sroc112 19 Posted June 28, 2016 After each trip to the range? Certain number of rounds shot? Certain length of time? I recently bought some Tetra products to clean and lubricate but after some research decided to pick up a mil comm kit. Used gun for first time this past weekend, put out 250 rounds. Have not had a chance to sit down and clean it yet but plan on doing so this week. Is it vital to clean immediately after the range, or is it ok if it sits for a few days? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gabonk 13 Posted June 28, 2016 Not often enough. Sometimes its a couple trips to the range without cleaning. Sometimes its right after. But it always involves beer and me in my underwear Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikeyjones 88 Posted June 28, 2016 After each trip to the range? Certain number of rounds shot? Certain length of time? I recently bought some Tetra products to clean and lubricate but after some research decided to pick up a mil comm kit. Used gun for first time this past weekend, put out 250 rounds. Have not had a chance to sit down and clean it yet but plan on doing so this week. Is it vital to clean immediately after the range, or is it ok if it sits for a few days? Depends on the gun. For my competition Glock, I just clean the bore 1 or 2x a month and put a few drops of oil on the rails. For my 1911s and others, I just make sure they're nice and lubed and they usually run pretty well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MidwestPX 172 Posted June 28, 2016 It depends. Anything I would grab in a defensive situation gets cleaned, inspected, and lubricated after each range session though I don't do much to barrels beyond running a boresnake followed by wet and dry patches. Rental and demo guns are treated the same since they're generating revenue and I don't want them choking due to neglect. Anything built for precision is also cleaned after every outing though not inspected like the defensive guns beyond a cursory glance as I'm cleaning. Anything that doesn't fit into those categories gets cleaned whenever I feel like it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
High Exposure 5,635 Posted June 28, 2016 Don't really have a schedule. Every few thousand rounds I will wipe down my guns and look for broken/worn parts. Usually I just give it a quick once over with and old toothbrush and T shirt, run a bore snake through the barrel, lube it up, and put it back together. Takes about 10 minutes total. I'll do a preventative maintenance check prior to a class and a quick cleaning after, depending on round count. If I have been shooting in the rain, I make sure to dry everything pretty well and lube generously. Once a year my guns get detail cleaned and springs/parts changed as needed based on the previous years's range schedule. Work guns are carried often and shot little. They get a visual inspection and lubed once a month. Here are a few more threads here on the topic: http://www.njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/topic/52632-gun-cleaning/?fromsearch=1 http://www.njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/topic/30184-how-often-do-you-clean-your-guns-and-do-you-enjoy-doing-it/?fromsearch=1 http://www.njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/topic/15386-how-often-to-cleanlube/?fromsearch=1 http://www.njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/topic/9440-how-often-do-you-clean-your-handgun/?fromsearch=1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr.Jimmy Rustler 23 Posted June 28, 2016 i run a bore snake through my remington 700 and .22 after every range trip but the rest hardly ever get cleaned. (AR15s+pistols) nor need it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AverageJoe 95 Posted June 28, 2016 I went 4.5 years w/o cleaning my G19 just to see how long I could run it...when the slide started to stick a little and needed slight assistance from my thumb I knew it was time lol. But my other guns usually after a few trips to the range. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NJGF 375 Posted June 28, 2016 I used to not clean them that frequently until I had a failure to extract/eject. Now after each range session (or a day later if I can't get to it that day). Cleaning them after each use is easier than having to clean a few at once. Once a year I will do a complete breakdown, clean, and lube of all of them. I find the revolvers are more of a pain than the semi-auto's. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lambo2936 297 Posted June 28, 2016 I personally break down each firearm and clean it after each range session(or the day or 2 after if im busy), regardless of round count. Wife put like 8 thru the savage 111 bolt and i still cleaned it. Apparently im just ocd about it.... i thought that was normal. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyB 4,289 Posted June 28, 2016 I personally break down each firearm and clean it after each range session(or the day or 2 after if im busy), regardless of round count. Wife put like 8 thru the savage 111 bolt and i still cleaned it. Apparently im just ocd about it.... i thought that was normal. Same here. I was taught as a kid it's just what you do. The benefit is that all of my guns still look and run like the day I bought them. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howard 538 Posted June 28, 2016 When I first started shooting I cleaned them after each range trip - what a waste of time. Now I clean them when dirty. That means a loose polymer gun like a glock maybe every 2,000 rounds. A tight gun like a 1911 gets cleaned more often as it is more prone to issues due to the tighter tolerances. I know of one Grand Master shooter who never cleans his guns. I was shocked when he told me this. He is sponsored so he just shoots them till he has an issue and has the sponsor give him a new one. Must be nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nucrunner 75 Posted June 28, 2016 Rifles - M1, M1A wipe them down, snake the barrel after every use, field strip maybe every 18 months. Handguns and AR's after every range session - stay ahead of any issues... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Baron 10 Posted June 28, 2016 I'm an old BP shooter, so cleaning after every session is a habit I'm not willing to break regardless of shooting smokeless or not. Since I reload I also like to check the condition of barrel for leading, etc. Old dog/new tricks. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ricky_Bobby 130 Posted June 28, 2016 I personally break down each firearm and clean it after each range session(or the day or 2 after if im busy), regardless of round count. Wife put like 8 thru the savage 111 bolt and i still cleaned it. Apparently im just ocd about it.... i thought that was normal. ^^^I do the same - after each range day of use - My 1911 strips down easy enough, my Beretta is a bit tougher but not hard, and my Glock is dead easy - the Glock takes the least amount of cleaning and lubrication, my all steel guns even if they aren't used I give them a wipedown and cleaning once a year just to be sure no corrosion forms, my revolver also cleans up super easy Rifles and Shotgun get cleaned after use as well, its just my habit that I don't want to put away a dirty gun that I haven't disassembled and inspected - even if I was taking one out the next weekend I'd probably clean it after use anyway - doesn't take me too long at all and gives me some tinker time on my workbench. My 50cents opin... 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frank Rizzo 59 Posted June 28, 2016 No real schedule for cleaning, whenever I get around to it I guess. Anything that uses corrosive ammo gets cleaned within a day after shooting. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sroc112 19 Posted June 28, 2016 So its no big deal if i end up 4-5 days after range use before i get around to cleaning? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krdshrk 3,872 Posted June 28, 2016 So its no big deal if i end up 4-5 days after range use before i get around to cleaning? Unless you're shooting corrosive ammo (which you won't since it's 9mm, not some crazy military surplus caliber leftover from the cold war era) you're fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
High Exposure 5,635 Posted June 28, 2016 Unless you're shooting corrosive ammo (which you won't since it's 9mm, not some crazy military surplus caliber leftover from the cold war era) you're fine. ^^^This Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael2013 56 Posted June 28, 2016 After each range trip. Usually on the same day or on the day after. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Old Glock guy 1,125 Posted June 28, 2016 I'm in the "as little as possible" camp on this one. I enjoy shooting, but I view cleaning guns as a chore, which I tend to put off as long as possible. I tend to do it in binges, so that once I have the cleaning stuff out, I'll clean a few guns at a time. I'm laughing to myself, because I had "clean AR" on my to do list for over a week recently before I finally got around to it. And I don't think I've ever cleaned my AK. Had my shotguns all apart a few weeks ago after my two day class at Sig Sauer, and I could not get them back together. I just could not get the trigger group to fit back in. Wasted loads of time on it. What in the world did people do before You Tube? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ricky_Bobby 130 Posted June 28, 2016 Had my shotguns all apart a few weeks ago after my two day class at Sig Sauer, and I could not get them back together. I just could not get the trigger group to fit back in. Wasted loads of time on it. What in the world did people do before You Tube? LMAO I thought the same thing - especially when putting my trigger group back in my Mossberg after I disassembled and cleaned according to a few youtube videos lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyB 4,289 Posted June 28, 2016 You Tube has gotten my butt out a jam more times than I can remember. Including my first AR build and my Saiga conversion just to name a couple. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The_Matrix 105 Posted June 28, 2016 Immediately after each range session. I enjoy breaking down the weapon and cleaning it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fishnut 2,358 Posted June 28, 2016 Yup gotta love YouTube. I almost always clean all of my guns after every range trip. With the exception of one of my mossberg 500's, it only gets cleaned after its been in the rain that's it. But it's not a gun I would use for home or self defence Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bhunted 887 Posted June 28, 2016 Immediately after each range session. I enjoy breaking down the weapon and cleaning it. Therapeutic isn't it? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
InFamous 311 Posted June 28, 2016 I love the smell of CLP and Bore Cleaner so every chance I get, I'll use it as an excuse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bhunted 887 Posted June 28, 2016 I love the smell of CLP and Bore Cleaner so every chance I get, I'll use it as an excuse. You ought to try G96.... Goes good on a peanut butter sandwich. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eric. 9 Posted June 29, 2016 You guys realize that cleaning the bore is not a totally benign thing, right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MartyZ 691 Posted June 29, 2016 I wait till they're all nice and dirty then I clean them all at once, except my IDPA gun, I clean that before a match if it's dirty. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites