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Cleaning Your Guns - Hobby or Chore
A friend of mine is so bad about cleaning his pistol that I usually steal it from him for a day after range trips to get it squeaky clean and well lubed. Got me thinking.
When you clean your guns, do you do it grudgingly or as part of the hobby?
After a 500-round session with my 10/22 last week, I spent two full hours watching a movie and cleaning it at a very close level. I scrubbed and wiped and lubed until every bit of grit was out of the action. Took apart the trigger group. I had a small mountain of dirty cloths and Q-tips. By the time I was fine, my 10/22 action was the smoothest it has ever been.
And that's not even a gun I rely on to save my life. Those guns get a level of care that borders on obsessive. I doubt you could find a smudge of filth on my Beretta or Ruger when I'm done.
Yes, I clean my guns to make sure they work when I need, and because the close cleaning lets me do a close inspection of critical parts to ensure that wear & tear is progressing normally. But I also clean because I see beauty in a well-maintained machine. I treat my car and tools the same.
How about you? Chore or enjoyable? TV or radio? Solitary or with the family?
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