How Often To Clean Carry Gun?

[Shekky]

I'd appreciate any input on how often to clean & oil a carry gun. Obviously after every trip to the range, but beyond that??? I carry in an ankle holster and the pistol stays pretty clean but lint, etc builds up. Not a whole lot of sweat but we haven't hit summer yet! I keep hearing an old NCO's voice telling me that excessive assembly and disassembly is no good and will increase wear on the gun.

Thanks.

[Dan M.]

Semi-auto or revolver?

[SierraNevadaCCW]

I clean the lint, dust and other normal carry gunk off my gun once a week. If you're not shooting the gun, then you can probably go a while in-between break down oil and scrub cleaning. Always routinely check your piece for abnormalities. Check your ammo too.

[Slabsides]

Before bed each night, I empty my carry piece of the day, wipe it down (to clean any sweat or schmootz off) and blow as much of the lint/underwear fuzz out of the action/trigger assembly as I can. Reload, apply night light, and sleep like an angel!

Then, every other week or so after range trips they get a good cleaning.

[Shekky]

Hi Dan,

Stainless auto (Walther PPK). It occasionally gets wet and once we hit triple digits it will be sweat on regularly! (Probably too much information!)

[sealbeach]

I blast off the dust and lint with compressed air every week or so, add a drop of oil on the barrel/slide, maybe do a full strip and clean every few months--or if it got extra dusty or rained on, during a hike or outdoor activity.

Just no reason to waste time and wear it out constantly stripping down the parts by doing it too often.

[AuburnHunter]

As the others said, I use compressed air to blow all the lint and other dust off of it once or twice a week.

The only time I strip it down and clean it is after a trip to the range.

[Shekky]

Thanks All! I've been around guns my whole life and I'm learning that "having" is a lot different than "carrying!"

[Scout]

Originally Posted by sealbeach

I blast off the dust and lint with compressed air every week or so, add a drop of oil on the barrel/slide, maybe do a full strip and clean every few months--or if it got extra dusty or rained on, during a hike or outdoor activity.

Just no reason to waste time and wear it out constantly stripping down the parts by doing it too often.

+1........

[Gronk Bronson]

Originally Posted by AuburnHunter

As the others said, I use compressed air to blow all the lint and other dust off of it once or twice a week.

The only time I strip it down and clean it is after a trip to the range.

+1 I also only clean after shooting unless, there was some kind of activity I did that got it really dirty without it being fired.

[BonoVox]

Originally Posted by Shekky

I'd appreciate any input on how often to clean & oil a carry gun. Obviously after every trip to the range, but beyond that??? I carry in an ankle holster and the pistol stays pretty clean but lint, etc builds up. Not a whole lot of sweat but we haven't hit summer yet! I keep hearing an old NCO's voice telling me that excessive assembly and disassembly is no good and will increase wear on the gun.

Thanks.

Yeah but summer you will be good because you will be wearing shorts!

[PUNK]

Originally Posted by BonoVox

Yeah but summer you will be good because you will be wearing shorts!

[NikNak]

Originally Posted by Shekky

Hi Dan,

Stainless auto (Walther PPK).

FYI - Stainless does not mean it will not corrode, or rust .... just not as fast. If it will get sweated on, I would be inclined to strip it each day it got sweated on. Just because the externals are SS, does not mean the extractor, ejector, firing pin, spring, clip spring, etc ... are all stainless.
Sweat can work it's way into the action via the grooves in the rails, around the grips, hammer, safety etc .... minor corrosion on the firing pin could prevent it from full travel in the housing.... etc.

Most of us have all seen Stainless guns that have corroded in some manner. If you parse the words ... Stain less(means less, not zero).

Stainless is rated in varying degrees of corrosion resistance and not all stainless is alike. I do not know the grade of stainless that Walther uses, but the old AMT Stainless Automags used to corrode in their original foam packaging. The foam leached something out that attacked the stainless of the frame and barrel.

Take care and carry safe....

[El Gato]

Originally Posted by Shekky

I'd appreciate any input on how often to clean & oil a carry gun. Obviously after every trip to the range, but beyond that??? I carry in an ankle holster and the pistol stays pretty clean but lint, etc builds up. Not a whole lot of sweat but we haven't hit summer yet! I keep hearing an old NCO's voice telling me that excessive assembly and disassembly is no good and will increase wear on the gun.

Thanks.

Ankle Holster = clean it when it gets dirty

That could mean daily or monthly..
The object is to keep the grit which clings to the oil in the interior of the mechanism from causing said mechanism to malfunction. Blowing grit off with an air compressor.. especially the grit we call Air in the Valley..... can get a little difficult if it is sitting in oil... it may mean a dunk in simple green on a regular basis.. then blow it out with an air hose and then re-oil it...again, whenever it gets dirty...consequently, I carry a revolver in an ankle holster and don't much worry about it... a strip and clean every month or so seems to work here in Bako..

[NSP]

I get home at the end of the day, take out my gun and put it in the dish washer, Then I start the dish washer before I go to bed. When I wake up in the morning it's all clean and ready to go.