Cleaning frequency

[Questor]

Cleaning frequency? It depends on what my shooting schedule looks like.  I always wipe the gun down with an oily rag before putting it away.  I clean the bore of a centerfire rifle every 100 rounds or so, or when I'm about to put it away for an extended period-- like over a month.

[jhm]

After any shooting I generally run a rod thru the bore with a brush/then oil the bore, give a good wipe down, inspect  and put away until next time , I like to know that they will be ok until the next time I see them.    JIM

[Flash]

I usually clean mine when it's obvious they need it. My 22 rimfires get it once a year to keep their accuracy, unless they go through some poor conditions during a hunt. My centerfires get cleaned around the same frequency unless the accuracy drops off sooner. I have some shotguns that haven't been cleaned since buying them 8 years ago. A oily rag is all they see. Handguns never get cleaned unless it's a Contender. I sometimes use CRC Brake Cleaner to spray out the action and spray liberally with G96 Gun Treatment and follow with compressed air. This is rare and usually only after aquiring a used piece.

[Redhawk1]

I clean my guns after every shooting. I do not care if I shoot 1 time or 100 times. I clean my guns. Guns are my tools, hunting and self defence. I keep the in excellent condition. JMHO

[SLAVAGE]

well wipe down after shooting  but if i know ill be shooting the next week they just get a quick bore swipe an action spray untill deer seasion once rifle comes around nothen gets cleaned that i might use to hunt with then after the end of rifle every thing gets striped down to bare an cleaned realy good

dave

[Robert357]

My question is how often do you clean your firearms...after every time out ... does it depend on how many rounds are put through it ... is it a few bore swipes or a complete take down?

Well, it depends.  For my hunting rifles during hunting season, I don't clean them after sighting in.  I leave them fowled.  My first shot through an oiled bore has a different Point of Impact (POI) than a from a fowled barrel.  As long as I know the powder and primer I am using to fowl the bore, I am comfortable, until the end of hunting season or until I notch a deer tag.

For most other firearms (except 22's) it is clean after each use.  If I use imported ammo it is clean immediately after I get back from the range, not an hour later.  For 22's it is clean after a couple of trips to the range.

Modern US commercial ammo is a lot less demanding.  When I do clean, I generally strip the firearm down, clean it, lube it and grease certain parts.  I really recommend Molly based grease for trigger and slides, it is impressive stuff.  The type I use is sold as a corrosion resisting lubricant for saltwater oil drilling rigs, so it just is incredible!

P.S. cleaning entails sufficient Sweets 7.62 or other cleaners that no copper remains in the barrel.  I may also one or twice a year use a little bore paste to really clean out the bore.  I like to look at the rifling and see NO discontinuities in the complete bore.

[AZ223]

For handguns, I clean them every time I shoot them. The autos get a complete breakdown, but not the revolver. Gunpowder is corrosive, and my autos are a lot smoother functioning if I keep them clean.

My .45 CCW gun gets carried almost 24/7, so it gets wiped down and re-lubed every couple of weeks, and a breakdown if it's real dirty. It's easy for grit to accumulate in the action in this climate. I may be excessive, but since I rely on it, it's staying in good working order.

For rifes, the action gets cleaned after shooting. I've backed off cleaning the barrels as often; a lot of opinions on whether it's good for the bore. So I do a visual check, and occasionally run a rag through them, and they stay accurate.