Gun Cleaning

[Shortrangelong]

If this has been posted before, please point me in the right direction. The search bar turned up nothing.

What is the rule of thumb for how often to clean your rifle and additionally handgun? TBH, never actually cleaned a gun. New to all of this.

 

[Shadow knows]

When I’m done shooting, field stripped.

 

[Shortrangelong]

So, every time before you store it? Is there anytime you should clean while your are still shooting?

 

[Evintos]

Clean and lubricate every time before long term storage (to me that's stored for 1 month or more without usage).

I'm far more concerned about parts breakages rather than getting things super clean. I clean until I can inspect to see if parts are cracked, such as a the bolt, cam pin, firing pin for an AR15. Manufacturing flaws do exist and even the best QC practices let bad parts slip by. Moving parts require lubrication more so than spotless cleaning. No white glove cleaning for me.

Barrel gets cleaned roughly every 1k rounds. The chamber gets cleaned for with a soaked patch wrapped around a chamber brush after every range trip (more important for a semi-auto than a bolt gun).

Some people feel like they need to clean or run a wet patch down the barrel after every shot for like 5-10 for " barrel break-in," which to me is superstitious nonsense. If your firearm becomes dirty (dropped in mud, sand, etc.) and is malfunctioning, that's when you should clean while at the range or if you're OCD and just want to keep your firearm clean and shiny. If it's basically carbon build up on moving parts that is causing malfunctions, take a paper towel and do a quick wiping to remove carbon then reapply some lubrication.

If everything is working fine and you're into a long range session with high round count, reapply lubrication on moving parts as necessary.

 

[Aggrofish]

Bolt guns - wipe down, remove / clean/ lube bolt. Run a bore brush through with cleaner and a few patches until it comes out clean. I remove copper every few hundred rounds. I generally shoot 50-75 rounds when I head out.

Semi Auto (AR) - a bore snake, clean the bolt, and lube once every few trips.

Pistols - clean every few hundred rounds. I have a couple glocks that have never been cleaned.

 

[19dsniper]

Ar’s get a bore snake every once in a while if it’s not a precision rig, and then a deeper clean every 800-1000 rounds. All other parts cleaned and lubed on a regular basis, normally after each range trip. I find cleaning firearms to be relaxing and therapeutic though.
Pistols get cleaned a lot more than most of my firearms. Definately my carry pistols.
Precision bolt rifles only get the barrels cleaned when I start to see accuracy drop off. If it’s a specific rifle that is used for shooting in a match, then keep a log of how many rounds it takes before you see degraded accuracy. If you are heading to a match and you are getting close to that number, go ahead and clean the barrel and then fire a few rounds before putting it away before the match. Just my opinion. Take if for what you paid for it.

 

[Pester]

There are a lot of great shooters with strong opinions that dont always align with each other. Having said that you might try following this video put out by the national shooting sport foundation with Ryan Cleckner. I think its practical, easy to do and is a great starting point for a rifle. You might try starting here.

For handguns I am much more lax about cleaning when I probably should not be. I clean my carry guns about every 3 months or maybe once a month if I am putting rounds through them.

 

[kdmcd]

There is a great video by Lowlight demonstrating his process on the site somewhere. If I find it I will post it. His process is simple, easy and is not an every trip to the range affair, if I remember correctly.

 

[Eustice]

A lot will do with what type of rifle you are shooting. A precision bolt action will require less than a semi-auto precision gun. If you shoot a gas gun suppressed you will need to clean a lot more than unsuppressed.

The other stuff has already been stated but I agree with keeping a log. I record the date and number of rounds fired along with a total number for the rifle/barrel. Also I write comments next to it. So an entry may be:
17Aug2018
80 rounds fired
1125 total rounds
Billy Bob Shootin’ Match
Rifle action/bolt/outside cleaned from mud
Barrel left alone

Then I can look back if i start having malfunctions to see when the last time it was cleaned and if I feel that was a cause if it. That can all be kept in a little wire bound notepad. Doesn’t have to be whiz-bang tactical.

 

[Shortrangelong]

@Pester I will take a look at the video. It sounds like there aren't necessarily hard and fast rules but that your gun may malfunction if fouled up or lack of lubrication.

@19dsniper I like the idea of keeping a log and measuring when you have degraded accuracy. How do you know it's gun accuracy and not shooter accuracy.

 

[Pester]

I guess that depends on the situation. I was outside of Reno a while ago and the wind was kicking up a fine sand. After a while things just went sideways with consistency and the bolt did not want to cycle as easily as normal. Not really a 'malfunction' but a quick wipe down sure helped.


I think 19dsnipers comments are about where I land although I dont keep a log. I tend to clean after a set number of rounds regardless if I see accuracy drop off or not. I am not crazy about it I just look for consistency in impacts. For me, I get more consistency that way. Certainly if I get a shift in accuracy I will clean.

 

[Fig]

Here’s the thing: Everyone who has shot enough in enough different conditions has has their bolt seize, or start to seize and get very hard to work till it stops working. I don’t care what kind of custom action it is or even AI (eventually). The wrong conditions (wind dust, mud, etc.) will make any rifle fail. If you are always starting from “clean” your rifle is going to take longer to fail. I keep a big bottle of Ronson fuel in my pack to flush my bolt and trigger group if needed, and it’s been needed, sometimes when I didn’t expect to need it. I’ve been half choked and almost had my bolt seize shooting a prone line in the dust/dirt/gravel. The guys brake next to me was punishing everything and blowing everything right into my open action, which I was trying to block with my hands/body/backpack (God bless suppressed shooters!).

I clean every use because next time I may not get a chance to clean, or I may find I’m in bolt seizing conditions, or both. I know plenty of guys who think cleaning is BS. One has an AR that cycles about as fast as loading a musket. It’s in slow mo.

 

[19dsniper]

@Pester I will take a look at the video. It sounds like there aren't necessarily hard and fast rules but that your gun may malfunction if fouled up or lack of lubrication.

@19dsniper I like the idea of keeping a log and measuring when you have degraded accuracy. How do you know it's gun accuracy and not shooter accuracy.

I tend to use the same standard for every precision rifle. If the group opens up to 1 moa or doubles group size, that’s where I clean. On some I could continue to go longer, but choose not to because I like small groups. As an example, my factory RPR will shoot consistent 0.3” groups. Sometimes I get lucky and get into the 2’s but most days I’m between 0.30-0.38”. If that rifle started to shoot above 0.8, I know it’s time to clean. However, one of my other rifles is a consistent .7” rifle. When that one hits 1” for a couple groups, I go ahead and clean. So for the first one it’s double it’s average, the other is only opening up about 20 %, but I don’t like shooting large groups. So for me it’s rifle specific. That’s where knowing your rifle plays a big difference in what to expect.

 

[htowncoog]

Personally, once accuracy starts affecting it is when I clean them.

 

[Rerun7]

This one has been debated a lot.

I used to clean my rifles and pistols after every range trip. At times I would spend an equal amount of time cleaning as shooting. I finally realized that is completely uneccessary and that I was wasting a lot of time I’ll never get back.

Google “filthy 14” and read the article. To me that put cleaning into perspective as I’m not nearly that hard on my rifles.

I clean when accuracy degrades, I have a malfunctioning issue or I just feel bad about how long it’s been. Much happier the past few years doing it this way.

 

[Shortrangelong]

@19dsniper thanks for explaining that. As I get better aquatinted with my rifle, I’m sure I’ll be able to tell when it’s telling me it’s cleaning time.

@Rerun7 I’ll take a look at that article.

 

[19dsniper]

On my original M24 barrel I could go a few hundred rounds between cleaning, and the same for my new Bartlein barrel. That was 308 and with clean burning powder. On my 6.5 cm I can’t go anywhere near the same number of rounds. Not near my notes but with my 6.5 I don’t go over 180, but that is with a factory barrel that fouls much quicker.

 

[shoot 51]

I suppose there will always be a debate on which copper cleaner works best. Several work great. I like Montana Extreme but I hate the non-dispensing aluminum cans. Anybody have a dispensing trick for this stuff?

 

[Fishin6061]

When accuracy degrades. More importantly, keep on eye on your muzzle brake in between cleanings. Sometimes what appears to be accuracy degradation is actually a very dirty brake.

 

[Jscb1b]

How does a dirty brake effect accuracy? Does one side get more stuff on it and push the barrel?

 

[Fishin6061]

A dirty muzzle brake can create turbidity that affects the bullet as gasses don’t exit in a concentric manner.

 

[Jscb1b]

Thanks.

 

[carbonbased]

Open a brew and wallow in here for a while: https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/objective-research-on-barrel-break-in-procedures.27321/

TL;DR
Cleaning too much, and especially improper cleaning, damages your barrel. Long ago, the typical barrel break in procedures were created and espoused by a barrel manufacturer with this in mind. (Psst: to sell more barrels)

Grabbing ?

 

[308pirate]

Thank you for your advice, because I honestly did not know that you need to clean your weapons.

They also have limited amounts of ammunition inside, unlike movie guns that shoot forever without reloading.

 

[Rerun7]

They also have limits on how many years you can necropost a thread.

2 years is a strong start

 

[Baron23]

Thank you for your advice, because I honestly did not know that you need to clean your weapons.

 

[308pirate]

Yeah..........a serious WTF

 

[Baron23]

Yeah..........a serious WTF

Just joined. First post.

Bullshit troll?

 

[308pirate]

Just joined. First post.

Bullshit troll?

Maybe he didn't get the memo that post count doesn't get you in the PX any more.

I mean, it's possible someone is really that naive since there are people who need to be explained that the oil in an engine needs to be periodically changed.

 

[kimpor]

I use Hoppes #9 bore solvent and Hoppes #9 lubricating oil.

This is my regimen:

First, make sure the gun is unloaded.

Cleaning:

Use a bore brush with solvent on the barrel, but be gentle and only run it through maybe once or twice to break up the deposits inside the barrel. After that, using your cleaning rod and a jag, run patches covered with solvent through the bore until they come out clean, run a couple of dry patches through after that. Use as many patches as it takes.

Scrub the chamber and bolt assembly with an old toothbrush and solvent. Every four cleanings or so I'll take the bolt apart if it breaks down. Use your toothbrush to remove for any carbon deposits on the trigger assembly if you can get to it easily. I do at least a field strip after every shooting outing, every four or five outings I'll break the gun down completely.

Lubrication:

Run a lightly oiled patch down the bore. Maybe just a couple of drops on the patch. Lightly oil the bolt assembly. Put a drop on any moving parts. I always put a light coat of lubricating oil on the outside of the firearm too. Just a bit on a clean cotton cloth and wipe the whole thing down.

 

[...]

First, make sure the gun is unloaded.

sure...if you wanna be a pussy about it.....

dont be a little bitch, and load your gun before you clean it like a fucking man.