Pistol Deep Cleaning

[acss502]

Is it possible to clean your gun too much? I recently bought a pistol but I've been field stripping it each time I get home. Seems like a silly question after typing it, but after this thread, I feel like I'm overdoing it now.

Nah. When I shoot the two gun matches I strip mine and polish it once a month to make sure it’s running in tip top shape. I see it as the trigger can’t be too smooth....

 

[gregkl]

Full tear down/detail- only if the gun is developing problems
general cleaning- revolvers every rare time I shoot them, pistols might get a rub down if the outside if disgusting from suppressor blowback

I consider all semi autos in a "testing until proven reliable" phase, which is really a skewed test because I've seen plenty of revolvers fail, I just like to do it cause I like knowing the stopping point of a gun

I like to run my semi-autos without cleaning until I get a malfunction. I have had a few that I just got tired of the black "ooze" getting all over everything so I cleaned them even though they didn't malfunction.

I just don't shoot my revolvers enough to get them really dirty in a short time frame, so they get cleaned in less rounds than the auto's do.

If I decide to just shoot revolvers next year, that may change.

 

[Doublehelix]

Thanks for all of the responses so far guys.

I field strip and clean my guns quite often, but have not ever really done a complete tear down and clean. Sounds like I need to consider that this winter...

 

[rvb]

usually around 10k rounds... which for most pistols is the only time I clean them. only exception is my ipsc open gun would get a 'field clean' every 2-3k w. a deep clean 5-10k.

-rvb

 

[bwframe]

Is this a good time to bring up the running joke among USPSA competitors? The one about cleaning your gun the day before the match?

 

[Grelber]

Lots of folks are uncomfortable with tearing the guns all the way down.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of 20+ year old guns have never been taken down beyond what they advise is the owners manuals.

 

[Ballstater98]

Some people are not good with their hands (in regards to this topic) at some things. I find this true with a lot of people and firearms.
Some are just lazy, of course.
I think a lot of people are afraid of taking it apart and not being able to get it back together properly. Then of course would be the Walk-of-Shame to a gunsmith or to your buddy with your box of parts. I have some rifles that it is just a bear to take the bolt apart completely. So I understand that aspect.

 

[natdscott]

I have some rifles that it is just a bear to take the bolt apart completely.

Which ones?

-Nate

 

[rvb]

Is this a good time to bring up the running joke among USPSA competitors? The one about cleaning your gun the day before the match?

joke?

I wont carry or compete with a clean gun...

-rvb

 

[midget]

joke?

I wont carry or compete with a clean gun...

-rvb

You don't know crap about USPSA

 

[Ballstater98]

Which ones?

-Nate

If I remember correctly one of them is the extractor claw on my Berthier Etts Continsouza Mle-M-16. It's one of those instances where the minute I start disassembly the 'oh, that's right' moments hit. The memory is a little foggy right now though.

 

[88E30M50]

Some older guns are a whole lot easier to totally take down for a detail strip than a lot of new guns. A 1911 is a breeze to completely take down (not really completely as I leave the grip bushings and plunger tube in the gun). Some newer guns are not too bad, such as a Glock or P10C, but too many of the newer guns take slave pins to reassemble and those are just not fun to mess with, so those guns only get a total take down if I'm doing refinish work or tuning.

 

[Grelber]

but too many of the newer guns take slave pins to reassemble and those are just not fun to mess with

Gets easier every time you do it, can really stink the first couple or three times though. Sear cages on CZ's were a learning opportunity.

 

[tcecil88]

My Glocks get a tear down several times a year as they are easy to do and I shoot them the most. My revolvers get cleaned up about the same as I shoot some pretty dirty ammo through them.