gun cleaning

[txdukklr]

before i get blasted I clean my gun thoroughly after each session. I'm not looking to see how long i can go without cleaning it. Just curious on how these guns are made to perform.

When i shoot at the range with my deer rifle i clean it every few rounds, if I don't accuracy goes way down. Also a hot barrel is just a mess, to say that most all of my bolt actions are finicky is an understatement.

I'll assume that guys in the field can't be cleaning their guns even every hundred rounds so how long will this thing run strong between cleanings?

[Going4Broke]

A lot of people will argue that cleaning it so often actually does more harm than good. . . . . they have a point.

[txdukklr]

this weekend (and most weekends) I'll put around 150 rounds through my gun. Should it sit until the next round to get cleaned.

[larry0071]

Tag - To see how far folks have been forced to runa AR style rifle and yet it still ran.

I have never done a competition, so for me the most was one day at 500 rounds. I always drop a few oil drops in the BCG after 2-3 rounds to keep things wet.

I suspect the guys that do the training and competitions have to go for long periods and at high round counts before they get a chance to clean them.

[hammonje]

this weekend (and most weekends) I'll put around 150 rounds through my gun. Should it sit until the next round to get cleaned.

Clean the rifle after every session if you shoot more than 100 rounds. You need to get the carbon out of the barrel and clean the BCG. If you have an opportunity to clean the rifle then do so. The additional friction caused by debris and carbon deposits cannot be good for a mechanical/metallic action. Clean and lubricate well. I think the thought behind over-cleaning comes from damage to the barrel and crown. I use a bore-snake to clean my AR's so I am not worried about damaging the crown. Don't go crazy trying to super clean the barrel. You will never get a clean patch. Clean and lube the barrel and store it.

[bkb0000]

there's a very big movement to not get all crazy with cleaning. there's a lot of people around here that'll tell you they pretty much dont clean at all. i've personally gone something like 1500 rounds without any cleaning, and probably only reloobing 3 times. so long as you keep the weapon wet, and if you incorporate a loob with solvent (CLP for instnace), the weapons will actually "self-clean" to a great degree.

you can go anywhere between 1-3500+ rounds without cleaning, probably... probably more, if you're really diligent about loobing. the sky is the limit.

all that said, i clean after almost every session. i don't have a stroke if i dont have time, but my weapons also dont sit unshot for months at a time- i know that if i don't get to cleaning, it's only gonna be a couplefew weeks at the most till i'll be shooting and cleaning again.

[JiMfraRED1911]

Are we talking ARs or bolt guns?

[bkb0000]

Are we talking ARs or bolt guns?

it's the AR forum.. you can safely make an assumption

[Thomas M-4]

I clean my guns after I use them almost every time. That being said everybody needs to see just how far your rifle can go without cleaning at least once It might surprise you.

[nickdrak]

Military doctrine in-terms of training and weapons maintenance is not always practical, or even useful for anything beyond the square 300m range or anything other than inspection purposes.

In my opinion, cleaning every little bit of carbon off of your bolt is not a neccesity to proper function, but it is useful in-terms of preventive maintenance (keeping your gun running).

Cleaning the carbon build-up off of your bolt gives you the opportunity to inspect your bolt/carrier/gas rings,etc. for any signs of cracks, premature wear and other anomalies in these areas that otherwise may not be apparent with built-up carbon present.

For example, I would NOT run the bolt pictured in this thread: http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=33402&page=2 in any of my guns due to the excessive amount of "pitting" present. Much of the pitting may not have been visible if it were not cleared of the carbon.

In-terms of lubrication during training, I put a liberal coating on the BCG during every snack or piss break. On my duty guns, I usually break it down and re-lube it once-a-week between all out cleanings.

In-term of cleaning the barrel, the type of barrel you are running should dictate your cleaning schedule & procedures. A chrome lined Mil spec barrel can go a long way with a simple run of a bore-snake thru it.

On the other hand, a Stainless Steel Noveske or other match grade SS barrel will NOT have a bore-snake come with in 100yds of its bore. Strictly coated bore rods. I also do not pull the patch/jag/brush back thru the muzzle end of the SS barrel when cleaning. I remove the patch/jag/brush before pulling the rod back thru.