cleaning?

[old fart]

i have had my nano since february, and was shooting each week and cleaning after each shooting. i can't afford lately to shoot and won't be able to till at least december or january. i last cleaned my nano in the middle of june, i noticed today a few places in the back that had lint inside. not bad but enough that i took a toothpick and got it out. i carry daily so do you think i should clean monthly or every 2-3 months? its been 3 months since i last broke it down to clean. thanks

 

[Jim PHL]

It only takes a few minutes to field strip, blow the dust and lint out and give it a quick wipe with a couple drops of oil. If you carry it daily I'd do this weekly.

 

[BSA1]

Ditto except I use Tetra Gun Grease on the rails instead of oil. I use a paper towel to wipe the lube and dirt off the rails, run a piece of paper towel down the barrel to chase the lint out, relube the rails and reassemble. Takes all of 5 minutes.

 

[C0untZer0]

In a holster and de-linted pocket, with the slide closed, my R9 still gets schmutz on it and in it. I don't know how it happens, it is one of life's mysteries like how left socks disappear out of the dryer.

I have a repeating calendar entry every 2 weeks to clean my carry guns. I go shooting about every 2 weeks and they get cleaned then too, but if I miss a range session because something is going on that weekend, the (unfired) guns don't go more than 2 weeks without another cleaning.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Lint isn't likely to affect function or reliability. If you're really concerned about lint and dust, you can open it up and use a can of "Dust Remover Spray" (from electronics shops, Radio Shack, etc.) to blow out the crap.

Otherwise, I think you should clean it once in a great while -- or, if you really think it necessary -- after you've fired it. If you have high humidity where you live, checking for rust is a good thing. A "Bore Snake" may be your best friend, along with a little CLP.

Ammo, nowadays, is non-corrosive, and a number of folks on this and other forums have run thousands of rounds through a single gun for extended periods before cleaning, and did so without noticeable wear or loss of function. I did that once with my CZ 85 Combat. It wasn't my only gun, and I just wanted to see what would happen. In most cases, the folks who do this sort of thing end up cleaning the weapon because the guns look so nasty they are grossed out and can't stand looking at them -- not because they aren't working properly. That's what happened with mine somewhere (I think) around 4000 rounds over a period of about 6 months. That happened in the late 1990's and I honestly don't remember how many rounds I ran through it, but it was MULTIPLE THOUSANDS, not hundreds.

Do what you want... but you're probably going to be wasting time and money unless you've actually fired the weapon or humidity is an issue.

 

[Bama Drifter]

To extrapolate and stretch the argument about monthly vs neglect... I remember reading about Wild Bill Hickock's daily routine and it astonished me for a couple reasons.
First of all, he was the last real gunfighter who stuck w/ percussion (cap & ball) well past 1873 and the advent of metallic cartridges.

Secondly, his morning routine was to go downstairs and shoot empty both of his .36 Colt revolvers then meticulously clean and reload. Aside from the comfort he got from knowing that his powder was dry and caps were fresh, it gave him ample practice. He was the Jerry Miculek of his day if you consider trigger time

Lastly, FWIW my SHTF Glock 19 gets cleaned after range outings, then twice annually (spring & fall) wether she needs it or not. Just my .02 YMMV.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

To extrapolate and stretch the argument about monthly vs neglect... I remember reading about Wild Bill Hickock's daily routine and it astonished me for a couple reasons.

First of all, he was the last real gunfighter who stuck w/ percussion (cap & ball) well past 1873 and the advent of metallic cartridges.

His morning routine was to go downstairs and shoot empty both of his .36 Colt revolvers then meticulously clean and reload. Aside from the comfort he got from knowing that his powder was dry and caps were fresh, it gave him ample practice.

The part of this example that doesn't translate to shooting today is that Hickock's guns used blackpowder -- and that stuff was (and IS) very corrosive. Frequent cleaning was absolutely necessary if you wanted your guns to work when you needed them. That isn't the case, today.

Back then many shooters used hot soapy water, flushed by clean hot water. Light lubrication might have been a next step for some. (Nowadays some Revolutionary and Civil War re-enactors use hot water and dish detergent -- but I've seen some use WINDEX as a temporary cleaning liquid 'til they get home. Some don't want to wait THAT LONG...)

 

[Bama Drifter]

The part of this example that doesn't translate to shooting today is that Hickock's guns used blackpowder -- and that stuff was (and IS) very corrosive. Frequent cleaning was absolutely necessary if you wanted your guns to work when you needed them. That isn't the case, today.

Back then many shooters used hot soapy water, flushed by clean hot water. Light lubrication might have been a next step for some. (Nowadays some Revolutionary and Civil War re-enactors use hot water and dish detergent -- but I've seen some use WINDEX as a temporary cleaning liquid 'til they get home. Some don't want to wait THAT LONG...)

I absolutely concur. Note the part at beginning where I say "stretch the argument" and other part how I only feel like thoroughly cleaning my G19 twice a year. Just thought I'd drift the thread a bit to cover a historical figure.

Modern pistols are boringly reliable. Black powder is no fun to clean and HIGHLY prone to failure from getting wet. Take what I post FWIW. Free anecdote

 

[bikerdoc]

I am still brainwashed 50 years after being thoroughly indoctrinated by dad and uncle sam.
You clean after you shoot, again the day after you shoot, and once a month if you dont shoot.
Not doing it would bring too much guilt. I know it is silly but such is the strenth of early childhood education.

 

[C0untZer0]

I took my daughter to a handgun shooting clinic last weekend. They run a clinic every month for 6 months of the year. For $25 they supply the handguns and ammo for a day of shooting. They use Ruger 22/45 and probably put 450 to 500 rounds through the pistols in a day. At the end of the clinic they give the pistols a quick wipe-down, wipe out the chamber and run a bore snake through with some lube and that's it. After the last clinic of the year they break the pistols down and do a thorough cleaning to get ready for the following year.

Granted no one's life depends on those target pistols not jamming and there were a few jams on the firing line during the day, but generally the pistols worked all day long.

 

[Bama Drifter]

Wow, I'm happy that I fall somewhere b/w BikerDoc and CountZero. Anyway we are talking polymer and MODERN finished guns (melonite, tennifer, nitration) and/or stainless steel... not much chance to get pitting or serious oxidation. HOWEVER it is a bit different for older guns; especially gorgeous blued collectibles!

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Anyway we are talking polymer and MODERN finished guns (melonite, tennifer, nitration) and/or stainless steel... not much chance to get pitting or serious oxidation. HOWEVER it is a bit different for older guns; especially gorgeous blued collectibles!

I'd argue that it's not much different... Some of those fancier new guns still rust pretty easily... and the Polymer doesn't cover the slide. Even stainless steel will rust.

If there are rust problems -- and there can be -- it won't be from firing modern ammo in those new or old guns; modern (post WWII) ammo doesn't cause rust or corrosion. Moisture from the air or sweat from the shooter's hands or body may be a far bigger threat to a gun's appearance and functionality than shooting the gun without regular cleaning.

Protecting any of these guns from rust damage might be as simple as a thorough wipe-down of exposed metal with a CLP-dampened cloth whenever they're shot or handled, and can be done VERY quickly.

Many shooters here are going to continue to clean their weapons after every use, and periodically, again, thereafter. Many of these folks find it a relaxing pastime, and it's arguably cheaper than shooting the guns...

.

 

[C0untZer0]

I have a lot of fun dry-firing them too.

 

[NC-Mike]

I have a P32 carry piece. I got in the habit of never cleaning it.

I fired it at the range one day, it was full of dust bunnies. It went boom and the dust bunnies were all gone.

 

[C0untZer0]

It just went boom or did it go Ka-Boom ?

 

[gamestalker]

I clean my carry weapon every week. If I didn't, it would probably have spider webs, and a nest of black widows living in it after a month of neglect. Seriously though, an every day carrying weapon gets pretty nasty in just a week.

Something else I noticed and take care of, is my holster. I blow it out with compressed air once a week, helps to reduce the amount of lint that accumulates in / on the firearm.

GS

 

[NC-Mike]

It just went boom or did it go Ka-Boom ?

LOL... No it fired just fine and what's more, the ammo was at least 4 years old.

I've heard people say they rotate their ammo every 6 months, I still have plenty of surplus ammo that is 40 years old and older and it still goes boom too.

 

[NC-Mike]

I took my daughter to a handgun shooting clinic last weekend. They run a clinic every month for 6 months of the year. For $25 they supply the handguns and ammo for a day of shooting. They use Ruger 22/45 and probably put 450 to 500 rounds through the pistols in a day. At the end of the clinic they give the pistols a quick wipe-down, wipe out the chamber and run a bore snake through with some lube and that's it. After the last clinic of the year they break the pistols down and do a thorough cleaning to get ready for the following year.

Granted no one's life depends on those target pistols not jamming and there were a few jams on the firing line during the day, but generally the pistols worked all day long.

I have a 22/45 and _used_ to break down the gun an clean it after each use but along the way decided it was just too much of a PITA, as the gun is not very easy to field strip.

I started to spray it down with CLP and run a few patches through the barrel, from the muzzle side, (OMG!!!) and the gun has worked fine for many thousands of rounds.

I like it, maybe one day I will break it down and clean the insides but probably not.

 

[ku4hx]

For some of us "cleaning a gun" is a little more than just cleaning a gun. For me it has a bit of a Zen quality to it. I clean mine every time they're used and sometimes when they're not freshly used. I get a chance to fondle old memories and check for rust (never found any), grime I may have missed and worn or broken parts. I keep a silicone cloth atop the safe for quick and easy wipe down ... even those with corrosion resistant finishes.

For me, cleaning my guns is like brushing my teeth: do it after every use, inspect often for things that are amiss and keep them in working order as needed. Like teeth, properly maintained they'll last a lifetime and serve you well along the way.

 

[bikerdoc]

Well stated Walt and Ku4hx. Zen and relaxing are aspects I never thought about, but they certainly have meaning to me, thanks, I dont feel so OCD now.

 

[NC-Mike]

To each is own, for me, cleaning guns is work and not something I enjoy in the least. Shooting guns, yeah, I like that...

I do enjoy doing reliability mods and minor tinkering or setting up optics and zero but just get absolutely _nothing_ out of cleaning them, besides it being a boring, mundane chore.

Same thing goes with my automobile, thank God new cars are basically maintenance free, I hate working on cars, I want to get in, push the button and go and bring it in at its designated service interval and let someone else do the dirty work... Now if I could get only my wife to clean my guns....

 

[bannockburn]

Still pretty much stick with my routine of cleaning the guns after using them, look them over every couple of months, clean them every 5 or 6 months, and clean the ones I'm taking to the range.