Am I too anal?

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I am very surprised at some of the answers in this thread.
I do not hunt... ( yet, I'd like to get into it someday.)
Therefore, all of my firearms are defensive firearms. Some are for carry, some remain in the home, but they are all defensive firearms. I thoroughly clean and lube immediately after every range trip. The carry guns get wiped down and lubed about once a month even if I don't shoot them. Come on people. These tools aren't cheap. I take good care of mine, because if ( god forbid ) I ever need them to work, then I want them to work flawlessly.
 
If it doesn't work flawlessly, clean OR dirty, why would I trust my life to it?
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To be totally honest, you can't.

EVERY firearm can, and will, eventually fail once it gets dirty enough.
 
I keep my guns (and my two trucks) as clean as I can. They are mechanical objects that you want to work properly and to last as long as possible. That means you need to maintain them. And to the people that clean a gun, then won't trust it until they fire a magazine through it, you need to learn how to properly function check the weapon.
 
I clean my guns everytime I shoot one regardless of how many rounds I put through them.

I am like you, I clean my guns every 30 day whether they are shot or not. If for no other reason than I enjoy field stripping my guns and cleaning them.

:D
 
I have friend and have acquaintances who clean their gun every 500 to 1000 rounds and lube them every so often. Me?

After every time I shoot I Clean, Inspect, and lube the gun. If I dont shoot the gun in 30 days I take it apart again and wipe things down and lube it again.

Thoughts? I guess I do it because its calming to clean and enjoy my collection, and plus if I always know what things look like I can replace wearing parts or get it inspected if need be.

Joe
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I clean mine after every range outing as well, so I see nothing wrong with what you're doing :D Also, if I carry it, and haven't shot it in a month or so, I will take it apart and wipe it down with an oil cloth too. Yeah, I know, I doubt my Glock gives a crap, but it makes me feel better.
 
Those I carry are clean every two weeks unless i got caught in a rain storm or fell in the mud then it first chance i get. The house gun get clean after a day at the range.

be safe
 
Ammo type is also a factor. When I first got into shooting I grabbed the cheapest ammo I could find and caught myself having to clean more often than not. Spending a little more on quality ammo has helped cut down on cleaning. I tend to clean mine after every range session but it does not take long because I don't allow the gunk to build.
 
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After every time I shoot I Clean, Inspect, and lube the gun. If I dont shoot the gun in 30 days I take it apart again and wipe things down and lube it again.
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This is exactly what I do, because I rely on my firearms for SD. My .22s on the other hand, get cleaned once every blue moon. The gun is a machine, the best way to insure the machine runs properly (other than using it correctly) is frequent maintenance.
 
Cleaning a gun that isn't used is like changing the oil in an engine that doesn't run. It won't do any harm but also doesn't accomplish much either.
 
I do not hunt... ( yet, I'd like to get into it someday.)
Therefore, all of my firearms are defensive firearms. Some are for carry, some remain in the home, but they are all defensive firearms. I thoroughly clean and lube immediately after every range trip. The carry guns get wiped down and lubed about once a month even if I don't shoot them. Come on people. These tools aren't cheap. I take good care of mine, because if ( god forbid ) I ever need them to work, then I want them to work flawlessly.
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Same here, If I shoot just one box, I clean it, actually if I shoot a magazine then go home Ill clean it.
If I need it for self defense I need it to work.

I have an 870 I cleaned and put away in a gun case in 2003. I just opened it. I had taken the barrel off. It didnt go back together as smooth, once together it worked fine, but its a pump not an automatic. I then broke out the cleaner and brushes and cleaned it.


Guns i do not use for self defense I will not break out all the time to clean, but any gun I shoot I will clean after shooting.
 
I know people that change the oil on their car after every drive. Remove and inspect the plugs. Take the heads off to check the gaskets and replace the hoses.

Dirty oil and bad plugs will ruin a car. If them heads are not sealed proper, you will have problems........










I have seen more damage from over cleaning and over lube than any other firearm problem.

A wipedown is no problem, and maybe a couple passes of a boresnake. A total strip and clean will wear them out faster than shooting them. Adding lube asfter lube will make a gun unreliable. Seen guns way over lubed fail to lockup more than once when chunks of carbon and brass got in the lug areas....

Nothing wrong with a good cleaning, when the gun needs it, but every time, a full cleeaning will wear that gun out alot faster.....
 
It depends what it is. I clean the guns that I put corrosive ammo through after every range trip.

Most I just clean when they get dirty enough to start to bother me. My 10/22 is the exception, I shoot it until it starts to malfunction before cleaning it, usualy around the 4k round mark.
 
Are you obsessive? Not if you enjoy doing that and as long as you don't tell me how to clean my stuff. :neener:

Do I do that? No.

I clean and lube my Kimber that I carry after each range trip (unless it's 100 rounds or less) or once a month. The glock that I alternate carrying with gets cleaned less. If I don't shoot it, I may just disassemble it and check it...that's about it. The ar that sits ready for home defense gets cleaned after each session, but beyond that I simply check to ensure the bolt still has a good coating of oil regularly. The rest are for pleasure, not defense.

The rest get cleaned as needed, meaning after it gets shot (particularly with milsurp ammo in the enfield or sks) or a quick wipe to keep the evil rust goblins at bay. If I pulled them all out once a month to clean and lube, well I'd need to dedicate the better part of a Saturday since I prefer to take my time and not miss anything. I'd rather not do that as my family time is more important. Yes, they help with after range cleanings if they participated but I see no reason to set aside a family firearm cleaning day marathon.

Edit:: I shoot my 22 rifles like Hatterasguy mentioned...till it quits shooting. If I clean them after every range visit, they jam more often. They appear to like to run dirty. The most I do to those guys is run a bore snake through it. The action stays dirty enough to run until it malfunctions.

To each his own, though.
 
I clean after every range trip and clean my LCP once a month whether it's shot or not.... Because I ankle carry and it gets nasty dirty when carrying on your ankle.....
 
If you enjoy it, then you are fine.

For ones that serve a self defense role, my perfect scenario is to clean it, reassemble, shoot 50 rounds to ensure it works, then put it away.

For ones designed for just range work, I will go several hunderd on rifles and maybe a 1000 or more on pistols before cleaning unless I start to see an issue.

Pump shotguns I tend not to worry too much.

Hunting rifles, I don't clean them too well till it's closer to when I need them. Then, I clean, reassemble, and fire some rounds to ensure they are working properly before I take them to the field.
 
I don't think you are anal. I enjoy taking care and cleaning my possessions.

I clean/wipe down my guns after every trip to the range. Then again, I also wash my car once a week.

I work hard to buy the things I want, and take pleasure in taking care of them. unless it is detrimental to functionality, then no harm done.
 
Nothing wrong with a good cleaning, when the gun needs it, but every time, a full cleeaning will wear that gun out alot faster
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Can someone please explain how cleaning a firearm wears it out.
I ask because I clean after shooting and sometimes in between range trips just to relax.
 
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