How often do you clean your firearm?(MERGED)

[nn]

After handling or use.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[sniper58]

For most of my pistola's...
After each range visit, or 6 months of inactivity in the safe...which ever comes first...

+1 Restsup! Dang....he always posts first.............

[Fitch]

Each gun that goes on a range trip and gets fired gets cleaned. My Dad taught me that. The Army reinforced it. Just wouldn't seem right to put them away dirty.

I shoot a lot of revolvers (all fun guns, no carry revolvers - though the 4" GP100 with CT grips could be used for HD) so I made myself a cleaning tool for revolver cylinders.





I made it out of a bit of 1/4" 12L17 hex stock I had in my box of miscellaneous bits of metal. I saw the piece of metal and the idea hit me that it would take a lot of the work out of cleaning revolver chambers. It took about 10 minutes in the lathe to make it.



The business end is threaded 8-32, the other end was machined to an electric screwdriver. The screw driver turns slow enough that it works well as a power chamber cleaning tool.

For .357 magnum, I use an S&W .40 bore brush to clean the cylinder. For .45 Colt I use a .500 magnum bore brush to clean the cylinder. For .22 revolver I use a .243 bore brush to clean the cylinder.

Soak the cylinder over night in M-PRO7 or even Hoppe's #9, then a few seconds with the power brush and the cylinder is clean as new. There is usually no metal fouling in the cylinder so powder solvent works fine.

I take the cylinders out of the revolvers to soak them. Easy with the S&W, a bit more involved with the GP100 but still pretty easy with some practice.

The semi-autos are much easier to clean!

Fitch

[S3ymour]

I find cleaning of my handguns quite relaxing, so I normally do it at least once a week, whether they get shot or not. I also clean every time after shooting as well. Its just another way to make sure that things will function properly when the need is greatest.

[Prvt. Toter]

Safe queens get a wipe down with the silicone or riggs about once a month.. They get a thourough inspection and cleaning annually.. My CCW pieces get cleaned after each range trip. To expand on that... if I carry the gun, it gets shot weekly if I am in town or at least monthly if I am traveling. I firmly believe in being proficient with the gun I carry, thus it gets a few mags through it right regular...


I have also started using dry lubes on my CCW pieces to reduce the attraction of dirt/lint/debris. The guys in Iraq have put me onto some good stuff... Newsletter

[SpringerXD]

I fully clean after every range trip. My range trips are usually on a Friday after work and I don't clean the gun(s) until Saturday night, but they're still cleaned after shooting.

[dukalmighty]

I clean my carry gun after every range trip,and wipe it down and coat it with oil to prevent rusting from sweat in the hot months.As for my range guns i will clean them after 3 or 4 range trips.Sometimes i try to see how long it will go before a weapon starts FTF from crud and some automatics will keep shooting and shooting,so it's kinda comforting to know that a lot of times after 500+ rounds the weapon is still functioning well.Like i said the firearms I trust my life too are cleaned and lubed regularly

[Agave]

If I fire once, I clean my autoloading handguns. I even enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoy making them dirty.

[1911 guy]

I clean my CCW once a week, minus the bore. The bore gets it when it's been shot, usually every two weeks. Detail strip twice a year.

Range guns get cleaned after they've been shot. Detail strip once a year.

[Saint77]

After every time I shoot, without exception, they get field stripped and cleaned. My carry gun gets a wipe down every 2-3 days.

[possum_128]

Even if I only fire one shot through it I will clean it. I also clean everyone of my guns every other month even if they have not been fired. A clean gun is a healthy gun.

[Ping Ping]

Wipe it down with an oily rag after each shooting session. Field strip clean about once a month/800-1k rds. Detail stip clean about every 2k. 5" Les Baers. I can't justify more.

[mike28w]

Good topic ! Now a question along the same lines.... Do folks have any suggestions for a cleaner that doesn't make the gun smell like a freshly cleaned gun ?? I dislike carrying a gun that makes me stink (any more than I already do). Opinions or suggestions would be appreciated !! Thanks, mike

[Sportsterguy]

Mike28. See my reply to your thread. MILITEC-1 is much better than CLP. Check out their website. They will send you a 1 ounce sample bottle that goes a long way if you are active duty military. I bought a 16 oz. bottle early last year and still have a little less than half a bottle left. Have converted alot of fellow shooters at my local match IPSC club over to it.

[DennisE]

I have no safe queens. I shoot a couple of times a week and clean 'em every week. Dennis