Why such disdain for cleaning?

[Rastoff]

Maybe I'm just a fanatic, but I like to have clean guns. Then again, I also keep my house clean as well as my car. No, I'm not crazy anal about it. Things are meant to be used and they get dirty so, I clean.

However, I've seen a lot of people talk about how they never clean their guns. They say it like this is a source of pride. More, they talk about how others are stupid to waste time cleaning.

What are your thoughts? Do you clean your guns?

[DeltaShooter]

Perhaps they like the extra wear from dirty lubricants.......? Why some people take pride in that I'll never understand. Bragging that your gun still runs while incredibly dirty is great, right up until it stops running.

I clean mine after every time I shoot at least 50 rnds, 1911s anyway.

[schwartzint1]

Personally I enjoy it. I don't go shooting if I don't have time after to clean my guns. I have never really associated it with them working, because I have seen filthy guns work like dogs. Just how I do things

[RandyP]

The great thing is that everyone gets to treat their personal firearms any which way they want. I typically clean mine after each range session, same day. But sometimes not for a day or two after.

I only strive to keep me happy - lol

[Itshak]

I clean my guns after every shoot and I also shower and change underwear everyday and clean my house. That is how my parents taught me and the military taught me to clean my guns.

[M4finny]

Originally Posted by Itshak

I clean my guns after every shoot and I also shower and change underwear everyday and clean my house. That is how my parents taught me and the military taught me to clean my guns.

Ditto for me as well. As mentioned on another thread delaing with a similar topic of cleaning frequency, I practice with what I carry so, they are cleaned immediately.

Call it military training, call it a sickness ..... but all of my pistols are carried for defense everyday. And so for me, they must be 100% clean and lubed so that they are ready to go at a moment's notice.

YMMV,

Fin

[Nathan King]

If I shoot even one round through a firearm it gets cleaned the same day. I just can't bring myself to put a dirty weapon back in the safe.

[HungrySeagull]

Shoot... Clean... Shoot... Clean...

[Mike_Dee]

Originally Posted by Nathan King

If I shoot even one round through a firearm it gets cleaned the same day. I just can't bring myself to put a dirty weapon back in the safe.

This!

[Itshak]

Originally Posted by M4finny

Ditto for me as well. As mentioned on another thread delaing with a similar topic of cleaning frequency, I practice with what I carry so, they are cleaned immediately.

Call it military training, call it a sickness ..... but all of my pistols are carried for defense everyday. And so for me, they must be 100% clean and lubed so that they are ready to go at a moment's notice.

YMMV,

Fin

Not a sickness, its healthy.

[Itshak]

Originally Posted by Nathan King

If I shoot even one round through a firearm it gets cleaned the same day. I just can't bring myself to put a dirty weapon back in the safe.

Amen.

[TN.Frank]

Dad taught me first thing you do when you get in from hunting is clean your gun. I don't hunt anymore but I do apply the same thought behind what I do when I get in from shooting. First thing I do is clean my gun.
I have read that you CAN over do it, that cleaning too much will put ware on the gun more then actual shooting will but I just can handle having a dirty gun laying around. The way I see it a clean gun is a happy gun and a happy gun will run when you need it to run.

[Red Dirt Dave]

I think that a lot of the difference is in what you were doing.

All my firearms get regular, monthly maintenance. (which includes cleaning)

I generally don't deep clean my carry firearm after a weekly range session. Just a wipe down, inspection and re-lube. It will get the same regular monthly cleaning as the rest.

After hunting, however, my rifles or shotguns will get a clean and oil because, generally, I was out in the elements with them - and they need it.

No disdain for cleaning here.

The only arms that I clean immediately are the black powder ones.

[DirtyRod]

Originally Posted by Rastoff

However, I've seen a lot of people talk about how they never clean their guns. They say it like this is a source of pride. More, they talk about how others are stupid ..

I don't think Ive ever seen anyone called stupid for cleaning. I certainly haven't but its all personal preference and I think many of us have just learned that our guns don't have to be clean to work. A lot of times it also comes down to how much you shoot. I'm at the range 4-5 times a month some months and if I'm doing load development I might be there every day. If I go on Tues and am going back on Thurs it doesn't make sense to me to clean especially range guns.

I generally clean my carry after each trip but if I just put 200 rounds through it Im pretty sure that 201 is going to work so there really is no need to rush home to clean. Cleaning certainly wont make me more confident than the 200 rounds I just put through it. I've done 3 day classes with just lube so I know my carry can go 1200 rounds with only lube.

In the end its whatever folks are comfortable with.

[facilitator]

I'm definitely a "cleaner". I have the same philosophy not only for my guns but for cars, house, personally, etc.

To each his / her own.....

YMMV.....

[LOU D]

Every time you take a gun apart,you take a little bit out of it.Every time you turn a tight bushing out of the slide,you make it looser.Same with the extractor & firing pin stop.You also risk the infamous "idiot scratch"..Cleaners affect blueing & nickel finishes,running a brush down the barrel causes wear.When your barrel has several hundred rounds down it,it's "happy",the crud pattern matches the bullets you shoot.As long as you keep it well lubed,the crud doesn't matter.Outside,my guns are clean.I've been loading and casting for decades,I've worked up extremely clean loads for my guns,even after thousands of rounds,they not really dirty,pretty much just some buildup o the feed ramp,and on the recoil shield..I have guns with 200,000-300,000+ rounds through them,they're still as accurate as they were when I built them..

[zdragon52]

Originally Posted by Nathan King

If I shoot even one round through a firearm it gets cleaned the same day. I just can't bring myself to put a dirty weapon back in the safe.

Mega Ditto Dat...

i don't know about you but i sleep better at night with a clean barrel after shooting my loads.

[jfwest]

Originally Posted by Itshak

I clean my guns after every shoot and I also shower and change underwear everyday and clean my house. That is how my parents taught me and the military taught me to clean my guns.

Don't clean my guns after every outing and don't shower everyday either.

Tell my wife it is part of my "mountain man" image.

[Lovemea1911]

If a gun I own needs to be cleaned, I clean it. I don't hate doing it, but I sure don't do it after a few rounds. I do reoil the barrel bore after every outing because residue mixed with the ambient can cause corrosion in the bore. As far as the rest of the gun, I do it when it gets relatively dirty.

[Illusive Man]

I'm OCD. If I'm sitting and watching TV I will clean my gun (sometimes twice a week). After a trip to the range, I come right home and clean and lube it.

[MAG-63]

"I love the smell of Hoppes in the morning".

-Or any other time.

[thisusernamevalid]

Originally Posted by LOU D

Every time you take a gun apart,you take a little bit out of it.Every time you turn a tight bushing out of the slide,you make it looser.Same with the extractor & firing pin stop.You also risk the infamous "idiot scratch"..Cleaners affect blueing & nickel finishes,running a brush down the barrel causes wear.When your barrel has several hundred rounds down it,it's "happy",the crud pattern matches the bullets you shoot.As long as you keep it well lubed,the crud doesn't matter.Outside,my guns are clean.I've been loading and casting for decades,I've worked up extremely clean loads for my guns,even after thousands of rounds,they not really dirty,pretty much just some buildup o the feed ramp,and on the recoil shield..I have guns with 200,000-300,000+ rounds through them,they're still as accurate as they were when I built them..

This. Add to it a novice gun owner and they can destroy a crown.

I don't think anyone called anyone stupid for cleaning. Each to his own. I can tell you that once my seasonal leagues start I do not clean. If for some reason I feel it needs cleaning, I'll run at least 2-3 mags before shooting the league again. Cleaning changes things.

My dad always taught me to clean the guns when I'm done. That was good advice, but dad also grew up with corrosive primers, they had no choice.

As for the clean houses, cars, and showering...I'll let you know about that after I finish with this month's underwear...

[ope135]

To each his own, but I'm a clean after shooting guy myself. Never understood holding off on cleaning if you have the time and place to do it.

[PolymerMan]

I clean the guns each time they get shot. My final inspection on a cleaned and lub'ed gun is to take a cotton patch and mop up any excess oil or lubricant on the inside of the slide and frame with a locking forceps. If there is any grey oil, any oily carbon residue on the patch, I go back and take care of it. Most of my guns on the inside look like they've never been fired except for the outer wear and tear, idiot scratches and the bluing rubbing off on many of the barrels, especially the Sig-Sauers. But the innards could pass for an unfired weapon in most cases.

[othomasjr]

I love to have a clean gun, but I hate cleaning.