round count between cleanings

Stogies

Stogies

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So don't hate me but I usually don't clean everything after each trip to the range, since I bring a lot of different things to try we typically only shoot about 40-50 rounds through each gun per session and I don't have time to clean 6 or 7 guns. I do keep tabs on the overall number of rounds fired and try to clean at about 1K rounds. I don't use any corrosive ammo ever so that's not a concern. Does that seem reasonable to you? My line of thinking is if in military applications it can be shot for hundreds and hundreds of rounds that should be sufficient.
 
For semi auto pistols, AR’s AK’s generally go 500 rounds between cleaning. Every other time I fully disassemble and do a detailed cleaning (fully disassemble slide and remove trigger components on pistols).
Older “classics” I usually clean every time I shoot.
 
My carry/HD guns stay clean(er) than my others, but I don’t even stress about them too much either. If I went out and ran a few mags through them, I’m not going to break them down and clean them.

Now my guns that I shoot regularly don’t get cleaned until they are just absolutely disgusting or literally stop working. My .22’s can get just absolutely caked in carbon.
 
I tend to do a quick field strip and wipe down after every trip as well. Not because I am overly anal about it, but I do know that sometimes I may go months (or years) between shooting certain firearms, so I am worried about rust and stuff. On carry firearms, I clean them regularly because it allows me to look for issues that may be unseen. For example, one time I was shooting a pistol I rarely get out, and when I got home I went to clean it and the hammer wouldnt lock back. At the range it worked perfectly. Fired every shot 100%. Had to get 1911Guru to figure out what went wrong, and then it took a trip back to its maker. If I had just gotten home, tossed it in its storage, and left it alone then I would have had no idea I was sitting on a broken firearm.
 
BCGs get hosed down with CLP every now and then and wiped with a rag. That’s about it.

I DO need to figure out how to clean my dedicated .22lr upper that is absolutely criminally filthy.
 
Slacker said:
So is tumbling brass.
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I knew there was a reason we don't hang out much anymore. This is clearly it.

On topic, I clean the BCG on my ARs every few hundred, and keep things well lubed before each class. I'll patch the barrel every... thousand or two? they're not precision guns so I don't really notice the accuracy drop off that would make me clean them sooner like my bolt guns.
 
Tim said:
BCGs get hosed down with CLP every now and then and wiped with a rag. That’s about it.

I DO need to figure out how to clean my dedicated .22lr upper that is absolutely criminally filthy.
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Same here, it gets absolutely disgusting. The thing is probably HAZMAT between cleaning.

Mine gets shot ALOT. Since I can shoot just about anywhere I want here it goes in the SxS every time I go out and gets tons of rounds out through it.
 
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Unless the firearm got wet or you shot corrosive ammo there is no need to clean between range trips. More firearms bores are worn out from over cleaning than shooting at least for the average user. Wipe it down and put it away and clean infrequently.
 
I’ll run a patch through one and lube it before a match, particularly a 1911...
but I got over cleaning after range trips.

I typically only clean unless I am
a) really bored
or b) my OCD kicks in and I can’t stand the slurry of muck and lube in the receiver.
 
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Thoroughly clean all my firearms after every use, then coat them in cosmoline before sealing them in air tight containers, purged with nitrogen and packed with desiccant bags.

My carry piece is thoroughly cleaned, then packed into my custom holster made from a modified Pelican micro case, lined with gun oil permeated packing to prevent any chance of corrosion or foreign material.

All magazines are disassembled, cleaned, preserved, and vacuum packed in bags with desiccant.

Honest. I wouldn't lie to you.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Thoroughly clean all my firearms after every use, then coat them in cosmoline before sealing them in air tight containers, purged with nitrogen and packed with desiccant bags.

My carry piece is thoroughly cleaned, then packed into my custom holster made from a modified Pelican micro case, lined with gun oil permeated packing to prevent any chance of corrosion or foreign material.

All magazines are disassembled, cleaned, preserved, and vacuum packed in bags with desiccant.

Honest. I wouldn't lie to you.
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And you wear a rubber while sleeping I'm sure.
 
One of our members was RO’ing a Run n Gun Stage and called me out mid stage for how filthy my AR was.

I felt shame.
 
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I just add oil as needed and wipe down the bcg if I start to notice reduced carrier speeds or other issues. So every thousand or so rounds? I did let my primary gun get too gross recently and started having feeding issues. Probably had about 4k on it at the time w/o cleaning and a significant amount of that was suppressed, the sludge inside that gun was gnarly 😅. Cans definitely change the dynamic but I really don't know if I think unsuppressed guns actually need real cleaning.

I just punched the bore of that same build for the first time since building it since I started seeing some accuracy degradation though.
 
Depends on what got the trigger time.

My AK, maybe once every year or two. My ARs, two or three times a year...

Hand guns, depends on the round count.

Its up to you, whatever you're comfortable with, and whatever your iron still runs with.
 
Tim said:
I DO need to figure out how to clean my dedicated .22lr upper that is absolutely criminally filthy.
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I run a Ciener 22 conversion kit in one of the M16's and it gets pretty bad after 10 to 15 mags. I modified a small screwdriver to scrap the gunk off the bolt face & chamber adapter, it stays in my range bag. The bolt and carrier need to be wiped down and lube reapplied by the 300 rd mark.

Now with all the other guns - I tell myself I'm just gonna wipe them down quickly and toss 'em back in the safe but I wind up pushing a patch or two down the bore and cleaning the BCGs before I'm satisfied.
 
I probably wipe my guns down semi monthly since im not shooting really. When i was shooting a bunch, i cleaned after every trip.

There's cleaning and then there's cleaning. After a range trip i would run a patch through the bore and clean around the bolt area. I do not/ did not fully break down the gun and take out small parts for cleaning.
 
My father was a marine and served in Korea. Part of range time was cleaning when you returned home. You didn't go to the range without a cleaning session. It seems to have stuck. I don't shoot it if I'm not willing to clean it after the range.
 
My dad cleaned after every range trip (gone nearly 30 years), and he let Hoppes #9 soak in the barrel overnight due to the “micro cracks due to expansion”. I have no idea if this was real or perceived. His dad was an avid quail hunter in the NC sandhills prior to the mid 1950’s, and served in WWI.

What I wonder is, how much of this cleaning was trained into our forebears due to corrosive ammo, or at least corrosive primers.
 
fieldgrade said:
My dad cleaned after every range trip (gone nearly 30 years), and he let Hoppes #9 soak in the barrel overnight due to the “micro cracks due to expansion”. I have no idea if this was real or perceived. His dad was an avid quail hunter in the NC sandhills prior to the mid 1950’s, and served in WWI.

What I wonder is, how much of this cleaning was trained into our forebears due to corrosive ammo, or at least corrosive primers.
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Probably why my dad insisted on cleaning after every range trip. Now it's part of the process to be handed down.
 
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