Gun cleaning sucks!

[miles71]

It has been proven by many people. A dirty gun doesn't hurt anything. I'm not saying I never clean, I might wipe down the outside or add some lube but a thorough cleaning only happens once a year. Only exception might be a rimfire pistol with a suppressor.
Guns that are blued or have a nickel finish will get a little extra.
My long range bolt action rifle has never been cleaned (other than initially) and it has about 600 rounds through it. Only thing I do is wipe down the bolt and very light lube it.

Do you wash your car or change the engine oil and filter after every time you drive it?

Proven? Hmmm Also not sure the car comparison is a good one.

You guys do what you want, I still don’t think a “gentle” cleaning hurts anything. I do know dirty guns malfunction, seen it many times.

TD

 

[Slackdaddy]

Flat broke shooters is not far from you at all and is a very nice range!

Wife and I have shot at Flat Broke, beautiful place and super people.
Problem is, it is over an hour drive each way.
2.5 hours on the road to shoot for 30-60 minutes, Not happening very often, if ever

 

[willtill]

IMHO, not cleaning guns after use is a sign of laziness and lackadaisicalness.

​

 

[slsc98]

IMHO, not cleaning guns after use is a sign of laziness and lackadaisicalness.

​

I’ll add:

“The condition of a firearm speaks volumes about - and directly to - the character of it’s owner.”​

 

[MaxVO2]

I’ve heard that some shooters use it in lieu of after shave.

****Single guys? Women around here in MoCo would flip if you told them your aftershave was Hoppe's #9, and I don't mean flip for you, but flip out at you for wearing a scent associated with guns - which kill people almost like Teddy Kennedy's Oldsmobile did...

 

[outrider58]

IMHO, not cleaning guns after use is a sign of laziness and lackadaisicalness.

​

There might be a little bit of that, but unless you follow @E.Shell barrel cleaning method, you will continually deal with clean-bore shots(often misnamed cold bore shots).

I think most people go over their guns every few range sessions, but cleaning the bore after every range trip only add wear to the most important part the the gun, the barrel.

 

[MaxVO2]

I’ll add:

“The condition of a firearm speaks volumes about - and directly to - the character of it’s owner.”​

****Yup. Same with their car, their home, their teeth, and their bike. I'm one of those who cleans the guns after every range trip, keep my cars well maintained, very shiny and clean, and brush/floss every tooth I want to keep...including the ones in the back which nobody really sees..

If a bunch of Victoria Secrets models come to my home to play video games with me, or just to hang out and watch movies, or run around my home naked while I chase them with my Super Soaker, I don't want to have a dirty house as it reflects poorly on my character I think.

Call me weird that way.


***PS.: that Super Soaker I mention up above isn't *really* a Super Soaker... but admittedly it looks more Super when it's not so cold out...

 

[rbird7282]

IMHO, not cleaning guns after use is a sign of laziness and lackadaisicalness.

​

I’ll add:

“The condition of a firearm speaks volumes about - and directly to - the character of it’s owner.”​

Do you wash your car every time you drive it? If not you’re lazy and you lack character.

 

[outrider58]

Do you wash your car every time you drive it? If not you’re lazy and you lack character.

...or change the oil?

 

[linkstate]

Speaking to a modern semi auto pistol and no offense but I can see a field strip with a quick wipedown of carbon from a range trip, re-lube and a CLP oiled patch followed by a dry one through the barrel but it sounds like some of you clean a barrel to factory new condition every time. That’s just crazy talk IMHO.

Some of you would have a heart attack that I leave the carbon ring on my revolver cylinder faces.

 

[olderguy]

If anyone likes cleaning guns, they will change their mind if they have to clean a Ruger Mark III.

Agree!

 

[willtill]

Do you wash your car every time you drive it? If not you’re lazy and you lack character.

...or change the oil?

Sorry guys. Bad analogies and arguments both trying to make. Both reaching for excuses NOT to clean guns.

 

[miles71]

If a nylon brush can wear down a stainless steel barrel I would question the quality of the metal.

TD

 

[Russ D]

I clean when I observe accuracy degrade to an unacceptable level for the weapon I'm shooting. None of us have an infinite amount of time and I have to balance my free gun time between shooting, reloading, and cleaning. Cleaning more than is necessary is a waste of the most precious resource there is.

 

[LuckyShot]

carry guns get cleaned same day after the range.

If i have multiple which i always do. i do them through out the week but they dont go uncleaned for more than a week. My C&R babies have had a hard military life, why make them suffer in retirement?

Glove up so you dont absorb cleaning chemicals into your skin. Took me years to realize this.

 

[rbird7282]

Sorry guys. Bad analogies and arguments both trying to make. Both reaching for excuses NOT to clean guns.

Lol what a load of BS. They are good analogies.
I don’t make excuses to not clean my guns. They are always maintained and in good working order and they get a thorough cleaning when needed.

 

[E.Shell]

If a nylon brush can wear down a stainless steel barrel I would question the quality of the metal.

TD

As long as we're not talking stainless steel, which should not be used, the brush itself is not the issue. The actual issue is the particles of grit that embed into the brush's surfaces. Same thing applies to a bronze brush to a lesser degree.

The brush acts as a lapping tool, it's soft surface accepting grit and carrying that grit to work against a harder material. A soft metal cleaning rod act in similar fashion, accepting grit into it's surface, then moving against the steel in the barrel, creating tiny scratches that constitute wear and damage over time.

Seriously, and with no connection to the product beyond being an avid consumer: Wipe-Out. It eliminates the need for aggressive cleaning methods and truly IS "better living through chemistry". I used to go through a couple bronze rifle brushes per caliber a month, between shooting various matches and cleaning my rental guns. Buy nice brass core, bronze brushes in 10 packs from Sinclair. What a waste of time, energy and money...

The only thing I might brush anymore would be a shotgun barrel, if for some inexplicable rationalization I suddenly had this notion it had to be clean.

 

[willtill]

As long as we're not talking stainless steel, which should not be used, the brush itself is not the issue. The actual issue is the particles of grit that embed into the brush's surfaces. Same thing applies to a bronze brush to a lesser degree.

The brush acts as a lapping tool, it's soft surface accepting grit and carrying that grit to work against a harder material. A soft metal cleaning rod act in similar fashion, accepting grit into it's surface, then moving against the steel in the barrel, creating tiny scratches that constitute wear and damage over time.

Seriously, and with no connection to the product beyond being an avid consumer: Wipe-Out. It eliminates the need for aggressive cleaning methods and truly IS "better living through chemistry". I used to go through a couple bronze rifle brushes per caliber a month, between shooting various matches and cleaning my rental guns. Buy nice brass core, bronze brushes in 10 packs from Sinclair. What a waste of time, energy and money...

The only thing I might brush anymore would be a shotgun barrel, if for some inexplicable rationalization I suddenly had this notion it had to be clean.

Good post Ed. Makes sense.

For the record, I do nor scrub the bore within inches of its life. Generally, I’ll run a couple of patches of Hoppes through the bore, let it sit. Clean it out with fresh patches and then repeat. Then, while the bore is still wet, I run a nylon brush through the bore to break up any other stubborn deposit’s. Run more patches through it, and then finish with G96 Gun Treatment.

Now my C&R rifles, initially I was aggressive with cleaning those bores, after I receipted for each one. After the initial deep cleaning (using bronze brushes/Sweets 7.62 Solvent/ Wipe-Out) they are a lot more easier to keep clean. Some of the bores looked like stove pipes and after seeing cleaned lands/grooves in those bores, I’m in my happy spot. Those particular rifles are now always cleaned after present day shooting, as I described in the first part of my reply here.

 

[paperwork351]

Does anyone run a patch of Hoppes in a warm barrel before you case it? I don't know if it makes a difference.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Wife and I have shot at Flat Broke, beautiful place and super people.
Problem is, it is over an hour drive each way.
2.5 hours on the road to shoot for 30-60 minutes, Not happening very often, if ever

Calvert Co is only so big ( long) . If you're 1.25 hr from Flat Broke , you're closer to MSA in the other direction .