How often should one clean their pistols?

[Comedian]

My usual routine is to clean and lube after each range session. Usually fire 300 rds thru my carry pistol (Glock 19), during these. Todd goes thousands of rds before cleaning, during his endurance tests. Is there a recommended standard for this?

[DocGKR]

My practice pistol gets a brief wipe down and lube about every 3000 rounds or when it gets sluggish. My carry pistol generally remains reasonably cleaned and lubed...

[Cosmo M3]

I have a little over 9500 rounds through my P30 and only cleaned 20 times. Gun is still rocking.

My Glock 19 Gen 4 is going through the 2000 round challenge so obviously it's going to stay dirty for some time.

[Dr. No]

Just before the Sergeant says we're having a weapon's inspection? :) Otherwise why bother??

[Tamara]

You have to clean guns now? Huh... ;)

The practice guns in my range bag (a 22/45, an LTC9, a K-22, and a Model 64) get cleaned about once a quarter, whether they need it or not. :o

[BN]

I clean our Glocks every July, whether they need it or not. :)

[JV_]

At a minimum, I like to clean the the Glock striker and striker safety every 2000 rounds.

When the plunger gets too dirty, it gets a bit sluggish, which increases the peening from the striker.

[JDM]

I clean my practice M&P in the 2000-2500 round window.

I re-lube my carry gun about once every three months, and fire a few carry rounds through it once a month (generally a bill drill, or 5 to a 3x5. This is done from concealment, cold, as soon as I get to the range).

[KeeFus]

I always do an initial cleaning when I get the weapon and then usually after 2000 rounds. I do wipe them down after each range session with a silicone cloth.

[Chuck Haggard]

What is this "cleaning" you speak of? ;)






I clean my Glocks and ARs when they get dirty enough that they start to soil people's clothing when the gun is used, or if I get caught in a downpour/wade a creek/etc. and feel like the gun needs it.

[JodyH]

My carry gun gets a boresnake after every range session and a few drops of lube when it looks dry.
I wipe off the sweat rings on the slide with a silicon cloth.

My range gun gets cleaned when I don't have anything better to do.

Id rather bathe the wifes cat than clean guns.

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[Al T.]

Id rather bathe the wife's cat than clean guns.

Interesting phrase.

OP:

Range guns get cleaned when function suffers.

But from a slightly different perspective, my serious guns get cleaned after every use for two reasons. One, inspect for broken or worn parts*. Two, if a shooting occurs and I didn't fire, I'd like that to be verifiable on scene.

* I'm also a bit picky about my lubes. Lets me apply what I want, where I want and in the correct quantity.

[David Armstrong]

Practice/fun/range guns get cleaned and inspected once a year unless they start demonstrating problems. Carry guns get a quick wipe after a range session and a detail strip/clean once a year.

[Comedian]

Just to be clear, i'm referring to a carry pistol. I don't have a "range" gun and a "carry" gun. I have Glock 19 & a 17, that i rotate for carry. While i'm carrying one, i'm using the other for dry fire practice. I like to have one for dry fire, so i don't have to keep chambering the same rd and possibly get bullet setback. But they both get carried at some point and both get the same amount of range time. Thanks for the reply's.

[seabiscuit]

Just to be clear, i'm referring to a carry pistol. I don't have a "range" gun and a "carry" gun. I have Glock 19 & a 17, that i rotate for carry. While i'm carrying one, i'm using the other for dry fire practice. I like to have one for dry fire, so i don't have to keep chambering the same rd and possibly get bullet setback. But they both get carried at some point and both get the same amount of range time. Thanks for the reply's.

Why rotate?

[Comedian]

Why rotate?

I find its easier to conceal the 19 in warmer weather and i can use an OWB holster, for the 17 when its cold. These are the only Glocks i have.

[Tamara]

Two, if a shooting occurs and I didn't fire, I'd like that to be verifiable on scene.

I had never thought about that. (And I'm a little appalled that I haven't. Derp. :o )

[LeeC]

350

Actually, since I shoot an Advantage Arms .22 conversion kit on my Glock 19 frame and it won't run dirty, I usually clean both at least every week. However, I shot only 9mm the last few times to the range and don't feel guilty about not cleaning. But another reason I clean frequently is because I use a Laserlyte training cartridge (http://www.laserlyte.com/products/lt-9-training-cartridge) for dry fire practice that gets messy when the gun is dirty.

My brother does a lot of fabrication work with various metals and has been an avid shooter and reloader for about 30 years. He said that some chemicals can cause corrosive damage (e.g. pitting) if left on the gun parts for a long time, and that he usually doesn't let his guns stay dirty more than a couple of weeks. But if you're running high quality, non-corrosive ammo, it is less of an issue unless the gun is picky and needs more maintenance because of higher tolerances. Since I tend to practice with cheap 9mm ammo from vendors with unknown quality standards, that is another reason for me to clean more frequently. And having a clean gun is proof that you didn't fire it if you're involved in some kind of investigation.

[JV_]

Two, if a shooting occurs and I didn't fire, I'd like that to be verifiable on scene. I'm sure they can just as easily test your hands/face/arms for residue, right?

[theblacknight]

I'm the same as OP, but I have one pistol for everything. I clean it every time its shot.Its never not shot for longer then 2 weeks so I never really need to relube, or de-lint. Cleaning is knocking carbon off the breach area, wiping down to get sand out, and lubed.

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[ToddG]

Two, if a shooting occurs and I didn't fire, I'd like that to be verifiable on scene.

I know an LE rangemaster at a large agency who takes that exact same approach. The idea of cleaning my gun adequately enough to erase all signs of use multiple times per week is... actually I cannot even imagine that.

Instead, I just keep my gun topped off. If there's a round in my chamber, a full mag in my gun, and a full mag on my belt either I didn't fire or I just miraculously happened to be carrying exactly the right number of loose rounds to refill my mags. How many weeks of detective school do you think it would take to figure that out?

[Tamara]

The idea of cleaning my gun adequately enough to erase all signs of use multiple times per week is... actually I cannot even imagine that.

You know that there are some people that actually get off on that shit, right? :confused:

Which, like keeping your home library sorted by the Dewey Decimal System, is kinda creepy to me in a whole "Bring out the gimp" sort of way but, hey, it's a free country. :D

[JFK]

You know that there are some people that actually get off on that shit, right? :confused:


Hey, for some its oysters, others its Hopps #9.

[ToddG]

Hey, for some its oysters, others its Hopps #9.

Who cleans their guns with oysters?

:D

[JFK]

Who cleans their guns with oysters?

:D

HA!

There is a comment here about the lubricating qualities of oysters... but I don't want to derail the thread too much.... Plus it's grossing me out a bit....

[JonInWA]

I clean and lubricate mine after every use. Annually on my Glocks (which are the ones I regularly and consistantly fire, carry, compete and train with) I'll do a detailed disasssembly and deep cleaning. Yeah, the "clean/lube after every use" is an old Army habit, but it makes sense to me.

However, having newly acquired a Ruger Mk III 22/45 with it's, shall we say, interesting and challenging disassembly/reassembly field strip procedure (I literally thing that a BAR or an M60 is easier to field-strip and reassemble-right now, a non-marring hammer/rubber mallet/brass drift/wood dowel are my best friends..), I may be revising my protocol regarding that pistol...

Best, Jon

[peterb]

I haven't found my Mk II to be bad to strip -- just have to make sure the hammer is in the right place for it to come apart & go back together.

There is an aftermarket "speed strip" kit available: http://www.majesticarms.com/id10.html

I put the Volquartsen trigger and sear in mine, and am happy with the result. On the Mk IIIs a lot of folks seem to get rid of the magazine disconnect and LCI.

Adding a "blast shield" to keep crud out of the trigger group seems to be popular. I may try that next.

[MechEng]

I think I read somewhere that the NRA recommends we clean our guns when we change the batteries in our smoke detectors…or was it when we change our clocks for DLST. :p

I have two P30s set up the same and usually carry the clean one. I’ll practice with one for a few months and then rotate after I clean the practice gun. Basically all of the guns I shoot regularly aren’t cleaned that often and only lubed when I first get to the range. All of the guns I rarely shoot, squirreled away in my safe, are immaculate and generously oiled up for storage.

I have this friend who is a former early 90s era Army Ranger and he takes the whole “keep your weapon clean” dogma to the Nth degree of anal retentiveness. He is so anal about keeping his weapons clean that he never wants to go shooting if doesn’t have enough time afterwards to clean his guns. I’ve been working on deprogramming his brain washing to no avail.

[Kyle Reese]

At a minimum, I like to clean the the Glock striker and striker safety every 2000 rounds.

When the plunger gets too dirty, it gets a bit sluggish, which increases the peening from the striker.

Ditto.

[JeffJ]

I clean and lubricate mine after every use. Annually on my Glocks (which are the ones I regularly and consistantly fire, carry, compete and train with) I'll do a detailed disasssembly and deep cleaning. Yeah, the "clean/lube after every use" is an old Army habit, but it makes sense to me.

However, having newly acquired a Ruger Mk III 22/45 with it's, shall we say, interesting and challenging disassembly/reassembly field strip procedure (I literally thing that a BAR or an M60 is easier to field-strip and reassemble-right now, a non-marring hammer/rubber mallet/brass drift/wood dowel are my best friends..), I may be revising my protocol regarding that pistol...

Best, Jon

After FUBARing mine to the point that I couldn't even take it back apart to try again, it was compleatly locked up and inoperable, I called the factory and the guy admitted to me that he usually just bore snakes, blows out and maybe adds a little lube to what he can reach. I've taken this approach in between actually detail cleaning which I am averaging about once a year on the .22.

[Chuck Haggard]

I'm sure they can just as easily test your hands/face/arms for residue, right?


Outside of 'CSI' that really isn't done anymore. Inconclusive test with lots of false positives and negatives is what the tech guys tell me.

[Chuck Haggard]

I know an LE rangemaster at a large agency who takes that exact same approach. The idea of cleaning my gun adequately enough to erase all signs of use multiple times per week is... actually I cannot even imagine that.

Instead, I just keep my gun topped off. If there's a round in my chamber, a full mag in my gun, and a full mag on my belt either I didn't fire or I just miraculously happened to be carrying exactly the right number of loose rounds to refill my mags. How many weeks of detective school do you think it would take to figure that out?

^This^

When I am the first non-involved guy on scene I start checking the troop's ammo supply to rule out who shot and who didn't (I'm on our review board BTW). Only once did we have an issue and that was with one of the guys who was involved in an OIS with several other officers, he had weeks before lost a couple of live rounds and didn't want to come in and admit to being a retard so that he could pick up some more BBs for his blaster. We got it figured out, but making more work for other people isn't nice.

All of my mags are topped off. I carry G17s and/or 19s daily, no issues. Even when I carried my G26 as a BUG daily I kept that one topped off.



Todd, even if you carried some extra loose rounds they would know it was you when they checked the bad guy at the morgue and found that someone had shot a FAST drill on his ass.



You know that there are some people that actually get off on that shit, right?

I used to work with a guy who had to (as in HAD TO!!!!) Flitz the front of the cylinder on his model 66 after every single qual shoot. He only shot his required twice per year in-service shoots and thought I was the spawn of Satan because I would regularly hit the range and bang off a few rounds on the way to work, failing to deep clean my Security Six before going to roll call.

The horror, the abject horror of it all!

[DocGKR]

"if a shooting occurs and I didn't fire, I'd like that to be verifiable on scene."

Many guys here go shoot a box of ammo before reporting for shift--there have never been any problems figuring out who shot and who didn't...forensics don't lie when done correctly.

We routinely download our G17/G19 mags by 1 round.

I would quite any agency that made me keep track of live rounds. Give the guys a couple of boxes of duty rounds each year and let them figure out how they want to carry it...

[jmjames]

I have this friend who is a former early 90s era Army Ranger and he takes the whole “keep your weapon clean” dogma to the Nth degree of anal retentiveness. He is so anal about keeping his weapons clean that he never wants to go shooting if doesn’t have enough time afterwards to clean his guns.

That's actually why I don't shoot my rifle too often. It's a PSL/FPK and I just shoot corrosive military surplus ammo, so it's *got* to be cleaned (and cleaned well at that) after I shoot it. When the rifle range is an hour drive each way, spending a third hour just to break it down to parts and scrub 'em isn't exactly appealing, especially when it really SHOULD be done same day for that ammo. Your Ranger buddy's also has been trained with AR's, which really like to be clean and well lubed from what I can tell; if I had an AR, I'd clean/lube after every trip to the range too.

J.Ja

[Mitchell, Esq.]

Todd, even if you carried some extra loose rounds they would know it was you when they checked the bad guy at the morgue and found that someone had shot a FAST drill on his ass.




Coffee on the monitor material...

See here for info on GSR false positives: http://science.kennesaw.edu/~cdockery/docs/JUCR%202011.pdf

[LittleLebowski]

That's actually why I don't shoot my rifle too often. It's a PSL/FPK and I just shoot corrosive military surplus ammo, so it's *got* to be cleaned (and cleaned well at that) after I shoot it. When the rifle range is an hour drive each way, spending a third hour just to break it down to parts and scrub 'em isn't exactly appealing, especially when it really SHOULD be done same day for that ammo. Your Ranger buddy's also has been trained with AR's, which really like to be clean and well lubed from what I can tell; if I had an AR, I'd clean/lube after every trip to the range too.

J.Ja


Absolutely false. I've gone over 2k rounds without cleaning an AR before. I never clean before 1k. These are training rifles too. My AR that shoots corrosive soviet military surplus 5.45 gets rinsed with hot water After each range trip and that's all it has needed for over 20k rounds.

[Tamara]

I used to work with a guy who had to (as in HAD TO!!!!) Flitz the front of the cylinder on his model 66 after every single qual shoot.

Dude, not teaching him the trick about spraying the front of the cylinder with PAM before shooting could possibly qualify as workplace harassment of a disabled American. ;)


Many guys here go shoot a box of ammo before reporting for shift--there have never been any problems figuring out who shot and who didn't...forensics don't lie when done correctly.

Oh, I'm not so compelled by the idea that I'm going to detail-strip my guns after every range session now, but I thought it was an interesting angle I hadn't pondered before. I could see where it could possibly come in handy, in a very narrowly-construed, Ayoobian scenario... But not enough to make me get more religious about scrubbing my heaters. I'm still willing to take my chances with my laziness... :D

[jmjames]

Absolutely false. I've gone over 2k rounds without cleaning an AR before. I never clean before 1k. These are training rifles too. My AR that shoots corrosive soviet military surplus 5.45 gets rinsed with hot water After each range trip and that's all it has needed for over 20k rounds.

Every AR person I know is meticulous about cleaning them. As someone who's been going 'round and 'round the rifle buying pool for about a year now, nearly everyone I've talked to says that you need to keep an AR clear and wet for proper operation. The "common folklore" (which I tend to dismiss) says that the high end ARs, with tighter tolerances (DD, LMT, LaRue, etc.) retain the lube better. It's actually why I haven't bought an AR10, because it seems like the reliability isn't there unless you keep 'em wet.

Now, that said... it is absolutely the case for the PSL/FPK that I own that rust and corrosion is a concern. The inside of the gas tubes gets pretty foul, and while it's not likely to impair functionality (the piston has play in there anyways), I could see it being an issue when a 40 year old gas tube is slowly rusting through (built on a parts kit and these guns re from the 70's...). Combine that with a 26" barrel + 2" flash hider that is pinned/pressed to a big, heavy receiver, and the quick dunk in hot soapy water followed by some oil routine is an absolute disaster. The overall length of the gun is roughly 51" with stock, so it's around 38" or so without stock. Plus, it's all wood furniture (the handguards are also 40 years old...), so I'm obvious cautious about drowning it in water without fully stripping it down. First time I tried to clean it, I attempted to do the soapy water + Windex stuff I've read about, I spent 3 hours cleaning it due to the size of the thing. Doing it with a full detailed cleaning is actually faster!

So... while your ARs may do fine with a quick water rinse and relube after shooting corrosive stuff (and I'm not disputing that), my FPK just can't do that. I truly wish it *could*, and the PITA of cleaning it after every trip is one of the big reasons I don't shoot it much, along with fact that it isn't a "rifle", it is a "small artillery piece" in terms of the size/weight. Chopping a good bit off the barrel and putting on a shorter, more reasonable flash hider keeps crossing my mind...

J.Ja

[JodyH]

I clean my suppressed AR even less than I do my pistols.
I just add more lube.

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[Jay Cunningham]

Most guys I know who are "AR guys" don't clean them very much at all, but they keep them well-lubricated. You can lump their pistols into that category as well.

[Al T.]

forensics don't lie when done correctly

In my case, NDs were more of a threat. We had several "shoot and scoots" where the guilty fled.



Every AR person I know is meticulous about cleaning them

You don't know any switched on AR folks then. Pat Rogers has a bunch past 10k rounds and one over 43k rounds, no cleaning, no issues. Springs replaced every 5k rounds IIRC.

A google search for "Filthy 14" should turn up some good reading.

FWIW, many, many folks were brainwashed into the "overly clean" routine by the military. ARs need lube, good ammo and good magazines. Carbines need the correct extractor.

[orionz06]

I clean guns when they get me too dirty or stop because of being dirty. Only once has a gun been too dirty to function. I had to rinse the mud out of a G17 in October to get it to work again. I will wipe the outside off of carry guns, add oil and be done. I will add lube to a carbine and be done. Life is better knowing stuff will work and I can just focus on shooting.


Every AR person I know is meticulous about cleaning them. As someone who's been going 'round and 'round the rifle buying pool for about a year now, nearly everyone I've talked to says that you need to keep an AR clear and wet for proper operation. The "common folklore" (which I tend to dismiss) says that the high end ARs, with tighter tolerances (DD, LMT, LaRue, etc.) retain the lube better. It's actually why I haven't bought an AR10, because it seems like the reliability isn't there unless you keep 'em wet.


The AR I have shot the most this year has seen 6,000 rounds of Wolf ammo without being cleaned and will likely see another 3-4,000 rounds before it gets cleaned. Zero issues that are not related to magazines (that are confirmed with other guns). The folklore is just that, garbage repeated by people who don't even know what a tolerance is or how it impacts the function of the AR or the other gun they are trying to claim is superior. FWIW the carbine I am talking about sat outside this weekend, in the snow, was frozen, thawed, frozen, and fired again, without issue. Use a good lube, apply often, and just worry about shooting.

[JHC]

Most guys I know who are "AR guys" don't clean them very much at all, but they keep them well-lubricated. You can lump their pistols into that category as well.

I was raised with the white glove philosophy but a few years ago Matt Edwards exposed me to the new thinking on this and ever since, I clean my ARs a few times a year out of sympathy and nostalgia. But I keep them soaked. I shoot a lot more 9mm so the Glocks can expect to be cleaned about every 1000 rounds or so.

[JHC]

I always download all of my Glock magazines by at least one round, simply to make tactical reloads (i.e., reloads when the slide is in battery and a cartridge chambered) easier, giving the top cartridge in the magazine more room to bounce/flex off the slide stripper rail, significantly easing the seating of the magazine-this could be important in a weakened/wounded reload situation.

Best, Jon

This. Also because some years back I read an engineers report on how much less stress is on a hicap magazine when just downloaded one from max. Same study showed 1911 magazines did not spike with the 7th round loaded (pre- 8 rounders). Then along came all the spring cycling not stored compressed info which is very interesting and seems to represent my experience but I still download one for Glocks, no more than 7 in a 1911 and 28 in an AR thirty round mag regardless whether it's GI or PMAG. (and the downloading AR mags wasn't even for 30 rounders but for the 20's).

[JHC]

I don't expect any of my revolvers to tolerate such long intervals although I've gotten close with rimfires. But they'll start binding up in one manner or another after they get smokey.

[Tamara]

Most guys I know who are "AR guys" don't clean them very much at all, but they keep them well-lubricated. You can lump their pistols into that category as well.
^This.^

I was going to say that my AR carbine's been to an Appleseed clinic, an Awerbuck class, and a couple of range sessions without really being cleaned other than punching the bore the night before and the evening after, and then I remembered that the Appleseed was... uh... two years ago, and now I feel guilty. Maybe I'll clean it today.

(FWIW, it has yet to suffer a malfunction of any type since I've owned it. Maybe it doesn't realize that it's a homebuilt DI AR?)

[JeffJ]

I've noticed, in the kind of sweeping generalizations that don't mean much, that avid shooters don't clean too often. Guys that bring their toys out once or twice a year and go through a few boxes of ammo meticulously scrub them down after each use, and are appaled that we don't.

[TNWNGR]

Service weapon's after each use, that's policy as well as trying to set a positive example. When I do inspection's I'll pick an officer at random to inspect my gear. Training or recreational gun's are wiped down but not cleaned until heavily fouled.

[Chuck Haggard]

I've noticed, in the kind of sweeping generalizations that don't mean much, that avid shooters don't clean too often. Guys that bring their toys out once or twice a year and go through a few boxes of ammo meticulously scrub them down after each use, and are appaled that we don't.

I concur with your observation.


Service weapon's after each use, that's policy as well as trying to set a positive example

There are many, many days I'd be in violation of policy then. I've worked nights almost my entire career. It is common for me to get some range time in on the way to work (and the truth be told sometimes during work hours), and of course I'm trying to get the max time in so it's shoot-and-scoot or be late to work.

I won't carry a gun that won't work dirty. I don't even like to own such gear.

[Chuck Haggard]

Dude, not teaching him the trick about spraying the front of the cylinder with PAM before shooting could possibly qualify as workplace harassment of a disabled American. ;)


Never knew about the Pam trick, learn something new every day I guess.


I wouldn't have told him anyway. Watching OCD people twitch is kind of a hobby of mine.

[jmjames]

Hmm, this is bringing up a couple of AR questions in my head, but I'll put them in a separate thread. I may be reconsidering them in my next rifle purchase, because there's a lot to like about them, but the reliability's been a big concern of mine.

J.Ja

[Jay Cunningham]

A properly spec'd AR is probably the finest tactical rifle in the world. Accurate, reliable, modular, lightweight, controllable, low-maintenance, with easy and cheap parts availability. Just learn how to make the most out of the system, use good magazines, and keep it lubed.

[MechEng]

A properly spec'd AR is probably the finest tactical rifle in the world. Accurate, reliable, modular, lightweight, controllable, low-maintenance, with easy and cheap parts availability. Just learn how to make the most out of the system, use good magazines, and keep it lubed.

I concur.
I usually put about 2000-3000 rounds through my DI ARs before I think about cleaning them. Never had a problem. My former Army Paratrooper background has me WANTING to keep my weapons clean but honestly out of sheer laziness I don’t. I guess over time I’ve learned that if you have a quality weapon, it just isn’t that important to keep it white glove clean.

Also, there is a big difference between “Only ever shoot my AR at a range” dirty and “Take my AR to the field” dirty. Take your AR/M16/M4gery to the field for more than a day and you will discover all sorts of crap (besides lube & carbon) in it that will make your weapon less reliable.

Short list of crap found in my issued M16A2 musket or M9: Sand, soil, pine needles, strange organic matter, bug excrement, MRE cracker crumbs, ants and more sand. :o

[JodyH]

There are many, many days I'd be in violation of policy then. I've worked nights almost my entire career. It is common for me to get some range time in on the way to work (and the truth be told sometimes during work hours), and of course I'm trying to get the max time in so it's shoot-and-scoot or be late to work.
Boresnake in the bag with your ear pro.
Feed it through the mag well and out the barrel and you've "cleaned" your feedramp and barrel.
I'd consider it "cleaned" after my range session.

[Simms65]

My pistols get cleaned whenever I'm so bored at home I'm ready to go nuts (happens maybe once a year not counting being sick), malfunctions start to happen, or the gun is so darn dirty that handling it covers your hands in sludge. My MKIII Target finally got cleaned last month after ~4 years and ~25,000 rounds through it. Whenever the bolt got sluggish I just put a drop or two of oil/clp on it and went back to shooting. I actually only cleaned it because I had the barrel threaded and I was threatened with dismemberment if I didn't first.

My ARs get cleaned every once in a while if I feel like it, lubed more often, and definitely cleaned a bit more stringently after I run a couple bricks of 22's through one with a conversion kit.

Cleaning guns just isn't a zen experience for me. When I'm hammering it at the range I help run, I love being able to field strip a gun for a non believer and let them get their hands covered in carbon gunk while freaking out. I've convinced more than a few people of the importance of good lube over lots of cleaning. :D

[Steve m]

Here in the sandbox, I keep my ar lubed as well as my glock lubed also. I changed out all the springs in the glock, now it runs great. I clean them whenever i feel like and I shoot almosts every day.

[Packy]

How long before rust/pitting develop if you dont regularly or at least clean your pistol/rifle after shooting?

A least on the barrel and slide if we are considering a glock here.

[Tamara]

How long before rust/pitting develop if you dont regularly or at least clean your pistol/rifle after shooting?

A least on the barrel and slide if we are considering a glock here.
It depends on what the gun's made of, and what treatments or coatings it's had, what kind of environment you live in, and a lot of other factors.

I know guys with a pH balance to their sweat that'll freckle a stainless steel revolver after a summertime range session. I've got hundred-year-old rifles laying on a shelf in a basement that occasionally has trickles of water on the floor and they've absorbed so much grease over the years that they don't rust.
While I'm sure it's possible to make a Glock rust, because anything made of a ferrous metal can oxidize, I don't think I ever have seen one rust.

[fuse]

Boresnake in the bag with your ear pro.
Feed it through the mag well and out the barrel and you've "cleaned" your feedramp and barrel.
I'd consider it "cleaned" after my range session.

Does a boresnake that's been used a couple times actually do any cleaning? Seems like wiping one's posterior with used toilet paper.

[JV_]

Seems like wiping one's posterior with used toilet paper.Your TP has an embedded bronze brush? That sounds horrible!

[jmjames]

Does a boresnake that's been used a couple times actually do any cleaning? Seems like wiping one's posterior with used toilet paper.

I used mine dry to get the bulk of the gunk out (they follow with bore brush and cleaner), and they do a great job, including when I clean my shotgun, which gets especially dirty. There's enough surface area where it's not a big deal. A lot of folks will put cleaner right on them, some will even put the lube at the end of it for a one tool cleaning. Even if they get filthy you can just toss it in the wash.

J.Ja

[Packy]

It depends on what the gun's made of, and what treatments or coatings it's had, what kind of environment you live in, and a lot of other factors.

I know guys with a pH balance to their sweat that'll freckle a stainless steel revolver after a summertime range session. I've got hundred-year-old rifles laying on a shelf in a basement that occasionally has trickles of water on the floor and they've absorbed so much grease over the years that they don't rust.
While I'm sure it's possible to make a Glock rust, because anything made of a ferrous metal can oxidize, I don't think I ever have seen one rust.

Thank you Sir.

So its not really the gun powder residue (copper, lead, powder fouling) that will make the gun rust?

[peterb]

Primer residue used to be highly corrosive, but domestic commercial ammunition hasn't used corrosive primers for decades. Older military surplus ammo is the only place you're likely to find them.

Blackpowder residue is corrosive.

[LeeC]

This. Also because some years back I read an engineers report on how much less stress is on a hicap magazine when just downloaded one from max. Same study showed 1911 magazines did not spike with the 7th round loaded (pre- 8 rounders). Then along came all the spring cycling not stored compressed info which is very interesting and seems to represent my experience but I still download one for Glocks, no more than 7 in a 1911 and 28 in an AR thirty round mag regardless whether it's GI or PMAG. (and the downloading AR mags wasn't even for 30 rounders but for the 20's).

Is there a notable thread somewhere already discussing this somewhat religious topic? I've read in several places that the physics behind modern-manufactured springs doesn't support the notion that loading a mag to capacity shortens the life of the spring and jeopardizes the performance. But since the decompression of the spring is most likely a non-linear progression, it would make sense that there might be other reasons to not top off, but I haven't heard reasons that might trump not running out of ammo in a fight. How many rounds to carry every day is another interesting question that is related to the subject.

[1slow]

Depends on your activities.
If you are crawling under machinery, buildings etc... doing inspections you better check for debris at any convenient opportunity. Pistol will accumulate debris without shooting.
I shoot frequently , identical carry and practice guns make life easier. Shoot all of them until proven reliable then clean the carry gun. Shoot the practice gun cleaning as needed. Periodically shoot the carry gun to make sure it is as it should be.
YMMV.

[gtmtnbiker98]

I clean our Glocks every July, whether they need it or not. :)
I thought you were a wheel guy, Bill.

[Sgt.Fathead]

New member, having sidled over from The Firing Line. In The Corps, we cleaned guns we'd already cleaned and then, for fun, often cleaned them again. That habit stayed with me and I'd clean a new gun, top to bottom, in and out, and then clean it again every time I took it out and fired it.

Now I clean my carry gun after every training session, about twice a month, but not a stripped down detail clean. That happens once in a blue moon when the mood strikes. I can't recall the last time I cleaned some of my other guns. There was a time, before I carried, that I'd clean a handgun when it stopped working well.

[Stuffbreaker]

I have two P30s, each with just over 16,000 rounds through them. The first was purchased when I was a noob, and it was cleaned every 100-200 rounds. The second P30 is just over a year old, is a dedicated training pistol, and has gone roughly 1,000 rounds between cleanings. There is no discernable difference in wear between the two pistols. Both have had a handful of stoppages with my reloads, but are otherwise equally reliable. No breakages in either pistol.

My carry and house pistols are spotless and get cleaned after ever range session. Not because they need it, I just like them clean.