I have always been a strong advocate of not taking guns apart to clean, on the basis that it is not necessary, and has the real risk of losing small pins, springs and screws, plus maybe the owner can't get it back together again.
I have often mentioned the 1911 era Winchester 94 in 30-30 that I got from a retired rancher, who's ranching ancestors had bought it new and it spent about eighty years of its life as a working ranch rifle. The thick leather scabbard I bought with the rifle was hard as a board, but applying neats foot oil, as the rancher told me to, brought it back to excellent condition. My point is that the rifle had obviously never been taken apart, yet was not rusted, including the bore, which would likely rate between very good and excellent. It was plain that the rifle had never been taken apart, because every screw was in place and no screw had any mark whatsoever from a screw driver and no owner, farmer, rancher or what, can take the screws out without leaving a mark in the slot from a screw driver. I am posting pictures to illustrate what I am saying. It once had a tang sight on it, which meant drilling and tapping the tang, thus the main tang screw has marks on it where it had been taken out.
Just look at the condition the metal is in after all those years of hard use, without having been taken apart. Those owners certainly knew how to look after a rifle! That twisted wire on the bottom of the butt stock took the place of the saddle ring, for holding it on a horse.
I have often mentioned the 1911 era Winchester 94 in 30-30 that I got from a retired rancher, who's ranching ancestors had bought it new and it spent about eighty years of its life as a working ranch rifle. The thick leather scabbard I bought with the rifle was hard as a board, but applying neats foot oil, as the rancher told me to, brought it back to excellent condition. My point is that the rifle had obviously never been taken apart, yet was not rusted, including the bore, which would likely rate between very good and excellent. It was plain that the rifle had never been taken apart, because every screw was in place and no screw had any mark whatsoever from a screw driver and no owner, farmer, rancher or what, can take the screws out without leaving a mark in the slot from a screw driver. I am posting pictures to illustrate what I am saying. It once had a tang sight on it, which meant drilling and tapping the tang, thus the main tang screw has marks on it where it had been taken out.
Just look at the condition the metal is in after all those years of hard use, without having been taken apart. Those owners certainly knew how to look after a rifle! That twisted wire on the bottom of the butt stock took the place of the saddle ring, for holding it on a horse.
Good post Bruce. I have an old and well used Marlin 1894 in 44-40 that I acquired from a relative a few years ago. Shows lots of honest wear & tear but to the best of my knowledge, its never been disassembled for cleaning etc. Here's a couple of photos and every once in a while, I take it out and run a few cast bullet loads through it. 
