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Old October 29, 2013, 04:11 PM   #1
Roland Thunder
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Clean new 1911?

I recently bought a new Colt 1911 Government Model XSE stainless. I was going to take it to the range for the first time tonight. Do I need to clean it before I use it the first time?
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Old October 29, 2013, 04:27 PM   #2
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Yes, it is generally a good idea just to remove heavy grease and/or assure everything is lubed.

Just curious where you got the gun at? Was it a LGS in the Atlanta area and do they have more in stock?
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Old October 29, 2013, 04:33 PM   #3
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yes it was a bullseye in Lawrenceville.they only had one. I was really surprised when I saw it to so I bought it.I have been looking for one for quite a while.
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Old October 29, 2013, 04:37 PM   #4
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Hey thanks for the feedback. I know Clyde Armory in Athens gets them in sometimes, but just curious who else might occasionally have them. I’m sort of squirreling away some pennies right now, so maybe in the near future I’ll track one down.
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Old October 29, 2013, 04:39 PM   #5
Roland Thunder
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yes I saw one and Clyde armory to the last time I was in there but that was about a year ago
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Old October 29, 2013, 11:24 PM   #6
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No, but if you have the opportunity, why not?
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Old October 29, 2013, 11:59 PM   #7
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I love bullseye I shoot there weekly

Just bought a 1911 a few weeks ago there myself. From what I've seen they have better prices than Clyde, Franklin, norcross gun club, and mainstreet, but not the biggest selection. Anyway to answer your question, yes, you should clean and lube any gun before shooting it for the first time, just like you should wash brand new clothes or rinse off new dishes. My question is why wouldn't you want to shoot your new colt in the best condition possible? Waiting sucks I know but it's worth it I think.
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Old October 30, 2013, 06:38 AM   #8
polyphemus
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Quote:
Do I need to clean it before I use it the first time?
No.Before firing you need to make sure the action is smooth and there is
nothing obviously wrong with it,when you buy a new firearm the assumption
is that it will perform as represented.Your money bought the materials and
skilled labor that went into making a working firearm right out of the box,
your end of it now is to properly use and maintain it.I would like to point out
that if you have reservations as to whether it's functional after purchase
you probably should not have bought it in the first place.
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Old October 30, 2013, 06:45 AM   #9
Roland Thunder
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I love bullseye I shoot there weekly
I have probably seen you in there at one time or another, then. I only live about 10 minutes away.
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Old October 30, 2013, 07:06 AM   #10
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No, but if you have the opportunity, why not?
that's just it I don't have the opportunity. I'm out of town and I have the new gun with me but I don't have a cleaning kit with me and I want to go shoot it.
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Old October 30, 2013, 07:38 AM   #11
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Go ahead and shoot it. If there is too much packing grease your gun might not function 100% so don't let any malfunction bother you, should it happen. It might be best to shoot just a few mags, you don't want to heat up the gun too much and make that first cleaning harder.

When I got mine at the LGS they also have a pistol range. So I filled the mag and checked it out. Funny thing is, first shot at the target went thru the center X.
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Old October 30, 2013, 04:36 PM   #12
Fishbed77
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Quote:
I recently bought a new Colt 1911 Government Model XSE stainless. I was going to take it to the range for the first time tonight. Do I need to clean it before I use it the first time?
It's a new gun, so yes you need to clean it and properly lubricate before you fire it.

I'm not aware of any mass-produced firearm that comes properly cleaned and lubed from the factory. Even if they were, there's a good chance lubrication would evaporate away or be wiped away through handling prior to the sale.

Any grease you see on a new firearm is likely to be a preservative to prevent rust - not lubrication.

By the way, I hope you enjoy your stainless Government XSE! I have the exact same pistol, and it's fantastic - 100% reliable so far and very accurate.
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Old October 30, 2013, 07:26 PM   #13
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For the love of God, clean it. The last 3 Colts I've bought were shipped bone dry. Strip it, clean it, get it nice and wet with your favorite lube.

You will only have malfunctions and heartache with a dry 1911.
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Old October 30, 2013, 08:01 PM   #14
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Yes by all means clean the damn thing before shooting it. Give it a little lube too.
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Old October 30, 2013, 08:04 PM   #15
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Pistol or Rifle--You always clean before first shot goes down the barrel. Thats a given. Has nothing to do with working right out of the box in any way shape or form.
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Old October 30, 2013, 09:19 PM   #16
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Personally, I couldn't bring a gun home without having the urge to take it apart, and if I took it apart I couldn't resist the urge to clean and lube it.

Most gun shops lube them up before they put'em in the display, the last one I bought hadn't been, but they had just taken it out of it's shipping container when I walked in, it was still breach locked, and they had to cut the tie off so I could check it out.
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Old October 31, 2013, 09:36 AM   #17
Fishbed77
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Most gun shops lube them up before they put'em in the display
I have NEVER found this to be the case.

The gun may be shipped with preservative grease from the manufacturer (or not, as in the case of a bone dry Ruger Mark II I bought a few years ago), but I know of no dealers who are going to take the time and clean and lube new guns just for the heck of it.
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Old October 31, 2013, 10:03 AM   #18
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Put off shooting it til you get it cleaned up...if the factory has left machining shavings anywhere in that wonderful Colt action you're not going to do it any favors by firing it. If it really is burning a hole in your pocket, and you just can't wait til you get it home, go down to Walmart and buy some oil and another bottle of Hoppe's...the front desk at your hotel can supply you with a complimentary tooth brush and you can do a patch out of some hotel maid supplied cleaning wipes...that ought to do it....Best Regards, Rod
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Old October 31, 2013, 10:22 AM   #19
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I would like to point out that if you have reservations as to whether it's functional after purchase you probably should not have bought it in the first place.
That's not always the case. I've found partial chamber flags lodged halfway down the barrel on new guns. I once received a Colt from the factory that still had a fired shell casing in the chamber.

As others have mentioned, many guns are sprayed down with oil or grease to prevent corrosion before shipping, but that's not the same thing as lubricating it for functionality. Sometimes, that factory grease will seize up the gun, as I've seen with Rock Island and Taurus.

If you're taking it to the range, ask to borrow a rag and some oil. They should be willing to accommodate.
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Old October 31, 2013, 10:51 AM   #20
polyphemus
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Cleaning something that is not dirty,doesn't make much sense to me.That's for
starters,before you you buy a pistol you inspect it for obvious signs of defects
and general quality,should you accept it the next logical step is to fire it.
Then you clean it.
OP wants to know if cleaning before use is necessary,right?
He does not indicate an abnormal appearance,gumming or whatever.If there was
a spent case in the chamber or a flag in the bore a simple visual would have
taken care of that,again and like this business of breaking in firearms,if the
manufacturer expressly indicates that the product will not work unless that
procedure is done then there'd be a need to do it.

Last edited by polyphemus; October 31, 2013 at 11:01 AM.
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Old October 31, 2013, 11:25 AM   #21
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It shouldn't need cleaning but you should definitely check to make sure before firing the first time. Break it down, make sure everything looks good and functions properly and that there is not an abundance of packing grease like some do. If it does, then absolutely clean all that off. If everything checks out then take the time to lube it because they don't always do this from the factory at least not in my experience on my last 3 guns.

I just picked up a brand new still wrapped in plastic P226 yesterday. While it probably didn't need to be cleaned I gave it a wipe down and a couple of pads through the barrel and they did come away pretty dirty. This would not have affected function but it was dirty. It was also bone dry. It didn't look like it had any lubricant of any kind on it so I gave it a good lube as well. Now I'm ready to go shoot my first SIG this weekend.
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Old October 31, 2013, 11:47 AM   #22
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Quote:
Do I need to clean it before I use it the first time?

No.Before firing you need to make sure the action is smooth and there is
nothing obviously wrong with it,when you buy a new firearm the assumption
is that it will perform as represented.Your money bought the materials and
skilled labor that went into making a working firearm right out of the box,
your end of it now is to properly use and maintain it.I would like to point out
that if you have reservations as to whether it's functional after purchase
you probably should not have bought it in the first place.

I don't agree with that, at all. A gun is not a toaster or bottle opener. Your health is on the line every time you pull the trigger. I'd completely disassemble it and inspect it before shooting the first round.
"It should have worked" is cold comfort if you blow your hand off!
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Old October 31, 2013, 01:36 PM   #23
polyphemus
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"It should have worked" is cold comfort if you blow your hand off!
Interesting,disassemble a new firearm and "clean it" because otherwise your
hand could be blown off and it would be your fault for not doing that.
And if you really believe that your health is at risk every time you fire:
a)you are engaging in very dangerous behaviour.
b)you have no confidence whatever in your firearm.
c)you're in the wrong business.
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Old October 31, 2013, 02:14 PM   #24
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I don't agree with that, at all. A gun is not a toaster or bottle opener. Your health is on the line every time you pull the trigger. I'd completely disassemble it and inspect it before shooting the first round.

"It should have worked" is cold comfort if you blow your hand off!
I hope that the manufacturing processes were stable enough and the function testing at the factory would produce safe firearms, but, I agree overall with the attitude that you need to clean, oil, check any firearm, new or used, before pulling the trigger.

But I am the sort of person who drained the oil on my new truck at 500 miles "just in case. Now you could legitimately say, if there was dirt, metal shavings, etc, in the oil at 500 miles the engine was ruined after 10 miles, but, I don't know, maybe I wasted my time and money, but, I did it "just in case".
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Old October 31, 2013, 02:58 PM   #25
polyphemus
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just in case

I don't think anybody's saying that it is bad practice.
The point of contention I guess is:"is it necessary?".It makes you feel better,
gives you a better picture of what you just bought,you just plain like doing it.
Ok no problem,it's your piece but I still don't buy the necessity of doing it.
And not to belabor the issue but firearms were not designed to put the shooter's health on the line,it was something else that was meant to be there.
Am I wrong?
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