To Clean or Not to clean?

[2bikemike]

Originally Posted by StinRey1973

Now I have images of belly button lint bullets, and Clint Eastwood saying something like "That's what you get for pulling a gun on me punk, you are not going to feel lucky in a couple of days punk!!"

Now thats funny right there!

As I posted before in a similar thread. If I go home after a hard day shooting and don't clean my guns, I will get this nagging feeling about getting it done. It must be the way I was brought up about keeping guns cleaned and oiled.

[Rond4x4]

Originally Posted by desertrat

I clean them when they need it. The only pistol I have is my ccw pistol. It goes to the range, it gets carried in dust, it gets carried in the rain yada yada yada. I keep it oiled and only break it down and clean it when I feel its neccesarry. Mayber after only 50 rounds, if they are dirty handloads, maybe after more than 1k if they are really clean...

+ 1

[Olaf_PFJ]

I almost fanaticaly clean all my rifles and pistols. I don't strip them past normal field stripping but if I can reach it then it gets a rub (insert vulgar inuendo). After thousands of rounds through all of them I must say that none operate anywhere shy of immaculate every time. A big boast I know but true for me anyway. I have this messed up psychosis that any left over fouling is made of acid that is slowly dissolving my guns and must be removed asap or I will have nothing but expensive blobs of metal in my safe. I'm not overly aggressive about it but I clean every cranny and avoid unneccessary disassembly.

[Python2]

How often do you guys stripped all moving parts in the slide of a 1911 like firing pin and extractor. Have not done it on mine other than blast it with a Break-free CLP. I prolly have 5K rounds on it already.

[rycerz]

Originally Posted by Python2

How often do you guys stripped all moving parts in the slide of a 1911 like firing pin and extractor. Have not done it on mine other than blast it with a Break-free CLP. I prolly have 5K rounds on it already.

Usually each time I shoot as I never know when I will shoot my 1911 again.

[neuron]

Originally Posted by Justaguy

...Cleaning has nothing to do with the "break-in" period. It's the total number number of rounds through the gun. There is no "rule" that you can only clean your weapon at the t500 round mark.

Clean as often as you feel you need to. But inspect frequently.
Oh, and while you're inspecting, you might as well clean it.

I concur. Think of it this way: A firearm is a tool made of finely machined and fitted mechanical parts. This tool is designed to hold and fire explosive cartridges that generate tens of thousands of pounds of pressure. The explosion of these cartridges generates a lot of combustion products that foul the tool's mechanism and are abrasive to boot (meaning that they can gum up the mechanism and also contribute to wear on the finely fitted machined surfaces).

It therefore makes good sense to keep your firearms scrupulously clean and lubricated. Modern guns may be designed to tolerate a lot of abuse, including shooting them without cleaning, but that is not a good reason NOT to clean and lubricate them! One could argue that "too much" C&L can be bad, but if you use common sense and modern cleaning tools/solvents/lubes you will NOT damage your gun.

[Mr Glock 22]

nothing wrong with a pre inspection,clean is good!! Buti definitly over doing anything is also bad....