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Old April 12, 2013, 09:28 PM   #1
TXAZ
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"You never have to clean this gun"

I stopped by a LGS today to get a cleaning snake. The guy next to me was being shown a Gen 4 Glock, no big deal. Then the sales guy says ..."and you never have to clean it". Is this something new with the Gen 4, maybe teflon coated inside or might there be a bit of prevarication there?

I have to believe that at some point in time enough crud will build up to cause something to malfunction.
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Old April 12, 2013, 09:36 PM   #2
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It's a machine. Entropy affects it. It needs maintenance.

Glocks were more reliable than many of the alternatives when they first came out, and the meme developed that they never needed cleaning. Many folks have discovered the wrongness of that when their guns stopped working.
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Old April 12, 2013, 09:38 PM   #3
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I think its a sales pitch... I clean all my guns after each time I fire them. I don't wait for 100 rounds or 500 rounds. I do have a glock 27. Its not the gen 4 (it might be gen 1 or 2) but I do clean and lube it up.
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Old April 12, 2013, 09:41 PM   #4
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So is it reasonable to assume that's not the assertion of Glock & Company, and not some new whiz bang clean technology? I'd have to believe that's a big liability suit waiting to happen first time a filthy gun misfires.
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Old April 12, 2013, 09:52 PM   #5
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Yeah Im going to say glock didn't say that..
The law suit thing I think would work agents glock cause that's not there sales pitch.. If someone that never used a gun and thinks he wont have to clean and lube the gun then he is in trouble and maybe he shouldn't buy a gun just yet, until he does some more research. All you have to do is think of it as if it was your car. If a sales man told you you wouldn't have to tune it up or change the oil ever or grease it how fare do you think he would get. And maybe he shouldn't be buying a car then too...
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Old April 12, 2013, 09:55 PM   #6
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I bought new vehicles in the late 1980's early 1990's and remember the salesman commenting about how the clearcoat paint did not need to be waxed, I ignored that.

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Old April 12, 2013, 09:59 PM   #7
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Far as handguns running dirty Glock is right up there, however certainly doesn't mean not cleaning is a smart move.

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Old April 12, 2013, 10:07 PM   #8
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riggings after seeing that Im glad I own a glock. (and I don't do any of those things to mine)....LOL
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Old April 12, 2013, 10:12 PM   #9
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Once i cleaned a glock... then it broke.
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Old April 12, 2013, 10:42 PM   #10
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This must be...

The same gun shop/show sales clerk who told me a used nickeled Smith & Wesson model 28 Highway Patrolman .357magnum was; "stainless steel", .

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Old April 12, 2013, 10:53 PM   #11
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Quote:
and you never have to clean it
From a shooter who rarely shoots. I put 900+ rounds in my Glock in 4 years. Friend has a glock 15000 + rounds and cleans it every 3-5k
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Old April 13, 2013, 05:00 AM   #12
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Well he wasn't really lying per se.

I have a Glock19 Gen3 that I have not cleaned for almost 6months now since I bought it and it still keeps chugging along after hundreds of rounds. Glocks will technically run for thousands of rounds without cleaning esp if you use good ammo (brass). I have not had issues with mine at all.

Of course you should always maintain your firearms.

I used to be anal about cleaning my guns like some people here. problem is, I kept running out of cleaning supplies/solvents!
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Old April 13, 2013, 05:29 AM   #13
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Quote:
Then the sales guy says...
What he said was one thing. What he really told you was that he knows less about Glocks than a first time Glock owner who actually reads the owner's manual.
Quote:
So is it reasonable to assume that's not the assertion of Glock & Company, and not some new whiz bang clean technology?
From the owner's manual.
To ensure the most reliable functioning of your Glock pistol, you should follow a regularly scheduled maintenance program. The Glock pistol is hightly resistant to adverse conditions. Nevertheless, your pistol should be properly cleaned and lubricated to prevent corrosion and to remove accumulated dirt and debris that can affect the action or operation of your pistol.

Your Glock pistol should be field stripped, cleaned and lubricated as follows:

1. When brand new, before the first time it is fired.
2. At least once a month.
3. After each time it is fired (after each range trip).
4. As required. This will be determined by the pistol's exposure to adverse conditions such as rain, snow, perspiration, salt water, dirt dust, lint, etc. Additionally, the pistol should be cleaned and inspected if it has been dropped or if any defects are suspected or malfunctions are experienced.
The monthly maintenance recommendation probably relates primarily to guns that are actually being carried or otherwise used on a regular basis without being fired.
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Old April 13, 2013, 07:16 AM   #14
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A gun may run very well dirty, but at some point, it will need to be cleaned. As Tom mentioned, it is still a machine and all machines need some type of cleaning and service.

This was simply a bad sales pitch that I hope the would be buyer was smart enough to ignore.
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Old April 13, 2013, 07:31 AM   #15
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I'm shocked that a salesman would lie.
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Old April 13, 2013, 08:05 AM   #16
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Cleaning for my carry gun consists of blowing the lint out with canned air as needed and dragging a boresnake through the bore a couple of times a year. Once a year I pull the slide and lube some of the stuff inside. It's not a Glock and it always works. For many owners, the statement of no cleaning needed is close to correct. I'm guessing that many owners shoot maybe 1K rounds in their lifetime.
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Old April 13, 2013, 08:46 AM   #17
lee n. field
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Quote:
I stopped by a LGS today to get a cleaning snake. The guy next to me was being shown a Gen 4 Glock, no big deal. Then the sales guy says ..."and you never have to clean it". Is this something new with the Gen 4, maybe teflon coated inside or might there be a bit of prevarication there?
<snicker>

Add that one to the count, of "weird things you heard at a gun store".

Yes, you'll want to be cleaning it.

Quote:
So is it reasonable to assume that's not the assertion of Glock & Company, and not some new whiz bang clean technology?
No, it's gun counter guy BS.
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Old April 13, 2013, 08:49 AM   #18
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Good point Mobuck. TFL readers are probably FAR from the average person who owns a gun for home protection but not into shooting or hunting.

You bring back the memory of a 1930's revolver stored in a closedup nightstand that was never used for decades, but found cleaning out an elderly relative's home.

I'm guessing a Glock, Sig, S&W etc would never have to be cleaned in a similar scenario.
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Old April 13, 2013, 08:57 AM   #19
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Whip1,
Maybe it wasn't a lie ) Maybe the sales guy knew it was likely it would still be in the box in 20 years.
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Old April 13, 2013, 10:11 AM   #20
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You bring back the memory of a 1930's revolver stored in a closedup nightstand that was never used for decades, but found cleaning out an elderly relative's home.
Sounds like my father's Colt Detective Special. Not in a nightstand but stored in closet, cleaned and then stuffed in a sock for maybe 50 years. Just saw it a few weeks ago for the first time. Saweet!
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Old April 13, 2013, 01:43 PM   #21
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... I clean all my guns after each time I fire them. I don't wait for 100 rounds or 500 rounds.
That's me as well. Can't stand to see even a .22LR sit for more than an hour after it's shot.
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Old April 13, 2013, 01:45 PM   #22
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Glock sure is wasting money by putting that cleaning rod & attached brush in the box.
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Old April 13, 2013, 02:04 PM   #23
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People who never clean their guns just to prove the point of, "look my Glock has 1000 rounds through it and it's never been cleaned, still works too!", are foolish. If you are relying on a gun for self defense, clean and lube the damn thing. You gain nothing by running your gun dirty. Not to mention a gun lacking sufficient lubrication will wear faster.
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Old April 13, 2013, 02:12 PM   #24
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Wasn't that the same line that was being fed to our troops in 'Nam when they were first issuing out the M-16's?

IIRC my history; there were more than a few people that experienced less than satisfactory results.

Anyone got a farm to fertilize?
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Old April 13, 2013, 02:28 PM   #25
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From a shooter who rarely shoots. I put 900+ rounds in my Glock in 4 years. Friend has a glock 15000 + rounds and cleans it every 3-5k
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