How do you claen your gun. Yearly, or more often?

[dnapicker]

Just wont to know how others clean their guns. I clean my guns about once a year. My rifles I have shot this season I'll clean outside and in then store them til next year. Maybe some advice on cleaning out and in would be helpful.

I have a friend who cleans the inside by shooting them, thoughts on that?

thanks, dna

[muledeer]

First I'd like to welcome you to HuntChat! So much information to be shared here.
I clean my weapons inside and out after I shoot them. I store everything in my safe and don't clean again until I shoot again. I live in Nevada (Reno/Sparks). The humidity is nill so I don't worry about rust
I've never heard of cleaning a gun by shooting it. Where does all the powder, copper, and lead go? That's like never changing the oil in your car will keep the engine clean.
muledeer

[Jack]

Welcome to Huntchat, DNAPicker.
Cleaning firearms is a big topic- and one where everyone has different methods and preferences.
First, for 22 rimfires, I clean them once a year...well, maybe, if I remember.
For a deer rifle that doesn't get shot often, I'll clean it after the trip or after the hunting season. I do wipe down the outside with an oily cloth much more often than that, of course.
For a varmint rifle or a rifle that I'm doing load testing with- where they get shot a lot, I'll clean them at the end of the day, usually.

[Gil Martin]

I agree with these folks and clean my guns after every use. I use a quality solvent, patches, a brush and oil. I wipe down the metal inside and out with a very light film of a 50/50 mixture of gun oil and gun grease. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

[Mil Dot]

If I load test at the end of the day. If I'm zeroing for hunting after the hunting trip. Varmint guns prior to going to the range to re zero for more hunting.

I'm of the mind that if I get my gun zero'd in I'm not going to change anything that got it to the point it's at prior to firing it at an animal. Now, keep in mind that if I do sight in for hunting I also don't do a bunch of load development shooting with a particular gun the same day. I clean it throughly, choose the load I'm going to hunt with and run a max of 10 rounds to dial it in, less if it is hitting where I want with less.

I always wipe down the guns with a silicone cloth prior to putting it in the gun closet.

Cleaning by shooting doesn't really sound like a feasible option for me, although an interesting theory which would be very economical in the short run as far as not having to purchase those costly patches and solvents;) .

[rem 700]

After every use, or at least an outside cleaning once monthly. Before use, I clean the bore to get rid of any oil or dirt that may have gotten on the bore. Shooting to clean is perty dumb sounding. All you do is get copper lead and powder on your bore to corrode as it sits. I remove the stock of a weapon on a thorough cleaning after hard use in the outdoors, to get any water or dirt out. I clean the bore until patches are all clean, then the receiver gets a wipe down. After all is cleaned a few drops of gun oil are placed on a thin rag and wiped on outer parts. I find a q-tip can help get in the tiny spots otherwise left unknown. For shotguns, trigger and bolt assembly are removed after hard hunts, otherwise a bore and receiver cleaning hold me for awhile.

[Varmint Hunter]

Clean guns???????????? Don't they come clean from the factory?

[Lycanthrope]

Black powder guns in my stable get cleaned after every shooting session.

Rifles get shot before season and not cleaned until after because the zero will chamge if I clean the bores. Otherwise they get cleaned after every range session.

My competition pistols get cleaned every session and the chanbers get cleaned, but the barrels never do. I've never had an increase in leading even after 10,000 rounds. Will Schuman of Achuman AET barrels noted this and recommends this method with his barrels.

I'm not a sheep, but with my Clark Barreled .40 I have noticed the same.

[model 70]

i never clean my .22 rimfire.

i'll clean my deer/varmint rifle after i KNOW i won't be doing any more hunting with it for the year.

i clean my shotgun when ever there is "too much" powder build-up in the barrel.

my pistol gets cleaned after every shooting session.

[Dan Morris]

I clean after every use. Also, once a month, they come out of the safe and are wiped down.
Dan

[Adam Helmer]

dna,

I clean my guns after every shooting session. Those that I will use in the near future have a light coat of oil in the bores. The guns in the vaults have the bores wiped with a patch of rust inhibiting grease for long term storage. I have dessicant packs in the vaults.

You cannot forgo the cleaning chores if you shoot blackpowder or corrosive ammunition. Both clean up well with hot, soapy water patches, dry patches and then oil patches. I see many used muzzleloaders on the local gunshop racks that did not get cleaned after use. Many military arms have pitted bores because of neglect after shooting corrosive ammo.

Adam

[Evan03]

i try to clean before i test each new batch of loads,

if im not loading im hunting and makn dang sure not to scrub a single bore.

ive been loading alot latly

but normaly most of mine rimfire and centerfire make it at least 6months without getn cleaned. but these rifles get shot every week. if theyd be sitn i would clean more often to fight rust.
otherwise i figure i can blow all the grim out the muzzle with another bullet.

i dont clean find no reason to but thats just my prefrence. your may be difrent its just all in how you tie your shoes kinda deal

Evan