How often should I USE my guns to make sure they stay in good running order?

[desibaba]

I have a XDm 9mm 4.5 inch and an MP15 Sport 2 AR15. How often do I need to use them to make sure they stay in good working order and of course I do clean and lube em after use.

[PawPaw]

As often as you can. As often as is practical. I don't know that there is any iron-clad rule. I have guns that I shoot only once a year or so, others that I shoot weekly. A forearm in good repair should be able to function properly after being stored for even several years, but none of us want to leave our guns that long.

[Wishoot]

If they're safe-queens and not used for HD/SD, I take mine out whenever I feel like it. A few have sat in the safe for 2-4 years before they see any use. I still keep them cleaned and lubed and ready to go however.

HD/SD guns are fired as frequently as possible.

[Jim Watson]

How often do I need to use them to make sure I can use them safely and effectively?

That is the real question.
The guns are not going to wear out on the shelf, but skill is perishable.
Shoot them as often as you can to maintain proficiency.

[BarryLee]

guns are not going to wear out on the shelf, but skill is perishable

This was also my first thought. I suspect a quality handgun could sit in a reasonably safe environment for years without any attention and still function just fine.

[SamNavy]

Nothing on those guns will ever get "old"... well, I guess in 500yrs the plastic parts might be a bit brittle. If not stored properly, things will rust or corrode... but that aside, they won't "not work" if you don't shoot them.

However, everything has a lifespan. A modern 9mm handgun barrel will last what, 50k rds? Your AR15 barrel should be good for 15k rds of copper FMJ... maybe less with bimetal and/or hot handloads. Other internal parts... springs, extractor, firing pin, etc... should be replaced at intervals... but firearms are fairly simple machines. If you've put a couple hundred rounds through each and they function fine, then you could probably put them in a safe for 100yrs and they'd work fine (assuming properly prepped for long-term storage).

For example... just think of all the 80yr old Mosin Nagants that went through a couple wars, bathed in cosmoline, and thrown in crates for decades... they work fine after cleaning.

I learned to shoot back in the early 80's on a Ruger 10/22... whenever I go home to see the parents, I always like to take it out and hold it... it hasn't been fired in 30yrs, but I have no doubt it would go bang on the first trigger pull... even with the thousands of rounds of .22lr that my Dad's been holding onto since the 60's.

[deerslayer303]

I agree with all of the comments. But I will add that springs get weak over time if they stay compressed. A shotgun magazine tube spring gets weak faster than you may think if the gun sits with shells in the magazine tube all the time. My guns do not sit cocked all the time either. All my guns are decocked. Even my home defense shotgun is decocked ( it is cocked when a round is chambered of course) the only thing I may have to worry about is magazine springs getting weak.

[mete]

A proper spring will NOT weaken over time !!! But a cheap spring , even though factory , might.
Cheap lube might oxidize to form a varnish !

[DaleA]

Yikes! Springs have sprung...that's not a good thing for the health of this thread...

Instead let's discuss what lubricants would be good for extended non use. Yeah, no problem with THAT topic.

[RickB]

You use them regularly to ensure that YOU stay in good working order.
I have inspected pistols that were lubed prior to storage and found bone dry a year later.
I wouldn't have believed something that is so persistent as gun oil (based on how hard it is to wash it off my hands) can just evaporate so quickly.
I field strip, wipe down, and lube my guns annually, whether they get shot, or not. I don't consider most of my guns to be weapons, but I want them to be ready to go, just like a buddy who has his motorcycle on a trickle charger year around, even if he rides only in the Summer.

[Skans]

I have guns sitting in my safe that haven't been used for decades, maybe even some that haven't been fired in 100 years or more. Most of them are in perfect running order. In fact, my Swiss 1882 revolver is pristine, smooth and tight. It looks and functions like it could have been manufactured this century. My 1907 Colt SAA has all 4 clicks, locks up tight and the bore looks great for its age, and everything lines up nicely.....I do plan on shooting it! I have a 1911 manufactured in 1914 - it has been refurbished (not by me), I plan on shooting that one too!

[rickyrick]

Use implies wear, the more it's used the likelihood of breakdown increases. It's most likely that if it worked when you put it away it works when you pull it out again.

However, they should get checked and lubed periodically.

Carry pistols should be checked daily. I once found a cut off zip tie in my barrel... Must have fell into an empty holster then went up the barrel when I put the pistol in it. No clue, but I sometimes put my pistol away when I work

[Machineguntony]

Most of my collection nowadays is comprised of guns that are at least 30 years old. Some were safe queens. Some were unfired. You would never know they are at least 30 years old.

If guns are covered in lube, they can last for a long time. You really never need to fire them to keep them working. You just need to lube them and keep them away from heavy moisture and wet environments, which can oxidize certain metals.

[Tex44]

springs get weak over time if they stay compressed.

I disagree. Springs weaken from being compressed and decompressed over and over again. Keeping them constantly compressed will not weaken them. I have several magazines that have been loaded and left untouched for a few years. I recently went through and unloaded everything to get a full count of all my ammo, and those magazine springs were every bit as strong as when I loaded them.

[deerslayer303]

I had a magazine tube spring go weak in a Mossberg 500. It would not push out the last two shells. This was a shotgun I kept loaded all the time for HD. These springs do not seem all that heavy duty to me even when new. And I had a magazine spring in a S&W 457 get weak also, again it stayed loaded all the time. From those experiences I rotate loaded magazines and I have a spare spring for the shot gun as well. And it sits with one shell left out.

[Tex44]

Correlation does not imply causation.

It's fact that springs will become fatigued after repeated cycling. It's also a fact that there are magazines out there that have been left loaded for decades, loaded into a gun, and shot without issue.

[Kreyzhorse]

I have a 96 year old Colt that hasn't been shot much at all. It works fine. It has been oiled and stored well in those years keeping it rust free and in great condition.

Bottomline, you don't need to shoot again to keep it working, you just need to maintain it. You need to shoot to maintain your skill.

[peggysue]

I've got a Broom handle C96 I have only shot a couple time. It is circa 1903. Cleaned it and put it up 20 years ago. It will still work as well as it did in 1903.

[Radny97]

I guess this is out of step with the other replies here but in my opinion if you have to ask the question about how often you need to shoot your guns to keep them in good order, then you are not shooting your guns enough. . Go out and enjoy them. That's what they're for.

[vito]

Probably the biggest enemy for long term storage is moisture. But if kept dry and clean I would guess most guns will far outlast their owners. Even if the criteria is the ability to go bang when the trigger is pulled, a clean, stored handgun with factory ammo is certainly likely to work properly, at least for the first round (in a semi-auto) and likely for all the rounds in the cylinder for a revolver. Even if you don't regularly clean and lube your guns, if you do after lengthy storage I think you will be fine. Just watch out for rust.

[peggysue]

+1 vito I have guns in my gun room I have not touched for 15 years +. The room is climate controlled and guns do not go bad like vegetables.

[WIL TERRY]

At minumum, DAILY !!! Otherwise you'll never know if it had a stroke evernight...or a hernia...or sclarosous of the sear....or something. Better change your ammunition every morning and evening too while you're at it.
And so it goes...

[mr bolo]

I remember a guy at the range with a couple nice old TURK Mausers that he picked up at Big 5, this was his first time out for a test fire, he cleaned and lubed them before going to the range, he had numerous misfires , the guns just wouldnt fire, they were probably in storage in some arsenal in Turkey since WWII, maybe the firing pins springs were weakened from long term storage? maybe the ammo was too old? but guns and ammo dont last forever, depending on heat , humidty, storage conditions, things can go bad.

I once had a Bushmaster AR15 that I just fired over 300 rds without any problems, I went home and cleaned it and lubed it, and a couple months later went back to the range and the rifle wouldnt cycle, it became a single shot, I had to pull the charging handle to extract and chamber a new round for every shot, I was also using the same type of ammo I used a couple months before , my gas tube & gas rings needed replacement. What if I were to keep this same rifle for ITSHTF? and the same thing happened? and my rifle wouldnt cycle? thats why it's important to always test fire and maintain your firearms, especially if they are for home defense.

[9x45]

I shoot a USPSA match once a week and that's just about at a maintenance level for your shooting skills.