How often should I clean my gun?

SwwPlayboy · April 18, 2014, 09:46 PM

After how many rounds should I clean out my barrel? Should I do after every use?

When I do get out the cleaning pads, I tend to run them through till they dont come out black anymore, but sometimes this takes a lot of cotton pads.

What is a break down of a nice good cleaning?

nemesiss45 · April 19, 2014, 04:19 AM

you will end up getting 100 people with 100 different answers to these questions.

I'd say, some of this depends on what you shoot. start with a cleaner applicable to the ammo you use.

I generally clean my guns after every range session and I just brush and run patches alternating dry and solvent until they come out clean.

4thPoint · April 19, 2014, 08:16 AM

There's a theory about more guns being worn out by overzealous cleaning than by having rounds through the barrel. The military cleans religiously because older black powder arms demanded it and it's become institutionalized.

It's a lubricated machine, how often do you tear your car's engine apart and clean the carbon off the pistons?

And the answer (my answer) is... whenever I feel bored, or when the accumulated carbon and oils begin to wipe off on my fingers.

Bart B. · April 19, 2014, 10:19 AM

Competitive shooters producing the best results proved decades ago that frequent proper cleaning with the right stuff (tools, material and technique) promotes both long barrel life and good accuracy.

Everyone cleans their firearms the way they think is best.

Blindstitch · April 19, 2014, 09:26 PM

I also do as nemesiss45.

If I go to the range and know a rifle isn't going to be used tomorrow, next week or at worst next month it will get cleaned as soon as possible.

Now if I'm hunting next week for a month I'll leave the rifle dirty until i'm done or something happens requiring cleaning.

For example pheasant season here is mid October till the end of December. I shot 14 birds over that time period but in some instances I was in grassy messes of crap and a few times pumping my mossberg 500 it ate some heads of grass. After about a month when I took it apart there was a bunch of grass packed in the back of the receiver and other nooks and crannies. The shotgun was working just fine but it was time for a clean.

I know it's not a rifle story but I think it's relevant.

James K · April 19, 2014, 09:31 PM

A lot depends on the gun and the ammo, but there is also the question of what is meant by cleaning. Most guns will function for hundreds, sometimes thousands of rounds without any cleaning at all, given modern smokeless powder ammo. But if you come in from the range on a hot summer day and toss your gun in the closet with your sweaty hands, that gun may continue to function but it will soon be a mass of rust.

Jim

cecILL · April 20, 2014, 08:12 AM

The most important thing you can do, is keep them wiped down with a slightly oiled cotton rag every time they are handled.

Topos · April 20, 2014, 08:19 AM

Old ROTC Sergeant in 1950's on cleaning firearms.
especially when you life depended on its functioning:

"As often as you clean your teeth. Could
tell how often the folks back up in hill country
where I grew up cleaned their guns by number of teeth
they had left."

He and we all let out a roar of laughter.

Oh, still have most all of my teeth.

Aer656y9 · April 20, 2014, 10:33 AM

IMHO, if you do it right then you should do it after every use. However, if you aren't doing it right, then you could end up causing damage to the gun with frequent cleaning. If you follow the instructions that came with you gun, then I'd do it every time.

However, don't think for a minute that if you miss a cleaning session that your gun will stop working or something. It isn't THAT important. My rule of thumb is after every use where I shoot more than 100 rounds. Less than that I just leave it alone.

Don P · April 21, 2014, 08:32 AM

Quote:

But if you come in from the range on a hot summer day and toss your gun in the closet with your sweaty hands, that gun may continue to function but it will soon be a mass of rust.

I'll second that. My sweat and I'm convinced of it. I can almost make plastic/polymer rust. Learned my lesson about this with my Taurus 1911 and all my other guns with grip screws. I now have to use gold never seize on ALL grip screws. I had to replace grip screws and bushings on 2 1911s because of my sweat.

msokad · April 25, 2014, 07:57 AM

I've always cleaned my guns after going to the range. I have other people I know that have a few thousand rounds through their guns before they clean them.

April 18, 2014, 09:46 PM	#1
SwwPlayboy Member Join Date: April 14, 2014 Location: Texas Posts: 74	How often should I clean my gun? After how many rounds should I clean out my barrel? Should I do after every use? When I do get out the cleaning pads, I tend to run them through till they dont come out black anymore, but sometimes this takes a lot of cotton pads. What is a break down of a nice good cleaning?

April 19, 2014, 10:19 AM	#4
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Competitive shooters producing the best results proved decades ago that frequent proper cleaning with the right stuff (tools, material and technique) promotes both long barrel life and good accuracy. Everyone cleans their firearms the way they think is best. Last edited by Bart B.; April 19, 2014 at 11:50 AM.

April 20, 2014, 08:19 AM	#8
Topos Junior Member Join Date: March 1, 2010 Posts: 8	Cleaning Old ROTC Sergeant in 1950's on cleaning firearms. especially when you life depended on its functioning: "As often as you clean your teeth. Could tell how often the folks back up in hill country where I grew up cleaned their guns by number of teeth they had left." He and we all let out a roar of laughter. Oh, still have most all of my teeth.

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April 19, 2014, 04:19 AM	#2
nemesiss45 Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2014 Posts: 526	you will end up getting 100 people with 100 different answers to these questions. I'd say, some of this depends on what you shoot. start with a cleaner applicable to the ammo you use. I generally clean my guns after every range session and I just brush and run patches alternating dry and solvent until they come out clean.

April 19, 2014, 08:16 AM	#3
4thPoint Junior member Join Date: August 28, 2012 Posts: 240	There's a theory about more guns being worn out by overzealous cleaning than by having rounds through the barrel. The military cleans religiously because older black powder arms demanded it and it's become institutionalized. It's a lubricated machine, how often do you tear your car's engine apart and clean the carbon off the pistons? And the answer (my answer) is... whenever I feel bored, or when the accumulated carbon and oils begin to wipe off on my fingers.

April 19, 2014, 09:26 PM	#5
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	I also do as nemesiss45. If I go to the range and know a rifle isn't going to be used tomorrow, next week or at worst next month it will get cleaned as soon as possible. Now if I'm hunting next week for a month I'll leave the rifle dirty until i'm done or something happens requiring cleaning. For example pheasant season here is mid October till the end of December. I shot 14 birds over that time period but in some instances I was in grassy messes of crap and a few times pumping my mossberg 500 it ate some heads of grass. After about a month when I took it apart there was a bunch of grass packed in the back of the receiver and other nooks and crannies. The shotgun was working just fine but it was time for a clean. I know it's not a rifle story but I think it's relevant.

April 19, 2014, 09:31 PM	#6
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	A lot depends on the gun and the ammo, but there is also the question of what is meant by cleaning. Most guns will function for hundreds, sometimes thousands of rounds without any cleaning at all, given modern smokeless powder ammo. But if you come in from the range on a hot summer day and toss your gun in the closet with your sweaty hands, that gun may continue to function but it will soon be a mass of rust. Jim

April 20, 2014, 08:12 AM	#7
cecILL Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2001 Location: central IL Posts: 769	The most important thing you can do, is keep them wiped down with a slightly oiled cotton rag every time they are handled.

April 20, 2014, 10:33 AM	#9
Aer656y9 Member Join Date: April 6, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 17	IMHO, if you do it right then you should do it after every use. However, if you aren't doing it right, then you could end up causing damage to the gun with frequent cleaning. If you follow the instructions that came with you gun, then I'd do it every time. However, don't think for a minute that if you miss a cleaning session that your gun will stop working or something. It isn't THAT important. My rule of thumb is after every use where I shoot more than 100 rounds. Less than that I just leave it alone.

April 25, 2014, 07:57 AM	#11
msokad Member Join Date: January 17, 2013 Posts: 38	I've always cleaned my guns after going to the range. I have other people I know that have a few thousand rounds through their guns before they clean them.