Cleaning Firearms

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  • onedash

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 24, 2016
    1,026
    Calvert County
    Do you field strip and clean your new firearms as soon as you get them home? Do you clean them every time you take them shooting? The only time I do not is Wisconsin Deer hunting. It does not get cleaned until I get back to Maryland. Unless it gets wet, then I try to wipe it down. Otherwise every time I shoot I completely field strip and clean as soon as I get home. And new firearms I clean until the black parts no longer make brown patches.
     

    Mr. Ed

    This IS my Happy Face
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2009
    7,899
    Edgewater
    I tend to clean and lube my firearms after each range trip, unless I plan to go back in a week or so. And I always strip, clean and lube new firearms before their first range trip. I feel that the preservative that comes on a new gun might not be the best lubricant, and the crud that usually comes out of a 'new' barrel is sometimes pretty thick. Obsessive/compulsive disorder? Probably. :rolleyes:
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,031
    Elkton, MD
    I personally teach people to look at their firearm like it is an automobile.

    Do you change all of the fluids in your car after each trip to the grocery store and completely wash it?

    Of course not. You use a maintenance schedule or if the gun is exposed to something extremely dirty then you take corrective action.

    I worked as a professional gunsmith for a little over a decade and more often than not I saw people that damage firearms due to excessive cleaning than I saw damage in relation to insufficient cleaning.

    I did see problems in regards to lack of maintenance but it often had to do with the exterior of the firearm not being wiped down after usage (sweat and finger prints are corrosive) or the firearm was kept in a condition that was not proper for a firearm to be stored in. The type of ammunition also dictates whether or not the gun needs to be cleaned. If you were shooting corrosive ammunition or black powder then the firearm should be cleaned after every use to remove the corrosive properties of the ammunition that was used.

    Much of what people do today in regards to Firearms maintenance goes back to the days of ammunition that was corrosive to the firearm and products that was applied that went bad if not maintained such as animal fat and oils that went rancid or oxidized.

    There are products on the market that are simply terrible to use on firearm such as WD-40. It's okay to spray WD-40 on a rag and wipe a gun down but you do not want to use it as a lubricant as it ages it tends to coagulate.
     

    sajidakh

    Active Member
    Dec 28, 2010
    981
    I go 1000s of rounds between cleanings in both pistols and rifles. When I relube between firing sessions, I wipe visible gunk off bcg/bolts and maybe the barrel on semi auto pistols. But other than that no detailed cleaning. My bolt on one of my ARs is pretty caked but havent had any round seating issues.
     

    onedash

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 24, 2016
    1,026
    Calvert County
    Do you change all of the fluids in your car after each trip to the grocery store and completely wash it?

    Our HMMWV's got washed like that every time they went out. Top to bottom, inside and out. We didn't change out the fluids every time unless they all leaked out. It's amazing how many problems they had with so few miles. I think because they sat much more than they were driven.

    And rifles didn't get turned into the armory unless they were clean except after going to the range, then we had 3 cleanings and they had to pass the third time.

    Then once a month we had to check them out to clean them even if they hadn't been touched the previous month.

    I suspect that has something to do with why I don't store my weapons dirty.
     

    fred55

    Senior
    Aug 24, 2016
    1,772
    Spotsylvania Co. VA
    I tend to clean and lube my firearms after each range trip, unless I plan to go back in a week or so. And I always strip, clean and lube new firearms before their first range trip. I feel that the preservative that comes on a new gun might not be the best lubricant, and the crud that usually comes out of a 'new' barrel is sometimes pretty thick. Obsessive/compulsive disorder? Probably. :rolleyes:

    ^^^ This, after each range trip, which is usually at least twice a month. Short of that I would at least swab the barrel several times pulling from chamber to end of barrel. fred55
     

    kalister1

    R.I.P.
    May 16, 2008
    4,814
    Pasadena Maryland
    It's okay to spray WD-40 on a rag and wipe a gun down but you do not want to use it as a lubricant as it ages it tends to coagulate.

    That is an understatement. I had a can of WD-40 that was leaking. So I shot it all into a jar and put the lid on for later use. Now after a few weeks you can see a thick layer of (????) on the bottom of the jar and clear liquid on top of it.
     

    onedash

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 24, 2016
    1,026
    Calvert County
    That is an understatement. I had a can of WD-40 that was leaking. So I shot it all into a jar and put the lid on for later use. Now after a few weeks you can see a thick layer of (????) on the bottom of the jar and clear liquid on top of it.

    is there alcohol in WD 40? I saw a jar of gasoline with ethanol that looked the same way. I only use ethanol free gas in my 2 stroke engines like leaf blower, weed wacker, chainsaw etc.. I guess they can get ruined pretty fast with that garbage.
     

    bkuether

    Judge not this race .....
    Jan 18, 2012
    6,212
    Marriottsville, MD
    Chad has the best advice. If you are using them regularly, inspect them before use, make sure they still have lube in place, and exhibit correct function.

    For longer term storage, clean them completely, and if you touch them, wipe them down with something OTHER than WD 40. I like Ballistol.

    Why do you mention Wisconsin, from dem parts? :rolleyes:
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    WD40 is a water displacing film that forms a varnish when it dries. You never want to use it on firearms and locks.

    Having been a gunsmith for over 30 years, I like Clandestine, have seen my share of guns ruined by too many cleanings and takedowns. When I used to bed Garands, I told the owners not to open the action until the rifle malfunctioned. I gave the people for whom I built 1911 Bullseye pistols the same advise.

    If I was still building guns, I would give the owners a bore snake and tell them to 1) only pull it through from the muzzle and 2) only run it through once or twice after a range session. Brush off dust and dirt and add lube as needed but don't disassemble firearms until they start to malfunction.
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,031
    Elkton, MD
    Our HMMWV's got washed like that every time they went out. Top to bottom, inside and out. We didn't change out the fluids every time unless they all leaked out. It's amazing how many problems they had with so few miles. I think because they sat much more than they were driven.

    And rifles didn't get turned into the armory unless they were clean except after going to the range, then we had 3 cleanings and they had to pass the third time.

    Then once a month we had to check them out to clean them even if they hadn't been touched the previous month.

    I suspect that has something to do with why I don't store my weapons dirty.

    As I mentioned, you maintain a vehicle based on a schedule unless it's exposed to things that can cause problems. Being exposed to lots of dust would be a justified reason, well that and a NCO that wants to keep people busy.

    Maintenance and cleaning won't make a bad vehicle or bad firearm work, it's just polishing a turd more often.

    When turning in Service Weapons, they need to be clean so the armorer's can properly gauge them. They can't be gauged dirty. At least as far as the M4's go.

    The cleaning regiment used in the military is institutional, and follows the same pattern as they used 250 years ago. Modern weapons with modern lubricants don't require as much attention unless they are fouled in some way.

    It sounds like you want to clean after each time you shoot. They are your guns to do what you like with them. I'm just explaining that it's not necessary after each time they are shot.
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,031
    Elkton, MD
    That is an understatement. I had a can of WD-40 that was leaking. So I shot it all into a jar and put the lid on for later use. Now after a few weeks you can see a thick layer of (????) on the bottom of the jar and clear liquid on top of it.

    I cleaned thousands, possibly over 10 thousand guns that we're lubricated with WD40 as an Apprentice and Gunsmith. It's really awful for firearms unless you use compressed air to blow all the excess out when it's applied to a firearm. The only place it can be used without problems if it's used to wipe down a gun after use. There are better products for that though.

    Believe it or not the early Remington 700 "recalls" had a lot to do with WD40 gumming up the FCG.

    It's what people were taught by their fathers and grandfathers, so I try to read lightly about these topics.
     

    kalister1

    R.I.P.
    May 16, 2008
    4,814
    Pasadena Maryland
    Brush off dust and dirt and add lube as needed but don't disassemble firearms until they start to malfunction.[/QUOTE said:
    I clean my guns too much according to everyone here, they are mine, so I do as I please.

    Saying wait until the gun malfunctions to clean makes no sense to me.

    So when you need the gun to go bang and it doesn't, clean it? IMHO that is too late. With that philosophy you just missed the deer of a lifetime, lost the match you could have won and at the extreme you are dead.
    Many years ago when I was trap shooting a lady had a BT-99 that would fire when the action was closed. When One of the other shooters took it apart for her he had to scrape out the crud to loosen the firing pin.
    Now I shoot 3 gun and see lots of guns jamming, usually the guys who say I clean mine too much.
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,031
    Elkton, MD
    WD40 is a water displacing film that forms a varnish when it dries. You never want to use it on firearms and locks.

    Having been a gunsmith for over 30 years, I like Clandestine, have seen my share of guns ruined by too many cleanings and takedowns. When I used to bed Garands, I told the owners not to open the action until the rifle malfunctioned. I gave the people for whom I built 1911 Bullseye pistols the same advise.

    If I was still building guns, I would give the owners a bore snake and tell them to 1) only pull it through from the muzzle and 2) only run it through once or twice after a range session. Brush off dust and dirt and add lube as needed but don't disassemble firearms until they start to malfunction.


    Thanks for offering your perspective as a Gunsmith John from MD.
    :)
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,894
    Pasadena
    I clean my guns after each range trip. I just like to. I don't go overboard on the barrel or really any part.

    For my pistols, I do a field strip, wipe off carbon with rem oil and brush, run a patch through the barrel a couple times, lubricate with Balistol and reassemble.

    Bolt guns, I removed the bolt, use Mpro7, run a bronze brush down the barrel twice, patches till clean, lube bolt, reassemble.

    ARs, field strip, run a couple patches down the barrel with rem oil, clean the BCG by removing the bolt and spray/brushing carbon off, lube with Ballistol, reassemble. AK same thing.

    M1A I treat the barrel like a bolt gun, and check the piston for carbon. I only do a complete field strip every 200 rounds due to the glass bedding.

    Shotguns, run a bore snake with rem oil till shiny reassemble.

    .22s I run a bore snake down the barrel twice. On my 10/22 I only field strip it if the bolt gets sticky, then complete cleaning is done. I use the rem dry lube on it to prevent carbon from sticking and it has been working.

    I don't go crazy and I don't use a bunch of copper cutter solvent type products.

    Works for me.
     
    Last edited:

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,031
    Elkton, MD
    I clean my guns too much according to everyone here, they are mine, so I do as I please.

    Saying wait until the gun malfunctions to clean makes no sense to me.

    So when you need the gun to go bang and it doesn't, clean it? IMHO that is too late. With that philosophy you just missed the deer of a lifetime, lost the match you could have won and at the extreme you are dead.
    Many years ago when I was trap shooting a lady had a BT-99 that would fire when the action was closed. When One of the other shooters took it apart for her he had to scrape out the crud to loosen the firing pin.
    Now I shoot 3 gun and see lots of guns jamming, usually the guys who say I clean mine too much.

    I'm not going to speak for John, but I think you are taking his advice the wrong way.

    Each gun behaves differently. Some need more maintenance than others. What people like I try to explain is people often mess up guns by messing with them when it's not required. I don't tell people to never clean them, I tell them to find the guns maintenance schedule by shooting it. Some guns may be 200 rounds, some may be 5k. Cleaning the barrel and action are also 2 very different things. The type of lubricant and ammunition also play a role on maintenance schedules.

    Many other variables control this from the finish of the bore and chamber, the geometry and finish of the feedramps, the operating system of the firearm.

    Professionally I saw 30 guns messed up by people for every one that wasn't cleaned often enough to cause problems.
     

    Fredcohunter

    Active Member
    Nov 30, 2008
    431
    A little west of Frederick
    I clean my black powder rifles each time I shoot them, usually as soon as reasonably possible after shooting. All other guns I clean when they need it, hunting weapons other than black powder maybe once a year since the round count is low on these. Recreational shooting guns and handguns a couple times a year. 500 or more rounds through them between cleaning usually.

    By the way my father use to use the WD-40 very liberally on his guns when I was a kid. I have never used WD-40 on my guns but my brother does on his.
     

    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    To answer the OP.

    I only do a full cleaning when the gun tells me it needs it. When I start to see it act a little differently or start to see something out of the ordinary then it gets disassembled/inspected. Then it gets cleaned and lubed. If I am running it in harsh conditions it may get cleaned as well. It all depends on the circumstances. I don't run corrosive ammunition so I don't worry about that. I just shoot the cheap stuff.

    I almost always give the exterior a quick wipe down after use. Usually just a cleaning wipe or Barricade if needed.

    I have encountered circumstances and seen threads where someone says the gun ran fine last time they were at the range. Do a little digging and what they don't tell you is that it was disassembled and cleaned before it was put away. Something got messed up during the process.
     

    onedash

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 24, 2016
    1,026
    Calvert County
    It sounds like you want to clean after each time you shoot. They are your guns to do what you like with them. I'm just explaining that it's not necessary after each time they are shot.

    Carbon is the devil. I understand that they can go longer and didn't glock make it to a million rounds without cleaning and dunking it in the mud and ice and throwing it out of an airplane? But I wouldn't do that.
    I wouldn't say I enjoy cleaning them but it but this last time I had my 14 year old son help clean three shotguns since he was shooting. And basically taught him how to disassemble, clean, inspect, lubricate, reassemble and function check each one. He was dying to get back to his video games though. This was the second time he has gone skeet shooting but he still seems to prefer video games to shooting.
     

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