I clean them most of the time after I go to the gun range whether I shoot 25 rounds or 100 rounds. That is just me.

 

I'm the same...

It's an OCD affliction...

After Every Range Session...field strip & clean the pistols barrel & internals...and swab out the revolvers cylinder and barrel.

Wipe down with light film of oil using lint free cloth after reassembly...

Then return to my safe(s)...

All part of "going to the range" for me.

.

 

Many years ago, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Drill Sergeant Nawicki insisted upon this standard, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FIELD MANUAL, FM 23-5 for the U.S. Rifle, CALIBER .30, M1, Chapter, paragraph 22, (a), (8):

"Cleaning frequency. The rifle must be thoroughly cleaned no later than the evening of the day it is fired. For three consecutive days thereafter check for evidence of fouling by running a clean patch through the bore and inspecting it. The bore should be lightly oiled after each inspection."

Seems that things have changed since then.

 

I field strip and clean mine after every shooting session. I have some guns that I have put thousands of rounds through that function as perfectly as if they were new.

 

I clean my guns after every trip to the range.Most automatics will start to jam way before 1500 rounds without cleaning.My Grandfather always told me that a clean gun always works when you need it.

 

I clean my guns after every firing session regardless of the round count that I shot. In my opinion you can incorrectly clean and hurt your gun or under clean and hurt it just as much.

Bob

 

My answer probably isn't good enough but it's the best I can do. Guns are machinery and so you treat them how you use the machine.

 

I clean each and every time a gun is fired, even if it's only one round.

The military used to order cleaning over three days, but that was because they were using corrosive primed ammo and firearms would corrode if all the residue wasn't cleaned.

There's a difference between proper cleaning which doesn't harm a gun, and improper cleaning that can.
One way to damage a gun is using expedient cleaning materials, tools, or home brew chemicals or methods.
Companies spend millions of dollars having doctorate level chemists and engineers develop tools and chemicals that won't harm a gun if properly used as intended, but people still think they can make a home brew lubricant or some tool that will save them a few cents.
This is "Penny Wise and Dollar Foolish.
Compare the amount of money "saved" versus an expensive gun or barrel and it's a stupid decision.
This is like putting discount house spark plugs or oil in an expensive car.

Today's non-corrosive ammunition and guns don't HAVE to be cleaned every time used, but if you do it right they'll look and last longer.
Much depends on the gun. A standard firearm can be field stripped and cleaned with no harm and that avoids any unpleasant surprises if something goes wrong.
A Match pistol or rifle that's tightly fitted may be damaged by disassembly and many Match shooters do cleaning and maintenance without any disassembly at all.
Of course, when these Match guns begin to loose accuracy they're torn down and refurbished, re-barreled, and deep cleaned.
Match guns usually begin to loose accuracy before any hidden fouling or wear can cause damage.

 

I shoot between 100 to 200 rounds in a range session, and I clean my guns as soon as I get home. I remove the cylinder, clean chambers and bore, using Hoppe's No.9 and usually a stainless steel bore brush. Then I heavily oil the gun and wipe it down after re-inserting the cylinder.

Both of thees guns are over thirty years old, nearer to forty, and both have in excess of 17,000 rounds fired through them:




Does cleaning ruin your gun? I don't think so.

Bob Wright

 

Does cleaning ruin your gun? I don't think so. Bob Wright

Me Neither Bob...

.

 

After every range session. Hickok45 has a good vedio on revolver cleaning on youtube. I think it's worth watching.

 

Let me add also it depends on how you use it. My carry gun gets constant attention .

 

As dfw noted, the military M1 Rifle ammunition was corrosive up until the early 1950's time period and was used for many years thereafter, and the primers contained potassium chlorate which formed potassium chloride when fired. Being virtually identical to table salt the potassium chloride attracted moisture which formed corrosion when the humidity was above 50%. At the time the recommendation was to clean on three successive days as the potassium chloride continued to leach out of the barrel.

When using the one piece barracks cleaning rod the wear on the muzzle was kept at a minimum, but when using the jointed steel cleaning rods the sharp edges of the joints wore the end of the muzzle quickly. The barrel was spotless, but the muzzle was worn away. Don't fire corrosive primed ammunition (the .45 ACP from the same time period was also corrosive) and a complete disassembly is not needed every time the gun is shot.

 

About the only USGI ammunition not corrosive and never was is .30 Carbine. Foreign .30 Carbine ammunition I don't know but the Carbine always had non-corrosive ammunition specified for it. That's why so many surplus Carbines still have their original barrels compared to Garands, 1911 pistols, 1903 and 1917 rifles.

 

I use to be very OCD about cleaning my guns. Now I shoot them a lot before cleaning. If they get rained on or I am in dusty conditions, well of course they will be cleaned that day. But most of my shooting is at indoor ranges. With modern primers and smokeless powder, I shoot my semi automatics hundreds of times between cleanings. I may stick a cloth covered finger into the ejection port and clean the barrel entry ramp and area, then blow the pistol off with compressed air but that is about it. I will lock the slide open and put a drop or two of lube on the frame rails, front of barrel and a couple of other places. This has worked very well for me, no damage to any of them. After about 5 - 6 hundred rounds I will give them a thorough cleaning.

Now revolvers are different. Because of the relationship of the cylinder face to forcing cone, this area has to be kept cleaner. And, many shoot a lot of lead bullets so the barrels will need more attention. But I think most Folks over clean their revolvers too.

 

I have to mention one of the secondary purposes of cleaning and inspecting your firearm from old school military/and family training-Certainly modern ammunition is much cleaner than some earlier ammo and firearms are at least assumed to be better-designed, but there is more at stake than just carbon/dirt/oil/lead buildup.

One of the key reasons for doing a post-shoot cleaning was to inspect your firearm for any potential problems like cracks in extractor, barrel, chamber, inspect springs for wear and failure points, examine the stock/frame/receiver for any cracks, chips, loose, missing or broken parts, etc.


The idea was the cleaning provided a complete periodic inspection you obviously WILL NOT GET if you only clean your firearm infrequently or at all.

 

A good point made DB...!!

.

 

I served for awhile as the company armorer while in the Army. My observation was that it was not the cleaning that caused damage, but rather the ham-fisted disassembly/assembly most men employed during the cleaning process. And, in most cases, rifles were always disassembled far beyond that that was necessary for cleaning.

Bob Wright

 

As a punk recruit, on the last day of basic training the cadre refused to accept anyone's rifle for turn-in; all were returned for further cleaning. With no further training scheduled, this was a device to keep us occupied and out of mischief. I recall detail stripping the trigger housing group of my M1, and scouring the detached buttplate with a GI brush. I don't think either procedure is considered user level maintenance. At the end of the day when the cadre wanted to close the arms room and go home to mama the rifles suddenly all became acceptably clean. Apparently this kabuki theater occurred every cycle, as none of the weapons in the company had much finish left.

After a break in service I reenlisted, and was obliged to repeat basic training. Different post--different pattern rifle--different sergeants--who on the last day refused to accept anyone's rifle for turn-in; all were returned for further cleaning. I was still a punk, but experience had made me a wily punk. Putting my rifle in my locker, I spent the afternoon reading. Hours later, a breathless runner told me they were waiting to get my rifle so they could close the arms room. After a cursory inspection and a few snarky remarks about taking so long my rifle was accepted for turn-in.

 

When I used to hunt waterfowl in Northern California as a kid, I was taught to shoot some WD-40 down both bores and push a rag thru before putting the gun in a rack. Next morning, push a dry rag through and it was out to the blind. A lesson soon dismissed as I grew older.

Frequent care never used to concern me too much until the bore of my Remington 700BDL (.30-'06) turned dark after about a month of standing in the corner of my living room with a dirty bore. Western Montana isn't known for being very moist.

These days, because I can go months, years or decades before touching them again, as a minimum I'll clean and oil the bore. This is SOP even if I'm going out the next day.

 

You had WD-40 as a kid?


Youngster!


Bob Wright

 

WD-40 is not a lubricant, and should never be used on firearms.

 

Indeed not a lubricant, but it does displace water (Water Displacement 40). But it is not more than that. It just gums up and offers barely any protection.

 

Learned from Granddad to clean every time you shoot and if carry, clean once a week, at least outside. He was military and career policeman and alsways told me that the gun was a tool he trusted to protect his life and was only as good as he took care of it. I now teach grandkids that too and we go shoot then come home and clean the guns telling stories about the range trip. Use Hoppe's #9 and Remington CLP. Also use Brass or nylon Brush. As said earlier teach them proper way to field dress gun.

 

If you don't clean your tools after using your tools you should not own tools.

 

Even if it's only a single shot at a pest I clean the gun. There are too many guns around here. I gotta clean 'em after every use or things will get out of hand. I don't like to clean guns mind you, but if there's one in the safe left uncleaned or not sighted in, then I'm bugged.

Cleaned and lub'ed guns haven't done me wrong.

 

I am a big fan of bore snakes, especially on my Combat Elite, during training sessions. I drop it in the mag well and then down the barrel, pulling it out the bore.

 

Although I keep some WD-40 around the house, I never let it get near my firearms. A friend of mine would let his Gold Cup go without cleaning until I would empty a full magazine without pulling the trigger more than once and then he would clean it.

 

With the exception of .22 rimfire guns, they all get cleaned and wiped with oil after each range session. .22 rimfires get a good wipedown after shooting, but nothing done to the bores which are cleaned every six months. Each gun not fired, (safe queens you might say) get cleaned every six months.