Which ones like it dirty?

[Frostbite]

I have that tendency to keep my rifles quite clean, like many.

I know some of you do not put so much time in keeping theirs like new, or rather cleaner than new.

In your experience, which rifles work best and longest, in terms of both shots fired and time elapsed between cleanings?

When do they loose minute of deer accuracy, when do they simply not cycle anymore?

 

[Jackal]

My Remington 510 probably has over 6,000rds through it without cleaning the barrel. It still shoots where I point it. My AR's get a quick, light cleaning every couple thousand rounds. My AK's almost never get cleaned. PTR-91 virtually never needs cleaning.

The only guns I own that get frequent cleanings are my pocket pistols.

People tend to over clean/over think their rifles.

 

[Frostbite]

6000 rounds in .22 LR! That is something. My Buckmark would definitely not like it, especially if shooting Remington Golden Bullet. It experimented failures to cycle with that specific ammo at around 350-400 rounds if memory serves me. It does fine past that with Winchester 333, but I never took it past 600 or so without complete cleaning.

 

[jmr40]

Crud gets cleaned out of the action and exterior surfaces wiped down every time I shoot. Barrels are cleaned when accuracy goes downhill. I rarely clean barrels on a 22 RF. Center fires can go 100-300 rounds.

 

[ColoradoShooter77]

I haven't tested it, but I'm sure my SKS could go 1000 rounds between cleanings easily, that thing is like an AK, it doesn't care, lol.

 

[Reloadron]

My Remington 510 probably has over 6,000rds through it without cleaning the barrel. It still shoots where I point it. My AR's get a quick, light cleaning every couple thousand rounds. My AK's almost never get cleaned. PTR-91 virtually never needs cleaning.

The only guns I own that get frequent cleanings are my pocket pistols.

People tend to over clean/over think their rifles.

Doesn't surprise me. Looking at the Remington 510 real up close and personal there is not much to get dirty enough to keep the little rifle from functioning.

While I clean mine, the rifle would functio0n fine sans being clean. Matter of fact so would the 511 and 512. The only rifles that seem to need cleaning more frequently are the semi-autos.

Ron

 

[Jackal]

Looking at the Remington 510 real up close and personal there is not much to get dirty enough to keep the little rifle from functioning.

Exactly. Between myself and my father who purchased it well used from the original owner about 40 years ago, I wouldnt doubt that this little bugger has had almost 50,000rds through it. I reblued it/refinished the wood once and it just wont stop working. Minute of 50 cent piece at 50 yards with standard irons, when I do my part. Only new part its ever needed has been a repro buttplate.

Its one rifle that will be in my safe until I'm in the ground.

 

[Reloadron]

Exactly. Between myself and my father who purchased it well used from the original owner about 40 years ago, I wouldnt doubt that this little bugger has had almost 50,000rds through it. I reblued it/refinished the wood once and it just wont stop working. Minute of 50 cent piece at 50 yards with standard irons, when I do my part. Only new part its ever needed has been a repro buttplate.

Its one rifle that will be in my safe until I'm in the ground.

Mine was a gift given to me on my very first hunting trip in 1958 when I was 8 years old. My grandfather and uncle took me upstate NY and my uncle's friend gave me that rifle to drag around and in the late afternoons when the adults were done hunting I got a box of ammo and to shoot the rifle. Best Thanksgiving of my life. When it was time to leave Charlie gave me the rifle. About 10 years ago we had a 75th birthday for my uncle and Charlie was there. He asked if I remembered my first hunting trip. Looked at Charlie and told him I still have the rifle. He couldn't believe I still had that rifle That Remington 510P has been with me longer than anything I have. Yes, damn fine shooter. Someday maybe my grandson's rifle. Bluing is now a patina. Walnut looks just fine.
Ron

 

[rduchateau2954]

All my guns are spotless. I'll even clean already clean guns if they've been sitting (SKS, inherited guns) just because I enjoy doing so.

Then I can walk around smelling my fingers . It helps reinforce the "crazy guy next door" thing I've got going on to keep the neighbors honest.

 

[LeonCarr]

Never let the sun set on a dirty gun.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[ttarp]

To disprove some absurd claims about the Hk style roller guns, I let my PTR go for well over 1,000 rounds without cleaning or lubing.

Its no target rifle, so I really didn't notice any accuracy degrading, and despite the utter lack of care it never malfunctioned for the duration of the test.

I found it interesting that after a few hundred rounds in the ejection wasn't nearly as violent and the brass was hardly marred at all.

Side note, I never intend to let a rifle go that long without cleaning again, something about putting a filthy rifle in the safe just doesn't sit right with me.

 

[yugorpk]

I dont bother cleaning AK's . They dont need it.

 

[tahoe2]

Clean as necessary

As most of mine are milsurp's, some of which are Sporterized, I clean as necessary. When shooting jacketed bullets, some of them tend to get more accurate, or I should say, stabilize for about 100-200 rounds before accuracy falls off. Cast Boolits are a different story. Now these are not tack driving competition rifles, but consistent "clay bird" shooters at 200 yards. Some are over 100 years+, a couple have mild to heavy pitted bores and need to be cleaned more often. But as a general rule I 'Clean as Necessary". I don't shoot any surplus ammo in my guns, and the exception to the rule is my Black Powder guns. I clean those immediately, or ASAP

 

[Hungry1]

I like to clean and lube the action of my rifles. The bore, not so much.

Over the years, I've learned that a fouled bore produces a more predictable cold bore shot. I push a patch or two and follow up with an oiled patch after a light range session. Call it done for 200 rounds or so. Then the rifle gets a thorough scrub.

I'm retired military. It's difficult for me to leave a dirty rifle alone.

 

[The Big D]

I'll clean operating mechanisms and chambers whenever it seems due. But barrels basically are never helped by cleaning, and frequently damaged by it. The primary proponents of vigorous cleaning regimens are aftermarket barrel manufacturers (who stand to benefit financially) and of course military traditionalists.

 

[3212]

As a deerhunter the first shot is usually the best opportunity.So, after 3 fouling shots I start concentrating on small groups.Then I leave the barrel dirty through deer season.After the season it gets cleaned.

 

[Catpop]

Always keep rifle bores clean! The bore is the rifle! If it doesn't shoot Straight, get rid of it!
You can tell a gun man by his perfume---- Hoppes #9! Nuf said!
Catpop

 

[X-Rap]

Obsessive cleaning is just that, obsessive. I don't clean unless I see a beneficial need such as function, accuracy or of course degradation of the gun from corrosion.
The later usually due to field conditions beyond my control.

 

[ku4hx]

For me there's "functionally" clean: all the heavy crud and soot removed and the gun properly lubricated and protected.

Back when I was both indestructible and immortal, there was for me "white glove inspection" clean: functional cleaning carried to the nth degree with efforts to return the gun to its original unfired appearance.

I seldom, if ever, do the white glove inspection cleaning any longer as the marginal gain over functionally clean, is well ... non existent.

 

[jmorris]

I have more than a few guns that have never had anything down the bore except bullets.

As far as rounds between cleaning and lubing that would go to machinegun shooting. 1000 rounds is nothing when your looking at firing 32 rounds in a second and a half. A few guys can go through A LOT more ammo in one afternoon that many bolt action rifles will ever see throughout more than one owners lifetime.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I never clean my single shot break action hammer fire single barrel twelve gauge shotgun, aka my Pardner.

 

[double bogey]

I have to clean my 10-22 at about 1200 rounds. At least the chamber. I ran a test to see how long it would go, chamber got dirty enough I had one fire out of battery. Spit lots of stuff out, some directly out through the hole I drilled for cleaning without removing the barrel from the receiver. thank goodness I had safety glasses. Separated the rim, stuck a slug in the bore. I was impressed what a .22lr. could do out of battery. I don't want anything to do with a centerfire out of battery.

 

[WestKentucky]

Of all the guns I have had, an AR was probably the worst, and an arsenal AK was easily the best. It just flat out worked. Good ammo, bad ammo, clean dirty, wet, dry, muddy...only thing it didn't get tested in was frozen.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I give all the guns I shoot a basic cleaning after a trip to the range.
I shoot a lot of surplus ammo and have been doing so for over 30 years. For the guns that get feed the surplus, I just run two wet patches, a dry patch then an oil patch. After that they get cleaned like the rest.
I have a lot of guns and many have not been shot in years. Those get wiped down with wax. Wax does not collect dust like oil and you don't have to wipe them down whenever you handle them.
The last time I cleaned a gun spotless, I was in the Corps.

 

[HGM22]

I'm still trying to figure out why people clean guns which don't need it, knowing that it can cause damage.