Mag cleaning frequency??

1530 Views 18 Replies 17 Participants Last post by gallardo.g23, Mar 18, 2013

Camjr

Discussion Starter · Mar 13, 2013

Question for the group: How often do you clean your carry magazines? I ask because it honestly never crossed my mind until I did a training class where I was dropping them in the dirt over and over on shooting and reload drills. I decided to give them all a good cleaning and noticed they were full of lint from daily carry. Lesson learned. I've never once had a mag or pistol related failure in thousands of rounds through my plain old unmodified XD40, but this was a wakeup call. A little compressed air and they were good to go, and I learnedly something without having to discover it through a failure. Now, each time I clean the pistol, the magazines get a little love as well.

Cheers!

Reactions: 1

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

kerberos

· #2 · Mar 13, 2013

I do the same...

I don't get to shoot as often as I'd like, but I clean each time afterward...

I take the mags to the garage and clean with compressed air.

:hand15:

kb2wji

· #3 · Mar 13, 2013

I clean em every few range sessions, or more often if they have gotten wet or dirty between use.

Gene83

· #4 · Mar 13, 2013

I've never really cleaned mine, but it's pretty hard to get them dirty shooting at an indoor range. I wipe them off with a silicone cloth when I clean the guns but that's about it.

USM1976

· #5 · Mar 13, 2013

Everytime I shoot I clean the magazines. I take them apart and clean the follower, spring, base plate, and entire exterior. In between practices I might brush them with an old tooth brush (no solvents) as I do the entire handgun from time to time.

Camjr

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 13, 2013

Gene83 said:
I've never really cleaned mine, but it's pretty hard to get them dirty shooting at an indoor range. I wipe them off with a silicone cloth when I clean the guns but that's about it.

I thought the same thing until I noticed the amount of lint that had collected inside between the baseplate and follower. If you are using those mags in your EDC pistol, you may want to check them out. It was probably worse on mine since I carry IWB snug up against a cotton undershirt rather than OWB.

ccw9mm

· #7 · Mar 13, 2013

Along with my guns. It's just part of the package. If the gun's getting dirty from firing, at minimum so also are the tops of the magazines. Any unfired residue often ends up down inside the mags, to rub against the springs. Let alone pocket lint, in the case of holstered pocket guns. And so, I clean all of it: the gun and magazines.

Reactions: 1

bombthrower77

· #8 · Mar 13, 2013

I clean the followers and wipe down the outsides every time I clean the gun, which is usually after every range session unless I know I am going back out again in a day or two. I disassemble and thoroughly clean them once a year whether they need it or not.

Gene83

· #9 · Mar 13, 2013

Camjr said:
I thought the same thing until I noticed the amount of lint that had collected inside between the baseplate and follower. If you are using those mags in your EDC pistol, you may want to check them out. It was probably worse on mine since I carry IWB snug up against a cotton undershirt rather than OWB.

The vast majority of the time, my carry pistol is a Smith and Wesson J-frame. When I do carry one of the semi-autos, it is holstered OWB. I inspect the magazines anytime that they are used. I just don't make a habit of routinely taking them apart and cleaning them.

barnstormer

· #10 · Mar 13, 2013

I had never thought about this until I stumbled on it by accident one day. I have a very nice kimber 1911 that has between 500-1000 rds throught it. One day I started having FTF issues. I was really upset. This gun has been 100% reliable, the best I've ever owned. I always keep it loaded, so when I clean it, I pop the magazine out, set it to the side. Safety check and disassemble the gun. When I'm finished cleaning it, in goes the magazine, never giving it another thought. After the issues started happening, I decided unload the mag and take a closer look, thinking something may be bent or something. I have several mags and the ones I was using when I had failures were the ones with plastic followers. The amount of grime on the plastic follower where it slides along the side of the magazine was incredible! I disassembled all 7 mags. Cleaned and lubed all of the parts and now everything works like a charm. I'm going to count those failures as operator errors and not the guns fault. As stated above, lesson learned.

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OldVet

· #11 · Mar 13, 2013

I disassemble mine after a few trips to the range (no rounds count or anything, just when they look like they need it). They get sprayed out with a degrease to remove the gunk and residue, and then a "light" spray with a dry lube. It's surprizing how much junk can find its way into them. I've never had a mag-induced malfunction . . . yet.

GH

· #12 · Mar 13, 2013

I hadn't been shooting since the ammo shortage because I didn't want to diminish my supply without replenishment. Therefore I haven't checked my mags. Out of force of habit I finally checked them. I was amazed at how much lint was in them just from carrying. That is until I thought it out. In the cold weather I wear sweat shirts - the nice ones with a good soft insulating material inside. That's the part that comes in direct contact with the grip & bottom of the magazine. I was amazed how much lint was in an otherwise spotless mag. I blew them out & gave them a silicone cloth wipe down. It's a wonder how lint can find its way into such a tiny space.

Good heads-up call in posting this for all to see, camjr. Something I should have done myself.

Kutz

· #13 · Mar 13, 2013

Mmm-- guess I should check this out.

Reactions: 1

Basic_Problem

· #14 · Mar 13, 2013

Every time the gun is shot and mags get emptied through shooting the gun and mags get cleaned before being reloaded at the end of the day. Mags are part of the gun too and should always be a part of cleaning maintenance after shooting. If you clean your CC gun weekly regardless of whether you shoot it, then the mags should be emptied, disassembled and cleaned as well.

I clean mine by removing the floor plate, spring and follower, then pull a shop towel through the mag body to remove powder residue, dust, lent, sand, etc. then wipe down the spring and follower before reassembly. I don't use lube unless I have a dry lube to prevent attracting dust or heavy particulates that could cause a jam up.

Reactions: 2

MJB_17

· #15 · Mar 18, 2013

I don't routinely unless there is a reason to specifically, but I do wipe off the follower with a Q Tip (the unsung hero of gun cleaning) when I'm cleaning a gun post range use. The only mags I disassemble and clean are ones made by known grease fanatics like Taurus who seem to dunk everything they make in the discarded oil from a local KFC.

G-man*

· #16 · Mar 18, 2013

I dont think I have ever cleaned a magazine. But its a good idea.

high pockets

· #17 · Mar 18, 2013

Clean them?? First you wanted me to clean my pistol, and now you want me to clean my magazines??

Next, I guess y'all are going to want me to put live ammunition in them!!

Hopyard

· #18 · Mar 18, 2013

I have no clue if what I do is right or not. I spray them with Break Free. I use the little
red straw to direct the spray to the inside. I've never taken a mag apart.
Compressed air sounds like a good idea, maybe better. Never thought about it.

gallardo.g23

· #19 · Mar 18, 2013

i dont have a mag glock tool what else do you guys use to take apart glock mags?

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