Another Maintenance Thread
 

Here's the new guy stirring up the pot by starting a (another) thread about firearm maintenance, specifically handguns and, even more specifically, 1911's. You know what they say opinions are like, don't you? Hint: Everybody has one. There was a post on the 1911forum.com forum and there were about 100 responses with very few opinions in common from one to the next.

How frequently does everybody clean their firearms? I first got into guns 30+ years ago and, back then, field stripped and cleaned my firearms after every shooting session. Since becoming a bit of a gun nut (again) a little over three years ago, I have done the same. I probably spend, on average 30 minutes to an hour per gun field stripping and doing my best to clean every nook and cranny. Some people say that this behavior borders on OCD. Others wouldn't think of putting a dirty gun to bed. I'm one of the latter.

But I read several posts on the 1911 forum that it really isn't good to frequently strip 1911's.

I'm sure that the opinions here will run the gamut from 'daily" to "never". but I know that there is a vast amount of knowledge and experience on this forum. I was curious as to what the REAL experts think.

Thanks!

I used to be OCD about it, cleaning after every session and every so on for the ones that sit in the safe most of the time. Now, I'm lazy and probably clean around 200rds or so. The ammo nowadays is not corrosive unless you use surplus (not all surplus is corrosive ) so, no need to worry about a dirty gun in the safe. That's just me.

As far as causing more wear with field stripping too much. I don't see how that will cause more wear than actually shooting it....

I'm with Caleb. I run a bore snake through the barrel, wipe down the outside and leave a nice coat of oil in the barrel after each trip. I'll field strip every few thousand rounds.

I've seen pics of 1911's with thousands of rounds through them, gunk everywhere and they ran fine with just a few drops of oil on the frame rails.

I clean mine after every range trip. Not so much because they need it but because I have OCD about it and its like therapy. I Do a complete break down about every 2 years maybe 3..... I like cleaning guns so its fun for me.

I wipe mine down and throw them in the closest river after a shooting

:D

Someone on the 1911 forum (the "fake" 1911 forum) said that he gives them to his "old lady" to run them in the dishwasher. And that he expects her to put them away when she's done with them.

Not a very PC response. Must've been why I liked it!

funny only because you HAVE to afterwords...



is this before or after he gets his sandwich?!! :D

perhaps our Chimp with a gun will tell what he really uses. He uses KY. A lot of it

I add a little oil to the rails on my 1911's after I run them hard but I don't usually scrub the barrel out or strip it after every use.

how do you know? personal experience?:D

I just assumed with the flip flops and the San Fran thing.....:p

I clean every range trip. My DI's and old Gunny would hunt me down if I didn't, I just know it

This seems like it needs a vote.

My carry guns get cleaned every time they're shot.

My range guns get the soot wiped off the feed ramp when I get home (no field strip; just lock back the slide), and get cleaned when they start to malfunction (usually well beyond 1000 rounds fired).

If one starts to get balky during a match; a little lube on the rails will set things right.

If I send more than a hundred rounds down range, then I'll pull the slide, and clean and lube the rails, interior slide surfaces, and barrel exterior. I'll also wipe down and oil the exterior.

If I only put a few magazines worth of ammo through it, then I'll wipe down the exterior and put it away.

The above tasks are done the same day as the range trip. If I know I'll be going back to the range in a few days, I have no problem wiping off the exteriors and putting them away. I may add some oil to the rails, but nothing more.

I only clean the bores and detail strip the slides occasionally. I only detail strip the frame for cleaning once a year or so.

Carry pistols get cleaned/lubed after every range trip. My primary HD AR also gets cleaned/lubed after every range trip.

If it's a rifle that I don't shoot very often, then I'll clean it completely the same day.

Just a fast one down the tubes, wipe it down with some oil . Keep it close to the recliner.

I'm pretty much same way. I hate putting dirty guns back in the safe next to the clean ones. And the clean ones hate it too! But it really depends on the gun and how much I shot. Sometimes I shoot a few hundred rounds out of one of my suppressed AR15s. Things get dirtier than you can imagine so sometimes I shy away from doing my duty for a few days. My pistols get cleaned every time I shoot them.

But I do have a Ruger MkIII with a can on it that I've shot several hundred rounds thru in my back yard and I haven't cleaned it in a lonnnnnng time.

But like you to me it is therapeutic to sit down and rub some dirty metal parts clean. :)