[rmolinowski]

We are not shooting black powder guns nor corrosive military ammunition. I need a better reason than internet lore, to bother cleaning my gun every time I shoot it.

As I posted on another thread, a rifle with several fouling shots settles down and shoots better than a clean bore shot.

Believe it or not, I can see light at the end of my barrels.

View attachment 175254
So, how many rounds? When was it cleaned?
View attachment 175255
Both photos taken a few minutes ago.

I'm sure people get clean happy just out of boredom

 

[Corndog]

79 posts. How many ways can there be?

View attachment 175412

I have one more. I use a Red Label to hunt with.

The first or second year I had this gun, my buddy’s knot head, big lovable warm harry twinky eating Labrador, knocked it over in the blind in about a foot off muddy water. It was cold out too. It was the only time my Ruger was taken out of action, frozen and locked up solid. No ducks were harmed by me, that day.

When I got home, I used a hose to clean it. Broke it all down and used my leaf blower to dry it. And slicked it back up with Mobil 1, 5w-20. Does that count as a new method

 

[Corndog]

I'm sure people get clean happy just out of boredom

That’s exactly why mine get annual service in February and March. I’m climbing the wall’s between hunting and fishing seasons.

 

[FOGeologist]

I agree. During my near decade in the Corps I learned the routine I’d clean your weapon after it has been in the field or fired. Did not matter whether you did a 2 hour or 2 day patrol. Didn’t matter whether you shot one or 100 rounds. You cleaned it as soo as you were able. The idea was an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. The weapon can be stripped and cleaned in minutes. A failure could cost you a lifetime.

This ideology is hammered into you by angry sergeants hating how lazy, sloppy young soldiers turn their weapons back in to the armorers, who are mad about having to do their jobs, and turn around and blame the sergeants. It has nothing to do with what is good for the firearms accuracy or functioning.

You are not handling some big, dumb, green organization's firearm. Don't over-clean your weapons. You CAN damage and wear out guns doing it.

 

[Moose look]

I clean my guns after every use. In one sense, it’s another opportunity to “interact” with the hardware, which I enjoy. I also don’t need to worry about a gun sitting around for what may be a long time, without being oiled. I also like to keep my cars washed…

 

[dweis]

This ideology is hammered into you by angry sergeants hating how lazy, sloppy young soldiers turn their weapons back in to the armorers, who are mad about having to do their jobs, and turn around and blame the sergeants. It has nothing to do with what is good for the firearms accuracy or functioning.

You are not handling some big, dumb, green organization's firearm. Don't over-clean your weapons. You CAN damage and wear out guns doing it.

I jut can’t agree. In the Corps we kept our rifles in the barracks in locked racks. Armorers never got their hands on our rifles unless it needed repair. I don’t think cleaning after firing is “over-cleaning.” It isgood maintenance. I have never seek a gun that was damaged by over cleaning, unless the cleaning is done improperly, which many people do.

 

[357 Vaquero]

I hear some people say a brass brush will harm your rifling if you clean to much . Witch there is no such thing . But working with metals and knowing how different they are I clean everything I take mine out and shoot 22s to the 500sw makes no difference . There is a YouTube video of a guy that was fed up with people saying the brass brushes hirt you rifling so he put one on a drill and had a cam Corder in the barrel and turned on the drill with the brush he was moving it up and down and even sideways and all it did was clean that bore so shiny it looked just like the barrel had came fresh from the factory

 

[Redhawk100]

This ideology is hammered into you by angry sergeants hating how lazy, sloppy young soldiers turn their weapons back in to the armorers, who are mad about having to do their jobs,

Cleaning a weapon is a user-level task. It is not the armorer's job. I would have crushed anyone who tried to make my armorers clean their weapon for them.

 

[Sr40ken]

Too many years inspecting Navy aircraft for me to not clean my firearms every use and sometimes in between.

 

[Redhawk100]

@Bepe
The mods don’t like vehicle talk outside the vehicle thread though.

🤣 Too right!

 

[Corndog]

I get it. That’s cool. We have a gun thread on my riding forum. It gets lots of traffic. Funny how my hobbies overlap. And both forums are lit up with political talk in the forum basement.

 

[KrzHorse]

A clean gun is a happy gun. Clean after every range session here.

 

[Rogerl7157]

I clean them every time i shoot them

 

[ATP]

You pretty much only need to make sure it is properly lubricated.

This.

I clean after every 2-3 range sessions, it also depends on how much is shot.

I'm sure someone will disagree, but do you honestly think you'd wear the barrel out with a bronze or brass brush? I think the mini explosions that happen every time you pull the trigger do a million more times the damage ...

And, this.
Also, you can keep a round count on an Excel spreadsheet. Add a line with the date of each range session, and how many rounds fired on each line. I would suggest the brass brush for that caliber at somewhere like 100 or 200 round intervals. If you're not interested in how many rounds have been fired in a particular firearm, skip the spreadsheet.

 

[jayhdavis]

This ideology is hammered into you by angry sergeants hating how lazy, sloppy young soldiers turn their weapons back in to the armorers, who are mad about having to do their jobs, and turn around and blame the sergeants. It has nothing to do with what is good for the firearms accuracy or functioning.

You are not handling some big, dumb, green organization's firearm. Don't over-clean your weapons. You CAN damage and wear out guns doing it.

I must take issue with your reply (unless you are just joking). At one time I was one of those angry sergeants. And those young soldiers were taught the proper way to field-strip their weapons, clean their weapons, and reassemble their weapons. Why? It had everything to do with the firearm's accuracy and functioning. Their lives, and maybe mine, depended on those weapons functioning properly.

As for damaging your weapon by "over-cleaning" it, not if it is done properly with the correct equipment and solvents.

 

[jj63]

I'm a car guy my 63 65 & 70 Vette's got washed after every use no matter around the block or a Friday night cruise. That carried me over to my work ethic owned a restoration shop Rods & Restorations that specializes in early model Vette's.
Ok so I'm a clean freak cars or guns they have to be clean JMHO.

Kinda suprised at a vintage car guy doin all that washin. A nice vintage ride, the less water you ever put on it, the better. Water makes rust. I know on a corvette the body is no problem, but the rest is metal.

 

[Bulldog47]

My safe is a pain in the butt to unload and reload with the long guns in the back rows. I usually just wipe down and relube the safe queens every year or two, and that's a few hours, in and of itself. I should probably program times to do a few at a time.

Ugh. Your post reminded me that my long guns in my #3 safe are overdue for a scrubbing and an oiling.

 

[Bulldog47]

Thought I would add this to the thread: Back in 1970 when I joined the police department, we were issued Smith&Wesson Model 10 Military & Police .38 Specials with bull barrels. Our armorer and range instructor taught us to keep our guns "clean and dry." This meant cleaning the bore with Hoppe's No. 9 and a copper bristle brush, then the inside of the frame and each chamber. We'd only use a drop or two of oil behind the hammer after every live fire practice. Then we would wipe the exterior with a silicone cloth. When we shifted to the Smith Model 39 9mm three years later, the Model 10 M&P's we had to surrender were in great shape with only a little holster wear on the bluing.
Bulldog47

 

[DirtyShirt]

Some times I only shoot a dozen rounds to check for safety, I am excessive compulsive person by heart/ I have no idea where that came from just dealt with it all my life/ Question how often should I clean my gun? I don,t want to clean it to death by wear and tear of brass/bronze bristles, maybe a few swipes of gun oil? Ron.

Your brass/bronze bristles will not wear down your barrel. I dont know where this myth came from.

 

[Chuy]

Asking about when to clean your gun is about like asking when to change your oil . Everybody has a different opinion , based on things that may or may not be relevant or even logical .And we all think our way is the right way .