How often do actions need cleaning?

[foogoo]

What frequency should I take my Mossy 500 apart and clean the innerds?

[Dfariswheel]

Depends on how long you want the gun to last, and how reliable you want it to be.

Personally, I can't afford to buy a new shotgun because I let mine deteriorate, and I sure can't afford a stoppage on a HD gun, so I field strip and clean EVERY time I shoot it.

Pump guns are marvelously reliable, but all it takes is a grain of burned powder, a particle of plastic or a particle of metal case head to cause a stoppage.

I at least brush everything out with a toothbrush, but I clean the bore, the bolt, the magazine, and especially the chamber and locking lug on the barrel extension.

[jroth]

For a consstatnly used (practise) consider once a year to detail the action.
Other times do the barrel and lightly oil the action.
Unless you get grtty dust sand into the action the definetly detail it then