Gun Cleaning Frequency ...

[Blaster229]

Clean when you want, lube often. Sigs like to be WET. One of our armorers went 15,000 rounds without cleaning his P229, just lubing. No malfunctions what-so-ever. He would have gone more rounds but his OCD wouldn't let him. He had to clean it.

Cleaning = inspecting, just like Clandestine said.

 

[Pinecone]

If it's a personal defense/home defense gun, I'd keep it clean all the time just to be safe. But if it's primarily a range plinker/fun gun, you'll probably be just fine letting it go a couple range trips between full tear-down/cleanings. Lube is far more important.

Depends; if thats your only gun, and a personal defense weapon, I'd absolutely clean it every time and lube it up/clean it if it just sits too long.

Necessary is a strong word, especially if its a range toy...but the ones I bet my life to are clean, lubed, and shot frequently. There's a lot riding on them.

So you go to the range and shoot. You come home and field strip ad clean.

How do you KNOW it will work when you need it to work?

Personally, for HD, I clean, THEN go to the range, shoot and wipe down the exterior.

That way I KNOW it is in working condition.

IMO, people over think and over clean. My 1911 sat in my bedside drawer for about 16 years without any cleaning or maintenance.

It worked fine, even the mags that had been loaded for 16 years.

Not that it was planned that way, but life is life.

 

[Boats]

Before its first time being shot.

After every time you take it shooting.

This.

Sigs usually come lubed from the factory, but it is best to lube it anyway.

 

[Traveler]

If you cannot competently field strip and clean your firearm, and be certain it will fire after reassembly, you need to read the manual, or get a slingshot. It ain't that hard.

 

[Alan3413]

So you go to the range and shoot. You come home and field strip ad clean.

How do you KNOW it will work when you need it to work?

Any way you clean it, how do you KNOW it will work when you need it?

It's like asking how do you KNOW a match will light?

Only by striking it.

Otherwise, it's just a reasonably confident assumption.

 

[inkd]

I honestly couldn't remember the last time I cleaned my Glock 34 and that thing gets beat on.

I just took some friends to the range the other day and had a few instances where there was a click instead of a bang with a slightly indented primer. Since I am shooting a state match this weekend I figured I would break it down and give it a thorough cleaning/inspection. It had a serious amount of crud in the firing pin channel. It'll be good to go for another couple thousand rounds now.

 

[rico903]

I honestly couldn't remember the last time I cleaned my Glock 34 and that thing gets beat on.

I just took some friends to the range the other day and had a few instances where there was a click instead of a bang with a slightly indented primer. Since I am shooting a state match this weekend I figured I would break it down and give it a thorough cleaning/inspection. It had a serious amount of crud in the firing pin channel. It'll be good to go for another couple thousand rounds now.

I was told in another thread just the other day that this NEVER happens with Glocks. It was in response to my no second strike capability post.

 

[Maverick0313]

If you cannot competently field strip and clean your firearm, and be certain it will fire after reassembly, you need to read the manual, or get a slingshot. It ain't that hard.

 

[inkd]

I was told in another thread just the other day that this NEVER happens with Glocks. It was in response to my no second strike capability post.

Anything can fail if you mistreat it. Some things, like Glocks, just require a higher level of abuse before they fail.

I was also shooting reloads so it could have been an issue on my part, at least one of the clicks had a high primer. I've been having some issues with my 650 primer system lately that has given me fits. I'm shooting factory ammo at the match for that reason.

 

[Pinecone]

If you cannot competently field strip and clean your firearm, and be certain it will fire after reassembly, you need to read the manual, or get a slingshot. It ain't that hard.

So you are willing to risk your life and the life of your family to this?

And everytime you disassemble, you run the risk of something going wrong, whether it is an misinstalled part or something breaking.

I have had and shot and cleaned 1911s for some 40 years. And never had one not go bang after having it apart, even well past field stripping level.

I STILL do not trust my family's lives to an 1911 that has been apart and not test fired.

 

[Traveler]

So you are willing to risk your life and the life of your family to this?

And everytime you disassemble, you run the risk of something going wrong, whether it is an misinstalled part or something breaking.

I have had and shot and cleaned 1911s for some 40 years. And never had one not go bang after having it apart, even well past field stripping level.

I STILL do not trust my family's lives to an 1911 that has been apart and not test fired.

Nope, I am not that stupid, that cleaning a gun is beyond me. Make your own decisions. I don't make mine out of paranoia or OCD. And I don't trust my family to a 1911. Fine range gun, but too finicky for me.

 

[Schipperke]

I just fire a bullet through the barrel to clean it. Slather on some renaissance wax on the outside.

 

[bkuether]

I KNEW you would show up.....

 

[BigT5g]

Unless I'm shooting corrosive ammo, my barrels don't get cleaned till accuracy falls off. If its corrosive I clean the entire gun after shooting.

Just add lubrication after shooting and wipe down the exterior of the firearm with Barricade to prevent corrosion. Your more likely to damage or accelerate wear by cleaning after every shooting session.

A quality made firearm won't wear out rapidly, or malfunction with lots of firing residue. It just needs lube, the more the better IMO.

Lubricant not only prevents wear but it also allows contaminants to be displaced from critical areas. Light applications of lube are inferior to generous applications.

You don't tear down your care engine after driving, you just check the fluids and drive till its time to change fluids. When you clean don't scrape at things

I don't clean any of my non corrosive fired firearms until it's time to inspect them, or if they were exposed to excessove moisture, salt, or dirt/mud/samd, or blood. You clean to inspect and gauge, not just for the sake of it. When its time to clean just use some aircraft grade simple green, some hot water. Dry with compressed air and lubricate.

Pay attention to the above. A gun like your Sig or in my case Glocks don't need to be cleaned often at all.
I might shoot 3 - 4 thousand rounds through my main competition gun before I clean it, and I likely don't need to clean it that often.
Just use good judgement in extenuating circumstances like exposure to corrosives and salt water etc. Just as the above post mention and your gun will work flawlessly for decades.

 

[protegeV]

I found out from an expert yesterday, that my gun cleaning methods are sound.

 

[Blaster229]

I just went for the pizza.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

"Clean your guns every time you shoot them. Or monthly. Which ever comes first".

Brought to you by the Gun Cleaning Product Manufacturers Association.

 

[Blaster229]

"Clean your guns every time you shoot them. Or monthly. Which ever comes first".

Brought to you by the Gun Cleaning Product Manufacturers Association.

Ave change your oil every 3,000 miles..... Jiffy lube. :-)

 

[protegeV]

I just went for the pizza.

Lol, my son loved the pizza. Said we should find out where it was from so we can go there. I told him we don't travel 40 mins just for pizza.

 

[engineerbrian]

I found out from an expert yesterday, that my gun cleaning methods are sound.

Me too. And all this time i thought i was being a slacker.