How often do you clean your gun(s)?

WI ditch chicken

WI ditch chicken

New member
How often do you clean your guns? In season and out of season.

During the season I clean my gun after every time I'm in the woods even if I don't fire it. Out of season I clean my guns once a month and after shooting clays. My brother thinks I'm obssesed:eek: but I pointed out to him that his 870 has a hint of rust on it and all of mine still look like they are right out of the box.:D

How obssesed are you?
 
I clean my Guns after every outing as follows:

1) Swab barrel and clean chamber.

2) light coat of oil. (I like break free, also know as Clp.

Oh I should say this is during the season when I am using them alot.

3) three or four times a year I will break the bolts down etc and give them a complete cleaning. Usually Before , in the middle ,and after the Season.

Waterfowl hunting in wet weather my guns get complete cleaning after the hunt to prevent Rust .:)
 
As JMc said . . . CLP is good stuff, 'specially for semi's. I rarely use a brush on any bore, unless absolutely necessary, and then only nylon/synthetic (and I own some fine, custom by me, 1/2-minute-of-angle centerfires . . . brass brushes are EVIL.). In season/after use . . . swab the bores out, keep parts lightly-lubed. Tend to them periodically during times of no use, keep them dry (dessicant or a heater in the vault.). Guns in a closet require more frequent attention to avoid rust problems; tape the muzzles on these. Sheath is also good stuff for the exterior. NEVER put oil on a wood stock, ever! This can & will propagate cracks in the long run . . . use a wax finish/polish instead.
 
koja48 said:
As JMc said . . . CLP is good stuff, 'specially for semi's. I rarely use a brush on any bore, unless absolutely necessary, and then only nylon/synthetic (and I own some fine, custom by me, 1/2-minute-of-angle centerfires . . . brass brushes are EVIL.). In season/after use . . . swab the bores out, keep parts lightly-lubed. Tend to them periodically during times of no use, keep them dry (dessicant or a heater in the vault.). Guns in a closet require more frequent attention to avoid rust problems; tape the muzzles on these. Sheath is also good stuff for the exterior. NEVER put oil on a wood stock, ever! This can & will propagate cracks in the long run . . . use a wax finish/polish instead.
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koja48, I have to agree with the brass Brush. I discovered an Item called a boar snake a few years ago. I use this on all my guns it works great. I does have a few brass bristles on it, enclosed in cotton, however; it is nothing like a typical brass brush that you could try to shove down a barrel. Spray the bottom end of it with CLP/Break-free, spray a little Break-free down the barrel drop in the chamber and pull through the muzzle barrel clean. No need for patches, no need for rods, and when it gets dirty throw it in the washing machine and it is as good as new. Only bad thing about them is that you have to buy one for every gauge or caliber that you have. Good thing they are not expensive.:)
 
I use bore snakes myself, but I clip-off the bristles. Great for things like the 10/22. This is my latest build & it IS accurate . . . I'll never let a brass brush touch the bore. Only original parts are the receiver, magazine, and bolt (which I polished, relieved the edges, & jeweled.). With the 8.5x25 optics, rodents can't hide. The other day at the range, a couple guys were pinging the 6" gong at 225-yards with their varmint rifles . . . think I ruined their day when I did the same repeatedly with the Blue Eradicator (just took the pill a bit longer to get there). Then I brought my .204 out & proceeded to hit the edge of the plates (at an honest 4010 fps in my pet load, it got there in no time at all). I can be a smart-azz, but I'm an accurate smart-azz & I spend a lot of time behind a lot of triggers . . . Oh, and I clean nothing thru the muzzle . . . ruins the crown & accuracy goes out the window.

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Koja48, Nice looking shooting irons you got their.:thumbsup: The 204 Is a super hot round.:thumbsup::)
 
WI ditch chicken said:
During the season I clean my gun after every time I'm in the woods even if I don't fire it. Out of season I clean my guns once a month and after shooting clays. My brother thinks I'm obssesed:eek: but I pointed out to him that his 870 has a hint of rust on it and all of mine still look like they are right out of the box.:D

How obssesed are you?
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I like your brother-

for 51 years I've cleaned my gunns when really heavy shooting, damp, raining, or they've seen some mud and water- otherwise I leave them alone-
never known any benifit to regularly take a gun apart and clean it

nice accurate gun can take out and fire away- never seen a perfectly clean/spotless gun out do another because it wasn't cleaned regularly

but heck- if spotlessly cleaning your guns once a week makes you feel good- by all means- have at it
 
i clean mine before dove season and then right before pheasant season and depending on the situations i may clean after pheasant season ends
 
Pistols - After heavy shooting or practice
Rifles - Same plus a good cleaning at the end of the season
Shotguns - End of season unless I'm shooting Federal ammuniton then I run a bore snake just to get the dirt, er' I mean powder residue out of the barrel.

When I come in, I do wipe the guns down with a semi sprayed rag with CLP.
 
Depends on conditions...the climate here in Colorado is generally dry so unless you really neglect your cleaning duties, rust is not a major problem.
I like Clenzoil to lube my shotgun, won't hurt the wood.
Normally I'll run a boresnake through the bore after a day in the field and follow up with a Clenzoil rub down.
Periodically during the season I'll give the gun a more thorough cleaning as conditions warrant.
 
Thanks! Shooting .22's & airguns turn us old farts into kids again . . . my "Fountain of Youth."
 
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