Gun Cleaning

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It's not something I enjoy either but it's necessary I guess.
I don't rush home to clean if I just fire one shot, but I clean after every few range sessions.
Hunting rifles don't get shot that often, so I give a thorough cleaning at the end of season.
 
Old Dog said:
Hmm. I enjoy cleaning guns, but then I also love mowing my lawn and doing my own vehicle maintenance. Worked hard all my life to get where I am and what I have, so maybe some kind of pride of ownership thing, plus knowing my things are well taken care of. I think when some folks start looking at taking care of their stuff as a chore, they might not put as much into it as they should.
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What he said! Feel the same way.

When I shoot my guns... I clean them ASAP afterwards. Because I enjoy doing it and I want to assure that the firearm is in pristine working order should the need to use it for defense arises.

Same with my lawn and garden tractors. I blow them off with compressed air after each use, clean the air filters and top off the fluids. So that I know they're going to start and run for me next time out.

I just find that preening over my equipment after use gives me a great sense of satisfaction.
 
I like reading threads like this one. They help me remember that a firearm probably should be cleaned every now and then. Usually I do it when they start giving me some kind of problem. Sure I will wipe them down at times and always try to run a patch down the barrel before I shoot one that has been sitting awhile, but unless I have operated one in the dirt or dust or mud I figure I ought to be able to pick it up, load it, and shoot it.

I guess they do get dirty eventually, but it seems easier to set a dirty gun aside for a rainy day project and just go grab a different one for the next range trip. Every time I go shooting I have to take a little time to figure out which ones will come along that day. I do not buy as many guns as I used to - a new gun in the collection just means that one of my other 'favorites' will have to stay home each time I take the new one out!
 
il.bill said:
I like reading threads like this one. They help me remember that a firearm probably should be cleaned every now and then. Usually I do it when they start giving me some kind of problem. Sure I will wipe them down at times and always try to run a patch down the barrel before I shoot one that has been sitting awhile, but unless I have operated one in the dirt or dust or mud I figure I ought to be able to pick it up, load it, and shoot it.

I guess they do get dirty eventually, but it seems easier to set a dirty gun aside for a rainy day project and just go grab a different one for the next range trip. Every time I go shooting I have to take a little time to figure out which ones will come along that day. I do not buy as many guns as I used to - a new gun in the collection just means that one of my other 'favorites' will have to stay home each time I take the new one out!
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Years ago no one would dare to say this. It used to be considered almost a crime to not thoroughly clean a gun immediately following a shooting outing. Nowadays, not so much. More recently I hear all sorts of folks saying they don’t clean their guns, even EDC guns.
 
I will clean a carry after shooting.
I have a beater mosin that might get cleaned once a year unless i run surplus.
 
Dibbs said:
That's easy to say. Most bolt actions require a trigger pull to drop the bolt. IMO, it all boils down to
unloading the weapon, before you handle it, be it to pass around, work on it, clean it, etc.
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The trigger pull on a bolt gun happen after the bolt is open and out of battery. I have only one of several that requires that, all the others have a bolt release latch, or depressing the safety lets loose of the bolt for removal. Perhaps I should have been more explicit.
 
It is interesting to me to see all the folks that don't clean their gun regularly. Do you lube them at all, or run them on the dry side?
 
Same here even when duck hunted my 870 got a Outers gun cloth wipe down and a patch swabbed down the barrel before I ate Lunch! I did breakdown cleaning on Sunday afternoon before the next week's hunt!
Jack B. said:
I guess I'm old fashioned. I was taught about 60 years ago to clean my gun every time it went out. Weather I fired it or not. So I clean my guns often. A dirty gun is embarrassing to me.
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Depends on what your definition of "IS" is?
Cleaning can be a simple wipe and a brush and patch down the bore. Field strip and wash, or a complete detail stripping and cleaning in various pots of witches brews.
Personally my routine is a combination of wipe and brush to field strip and wipe.
While I do enjoy all the time I spend on my hobby, cleaning cuts into reloading time.
 
It is hard to start cleaning guns but once I start I get in the "zone."

I clean guns every time I shoot them and usually the same day I shoot them. When I don't the crud seems to bond to the metal more and is harder to clean off.
 
I guess that cruddy Garand barrel will always be with me. Taught me two lessons:

1. Always check the bore of a firearm before you buy it.
2. It's easy to keep a clean bore clean, a crusty bore will never come clean again,
once it's allowed to crust over.
 
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