Cleaning Your Gun - After Every Use?

Welcome to the Ron Spomer Outdoors Podcast!
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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion - the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me - from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.
Produced by: Red 11 Media - www.red11media.com/
Disclaimer
All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.

[@sidremus]

[Black powder shooters crying in the distance]

[@stephenausmus4850]

Indeed I shoot black powder competitively and u need to clean after every competition I can usually get about 20 rounds or sometimes more through it before it needs a cleaning But with smooth bore they said clean after every 5 minute round or 8 to 10 shots I didn't listen first time and shot 25 rounds through it I had very hard time cleaning afterwards lesson learned

[@markfergerson2145]

Yeah, well, corrosive powder and corrosive primers make life more difficult.

[@nmhvactech5474]

It takes me about an hour to clean my muzzleloader after each use, and that is with BH 209. When I shot pellets it took me almost 2 hours.

[@bcallahan3806]

@@stephenausmus4850 think everyone should hunt with muzzleloader at least once in their life. The new one's are extremely accurate. But just making that first shot count plus learning about powder amounts sabot styles and weights and the combos that work best for your gun is just a good thing. How far you shooting at in competition?

[@stephenausmus4850]

@@bcallahan3806 out to 100 yards but I'm better at 50 I actually did hunt with a muzzleloader with my dad a year ago it was about 75 yards I think but I missed and the deer got away

[@Wearyman]

Honestly, I don't clean my guns as often as I do because I think they need it. I clean them because I enjoy the activity of cleaning. I like making that gun I'm working on just perfectly clean and shining. Holding up the muzzle to the light, looking up the breech and just seeing that glistening, perfectly clean bore. For my older wood stock rifles, gently cleaning that stock and then applying some Renaissance wax and polishing them until they just GLOW. It's so incredibly satisfying.

[@Unionthewizard]

You need to clean and love your gun and when I mean love I mean love

[@BigdaddyJym]

Im getting patrick bateman in the office vibes 😂

[@bcallahan3806]

I can get on board with that. Sometimes it's just nice to appreciate what you have, take care of it and remember the times you had with it, the hopes for future ventures. And your smack dab on the dingy, as my buddy Pierre would say, Lord rest his soul. when you said fine wooden stocks. Like a fine crafted tool/furniture combined. You need to dust it off once in awhile. Bring back memories and look ahead.

[@pohjantuulet247]

Was just about to say the same thing, i found cleaning my service rifle rather therapeutic back in the Greens. Most guys just saw it as a chore, if i had excess time on my hands i'd straight up just make sure my rifle was clean. Put on some music of choice from headphones if you were allowed to use 'em, you could go whole day cleaning the barrel and parts, getting them oiled up and shining. It was great.

[@NAH1907]

How does one clean the wooden stocks? Do you lightly scrape/sand the whole stock or certain dirty areas? And where would I find these renaissance wax?

[@brianclay3315]

Being a retired Soldier, it is almost impossible for me to shoot a firearm and not clean it to perfection.

[@bobsmith-ru7xp]

Cool story bro. No one gives a shit about your military service.

[@russr]

That's called a training scar, when training actually gives you bad habits.

[@timothymcleod2760]

Over cleaning can cause damage just as bad over time as not cleaning

[@memyself898]

@@timothymcleod2760 you know i always wonder if that could be the case.

[@Ripa-Moramee]

​@@timothymcleod2760 no? How?

[@brianpierson7708]

I clean my rifle Sunday night after hunting the weekend but it’s because I live in southeast Louisiana and have a 45 minute boat ride to where I hunt then sometimes anywhere from 15 mins to a hour walk to the stand and if it’s misting or raining then I clean it as soon as I get out the swamp but we have a lot of salty air and rain down here

[@nickv7824]

My old nemesis rust, same in Florida..

[@moosesimpson8625]

Its better to fire a couple of rounds after cleaning your rifle than to hunt with a totally clean rifle. It effects accuracy. You only get 1 shot with a clean rifle, no carbon in the barrel. All others have some carbon. Your zero was done with carbon in your barrel. It may be unnoticeable if your shooting 100 yards and thats it, but you open it up and you're inches off because your barrel is not in the same condition it was in when you zeroed your rifle.

[@bcallahan3806]

Common sense never failed anyone 👍👍

[@bcallahan3806]

@@moosesimpson8625 idea is one shot and make it count. And if your gun can't fire 5 rounds from clean and keep it at least a 4" group .You might want to think about a new gun or barrel at a minimum. Only speaking from experience. Had. A Remington 74 woodmaste 06.. Dead to nuts when clean and cool By the end of 4 round clip was off the paper at a 100 yrds. That wasn't rapid fire either. Whether it was bedding of barrel or barrel itself, I don't know. But basically rendered into a single shot. Which I used for years. It was a great teacher because a lot of areas around here got restricted to shotgun or muzzle loader anyway. But I did ditch it when I could afford a new gun. Went bolt action. Drive tacks plus upped to 300 win mag.

[@moosesimpson8625]

@@bcallahan3806 you clearly don't understand bc you're arguing, illogically, against physics and an undeniable fact. You can not zero a rifle with 1 shot... therefore your barrel is dirty at the point of impact when you have a zero established. You can not fore 5 rounds out of a clean barrel, so your statement is nonsensical. It begins gathering fouling after 1. Which is exactly my point. Your 100 yd shot may not show much POI change but at 2000 yds, its a big difference. That is why you fire 2, 3, whatever small number of rounds you want, thru your rifle after you've completed cleaning it. Just to get that light layer of carbon back that supports your true zero. All the other stuff you said is really just noise from someone that doesn't understand trajectory.

[@danjames5552]

I used to be like this with my underwear, but now I change them once a year even if they don't need it .

[@thenoneckpeoplerepresentat8074]

I do that with socks, if they can’t walk themselves to the laundry, back on feet they go.

[@Otacatapetl]

When my shreddies are dirty, I turn them back-to-front. Finally, inside-out.

[@mglangley56]

😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@HA51971]

You shower every Saturday though right? Whether you need it or not?

[@hunteromsirisack40]

I heard Abu Hajaar in the middle east has NEVER cleaned his AK

[@nickv7824]

Well, there was that once when he dropped it in the river. Not used to crossing rivers.

[@PUNISHERMHS_2021]

Well that's an AK, they're the shit kickers of the gun world

[@nickv7824]

Cleaning? What is this cleaning you speak of?

[@shadowtemp7839]

The AK. It’ll never jam.

[@mmwosu]

Well to be fair his grandfather cleaned it after the Soviets left Afghanistan

[@longbow6416]

*Old Soviet surplus has entered the chat*

[@scratchguns]

Berdan primers have entered the chat.

[@longbow6416]

@@scratchguns *may be corrosive* has entered the chat :)

[@scratchguns]

@@longbow6416 *Soap and Hot Water became priority speaker

[@hippy_chat]

@@longbow6416 english

[@sstritmatter2158]

Even newer surplus lol

[@blightedblue2762]

I like thr old fashioned way to keep things nice. It's super easy to pull the bore snake through once as a minimum

[@TrojanSalesmen1]

this is true.. the only reason I do clean my guns after every time I take them out is because its very relaxing to me. I am by myself, alone with my own thoughts listening to music and just slowly cleaning them.

[@jonapple2325]

British army guy here to weigh in, we were always taught to clean your weapon whenever you have time, this means that sometimes you go on week-long exercises firing thousands of rounds and they get pretty minging to be honest but keep functioning fine, this said I still clean my weapon every 1-3 days at least when I am in the field but that's mainly because I don't like cleaning a pitch black bolt carrier each time, it ends up less work for me to clean my rifle for 20 minutes every few days than spend hours scraping shit loads of carbon away every week - this works a lot better with harbour routines as well

[@mackenzie3357]

Ha my Ruger 10 22. Has had thousand rounds throught it before it needed a good cleaning man I love that gun

[@grizz23]

I put 1200 through mine once without cleaning it and it still shot like the day I got it

[@shawnr771]

Whenever I think my 10/22 needs cleaning. I lock the bolt open. Hang it barrel down in the garage over some newspapers . Use 1 can on Carb Cleaner. Spray and spray and spray. Down the barrel etc. Let it dry the I hose it down Breakfree. Let it drip dry. Carefully run a couple of patches through the barrel to remove the oil from the bore. Take it down, wipe it down and clean up the mess.

[@shawnr771]

@Pat Capo I gave up on the bluing of my 10/22 years ago. It is the only one I treat like that.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

@Pat Capo lube the action, NOT the barrel.

[@donaldblankenship510]

I never broke my Ruger 10/22 down for over 25 years, and it still works perfectly after 1000s of rounds. It is idiotic to over clean.

[@paparoachbugg5275]

Unless you're firing corrosive ammo or black power you really don't need a good cleaning till you start noticing you're groups open up

[@vincentmueller3717]

I'll shoot about 200rds a year though an M1Al Thompson and an A2 BAR. I cleaned the BARthis year for the first time in about 15 years. I cleaned the Thompson last in 2004. When they have issues, they get stripped down. Otherwise, some CLP on the bolt at the start of the session, and an oily wipedown afterwards. The were designed to work under the worst conditions with corrosive ammo, so they can take a little fouling.

[@TruthPrevails24]

id say atleast every thousand, mainly for the parts inside. nothing to do with the complete build, i want my bcg, and my barrel smooth and not griddy.

[@kobudo]

The moisture part is what does it for me. It’s always humid here, so even if I’m not scrubbing a gun down after the range trip I’m at least giving it a quick wipe down with clp inside and out, and running a bore snake through it a few times.

[@midw3stsurv1v0r7]

The only exceptions I'd say to this are if you've had a particularly rough session and you are thinking better safe than sorry, black powder, and if you are using really dirty ammo. My father gifted me a negant revolver and it's great, but the ammo is really nasty, so his recommendation was to clean it every time I use it, because it doesn't get used often. It's a functional collectors piece

[@Ian-yk4pk]

I've got 1500 rounds on my AR and haven't cleaned it only lubed and it still runs like a dream

[@marvinsamples8236]

This is just my opinion, in general I agree firearms don't have to be cleaned that often, but I would still pull the bolt carrier out pretty often, there pretty bad about carbon build up

[@Ian-yk4pk]

@@marvinsamples8236 oh I agree. Neglecting it is a great way to cause a stoppage or worst case get yourself smoked. Inspection is key.

[@methheadfreestyle482]

Nice pfp

[@karlschulte9231]

Rust is not your friend. Az maybe OK. FL bad idea.

[@user-nb8yt2il2r]

@@marvinsamples8236 yeah bolt carriers look like the inside of a diesel exhuast pipe after a few rounds

[@waldoiswhereEFC55]

The only time I clean mine is when I’m being investigated other than that not that often

[@bcallahan3806]

Other than black. Powder. If you have to clean your gun after every round to be accurate. Might be time to get a new gun or at least a barrel. Do however suggest if you're going to put it up afterwards for any length of time a good cleaning isn't a bad thing. As powder residue and what not can be corrosive or harden up. That or if in adverse conditions when used. Rain, snow, etc.

[@moosesimpson8625]

Cleaning effects accuracy. If you take a few shots to zero your rifle, your zero reflects carbon in the barrel. If you go home, clean it, then don't fore a couple rounds to build carbon, then you go hunting on a clean barrel... You're off zero. Every time.

[@bcallahan3806]

@@moosesimpson8625 you're spot on. Cleaning letting barrel cool down between shots is is a must if you're trying to drive tacks on paper. Any decent rifle or gun should be able to fire 5 to 6 rounds and keep a minimum of a 1 inch group. I know ammo plays a big factor. But they've really stepped up their game. It shows in price and performance. But as Ron said we have an 8 inch zone in most cases. Driving tacks on paper isn't the same as leading a duck or deer at 20+ mph. There is more to it. Being comfortable and confident with your gun is the difference between a target shooter and an ethical hunter, especially those who hunt and stalk.

[@moosesimpson8625]

@@bcallahan3806 i dont think you understand the point. But I did notice you talked about leading a deer running 20 mph in the same breath you mentioned being an ethical hunter... thats funny. Ne ethical hunter would ever take that shot. Not even with an ACSS reticle spaces for 20 mph. And every experienced shooter knows that your rifle has a finite amout of carbon that can build in the barrel, not infinite. You can "drive tacks" until your barrel wears out because the friction of the round and pressure of the cartridge shakes the carbon loose from the last round. Thats why you fire 1 or 2 rounds after cleaning and before hunting. It makes your zero true again so that the first shot isn't off when you're on game... or taking an unethical shot on a deer for your case.

[@bcallahan3806]

@@moosesimpson8625 in over half a century I've missed one time because of fire arm malfunctioning. I got rid of the gun. Being comfortable and confident, know capabilities and limitations, practice is all key. Say all you want. But I know what my capabilities and limitations are. I don't squeeze the trigger unless I know it's going to hit. My buddy will out shoot me on paper every day. It took me 10 years and literally dozens if not a hundred deer I put in front of him, before he finally got one. That's sitting in a blind. Paper and real life are not the same thing. I'm not boasting. Because I know at least half a dozen guys locally that can out shoot me on moving targets. Waterfowl hunters or back in the day woodcock. Seen guys run pump shotgun or bolt action like a semi. And they weren't missing. No disrespect to you. And your comment is greatly appreciated. Just letting you know that there are more than one way to shoot and be accurate. You might not be driving tacks. But be in the zone. Proper gun, ammo you do less damage to meat and feed family and friends or those in need. I've used a muzzleloader for the last five years of hunting. Successful every year. Everyone was running or on the move. If that tells you anything. Again no disrespect. And I'm saying I haven't shouldered rifle or muzzleloader and not fired. Plenty of times. That's the difference. Good day to you..

[@moosesimpson8625]

@@bcallahan3806 that was the rambling of an addiction riddled felon. Nonsense and lies. But take care bud.

[@masenstephens8986]

I go like 500 to 1000 rounds before I clean my guns especially my ruger 10 22 the one time I forgot for like 3 years (I know) but she's the most solid semiautomatic .22 rifle

[@dbongoloid9541]

Same with the 1950s Remington .22s my grandfather use to carry a short barrel (14 inch, 20 overall length from stock to muzzle lever action .22) trappers rifle, thru the creeks, rivers and ponds, he said he's lost it in the mud a few time, but he said an alcohol bath and some gun oil and he's never had a firing/feed issue.

[@megapumped7021]

Cleaning it brings you closer to your weapon. Knowing it in and out and spending time with it outside the range makes me feel closer and more confident with my firearms.

[@larkenkuznetsov3413]

With 12 gauge shotguns especially I don't tend to clean them very often unless something gets into the action or occasionally the bolt face of powder residue and metal fouling. This is because I find with decent modern ammunition there isn't a lot of significant fouling left in the action or barrel for pretty large round counts.

[@davidhayes3204]

Thank you🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@luggy9256]

Also depends on your ammo, if you’re using old surplus stuff, it can be incredibly corrosive, so clean more often.

[@ViktoriousDead]

This absolutely needed to be said. Too many people over clean there weapons leading to pre mature wear

[@jody908]

My uncle spilt his Weatherbee from a 2 inch mud plug from previous years hunt. The split ended right at the breach saving his life.

[@nickv7824]

Then there's the guy who thinks oil should be dripping off them.

[@Snookynibbles]

Tell me about it! I was at a tactical AR training course where my gun suffered a malfunction…I brought it to the range having oiled it with ~ 2 drops to each of the moving components. An assistent instructor then drenched my gun in oil to where half of it soaked into my clothing…a big mess.

[@MemphisMike901]

😂

[@200130769]

I will give it a little extra oil before putting it away in the safe because when I pull it back out. The gun will be almost dry again.

[@TrashPanda2801]

@@200130769 If you’re concerned about rust while storing them use thicker oil, but if it’s in a safe indoors or indoors period you’re worrying too much. If it being dry when you pull it out is an issue, lube it when you pull it out to shoot, problem solved. Using too much lube will do nothing but attract more dust and particles that negatively effect reliability.

[@200130769]

@Justin Walters I'm not really concerned and I'm not worrying too much. I just go a fuzz heavier before storing after cleaning and that's about it. If it comes out dry before I use it, it doesn't have too much oil that will attract particles to effect reliability. I've definitely heard that before. But like you said, I usually give it a touch of oil before going out to the woods and range.

[@user-uq6vh3ps7m]

I love cleaning 1911s its just a beautifully put together peice

[@Deadly_DoRight]

I clean them every time for a handful of reasons. 1 I don't get to shoot as much as I like so I don't know how long they will be sitting and I may not take the same gun(s) every time. 2 I live in a high humidity area and while I do keep them in the driest part of the house I still worry about rust. 3 even if I take 4 guns to the range it really doesn't take all that long to do and I schedule my time to allow for cleaning time after. 4 if it's clean when you start your range day it will be easy to clean after. 5 if my firearm and equipment is clean and in good condition have no excuses if I'm not being accurate.

[@JugglesGrenades]

I am 66 years old. My father, who was a World War Two veteran, taught me at an early age, to clean you firearm after every range session.(But back then a lot of ammo was corrosive) A friend brought me a Hi-Point 995 carbine that wasn't functional. He said he and his wife had been shooting it regularly for two years, and it had never been disassembled and cleaned. Took it apart and cleaned two years of carbon out. Oiled and reassembled it. It ran like a "Singer"® sewing machine.

[@stavroskrause7279]

Singer apparently was commissioned to make a pistol at one point and it's said that it was the best engineered firearm ever created. They cancelled the contract and instead had them create aviation components for the war. I just saw a Singer 1911 up for sale for a quarter million dollars. They only manufactured 500 of them...

[@DesertMav]

My rule is to clean after going to the range. I normally try to shoot about 50-100 rounds per gun, however, I've also gone a few times where I don't clean the guns for about 200-300 rounds of use and it seems to work out fairly well.

[@pablo4yu]

I honestly just clean when im feeling stressed put or had a back week. But if its a normal month ill clean then bout once every 2 weeks. I go shooting like 3 times a week so yea

[@BeefCake1012]

Damn son, how’s that wallet of yours holding up? 😂🤣🤣

[@MLHMODZ]

Ayy man lemme hold a dollar

[@archangel20031]

My pistols and rifles get cleaned when I start leaving smudges on my clothing or my hands are dirty from handling them. It's more likely oil will leak out needing a wipe own. However if I see corrosion start to rear it's ugly head, ill scrub and lube everything, but that's it. Perhaps once or twice a year I might give it a good scrub down from top to bottom if I'm bored and want to fondle them, but that's rare. My PB revolvers are an exception, they get cleaned and oiled to new like condition after every shooting session.

[@scotmcpherson]

It’s a good idea to keep ‘em clean. The oil in your barrel will harden after being shot through and left to dry. You don’t need to scrub with the wire brush each time. But it won’t hurt to push a wad with some oil on it through the barrel.

[@gnarfarmer]

people need to remember that if a gun is made well, just like a good tool, it requires little maintenance

[@user-nb8yt2il2r]

But a true man takes meticulous care of his tools

[@Brandi6666]

@@user-nb8yt2il2r how about sissies😂😂

[@jessehubbard9133]

I clean mine once a year if I do a lot of shooting I may clean it twice but most of the time it is just once a year

[@protipskiptoendofvideoandr286]

You don't shoot a lot then

[@jessehubbard9133]

@@protipskiptoendofvideoandr286 I shoot some rifles more than others and some of my rifles don't like being cleaned

[@User_Brandon]

When you say clean your guns do you mean just the barrel or are you gutting the gun, wiping it all down and relubing it? Thanks

[@charleywalker2982]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keep your videos coming please.

[@scotteatherton5901]

Was always told by my old Dad, The more you clean it the faster it wears out

[@claytonwoolfe]

Me thinking about the AR in the safe with easily 5k suppressed thru it and still running 😂

[@CharliMorganMusic]

The most rounds I've put through an M-16A4 was somewhere around 550-700 before I started to get consistent (1/1) cycling problems; that is a ridiculously high number of shots.

[@timunderbakke8756]

I have gotten into the habit of always cleaning. Sometimes it’s because I don’t know when I’ll use it next and don’t want to forget too many times in a row. Particularly for long guns I’m not taking out all the time.

[@matthewdowns9822]

Maybe it Waa just to build a habit rather them a necessity, that way it's never too dirty when you need it

[@marcodelao9148]

true but I enjoy cleaning my firearms. it's therapeutic for me. :)

[@5jjt]

Me too, so what's wrong with everyone else?

[@billiondollardan]

Honestly, I'm glad to hear this. I haven't cleaned a couple of my pistols in a while. I passed maybe 40 to 50 rounds through them so it's not like there's a ton of build-up

[@JTBCOOL1]

you are fine. I like cleaning after every range day and listening to podcast or music. it is very relaxing and firearms are a beauty. also you get to learn your gun inside out when you keep taking it apart for cleaning. inspect parts too

[@kcomst]

My dad cleaned his guns every time he took them out with Hoppes #9. A few years ago I disassembled his old Ithaca shotgun to replace the left-hand safety to right. I couldn't believe how much crud was packed in every crack and crevice, dirt from before I was born! But the action still worked as slick as the day it was made.

[@chrisresnikoff1741]

I clean after every range session just because I enjoy it.

[@maxmccain8950]

My dad always cleaned after every shooting session and made me do the same. My dad was old school, literally, he was born in 1927. That’s still pretty close to the black powder era when cleaning was an absolute necessity. I certainly don’t neglect my firearms but I also don’t clean every time anymore.

[@kennethzullick6897]

I was thought to clean it every time even if only one shot, My Dad and Grandad weren’t wrong on this. Even though they’re long passed I still prefer to listen to them.

[@dowdawg]

Absolutely it’s carried over from the black powder days and when mercuric primers were being used.

[@MDR-hn2yz]

The US Marines made me OCD about this. I’m going to clean every time I shoot, just to keep the voices in my head from yelling “SCRUB! Harder! Faster!”😂

[@justint8356]

You'll be thankful when you're still alive

[@hawghawg381]

I would never clean my rifle each day after the range. Only took 45 minutes to clean it. Passed first time in the armory. (Wilcox range)

[@johnthomson2377]

(Meanwhile AK guys not cleaning their guns at all)

[@holeeshi9959]

actually AK guys are the guys who needs to(and usually do) clean their guns the most, since corrosive ammo.

[@edp-theeverydayprepper5686]

I'm far to lazy to clean my guns regularly. Yes you figured it out, I'm an AK guy.

[@johntmccrakin109]

Thank you sir. Been saying this for years.

[@1SmokeyRider]

I clean and oil my carry gun after the range every time. It’s the gun I’m going to depend on to save my life.

[@billionsandbillions]

You’re wasting your time. It’s going to fire. Even if it’s dirty.

[@tomschauman4960]

I clean after every use…take care of your weapon and it will take care of you.

[@Stephen85]

That's fine if you have carbon fiber rods and rod guides, but if you are just using one of those screw together metal rods you are probably causing more damage than anything else. I won't hunt with a clean bore. I fire at least one shot through the barrel at the beggening of the season and don't clean the bore until the end of the three month season. Bores all look brand new.

[@tomschauman4960]

@@Stephen85 I use a bore snake, that works well.

[@Stephen85]

@@tomschauman4960 yeah I like those too.

[@charlesfrandolig5090]

I fully agree. You clean your dick after each use, your firearm should be no different...

[@kiwi8.]

i used to clean my guns like a crazy person when I was a kid but now about once a year truly no problem

[@marcusmatus8151]

First job as a kid was as a trap boy at a local trap and skeet club and I've seen a number of semi auto shotguns go into the thousands of round before needing to be cleaned

[@Oldhogleg]

There's also the issue after cleaning, that if you don't fire a number of fouling rounds until the POI (Point of Impact) settles down, you'll typically end up with wildly dispersed POI for your first few rounds. In some rifles it may only take one or two fuoling rounds, others may take ten rounds or more before the POI settles down from being all over the map.

[@TheWhoamaters]

"I fired over a thousand rounds out of my shotgun, anyway the automatic rifle still worked"

[@russellbingham7901]

Auto loading not automatic. Too completely different items

[@TheWhoamaters]

@@russellbingham7901 I thought he said automatic, my bad. I know they're different, would've said full auto if I'd meant that.

[@Portlycranium]

He started with auto shotgun and then said auto rifle. Slip on the lip. I clean to prevent rust in storage.

[@carsonhunt4642]

I have 5k rounds of dirty 22lr through my semi auto ak, and never cleaned it once in 10 years. Ironically, one of the mags gets a little stuck at the top from being so dirty, other than that still cycles perfectly. So cleaning the mag would actually help me more than the gun 😂

[@craighansen7594]

Some shooters just enjoy clean, freshly lubed guns. You are correct, overly frequent cleaning is not extremely necessary but it does not hurt anything. Just my opinion but a gun that is well cleaned and lubed will have extremely smooth wear points in its action and the surface finish will suffer less stains and corrosion.

[@MTNTURBO5150]

I personally keep all my firearms top notch clean in storage. Minus my EDC ones. But I put them through the paces hunting. Dust dirt. Rain. Mud. Ice. Blood. But my dad taught me to always always always clean them before putting away. So that when or if the time comes you need to grab and go you don't worry about how a jam reoccurring due to lack of maintenance. Put it away like life will depend on it and sharpen the knife while you're at it.

[@HIC392]

I joined the Navy in the 1960s. We were trained to clean our rifles the day we shot them, the next day, and the day after that. That's three days I a row. You ask why? Very simply, the barrels were carbon steel. Look at them wrong, and they would rust. It took cleaning three consecutive days to remove the products of combustion from the pores of the carbon steel.

[@jayjodoin1194]

It’s how and what you use.it’s a new world, wipe out and patch out are cleaner without this old fashion cleaning.ie military is cleaning for inspection and this is different then what I am referring to. Love the show cheers to all..

[@calvinborer6572]

I hate to admit but my Benelli m2 Field went 10+ years(back when ammo was affordable) she had well north of 10,000 rounds through her before I even ran a brush down the barrel, it wasn't broke so I didn't fix it however I don't suggest going quite that long lol I've since cleaned her a time or two and she's still running happy as ever!

[@reaction9449]

I also wonder if leaving the gun dirty when sitting around for a long time if that would actually help protect it from any sort of rust that could form where there’s no “dirt” protecting. But I think a lot of people go a little crazy for the reason of being paranoid of some sort of jam or malfunction because of it being overly dirty and another reason is wear and tear, less grime and powder acting like sandpaper wearing parts which does need to happen to an extent to break the weapon in and make the action smooth while staying tight. Those are my 2 big thoughts and 1 more to throw in is we like to play with our toys and cleaning them is another reason to play around with the things we have spent so much hard earned money on! But I totally understand what you’re saying! They really don’t need cleaned often at all, especially when they never get used for shooting practice or a CC/carry. Thanks and have a safe one!

[@2ballsyourjaws]

I recently put 3400 rounds thru my 19x no cleaning oiled once at 1200 rounds. Worked perfectly fine. I cleaned it yesterday finally

[@lemmdus2119]

It goes back to black powder days. However I might go several days after I come home from the range.

[@ObservationofLimits]

More recent than black powder, primers up until recently were corrosive. The chemicals used for older primers leave a salt residue that will eat up internals.

[@mbrewer69]

I was told by a gunsmith to think about this way, every stroke of a brass brush is equal to about 10 to 15 rounds passing through the bore. That is one reason why I use nylon brushes unless the brass brush is warranted for extreme conditions.

[@paulcarlisle7892]

Hold over from black powder. Hitchcock cleaned and reliaded his pistols every morning, just sayin. I was cleaning my m16 all the time in 1970. I hear you and agree now things have changed. I love 8x57

[@randolphphillips3104]

Used to compete with pistols. When you are cycling and things are on, you do not disassemble or clean it. Rule of thumb was clean it if it will be unused for a long period or if it isn't cycling consistently.

[@rubythroat2258]

My gas operated shotguns get that port area cleaned pretty regularly... And a quick wipe down and a bore snake just for good measure... But a full disassembly and that dentist metal toothpick thingy happens at the end of the hunting season (unless one takes a mud bath). The only thing that get over babied is the CCW - brush that lint out !!

[@Lucas12v]

Good advice. You can clean as often as you like but it's not really needed until function or accuracy suffers. I've seen pistols go into the thousands of rounds with zero maintenance and zero malfunctions. I do otten clean rifle barrels more often than necessary just so it won't be a big chore if it gets really carboned up. Or self defense guns just for peace of mind and to prevent corrosion as they get more moisture and temp changes.

[@azlanameer4912]

Thanks Sir I am bit relieved. I was crazy in this regard. But now i shall not bother much.

[@Bravo21]

Absolutely true. My Volquartsen 10/22 shoots one hole groups and will do so for hundreds of rounds. It's stainless and I do not clean it until groups open up. And then never with a steel brush. A couple passes with #9 and a bore snake is all it takes.

[@bigt9745]

With modern smokeless powders and all that, I definitely don't clean it everytime. Especially living in a dry climate- it may be different if you live in the swamp

[@nathanduckeorth806]

I clean mine after hunting season when I put them away! Don't hurt to keep them oiled to prevent rust during though!!

[@goodnewseverybody739]

I found cleaning my new guns is a great way to inspect wear and avoid problems down the road. New firearms are slapped together, not hand fit like some older ones, I’ve had to stone and polish points to get them smooth, ammo is expensive now and this makes em “break in” quickly without thousand + of rounds. I clean them less as time goes on and I find what ammo runs cleanly and smoothly. I avoid brass bristles, bore snakes and plastic bristles do fine unless it’s rusty.

[@adencushman6289]

What I would recommend is to take a bore snake or similar to the range. After you shoot, just run that through a few time to remove anything big. Then hit it with some rem oil and you should be all good. An old toothbrush to the chamber of a semi or around the action on breaks and levers and pumps help too. Nothing more than that will keep almost any gun firing well for hundreds of shots. That’s what I learn in competitive shooting.

[@elmoz71ls15]

"She can run dirty... She can't run dry" Best advice I was given about the M4 platform downrange. The guns that got cleaned daily by bored soldiers always had issues. The ones that were ran hard and put up wet (Literally) never had an issue.

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

Unless you have a humidity controlled room for storage, I would advise a wipe down and barrel cleaning between hunting, but I live in Mississippi with 90+ humidity year round.👍

[@sha6mm]

Shotgun Remington Auto 11-87 its over 30 years old and I shoot Trap ATA events with it since new and I clean it every time I shoot it. It has had around 75,000 or more rounds and has never had a part break ! Now Rifles Big Game I sight in for the season then clean and the end of the season. Varmint Rifles every day if Prairie Dog hunting, Fox and Coyotes at the end of season. Auto Rifles I clean after every range session. It’s the Marine in Me.

[@rustyshackleford1697]

I think it's because lots of older ammo was corrosive so you needed to clean them more often. Usually just a bottle of Windex or something and a quick scrub of the barrel does the trick. Newer non-corrosive ammo other hand needs to be cleaned much less, so yay for innovation. :D

[@ArnhemKnight88]

Depends on your definition of completely cleaning, depends on your manner of storage, depends what you're shooting, and depends how easy you want to keep the cleaning process.

[@sorenottomybuddy]

At least 3k+ rounds since last cleaning my Gucci AR, and I still get 1.5 moa at 100 yards

[@TheRealAaronSmith]

Yeah, most people that go off about cleaning your rifle have military experience, or were advised by someone that does. The rifle itself is meant to get dirty and still function meant in adverse conditions. The military side of things is 90% ceremony, 5% practical, and 5% professionalism. Does it matter if there's some crap on the outside of your rifle? Not really, unless it's going to get into the rifle somehow or affect controls. Does it matter if your dress uniform has a couple frays? Nope. Hardly matters at all, 10ft away you can't tell, and you don't wear it in the field anyways. Does your bed need to be made perfectly? Nope. It's all meant to teach familiarity, discipline, consistency, orderliness, pride, etc.

[@sorenottomybuddy]

@@TheRealAaronSmith helps if you build it to be bomb proof; if my rifle won't shoot, it's broken. kzbin.infoBA9pFqbQDh0?feature=share

[@bdennisv]

If you use salty primers (Russian surplus) and alder rifles, then cleaning is a must! Now, my sig 320 comes with stainless steel barrel. I don’t clean it every time, even though I can put 100-200 rounds at a range. It still hitting chest size targets)

[@tomcampbell6384]

Thank you! I've been wondering about that for awhile now...I agree

[@ds6872]

Depends, less expensive guns typically have less corrosion resistant materials and finish, so its a good idea to clean often. Opposite for more expensive jammys

[@rumplespliffskin]

I have a henry .22. We put probably 200 rounds through it the other day before the lever started getting a bit grindy. It was still shooting straight though.

[@broodypie2216]

I'd say it depends on the gun, some mechanisms have a low tolerance for clearance discrepancies, and older materials are generally more prone to oxidation.

[@daltonsparks1293]

I was told that as a kid so i could practice safety and get familiar with which ever firearm it was. I now know yes it dont need to he that clean but i will teach my kids the same old thing

[@mmwosu]

I have a Glock model 23 with about 6-7000 rounds through it. At the time I was actively instructing in CHL courses and taking training myself, and so it was getting a little range action at least 3 out of 4 weekends a month. I decided that I was going to see how long I could go without cleaning before problems started to emerge. About 8 months later I gave up and cleaned it…

[@Kedrezac]

I agree with you sir, but I'm still not gonna let you turn it in to the arms room until that star chamber is spotless.

[@talontd3727]

"100s of rounds. Once over a thousand." Laughs in Kalashnikov On a serious note, love your videos, sir. Lots of great information.

[@erichood3169]

It can create moisture in the barrel from temperature changes. That will result in rust. Will happen every time you shoot to some extent.

[@11e40r8]

Way back when I was trying out for the Army pistol team. We were told to clean the gun once a year, but just wipe it down after shooting the times between that year.

[@kieranharper261]

Even if it's designed to be fired more without cleaning, and cleaning it every time is overkill. A phrase my grandfather used always sticks in my head, "Ain't no kill like overkill". It may not be necessary, but it certainly doesn't hurt

[@FantomWireBrian]

Risky comment , but so true. A rifle over cleaned leaves oil in the rifling and hydraulics can affect the round negatively. I watched a guy swab his barrel after every shot. He was complaining about his group and I mentioned to shoot at least a box or more before swabbing. I also said to shoot a box as fast as he can to simulate a hunting situation to see how the heat affects it. The rifle was a brand new Ruger Laminate stock and free floated with a stainless steel barrel . He wasn't even breaking it in ❗ He didn't listen and when he left he said " I'm returning this rifle,it's defective". I should've agreed and bought it from him at half price 😜❗ Great information again Ron . Many might not agree but you're right on . 👍👍😎❗

[@williewonka6694]

I really enjoy cleaning, oiling and polishing after each trip to the range or hunt. It's pride of ownership and attention to detail. I like to take care of my property. Yes, X-military as well. Some people are fine let their lawns go for a couple of weeks or don't care to brush their teeth twice a day. Your choice.

[@lsulaw91]

I have a Tikka T3 super lite 308 and I haven’t cleaned it in 5 years. I will rub the outside down a couple times a season. She shoots sub MOA and has for the entire time I’ve owned her.

[@live2ride844]

My ruger 22 gets cleaned about every 5 years 😂 still shoots great every time

[@timothyallbee1176]

Yep you are correct, the only weapons that need cleaning after every shot session is black powder because the powder is corrosive.

[@adampizana6040]

this man is absolutely right... I shoot over 100 rounds every time. I clean it afterwards but when I just bullshit shoot like 15-25 rounds, I do not clean. nothing damaging will happen.

[@jake6483]

My M&P2.0 9mm went it's first 600 rounds without cleaning, and a drop of 5w20 off my dipstick to keep it lubed up after 400 just to be nice. Then it finally got the love it needed after it proved itself