To clean or not to clean, that is the question....

[Pilgrim]

Monday I had the day off. My club and range are a quarter mile away. When I have nothing to do, I go there, make a few bangs with one of my milsurps and shoot the sh.t with the guys. Usually spend more time jawing than shooting.

Today I grabbed my early Winchester M1 carbine, a couple of mags, 50 rounds and 15 clay pigeons.

When I got there, I was alone, so I set up the clays on the 50 yard berm, loaded a magazine with 15 rounds and proceeded to make 15 clays fly apart.

No more targets, no one to jaw with, I hang around awhile looking for something to shoot waiting for someone to come and chat with. No one comes, so I pack up and go home.

Next time I guess I'll have to bring more targets and use the 100 yard range. Problem with that is my eyes don't see so good anymore and I have trouble seeing the targets with iron sights at that range.

Ow well, a bad day at the range beats a good day at work anytime.

So back to the question, when shooting only 15 rounds, would you clean it?

 

[TonyD]

Depends on the firearm, type of ammo used, number of rounds, and how soon you expect to shoot again and what type shooting you'll be doing.

 

[Admin]

You're going to get a plethora of answers here. Personally I always clean after any range session. The barrel heats then cools, collecting moisture is always a possibility once the barrel cools.

 

[Nickle]

D. None of the above.

Depends on a WHOLE bunch of factors.

Competing Bench Rest, I cleaned after EVERY RELAY (6 to 10 shots, 5 record, 1 fouling shot, the rest sighters).

A 22 Rim Fire, every couple of years, except the wife's pistol.

Corrosive ammo? You betcha I clean, and several times after each shooting session.

My AR I put a couple thousand rounds through between cleanings (about a year to 2 years) just to see how long it would take to jam. I did lube it, but it took the couple thousand rounds to get a dirty enough chamber to not extract the brass. Cleaned it, and back in business.

The rest of them get cleaned occassionally, but lubed frequently.

 

[C-pher]

I'm of the depends on what you're shooting.

I'm one of the bad ones. I have guns that I've had for 25 years that I don't clean all that often. No Pitting, no issues, but then I don't shoot them that often. Now, I will clean them at some point. But sometimes I will blast about 30 or so rounds and then just pack it up and bring it home. Put it in the safe, and then clean it later, or maybe not until after I get to the range again and then shoot more rounds through it...

Now, after a match when I've fired off 300-500 rounds, then I get home and clean them up.

But for 15 rounds of smokeless, I don't worry about it...

 

[Pilgrim]

Depends on the firearm, type of ammo used, number of rounds, and how soon you expect to shoot again and what type shooting you'll be doing.

As was mentioned above, M1 carbine.

Not mentioned: modern Winchester ammo.

Not sure when, again.

It makes a difference what I shoot at ??? [shock]

 

[Nickle]

The Carbine I'd clean for one or two shots, as I do my M1 Garand and 1917 Colt Revolver.

As to what kind of shooting, yes. It's been proven that not cleaning doesn't hurt accuracy, but it does hurt barrel life, as far as I'm concerned, and I've found it easier to get copper fouling out with frequent cleaning, and copper fouling DOES hurt accuracy.

 

[TonyD]

Depends on the firearm, type of ammo used, number of rounds, and how soon you expect to shoot again and what type shooting you'll be doing.

It makes a difference what I shoot at ??? [shock]

I was referring to whether it would competition, hunting, or other discipline that required a true first shot, or string of fire.

With that few rounds of modern, non-corrosive ammo, and, not knowing when you might shoot again, and, most probably not needing a really accurate shot or string of fire, I would say run a couple of wet / dry patches through it and one last patch with a little oil and be done in 5 minutes.

 

[Pilgrim]

I was referring to whether it would competition, hunting, or other discipline that required a true first shot, or string of fire.

I knew that !

There just isn't any 'pulling your leg' smilie.

 

[TonyD]

The expalnation was more for the benefit of others who made not have realized the joke.

 

[C-pher]

The rest of them get cleaned occassionally, but lubed frequently.

That's a good point. Even if I don't clean it. It does get a squirt of CLP and a wipe down wiht my silicon cloth just to get the oils from my hand and off the outside to keep the finish looking good.

 

[Nickle]

The expalnation was more for the benefit of others who made not have realized the joke.

Or just didn't know why a match gun needs to be cleaned.

 

[Chris]

In making dummy ammo, I've pulled pullets, emptied cases and then popped the primer in the gun. Just doing that alone with some ammo is enough to make it dirty.

If the gun is used, it is cleaned. Even if the 'use' was just handling in class. Guns are too valuable to not take care of them.

 

[Nickle]

pulled pullets

Is that like a Choked Chicken? Couldn't resist. [lol]

Seriously though, valid points. The worst fouling residue comes from the PRIMER. Next is Copper fouling, last powder fouling.

Wiping off the gun after handling is a given. If you ever get to look at my 1917 Colt, you'll see why, a pitted spot on the barrel exterior, since reblued (it was like that when I got it).

 

[TonyD]

In making dummy ammo, I've pulled pullets, emptied cases and then popped the primer in the gun. Just doing that alone with some ammo is enough to make it dirty.

If the gun is used, it is cleaned. Even if the 'use' was just handling in class. Guns are too valuable to not take care of them.

And, excessive cleaning with harsh solvents can prematurely wear out bores and components. How soon? I don't know. But, my competition firearms are too valuable to find out.

I'd much rather lose accuracy due to fouling (which can be cleaned) than to wearing out an expensive barrel.

 

[Chris]

Good ponts guys.

I guess the term 'cleaning' needs to be refined.

I took it as "any and all measures to remove an unwanted element". Could be just a rub down to remove finger oils, or a full strip and soak.

In any case, cleaned appropriate for the service it has seen each time it is used.

I usually don't go reaching for the solvents unless the initial oiled patch comes out particularly dirty and I can see the dull fouling in the rifling.

 

[TonyD]

In any case, cleaned appropriate for the service it has seen each time it is used.

This is what I was getting at in my original response. In the Corps, one blank fired through my M16 was dirtier, and more corrosive, than an entire week on the range with live ammo.

 

[USMA-82]

I can see everyone's point of view here, but I guess it comes down to your own personal view of things. As for me, there are three considerations:

1. The army pounded "a clean gun is a happy gun" into me for so many years, I can't help but clean it after any firing.

2. If I ever need to use my guns for "social work", I want the confidence of knowing I've gone through it completely during the most recently cleaning process, and nothing is broken or likely to cause a malfunction when I need it the most.

3. If I died tomorrow and they had to go through my stuff, I'd don't want anyone to see dirty guns in the safe - just wouldn't be respectable!

To each his own... That's my 2 cents...

 

[Nickle]

Blanks are the nastiest stuff I've ever seen. Worse than Black Powder, IMNSHO (not really worse, just seems it).

 

[SiameseRat]

I cleaned my revolver once...

 

[C-pher]

If I died tomorrow and they had to go through my stuff, I'd don't want anyone to see dirty guns in the safe - just wouldn't be respectable!

But you don't care if you have on dirty underware? Didn't your mother teach you anything?

 

[Lynne]

I'm like Nickel - it depends on the ammo type and the caliber. My carry gun? Always - even if it only had 10 rounds put through it. However, I usually do clean the guns after we use them, mainly becuase it's become part of the ritual.

 

[Pilgrim]

ok ok ! I broke down and cleaned it !

Thanks for straightening me out.















I feel better now.

 

[FPrice]

I have a bore snake for all of my calibers. My minimum cleaning after a session at the range is too pull the boresnake through several times to clean the crud and residue out of the barrel. I will then wipe down the outside of the firearm with a clean cloth to get any powder residue and try to leave to outside surfaces in good condition.

For 15 rounds I doubt if I would break a firearm down unless it's been a long time and/or several shooting sessions since I broke it down and cleaned it out.

I suppose there is such a thing as cleaning a gun too often, but I haven't seen it yet.

 

[Walter Smitty]

As the others said, it depends. I always wipe down a gun for moisture and or to prevent surface rust. A field cleaning for light use may be in order, detail cleaning for heavy use or inclement weather.

 

[Nickle]

Another thing to bear in mind, is to to NOT completely break down an M1 or M14/M1A for routine cleaning. Messes up the bedding job on Match prepped guns. Ask Tony for more detail about this.

 

[Cledus J. Crabb]

As stated by so many before me; I'll adjust the cleaning ritual to match how much the firearm in question was used, when it will be shot again and so forth.
I'll shoot my AR in weekly 22 round matches throughout the winter with my own reloads. Maybe every other time I clean it, I'll stick to just a half-dozen patches soaked with Butch's, followed by a few dry ones, and then a patch or two of Ballistal. Use a bronze brush after every 100 rounds or so.
The chamber gets a good swabbin' every time of course.
Fresh lube all around the bolt/carrier never hurts.
CJC