how often to clean a unshot carry gun?

[old fart]

i have a beretta nano and carry it daily in either a barsony owb holster or tagua iwb holster. now every night when i take it off i remove the gun from the holster and wipe it down with a lightly oiled rag and store it out of the holster. i only get to shoot it about once a month or so, but i take it apart and clean it after its shot. however it can go a month if not a month and half with out firing it, should i clean it between shootings or will it be ok with a wipe down till i clean it in 4-6 weeks? thanks for any help.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I clean my duty weapon after every qualification day....Twice a year.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

If I haven't fired my carry gun for a lack of range time I oil it about every 6 weeks.
I use a can of compressed air about every 2 weeks to blow dust and lint out of it.

They get full cleanings after every practice session.

 

[C0untZer0]

I cleaned mine tonight.

In a holster and de-linted pocket, with the slides closed, my pistols still get schmutz on them and in them. 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.

 

[rcmodel]

I Blow the dust bunnies out with an air compressor every couple of weeks.
(OK, you got me! More like every two / four months when I remember to do it.)

But, I run a RIG saturated wool swab down the bore, and wipe the gun down with a RIG-RAG every time I put it away.

rc

 

[Zach S]

Every couple weeks...

Blown out with compressed air, a pull or two with a boresnake, lubed, and a thin layer if RIG under the left grip panel.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Guns...

I field strip and clean my firearms about once every 4-6 weeks. Sooner if I'm in bad weather or if I see a minor problem while I attach my gun-holster.
I tend not to strip and clean my pistol magazines as much as I used to.
I use Ballistol and Froglube CLP(liquid). I run Hoppes #9 synthetic down the gun barrels.
If you aren't shooting guns a lot or are in bad weather, you don't need to soak gun parts in CLP or cleaners.
To wipe off a carry gun after a long CCW period is smart. That's all you'll need.

 

[GBExpat]

I Blow the dust bunnies out with an air compressor every couple of weeks.
(OK, you got me! More like every two / four months when I remember to do it.) ...

This ... perfectly describes my highly technical and supremely regimented carry piece periodic "cleaning" regimen.

Usually it occurs after my eyes have wandered to the pistol butt on the table as I am typing, like now ... and I start trying to remember when was that last time I blew that thing out 'cause it looks like something might me living in there now.

 

[krimmie]

I once had a Beretta mini cougar as my carry piece...I put a couple hundred rounds through it for the first few months, but then I started shooting sporting clays. I think a year of carrying it without cleaning went by before I took it back to the range...had a "fail to something" on every mag I shot. A good cleaning fixed the issues, but I never felt the same about the gun and sold it.

Now I try and clean my carry guns about once every other month, and of course every time I shoot them.

 

[bikerdoc]

Weekly cleaning if not shot. Ussualy while watch the NASCAR race. Immediately upon coming home from the range or woods.

 

[herrwalther]

When they get dirty. With pocket lint and the copious amounts of dog hair, I usually run a brush inside and out about once a month. Give it a thin coat of oil, load, then back in the holster. I try to hit the range as often as I can, and can more when my backyard range is finished. In that case I never let the sun set on a dirty firearm.

 

[C0untZer0]

I carry a pocket pistol and when my pants come out of the dryer I turn the pockets inside out and get every bit of lint out of the pocket. There is usually something like sand in the very tip of the pocket too - I live in the Midwest so I don't know what that is or where its coming from but that grit is in there every time.

I swab the inside of my DeSantis Nemesis holster with alcohol and I let the holster dry.

My gun is not super oily so as not to attract dust.

Having done all that, my gun still gets lint and dust on it. I carried my Rohrbaugh for a month without cleaning it and just went to the range with the lint and the dust on and in it and it shot fine, which helped me feel better about missing a week of cleaning, but I still feel a whole lot better when I know it is super clean.

 

[george burns]

My guns stay pretty immaculate in the safe, I don't clean Glocks for a year if it hasn't been fired. I do wipe them down with a little oil, just to keep the finish protected.
My carry gun, as needed, again, since it sits in a remora, it doesn't get exposed to anything. I also wipe it down weekly, if I shoot any of them, they get cleaned. Been doing it this way for 45 years "next week". And so far I have never had a gun rust, pit or fail because of lack of cleaning.
I do believe that many people over clean their guns. Especially Polymer guns with Tennifer coatings. If it hasn't been fired, there is really no need to break it down and clean it. Maybe a drop of oil on the right spots, "different on all guns".

 

[ku4hx]

Depends on the finish and environmental conditions. Here in the sunny south mine get wiped down daily if they're blued, occasionally if they're stainless steel and seldom if they're polymer framed with slide coatings such as Glock and others have.

As far as moving parts lubrication is concerned, they don't go "unshot" long enough to affect Mobile 1 and stainless grease.

 

[Old Fuff]

Don't own or carry any plastic guns. I have nothing against them, but an opportunity hasn't come along. For exterior protection of blued guns I prefer wax over grease or oils.

I inspect the ones I carry frequently, and clean them when I think it's necessary. As for a specific schedule - no.

Which reminds me...

 

[ku4hx]

For exterior protection of blued guns I prefer wax over grease or oils

The only problem I have with wax is how do you tell when it's worn off and no longer protecting? On a car, rain no longer beads up. To me, waxed surfaces look just like clean surfaces. Seems to me the only way to tell is when the waxless area rusts. So what do you do, keep re-waxing?

I tried that, far simpler and more positive assessment for me to just take ten seconds and do a quick wipe down with an "oil" or silicon impregnated cloth.

 

[Old Fuff]

The only problem I have with wax is how do you tell when it's worn off and no longer protecting? On a car, rain no longer beads up. To me, waxed surfaces look just like clean surfaces. Seems to me the only way to tell is when the waxless area rusts. So what do you do, keep re-waxing?

Frankly, I haven't had a problem. Oils will wear off sooner, and I don't like to handle a greasy gun. Also a heavy coat of either may stain clothing or holsters.

I frequently inspect - on a daily basis - and when I think it's necessary a new coat of wax goes on. Depending on the environment and how much the gun is handled this is usually anywhere from 90 days to several times a year.

Understand I'm a "waxaholic " I often wax leather holsters that come un-oiled from the maker, and even the lid on my laptop. I got this way after observing waterfowl hunters wax their guns & gear, and they go out into weather conditions I don't even want to think about. My handguns don't come near to what their shotguns do.

 

[VINTAGE-SLOTCARS]

Unshot, wipe down every week ,slide oiled.

 

[Malamute]

Mine go long periods without cleaning or much more than a dusting off with a toothbrush. Many I'm sure would consider it abuse. OK. My using guns are carried daily and have always worked when I needed them, even when "neglected" for long periods of carry. Reading of the 2000 rd challenge, and other carry/cleaning habits of some more experienced shooters than me have given me renewed confidence in my guns and my ability to largely ignore them (slightly overstated). I handle the carry guns regularly, but they dont get much "care" attention. They are mostly dry on the outside, its REALLY dry and dusty where I live. If they get dirty enough to make me worry about function, I'll clean and/or oil them. Most of them live in holsters full time and most have been loaded for as long as I've owned them (not the same rounds). If my guns get rained on, they get dried off with whatevers handy, paper towel, t-shirt, etc to dry them, and largely left alone. Theres rarely any rust. Once in a while a spot shows up in the crevice between the barrel and mag tube on lever actions or on a Smith revolver. Its just cosmetic.

Time periods? Revolvers, maybe actually formally cleaned once a year. Autos, maybe cleaned if I shoot them much, or top taken off, wiped and toothbrushed out, re-oiled and put back together. That happens 2 or 3 times a year maybe. Zero functional issues so far.

 

[kdunn]

I think a better question is how often should inspect a carry gun when you haven't shot it. Drop the mag and clear the chamber and inspect the gun at least once a month. As long as it looks good to go I wouldn't worry about it other than spraying a little lube on it.

 

[JR24]

I try to get my carry gun to the range at least once a month and clean it afterwards.

 

[VA27]

Like CPE, I clean after quals and like rc and GBE, give mine a blast of air when the dust bunnies look like they're ready to have babies.

As an experiment I once pocket carried a Seecamp 32 7 days a week for a year. The only maintenance was the occasional puff of air. Not shop air, I just blew the dust off it. Stopped by the range one day and emptied the mag. Zero problems.

I have seen a PPK choke on road dust and leg dandruff after a month of ankle carry. The guy went to a revolver for ankle carry after that little shock.

 

[cc-hangfire]

I'm like most of the other posters - about once a month on average I field strip, lightly lube & grease the same as if it has been shot. And I try to shoot a mag or two thru it at least every other month.

The waxing comment reminded me that I did use Johnson's paste wax on the blued slide about a year and a-half go. The handgun is a pocket carry .380acp and I live in the humid southeast (and I do sweat a bunch too). Apparently my sweat isn't the type that causes immediate rust, but I do believe the paste wax has helped prevent rust - no scientific test but in rain, humidity, and sweaty conditions, the blued slide has held up well. (At least the wax wouldn't hurt - very light coat, buffed "dry")

 

[tom unler]

At least a wipe down and inspection once a week! I was a Police Officer many years back, my partner asked why I cleaned my gun so often.... Made me wonder a bit, so I asked her how often she did. The answer was shocking, she hadn't even taken it out of the holster in months. I immediately offered an education. We tried to remove the S&W Mod 10 and there was enough rust on the piece to effectively "Glue" it to the holster. Sounded like Velcro when we peeled it out. A trip to the armorer got her another gun and a good butt chewing. After that she joined me in my Friday ritual.

 

[rswartsell]

I have never heard a complaint that someone cleaned their seldom shot gun to death, but practical truth be known a lot of folks do more than is really needed. Parris Island hangover?