over the course of a few weeks is peanuts for shooting. A working rifle might fire that many rds in an hour, yet they still function.
I feel that my 'dirty' isn't even close to what real dirty is.
Jerry
Then I put in some lube and didn't do a thing till it started to short stroke at around 600rds. Took it apart and fouling was light so I just wiped the surfaces of the bolt and carrier - didn't even take it apart.
Relubed and it feels much smoother. Will try again and expect that it will run just fine.
So far, 600+rds with only lube being the main issue.
I will have a look after another 300 to 500rds. Will keep up with the lubing though as I have seen this as a significant issue.
I put a light smear of syn grease on the bolt carrier and lube the bolt lugs well. That's it.
I am not a fan of oil in a semi - runs and splatters. So far, the grease is working like a champ.
600rds over the course of a few weeks is peanuts for shooting. A working rifle might fire that many rds in an hour, yet they still function.
I feel that my 'dirty' isn't even close to what real dirty is.
Jerry
When I suddenly have an urdge to clean my guns.. witch is about once every 5 years....
When the ar's start to act up I just drench the carrier in oil... and continue shooting... same thing with the 45 and the sig, the good old S&W have not been cleaned since I bought then 5 years ago. The garand has not been cleaned in something like 10 years as the m1 carbine. But all guns get a brush and patch don the barrel about every two outing.
The only two that gets preferential treatment are the m700 setup for target shooting and the CZ 858 because of corrosive ammo
When the ar's start to act up I just drench the carrier in oil... and continue shooting... same thing with the 45 and the sig, the good old S&W have not been cleaned since I bought then 5 years ago. The garand has not been cleaned in something like 10 years as the m1 carbine. But all guns get a brush and patch don the barrel about every two outing.
The only two that gets preferential treatment are the m700 setup for target shooting and the CZ 858 because of corrosive ammo
- Location
- Scarborough, ON
In a bolt or pump gun, you could probably get away with never cleaning (ever) without seeing malfunctions. Obviously there would be a degradation in accuracy at a certain point.
In a semi-auto, if it can't go at least 1000 rounds without cleaning (but with lube) before malfunctioning, it's not a reliable gun IMO. Corrosive ammo is an exception of course, the only way to avoid cleaning after every outing is to never stop shooting!
In a semi-auto, if it can't go at least 1000 rounds without cleaning (but with lube) before malfunctioning, it's not a reliable gun IMO. Corrosive ammo is an exception of course, the only way to avoid cleaning after every outing is to never stop shooting!
Now you know why you're one of those guys who never gets to write about how his gun is a POS because it's malfunctioned.
Here is a thread over at Fal Files old dirty has over 15,000 rounds through her with out cleaning. You need to be registered to see the pictures.
h ttp://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68486&perpage=50&pagenumber=1
h ttp://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68486&perpage=50&pagenumber=1
Same here.
GabrielPaquet
Member
- Location
- Montréal, Rive-Nord
I went rabbit hunting today and I just finished cleaning my remington 870 wingmaster. It was all wet when I got home because of cold temperature outside. I'm just opening it to make sure this water went away after the gun got back to a normal temperature. A bit of oil too to prevent rust.
Every time i take it outside I clean it, I'm sure it doesn't need cleaning at all but it gives me reason to play around with it
Every time i take it outside I clean it, I'm sure it doesn't need cleaning at all but it gives me reason to play around with it
...
Ar180shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Ottawa, ON
I'll usually clean the bore about every 500 rounds, and do a detail clean every other time I clean the bore. I lubricate as needed and clean before any competitions.
When firing corrosive ammo, I do a full cleaning after every range session.
When firing corrosive ammo, I do a full cleaning after every range session.
Gunnerlove
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vancouver Island
Last summer I put 2500ish through my issued rifle before I needed to clean it for turn in.
No additional lube, no love, nothing.
No additional lube, no love, nothing.
