[Win]

I'm wondering how often you clean your weapons? Whether you have shot it or not. I know you need to clean them once you go to the range and fire the weapon. But how often do you clean the ones you have not shot?
I clean all my weapon's once a month whether they have been shot or not. This IMO keeps them clean and oiled and in great working order. It also takes a few days to get the job done. But it's something I enjoy at the same time. It is nice to open the safe and pull any weapon out and see that it is well oiled and in good working order.
I was at a friends house the other week and we were going to do some shooting and when he took his rifle out it had some rust on it. The weapon had sat in his safe for 6 months and had not been cleaned in that time period. It was cleaned before he put it in there. He had a Black powder pistol that the action was locked up. He had to soak it to break it free. So now like me he is going to at least wipe them down once a month.
What do you guys do?

 

[NCCruffler]

I used to clean mine after a trip to the range. I would rotate what I was taking though I did have some favorites. I could not clean them all once a month since I started collecting in 1973 and never disposed of any save a couple gifted to my brother. I had some cased that had not seen the light of day for a decade or more but I knew that they were well preserved. Alas, that is all over since my tragic boating accident and the loss of all ten plus pages of bound book acquisitions.
If I ever was to acqiire more I would clean them after range visits or when they came out to visit.

 

[CHRIS]

I do a basic wipe down after taking them to the range. Don't do a deep clean until they stop working reliably.



CHRIS

 

[Win]

You sound a lot like me. I have bought one a year since 1972. So it does take a while. The one's that I shoot I give a deep cleaning and the rest get a wipe down. Looks like I maybe way over cleaning here so far.

 

[SpeedyCotton]

Excellent question, I hope some more folks chime in.
I used to clean after every range visit. Then I got to join PHA and get to shoot several weapons every week. I simply don't have the time to clean 3 or 4 guns a week.
So now I make a few range visits, then try to do a really good job.
Opinions?

 

[In10city]

I clean my guns after I shoot them, if not right away I get to it within a day or two. The depth of cleaning will depend on how many rounds I shot, LRN reloads or factory, and how much free time I have.

 

[Frmr0317]

Depends on what it is, My 870s and my AKs aren't cleaned every time I go to the range but if I take out the AR or any of the good bolt guns, its cleaned every single time regardless of 1 rd or 1000. You just have to plan your cleaning off of each guns realistic abilities and needs.

 

[Dipper]

I clean immediately after each range trip no matter what.
In fact, I run some patches of solvent in the bores before I leave the range and let them soak on the trip home.... once home I finish the process... I let the chemicals do the work and rarely use a brush in my bores.
If I use a firearm a lot... like several bolt action rifles I have, I'll strip the bolts once a year and clean them or I'll do it if I hunt in rain after the season.

Once my firearms are clean, I'll check them and wipe'em down a few times a year... the ones that set that is.... if you store your firearms in the proper way, rust should never be an issue.
If you store your firearms in a humid area or where the temperature changes a lot, you should probably check at least once a month.
I figure I have some good money in my firearms so I take good care of them.

 

[btwiceborn]

i dont clean often enough. my ak has never been cleaned. i merely wipe down my glocks. i have cleaned the action of my 10/22, but never the barrel. my m16 has had the bolt stripped and scrubbed on several occasions, and the lower cleaned regularly, but i dont clean the bore or chamber much. i keep my 1911 clean. Probably every other time i shoot it, and wiped down each time.
The rest of the guns in the safe get wiped down as i pull them out to show folks.