I'm in the "keep the gun very clean camp" because I was in the Army. Partly because a clean weapon isn't so effected by rust, grit, etc. But also because I consider my stuff a reflection of me.
Particularly when it comes to your self-defense weapons, I clean mine once a month whether I shoot it or not simply because of dust and lint. (usually I am at the range practicing something at least twice a month) The cleaning does more than keep your firearm operational. It allows one to do a visual inspection of the firearm to make sure all components are in proper working condition. This is particularly important when it comes to defensive weapons
No gun functions 100% when dirty or unlubed. Some guns may let you get away with it more than others, but eventually rust and debris accumulation will cause problems. Hell, Glocks shit the bed in torture tests like Garand Thumb’s mud test, so “just get a Glock” doesn’t mean you can shirk on gun cleaning when the amount of ingress points in a Glock could cause that gun to also stop working.
@@gameragodzilla dirty and lubed are NOT the same. ALL of my guns are lubed all the time.... But if a gun aint gonna run dirty, it isn't reliable... ANY gun I carry and trust my life with, will absolutely run dirty.👍
On the lubrication choice issue: It's probably a lot like bicycle chain lubricant, where if you ask ten bicycle mechanics about their favorite lubricants, you'd get twelve answers. My advice is to pick a quality lubricant, use as directed, don't over-lubricate (excess lubricants attract dirt and grime), and obsess more about shot placement.
We over cleaned our weapons in the Marines. We were not initially taught correctly and would damage the finish by cleaning to aggressively. Later we got more training and just had usual wear and tear.
On the note of new guns, it drives me absolutely bonkers how there’s several “influencers” who as part of their “testing” they’ll pull a brand new gun out of the box and run 1,000 rounds thru it as if it’s some type of badge of honor or legitimate statement of reliability. Packing oil is not a lubricant, it’s a preservative.
I'd like to mention I started using Clenzoil after RUclipsr _Project Farm_ did a video testing CLPs. It did quite well for cleaning and protecting, but for lubricity it absolutely BLEW AWAY the competition. I can't believe how slippery this stuff is.
I clean my guns with my family. We shoot together at the range and when we’re done, I feel they are learning how they work by making them maintain and clean the guns they used. And we talk about other things completely unrelated to firearms. Bonding moment.
My dad's Montgomery Ward .22 7rnd magazine fed semi auto riffle went through two teenage boys on a farm in the late 70's early 80's, thousands of rounds of ammo and I think the first time it was ever cleaned was after y2k. Still cycles and shoots perfect.
I inherited a Mossberg 151m from my grandfather. My great grandfather bought it, he shot it, my granddad grew up shooting it, so did my dad, and finally me. Never cleaned, not once. When it quit working reliably, they simply dripped 3 in 1 oil inside the action. It finally quit working by the time I inherited it. She was so fouled, that when the bolt was pulled back it took a solid minute for it to return to battery XD lol, now that was bad.. gramps thought the gun was shot. I cleaned it, and still have it to this day :) it functions flawlessly
I grew up shooting at grandpa's, with his Remington Targetmaster single shot .22 from the 50s, and his Ruger 10/22 from the 70s. He straight up told me they had never been cleaned in the entire time he had them, despite they were working hunting and farm guns, on top of me plinking with them for 10 or so years every other weekend. I was the first one to actually clean them after the Targetmaster started keyholing and the Ruger jamming. It took about 4 hours, to remove 90% of the gunk built up in those guns. Most of the time was spent on the Ruger of course.
I suppose it's the old "jarhead" in me but I don't like having dirty firearms. When I'm done shooting, I clean them. It's what I learned long ago as a Marine recruit at Parris Island and that mindset has stuck with me.
Cleaning your guns is great to become familiar with them, how they function, and enable you to see and fix a problem before it gets worse. I used to enjoy it a lot, and I will still clean a new firearm that I am unfamiliar with to understand it, but I almost never clean my guns now. I’m interested in seeing when and where they fail, and because I design gun stuff, I have to test my own designs to failure.
Tim over at the Military Arms Channel had a series a while back where he took a BCM AR right from the box, without lube, and started running 1000 round strings, as an experiment to see how long it would go before choking. After each run, he would wrap the receiver with tape (with date) to seal it until the next session. At last count, it was at 7000. It's been a few years--hopefully he will soon resume.
I have an ongoing experiment with not cleaning one of my AR uppers that I've had for years, only fancy thing is a NiB BCG. I've put close to three thousand rounds through it between competition shooting and regular range trips and, while it looks gross, it still runs incredibly smooth and I've had zero malfunctions. Closest thing to a cleaning it's got is some Lucas Gun Oil dripped on the bolt when it feels "sluggish". Now, I wouldn't do this with a gun I wanted to rely upon for home defense because I am definitely a "what if..?" kind of guy but it's really interesting to see just how durable and reliable the AR platform is.
Love these videos. I have a CCMG 22LR conversion kit for 5.56 and it's really dirty...but worth the cost and time to clean. I use high temp synthetic motor oil and high temp synthetic grease from the same company with a mixture consistency with honey...works extremely well.
I have been cleaning guns since I was 9yrs old. My dad taught me how to clean them with good ol Hoppes No 9, still using it 60 yrs later. It can be relaxing cleaning guns and it benefits your firearms.
BTW. For those who don't like cleaning I advise: never put your gun away wet. ESPECIALLY, never put your wet gun into a tightly closed case. In these cases a hair dryer (or heat gun) is your friend. Heat it up good enough to drive water out of tiny crevices (like between a wood stock and receiver).
My dad never cleaned his guns, ever. He killed more game than anyone I ever knew, and never had a problem. My brother has his old Winchester model 59 an automatic, and still doesn’t clean it.
The episode you guys did on Brass vs Steel Case Ammo was an eye opener for me on how little cleaning an AR needs to operate efficiently. Showed it to a buddy who was a die-hard piston AR guy, and now he buys DI like a normal person.
Chris, your delivery, metaphors, and analogies are primo. Simply and eloquently put. Always a good communicator 😎🔥 High five to the script writers too 😙
Something important i learned from the Sons Of Liberty Gun Works amorers course: Don't mix different kinds/brands of lubes in your guns and stick with your own chosen kind (unless it's a true emergency). The lubes all have very different detergents, blends and chemical properties that can actually harm your guns if mixed together and left on for a period of time. Even if they don't hurt, they may mix so poorly that they cause each other to slide and drip off the metal which defeats the purpose of using lubrication in the first place.
I'm honestly sorry, but this sounds like absolutely absurd advice. It reminds me of the people who to this day scream about how you shouldn't mix conventional and synthetic motor oils together, or you'll ruin your engine.
@@censored7881If you understood the stuff that are in certain solvents/lubricants you would very much understand it’s not the best idea to mix them. It’s not difficult to use a good solvent or degreaser to completely remove the old crap before you start using another product if you’re unsure. If you don’t mind mixing a bunch of random chemicals on whatever firearms you have then by all means go for it. To each their own.
Good list. Feed ramps of pocket pistols is another I clean. Most my pocket 380s have a steep angle in the feed ramp that can induce malfunctions once the carbon builds up.
Ever since I discovered Boretech, I found that cleaning guns is very fun and very fast. I use the Boretech everywhere, including inside the BCG and bolt. It takes literally 30 minutes for me to clean the bore, the bcg, the bolt, and everything with it. It comes out so spotless that I could take a dry patch, put it inside the carrier and spin it around at any angle, and find it come out completely white still. Usually I blast it with solvent afterwards to get everything off, and then apply my favorite lube. Literally 1 hour at most and it used to make me multiple hours to get it clean.
Unless you just enjoy cleaning it, and absolutely have to get it spotless it really shouldn’t take more than like 10 mins for you to get a filthy rifle cleaned and ready to go again. But to each their own.
@@John5.56 yeah during a class session once I just used a bore snake and wiped everything down with a rag. But once I get home it’s going to get cleaned deep.
My local indoor range has been renting various Springfield XD's and XDM's for 15 years or so. They told me they never clean them, that each probably has 200,000+ rounds through them, and that they never seem to have failures or reliability issues with them. We are spoiled for low-maintenance reliability with modern striker-fired pistols.
I believe you. I haven't cleaned any of my guns in probably a decade. It's just totally unnessary if you have a quality firearm. I have 9mm striker fired pistols, 9mm hammer fired pistols, a 10/22, an LCP2 in 22LR and an AKM. None of them have been cleaned since I got them and all of them work flawlessly with typical range grade ammo with the caveat that I don't use any Winchester or Remington because they have terrible quality control. If you need a source of someone who also doesn't clean his guns, InrangeTV on RUclips doesn't either and he's shooting probably 15,000 rounds a year through all sorts of weapons.
@@domenik8339 pretty wild how reliable stuff can get. I don't necessarily 100% believe the accuracy of their claim, but they said so in a pretty indifferent voice, I don't think they really had a reason to lie if they're actually jamming up every month. I would presume there's an XDM or Glock nonstop shooting torture test somewhere on youtube. Based on what I've seen with Glocks and XD's, I would not be surprised if they're capable of shooting 300+ rounds a day indoors until they hit 50,000+ rounds without result. I asked how often they clean the rental XD's, and they said " we don't" and threw out the estimate of rounds fired, in a way that implied they found their reliability ridiculous.
I'm pretty darn sure that G-locks don't come with lube in them new... That copper crap the ship them with is never-sneeze, which is effectively a lapping compound they put in there to lap the sheet metal stampings that make up the frame rails... That's why they tell you not to remove it.
I do both. If I'm taking a class or instruction I aim to always clean or at least lube what I'm gonna run with so that I can focus on the curriculum. But then, when training with my life and liberty setup outside of class I'm personally trying to learn its limits. I don't dump grit in it but I do tend to not lube it or clean it for normal range trips. I then note what kind if any malfunctions I get on different weapons with different munitions. Learning I can run my block 2 fairly dirty and dry with most standard 556 loads but 223 can give me real trouble on rifles that aren't better maintained has been good to know. Also learning the benefits (on an AR) of different recoil springs or buffer weights to address these same concerns. How the gas system (carbine, mid, rifle) effect the reliability or how that varies across barrel lengths. Digest, for reliability on an AR, 556 on a 14.5 or 16 inch carbine or mid length system with an H2 buffer is pretty darn reliable. Any 18 or 20 inch rifle length gas can run pretty excellently on a far lighter rifle buffer but can have a harder time seating a round dry as a bone, so the forward assist is a must on say a mk12 style spr setup, because I think the increased buffer weight hurts the core function more than it helps the reliability. Being able to RIP off 3 shots on a reduce sized A zone target at 400 meters thanks in part to the recoil reduction is I think the more important thing than being able to neglect a setup that already requires a tad more attention than your normal battle rifle.
Defensive carry and home defense guns should always be kept clean and lubed. Weapons intended for practice only require periodic maintenance. I clean mine every few trips to the range and don't worry about it too much.
For me when come to handguns in general they get toss into 50 cal cans and each can has their own Eva Dry(e-333) in it so i don't have worry too much about "moisture or/and humidity". My XD9, M92 FS, RIA 38 Super and LC380 are not my defense guns. They are range toys so they go inside the 50 cal cans along with the mags or other accessories. The only time I give these guys a full clean is after a range trip otherwise they stay inside the 50 cal cans. ONCE in a while I take them out, give them a quick oil cloth rub and toss them back inside. My G19 is my defense gun. I give it a FULL CLEAN as in 15mins to 30mins after I hit the range. Lets say that this week I carry but I haven't been to the range at all or something in this after..say..maybe a week or month? Depending. I will just give it a quick oil cloth rub, quick bore cleaning, run a dry patch through the bore and be done within 3mins.
Excellent advice. The only thing I would add is that in my case I keep my home defense pistol in a safe by the bed and I decided to add a small pack of dehumidifying chemical to the safe after watching this video.
I tend to clean my weapons after most range visits…because sometimes I have no idea when the next time I will fire them. I would rather have them clean and ready to go whenever I head to the range regardless of how long it has been.
Pretty much nailed all of my cases for cleaning. Anything outside of that just gets a couple patches through the bore and a quick wipe of the feed ramp and breech face before I toss it back in the safe
My CCW is a S&W 686+. I carry daily, and use it as my backpacking/woods gun. I fire it in a range type situation maybe 6-8 times a year. I clean/lube it once a year, usually around christmas. This has been my habit for over 10 years now, and I have never had any issues with it. I also lube my non-used firearms (which is most of my firearms) at the same time.
Project Farm did an interesting episode on firearms lubricants. Ballistol as it turns out burns off pretty readily and may not be the best lubrication option.
Having gone through both a Mosin Nagant and 5.45x39 chambered AR as primary rifles (shooting corrosive surplus out of both), I can tell you thankfully the process is not difficult, but as Chris says it really MUST be done after every range trip. The main key is HOT water. I had a link saved to an old webpage about "Perpetuation of Corrosive Ammo Cleaning Mythology" but it is now unfortunately dead-linked. The author posted solubility charts of different cleaning methods and solvents, and by more than an order of magnitude the greatest solvent was hot water. You do not need Ballistol, Windex, or other ammonia-based solvent. Simply hose every part of the weapon that comes into contact with the gas of the cartridge with very hot, not boiling, water and then clean as usual. As a cautionary tale, even though I was aware of the dangers of letting corrosive salts remain behind, in my 5.45 AR, it did not occur to me to clean out the carrier gas key and gas tube portion in the upper receiver (as that's not really a concern with non-corrosive 5.56). I cleaned the bolt, the rest of the carrier, the fire control group, and the bore, but simply leaving the carrier and gas tube together allowed such a rust to form, that I had to mortar the charging handle to cycle the action.
As far as lube goes, I use full synthetic 0W-20. The same stuff that goes in my Toyota Tacoma. Have several gallons of it. Been using it for about 20 year and never had an AR or handgun fail to cycle.
I have a compensated m&p 2.0 with almost 3k rounds through it that I haven’t cleaned since I bought it. I wanted to see how far it would go without cleaning because i was curious, and so far it’s been 100% reliable
It absolutely depends on the gun. My stainless Ruger MKII goes years and many thousands of rounds between cleanings and runs like a top. My Winchester 63 gets cleaned after every every shooting session or it starts getting fussy. I have an old .222 bolt gun with a barrel that's near end of life that needs a thorough bore cleaning after maybe 40 rounds or accuracy goes away, while ARs go years between bore cleanings.
I only clean most of my guns because I love playing with and disassembling guns, and I don’t like having to do a full surgical scrub after each time doing so.
Cleaning is also preventative maintenance. I clean after each use not only to make sure that they are ready for the next outing / use but also to check the status of components.
I only obsessed over cleaning my weapons after use. It was always about the next mission. I wasn't going to be caught lacking wishing I had maintained my weapons with my last breaths.
If lint or a little bit of gunpowder residue is what keeps your gun from functioning then you need to choose a better carry gun. Sorry to say but it's true
Its not true. Any gun will start malfunctioning with with fouling and foreign debris, especially browning auto designs like the Glock. Just a little sand on the top of the barrel where it locks into the slide is enough to keep it out of battery.
@@waholoopesorry74if you have really fine dust and a lot of it that can make most firearms pretty unreliable pretty fast, might not even get into your gun but into the mags in your ammo pouches etc. And from there into your gun. If your shooting on any normal range you usually won't get your gun very dirty unless you drop it, not even close to driving in a open truck or heli though a desert. Often you won't notice that dirt unless you clean your weapons - sure most of the time it won't matter but for most people outside military service the chance of your survival depending on proper weapon function is also extremely small. (combining both its probabilites its probably fine to just buy a new kel-tec all 10ish years and never ever clean it. Even if my army enduced cleaning ocd revolts against it) Also it's really difficult to get a firearm so dirty it won't fire the first shot...
@@kunicrossgamingThat first shot often threw the dust of the deserts off of my weapons. Subsequent shots weren't a problem because of post mission maintenance.
As a former soldier and current machinist that manufactures guns for a prominent FFL dealer, yes, you need to clean your guns and they need to be oiled wherever metal makes contact with metal. If you think otherwise, run your car without oil or doing routine maintenance. Sure it will start and get you down the street, but getting you back home is another matter. Take care of your guns and they will take care of you. They are machines after all.
That's a stupid comparison. Outside of trying to melt down the barrel on a belt fed, a gun's internals never see anything even approaching the friction inside of ANY motor.
I find that cleaning is a good opportunity to look for wear and other damage. There have been several times when I discovered a problem developing in a gun when I cleaned it. For guns I shoot often, I clean them about every third time I shoot them. If it is a gun I shoot only a few times a year, I clean it every time so that it goes back into storage clean. I am a bit suspicious about the idea of adding lube without cleaning. First, the lube is going to do some cleaning even if that is not your intent. Second, though, if there is any grit in the residue then it could end up causing excessive wear even with lube (it would be like an abrasive slurry). This is less likely to affect steel parts but aluminum would be at risk.
There are notably places you do not want to lube. In the case of my shield that’s the firing pin, as it can encourage dust buildup that leads to increased friction and light primer strikes.
Avoid getting lubrication in the chamber as well. You can essentially triple or quadruple the bolt thrust. That's how the British army used to proof the rifles.
Had a glock 19 I bought from the pawnstore as non functioning once. I did a full dissassembly and found the firing pin channel was so fouled that it didnt allow a solid primer strike. Turns out it was oil and powder residue sludge buildup. Once cleaned, it worked like a top. The previous owner would lube by pulling the gun appart and soaking with remoil aerosol, and wiped down with a rag. Enough oil got in that it created that sludge. Its why I absolutely HATE that lary vickers video where they submerge a glock in oil, fire a few shots, then call the myth busted. Like no, my guys, youve missed the entire point.
Here's another maintenance tip. If you do a plus one in your carry piece (and you probably should do a plus one), and you drop the mag and rack that round out when showing clear, it's a good idea to drop that round in a jar for range use later, or at the very least, cycling it lower in the stack, rather than loading it up again as the first round. May not be an issue with your particular chamber design and/or ammo of choice, but it's not uncommon for the bullet to be set back a wee bit in the case every time it's cycled into the chamber with the weight and spring pressure of the slide behind it. Do that enough, you're going to have issues as the projectile gets pushed further and further back inside the case. I like the "range jar" method because it sort of forces me to build a supply of my carry ammo that gets burned up on the range, rather than just using ball ammo that may or may not shoot exactly like my carry ammo of choice. And for God's sake, don't get in the habit of dropping a single in the chamber from the ejection port as a way to mitigate this!
My routine is to keep two boxes of ammo, since I usually carry an obsessive amount of ammo (52 rounds of .45ACP). Because I use more than one box of ammo, I keep one empty box and cycle the remaining ammo from the other box, placing the already cycled ammo into the original empty box (and marking it). That way I know which rounds I’ve already cycled through my gun. Then I may swap the rounds back to the previous box since the rounds are generally rated for 3 or so chamberings, then once I reach that, I switch my ammo from my carry mags and repeat the process. Does let the ammo last a looooong time if done properly.
One potential caveat. Some carry ammo like critical defense has a cannelure that works to keep the bullet seated after multiple ejections and charges. Maybe it’s trustworthy, maybe not. But it’s a feature to consider.
@@markjohnson206 All rounds can get setback eventually even with that cannelure, though the cannelure does help immensely in letting you chamber it more often.
There's actually a method of dropping it in the chamber. I've done it for years now with zero issue. Once you drop the round in the chamber what you do is SLOWLY let the slide home with retention all the way up to the point where the extractor is almost touching the cartridge.... Now, this is where gravity comes into place. Orient the muzzle at about 45° or just enough where the cartridge would drop free on its own from the chamber but ease the slide back slowly, not allowing the bullet to just fall through the magwell.... You'll get to a point where the rim of the cartridge will drop on its own underneath the extractor. At this exact point you can now ride the slide all the way home and you'll have a perfectly chambered round with zero fear of any kind of setback OR fear of slamming the extractor overtop the rim of the cartridge. This works on litteraly ALL striker fired pistols.... It's hard to properly explain through text how to do it exactly but it's extremely easy to do once you figure it out and you'll never have to worry about setback ever again or having to cycle the round into a jar or bottom of a mag somewhere.... I used to have a video of the process on my older channel showing the process but that's been lost in time. If anyone can't figure this out and is curious of the process I wouldn't mind taking another video of the process.... I even have a nifty trick to keep your extractor from damaging the rim of a casing if for whatever reason you need to remove the chambered round!
I do a fair amount of dry-fire around the house, which is also a good opportunity to inspect what's going on, and see if anything is generally gummed up.
On the topic of gun lube, I got my own witches' brew I throw together that's a one-and-done application that you never really need to worry about again once applied. Specifically, it's a combination of Lithium Grease, Moly Greese, Teflon Powder, Graphite Powder, and a water displacer (I use WD40 because it's cheap and available, but any displacer would work). I usually do a ratio of 5:5:1:1:1 - though you don't have to be super precise. Once mixed properly, you should have a medium-gray paste-like substance that won't want to run, will stick to/stain your fingers, and feels not oily but "glassy" if rubbed between your fingers. Once applied (thinly) to a metal surface, it wants to stick to that surface and will leave a decent amount of lubrication behind even if wiped away. I've used the same mixture on all my centerfire, non-revolver firearms for over 15 years and I've never once needed to re-apply lube, even after cleaning. ARs, AK's, pump action shotguns, bolt action rifles, semi-auto shotguns, etc. The shit is like magic.
I inspect/lubricate as required beforehand. I also clean and lubricate after every use. I'm in the habit of taking care of my tools, so they can take care of me... Makes good sense.
Some of the quality pistols I have bought over the years have come in completely dry. Just a few dry fires and slide racks new out of the box caused a few to freeze to the point I almost couldn't get them apart. I can tell you for sure, at least for sure for me from my experience, don't even rack the slide or dry fire more than once or twice before doing a field strip and lube on any new gun. Then the problem is that the lubrication collects dirt so if you're not cycling and shooting, then clean between range trips. In between that, I tend to not lube or clean as much as I wish I could but my wife has medical conditions that make her extremely (literally extremely) sensitive to chemical and other smells and I don't have a shop. I wish I could clean mine more.
"That would be an embarrassing way to go." 😄 Very good video. I'm sure there are many differing opinions out there. Early on, I got into the habit of cleaning whatever I brought to the range when I got home. I find it rewarding and think of it as part of the whole process of practicing and remaining familiar with my guns, especially with my everyday carry!
Next up: oil vs. grease! 😂 I carry mine after every shooting session as it’s a holdover from my blackpowder days. Plus I enjoy field stripping and cleaning my firearms, well, except for my Dad’d Ruger MkII 22/45. What a nightmare to assemble.
My friend inherited a walther ppk .22 from his dad that hadn’t been cleaned for twenty years. Now this gun had been fired hundreds of times and we just assumed the dad cleaned it with everything else. . . Nope. The only issue was that the slide was slower when dropping the slide release. Genuinely blew me away as I cleaned two decades of carbon off that thing and it worked just the same 😂
Unless corrosive ammunition is fired from the weapon, my gunsmith uses a simple green solution in a parts washer to clean firearms, then rinses the firearm in tap water. He uses compressed air to assist with the parts drying. He cautions to remove the wood stocks, and furniture, and other things that might be damaged soaking in a water solution, prior to using his method. It's amazing how many uses there are for Simple Green.
I use a 2020 Colt Python for ICORE and Steel Challenge. I can ignore the cylinder and bore and the general black that will coat the gun from hard use. The face of the cylinder and the forcing cone have to be addressed, sometimes mid-match because of the tight cylinder gap. Beyond that any cleaning is purely to make it look nice again. I find 1911s can be similarly neglected as long as the feed ramp is cleaned once in a while.
Another perspective on keeping your carry/defense firearm clean and well maintained - - If you get in a defensive shooting, LE will likely seize your weapon as evidence. Whether in a criminal case or a civil one, your weapon will likely be inspected by a professional armorer who will produce a report on the function, condition and maintenance of the weapon. You certainly don’t want that report to show you were negligent in any way as it pertains to how well you maintained your firearm.
Thank you! Most quality gun/mag/ammo combos will run reliable if they are dry or dirty, but not both. When in doubt, more lube. More guns malfunction from lack of lube than from being dirty I guarantee
Lubrication recomendation that is AMAZING! Take Mobile 1 full synthetic grease (red grease, silver and blue can) and cut it with Mobile 1 full synthetic motor oil. What youre shooting for is the consistency of molasses. Itll be thick enough to not run, even when its hotter than heck. But equally not so thick that it impedes function if its colder than frosties buttcrack. It makes guns so silky smooth cycling that its got to be experienced to be believed. Its also very very long lived. I can edc a gun for months without a cleaning, and itll be well lubed when disassembled. Likewise it stays put on rifles stored vertically in the safe. No more oil pooling to the buffer tube of your ars. Give it a try! Its awesome!
This is not a joke. I bought a black powder cap and ball revolver years ago. The manual actually suggested doing just that. Remove the barrel and cylinder and clean them on the pots and pans cycle.
Just went to a qualification range with nothing but brand new M4A1's. So new they were still dripping with corrosion inhibitor from FNH. We didn't get a chance to clean them or put proper CLP on them, we took them as is and zeroed, qualified, and the only one individual had a stoppage that I know of, we had the wrong mags for M855A1 but my rifle still functioned well enough.
clean and lube go together for me. After every shooting session, first clean then lube. Ditto for any firearm I haven't fired for the prior six months. I enjoy the process - it's good therapy for me.
After seeing some of your videos over the years I'm surprised with your OCD tendencies that you don't regularly clean your guns. I've been hunting with one of my shotguns since 1986, and it still runs as well as the day I bought it. Firearms are machines and need preventative maintenance too. For CC, cleaning even once a month can't hurt a firearm.
I don't really clean my polymer guns that much, but I sure do clean my metal ones right after I shoot them, or else I can expect to see rust spots on them after a few weeks. I don't know if it's just the carbon attracting dirt and turning a weird orange color or what, but I'm definitely not going to let it sit around to find out! I also have a container of Hoppe's pre-oiled wipes that I picked up awhile back and maybe once a month I get one of those out and run it over the whole collection, just on the surface. One rag will handle over 50 guns it seems, and it only takes like 20 minutes or so.
Im fastidious about clean firearms, however I worked for the largest government LE agency in the country, we had range M-4s that we qualified on that were never cleaned and averaged about 750K rounds through them they were condemned military rifles.
I have multiple ARs with 1000-2000 round on them since the last time I cleaned them. I also have a shadow systems mr920 elite, canik mete sfx & mete mc9, glock 17, and a walther PDP that I've put close to a thousand rounds if not more than a thousand rounds through each since they were cleaned. After shooting I run a loose fitting dripping wet clp patch through them, let them sit for a while, then run a bore snake through them. I add lub where it's needed and put them away. The next time I take them out to shoot, I add more lube if needed. When it gets close to deer season I take a break from shooting (to not spook the deer), that's when I disassemble each gun, clean it, check for wear and lube them. In my experience, the guns are not wearing any faster than when I cleaned and lubed them after every time I used them. The amount of time and money saved, coupled with still having great reliability and no added wear is why I've done it this way for the last decade.
I clean mine about every 3 times i take em out. Oil my carry piece once a week to keep rust down. And i only use a metal brush in the bore of my precision rifle lightly since i learned in sniper 101 that keeping some copper fowling keeps point of impact consistent.
My carry gun is an HK USP in 45. I've literally never once cleaned or lubricated the gun since I bought it. I'm at over 2,700 rounds fired through the pistol so far with exactly 0 malfunctions. I've heard people say they've had far higher round counts without any issues with theirs. I've heard similar reports about Glock pistols. Why would I clean or lubricate a gun that doesn't malfunction or rust regardless of whether or not I do so?
My Dad was in the Sea Bees in WW2. He always made us clean a gun after firing. Always. Fail to do it, lose your privileges. The USMC made me a firm believer in clean weapons. ARs are always filthy after firing, as are M4s in combat situations. You clean them. For those that do not clean their weapons? Hey, you do you but I will be myself and clean my firearms after using them. They clean up easily if they are regularly kept clean. An old gunsmith friend of mine said he cleans as many weapons as he repairs. His level of cleaning gets added to the bill. Over the years a lot of crap has been heaped on the 1911 for reliability issues. When you look under the hood, a bunch of that can be explained by poor cleaning, then poor magazines. Keep that handgun clean and identify bad mags early, you will have no problems. Foaming bore cleaners and the electronic solvent vats both cut cleaning times and yield wonderful results. The foaming bore cleaners can be used on ALL metal surfaces. The electronic solvent vats are absolutely fantastic for ARs, shotgun barrels and bolts, semiauto handguns (watch the sights), revolvers (take the grips off).
CLP, nylon brush, bore snake, and something to wipe with. Can get a lot of cleaning done with those. If the barrel looks fouled or it's a .22 I will bust out the brush and rod and grab the bore solvent.
I'm a "clean it when it needs it" guy. a while back I put ~1000 rounds through one of my AR-15's without cleaning or lubing it, then let it hang on the wall in the shed (no climate control) with the bolt locked back for a couple months to see what would happen...during the hottest and humidest months of the year. The bolt carrier rusted just enough to get stuck in the buffer tube and wouldn't "slam home" when I tried to load it. There's a video on my channel of fixing it and getting it running again. Now I check all my guns at least once a month for rust buildup, re-lube as necessary with synthetic motor oil, and check my carry gun weekly.
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“1000’s of rounds between cleaning as long as there lubricated.”
Thank you.
I'm in the "keep the gun very clean camp" because I was in the Army. Partly because a clean weapon isn't so effected by rust, grit, etc. But also because I consider my stuff a reflection of me.
Particularly when it comes to your self-defense weapons, I clean mine once a month whether I shoot it or not simply because of dust and lint. (usually I am at the range practicing something at least twice a month) The cleaning does more than keep your firearm operational. It allows one to do a visual inspection of the firearm to make sure all components are in proper working condition. This is particularly important when it comes to defensive weapons
@@BasedPatriot-USA I agree. Time to get a Glock if your gun can't function because of lint
I tend to agree with you, but that being said.... If I have gun that doesn't function when dirty, I'll get rid of it, even if it is rimfire🤷♂
No gun functions 100% when dirty or unlubed. Some guns may let you get away with it more than others, but eventually rust and debris accumulation will cause problems.
Hell, Glocks shit the bed in torture tests like Garand Thumb’s mud test, so “just get a Glock” doesn’t mean you can shirk on gun cleaning when the amount of ingress points in a Glock could cause that gun to also stop working.
@@gameragodzilla dirty and lubed are NOT the same. ALL of my guns are lubed all the time.... But if a gun aint gonna run dirty, it isn't reliable... ANY gun I carry and trust my life with, will absolutely run dirty.👍
@@CookieMonster_1969No, they won’t. They’ll run dirtier than some other guns, but no gun will ever run 100% dirty.
I find it therapeutic to clean my guns.
i heat cleaning my guns ... but i do it 😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖
Agreed😁
@@realbrooklynjesis that like putting them in an oven?
ik ik @@mattmarzula
@@mattmarzulaLOL
On the lubrication choice issue: It's probably a lot like bicycle chain lubricant, where if you ask ten bicycle mechanics about their favorite lubricants, you'd get twelve answers. My advice is to pick a quality lubricant, use as directed, don't over-lubricate (excess lubricants attract dirt and grime), and obsess more about shot placement.
I use synthetic motor oil, it causes virtually no wear, won't burn off in high heat and it's cheap.
Obsess about shot placement, those are great words! Especially with everybody debating which caliber to carry
I'll give graphite lube a shot soon
Thanks to Ian & the Bloke
I like ATF. Tranny fluid is good enough for my guns. No bud light though.
We over cleaned our weapons in the Marines. We were not initially taught correctly and would damage the finish by cleaning to aggressively. Later we got more training and just had usual wear and tear.
On the note of new guns, it drives me absolutely bonkers how there’s several “influencers” who as part of their “testing” they’ll pull a brand new gun out of the box and run 1,000 rounds thru it as if it’s some type of badge of honor or legitimate statement of reliability. Packing oil is not a lubricant, it’s a preservative.
Nice Paul Harrell jacket !!!
I'd like to mention I started using Clenzoil after RUclipsr _Project Farm_ did a video testing CLPs. It did quite well for cleaning and protecting, but for lubricity it absolutely BLEW AWAY the competition. I can't believe how slippery this stuff is.
You're breathing that in everytime you fire the gun.
@@ShortArmOfGod That's technically true, but no more so than any other lubricant you would use. So I don’t see your point.
I clean my guns with my family. We shoot together at the range and when we’re done, I feel they are learning how they work by making them maintain and clean the guns they used. And we talk about other things completely unrelated to firearms. Bonding moment.
That was about how we did it in the army most of the time.
I clean my firearms as soon as I get home from the range everytime I go, so I can maintain the illusion that I know what I'm doing 😂
👏
My dad's Montgomery Ward .22 7rnd magazine fed semi auto riffle went through two teenage boys on a farm in the late 70's early 80's, thousands of rounds of ammo and I think the first time it was ever cleaned was after y2k. Still cycles and shoots perfect.
I inherited a Mossberg 151m from my grandfather. My great grandfather bought it, he shot it, my granddad grew up shooting it, so did my dad, and finally me. Never cleaned, not once. When it quit working reliably, they simply dripped 3 in 1 oil inside the action. It finally quit working by the time I inherited it. She was so fouled, that when the bolt was pulled back it took a solid minute for it to return to battery XD lol, now that was bad.. gramps thought the gun was shot. I cleaned it, and still have it to this day :) it functions flawlessly
I grew up shooting at grandpa's, with his Remington Targetmaster single shot .22 from the 50s, and his Ruger 10/22 from the 70s.
He straight up told me they had never been cleaned in the entire time he had them, despite they were working hunting and farm guns, on top of me plinking with them for 10 or so years every other weekend.
I was the first one to actually clean them after the Targetmaster started keyholing and the Ruger jamming.
It took about 4 hours, to remove 90% of the gunk built up in those guns. Most of the time was spent on the Ruger of course.
I love riffles
Y2K! Dude you're aging yourself
I suppose it's the old "jarhead" in me but I don't like having dirty firearms. When I'm done shooting, I clean them. It's what I learned long ago as a Marine recruit at Parris Island and that mindset has stuck with me.
Cleaning your guns is great to become familiar with them, how they function, and enable you to see and fix a problem before it gets worse.
I used to enjoy it a lot, and I will still clean a new firearm that I am unfamiliar with to understand it, but I almost never clean my guns now. I’m interested in seeing when and where they fail, and because I design gun stuff, I have to test my own designs to failure.
Tim over at the Military Arms Channel had a series a while back where he took a BCM AR right from the box, without lube, and started running 1000 round strings, as an experiment to see how long it would go before choking. After each run, he would wrap the receiver with tape (with date) to seal it until the next session. At last count, it was at 7000. It's been a few years--hopefully he will soon resume.
You're thinking of the BCM. I think last time he had 7k out of it.
@@Dan-di9jd Thanks--correcting!
Was it a questionably purchased 7.62x54R rifle that was on Gbroker 🤔?
@@TheAsheybabe89Never forgot lol
@@garretts.2003 or forgave 😆
Mom said I'd go blind if I kept cleaning it
I hope more people get the joke lol
I always closed one eye just in case she was right.
You mom watched you cleaning your junk. 😂😂
do you use your left hand and pretend it’s someone else
cleaning? 😂
I have an ongoing experiment with not cleaning one of my AR uppers that I've had for years, only fancy thing is a NiB BCG. I've put close to three thousand rounds through it between competition shooting and regular range trips and, while it looks gross, it still runs incredibly smooth and I've had zero malfunctions. Closest thing to a cleaning it's got is some Lucas Gun Oil dripped on the bolt when it feels "sluggish". Now, I wouldn't do this with a gun I wanted to rely upon for home defense because I am definitely a "what if..?" kind of guy but it's really interesting to see just how durable and reliable the AR platform is.
Love these videos. I have a CCMG 22LR conversion kit for 5.56 and it's really dirty...but worth the cost and time to clean. I use high temp synthetic motor oil and high temp synthetic grease from the same company with a mixture consistency with honey...works extremely well.
I have been cleaning guns since I was 9yrs old. My dad taught me how to clean them with good ol Hoppes No 9, still using it 60 yrs later. It can be relaxing cleaning guns and it benefits your firearms.
BTW. For those who don't like cleaning I advise: never put your gun away wet. ESPECIALLY, never put your wet gun into a tightly closed case. In these cases a hair dryer (or heat gun) is your friend. Heat it up good enough to drive water out of tiny crevices (like between a wood stock and receiver).
Stainless ftw
Air duster can.
My dad never cleaned his guns, ever. He killed more game than anyone I ever knew, and never had a problem. My brother has his old Winchester model 59 an automatic, and still doesn’t clean it.
It seems like people that shoot their guns a lot, don't clean them. And the ones that don't shoot that much, clean them very often.
The episode you guys did on Brass vs Steel Case Ammo was an eye opener for me on how little cleaning an AR needs to operate efficiently. Showed it to a buddy who was a die-hard piston AR guy, and now he buys DI like a normal person.
A true professional takes care of his equipment and cares for it like a family
Great info as usual Chris! I fall into the camp of loathe cleaning my guns. The bore snake is my friend however.
Chris, your delivery, metaphors, and analogies are primo. Simply and eloquently put. Always a good communicator 😎🔥 High five to the script writers too 😙
It's always a good day when I hear the LG "boop, kleep". My theory on cleaning guns is similar to how often I clean the pistons in my truck.
Something important i learned from the Sons Of Liberty Gun Works amorers course: Don't mix different kinds/brands of lubes in your guns and stick with your own chosen kind (unless it's a true emergency).
The lubes all have very different detergents, blends and chemical properties that can actually harm your guns if mixed together and left on for a period of time. Even if they don't hurt, they may mix so poorly that they cause each other to slide and drip off the metal which defeats the purpose of using lubrication in the first place.
Did the guys over at SOLGW have any specific lubricants and or solvents they like to stick with?
I'm honestly sorry, but this sounds like absolutely absurd advice. It reminds me of the people who to this day scream about how you shouldn't mix conventional and synthetic motor oils together, or you'll ruin your engine.
@@TerminalM193 Why, just look at their inventory.
@@censored7881If you understood the stuff that are in certain solvents/lubricants you would very much understand it’s not the best idea to mix them. It’s not difficult to use a good solvent or degreaser to completely remove the old crap before you start using another product if you’re unsure. If you don’t mind mixing a bunch of random chemicals on whatever firearms you have then by all means go for it. To each their own.
Good list. Feed ramps of pocket pistols is another I clean. Most my pocket 380s have a steep angle in the feed ramp that can induce malfunctions once the carbon builds up.
I think it’s good to follow the recommendations of the firearms manual.
Ever since I discovered Boretech, I found that cleaning guns is very fun and very fast. I use the Boretech everywhere, including inside the BCG and bolt. It takes literally 30 minutes for me to clean the bore, the bcg, the bolt, and everything with it. It comes out so spotless that I could take a dry patch, put it inside the carrier and spin it around at any angle, and find it come out completely white still. Usually I blast it with solvent afterwards to get everything off, and then apply my favorite lube. Literally 1 hour at most and it used to make me multiple hours to get it clean.
Unless you just enjoy cleaning it, and absolutely have to get it spotless it really shouldn’t take more than like 10 mins for you to get a filthy rifle cleaned and ready to go again. But to each their own.
@@John5.56 yeah during a class session once I just used a bore snake and wiped everything down with a rag. But once I get home it’s going to get cleaned deep.
I actually like cleaning. Use as an inspection procedure as well as knowing it’s ready to go.
Same here, I dry fire them safely to make sure the essentials are operational. I can catch problems when they're minor.
I find it relaxing. It’s something that I can do while unwinding and watching a movie.
My local indoor range has been renting various Springfield XD's and XDM's for 15 years or so. They told me they never clean them, that each probably has 200,000+ rounds through them, and that they never seem to have failures or reliability issues with them. We are spoiled for low-maintenance reliability with modern striker-fired pistols.
I don’t believe what that range told you for a second. They’re flat out lying to you
And wouldn’t hurt to clean them occasionally
Sorry bud, what they told you was a lie. Anyone with a basic knowledge of firearms knows this
I believe you. I haven't cleaned any of my guns in probably a decade. It's just totally unnessary if you have a quality firearm. I have 9mm striker fired pistols, 9mm hammer fired pistols, a 10/22, an LCP2 in 22LR and an AKM. None of them have been cleaned since I got them and all of them work flawlessly with typical range grade ammo with the caveat that I don't use any Winchester or Remington because they have terrible quality control.
If you need a source of someone who also doesn't clean his guns, InrangeTV on RUclips doesn't either and he's shooting probably 15,000 rounds a year through all sorts of weapons.
@@domenik8339 pretty wild how reliable stuff can get. I don't necessarily 100% believe the accuracy of their claim, but they said so in a pretty indifferent voice, I don't think they really had a reason to lie if they're actually jamming up every month. I would presume there's an XDM or Glock nonstop shooting torture test somewhere on youtube. Based on what I've seen with Glocks and XD's, I would not be surprised if they're capable of shooting 300+ rounds a day indoors until they hit 50,000+ rounds without result. I asked how often they clean the rental XD's, and they said " we don't" and threw out the estimate of rounds fired, in a way that implied they found their reliability ridiculous.
I'm pretty darn sure that G-locks don't come with lube in them new... That copper crap the ship them with is never-sneeze, which is effectively a lapping compound they put in there to lap the sheet metal stampings that make up the frame rails... That's why they tell you not to remove it.
I clean around the 500-1000 round mark. Thanks for the share!!
I do both.
If I'm taking a class or instruction I aim to always clean or at least lube what I'm gonna run with so that I can focus on the curriculum.
But then, when training with my life and liberty setup outside of class I'm personally trying to learn its limits. I don't dump grit in it but I do tend to not lube it or clean it for normal range trips. I then note what kind if any malfunctions I get on different weapons with different munitions. Learning I can run my block 2 fairly dirty and dry with most standard 556 loads but 223 can give me real trouble on rifles that aren't better maintained has been good to know.
Also learning the benefits (on an AR) of different recoil springs or buffer weights to address these same concerns. How the gas system (carbine, mid, rifle) effect the reliability or how that varies across barrel lengths.
Digest, for reliability on an AR, 556 on a 14.5 or 16 inch carbine or mid length system with an H2 buffer is pretty darn reliable. Any 18 or 20 inch rifle length gas can run pretty excellently on a far lighter rifle buffer but can have a harder time seating a round dry as a bone, so the forward assist is a must on say a mk12 style spr setup, because I think the increased buffer weight hurts the core function more than it helps the reliability. Being able to RIP off 3 shots on a reduce sized A zone target at 400 meters thanks in part to the recoil reduction is I think the more important thing than being able to neglect a setup that already requires a tad more attention than your normal battle rifle.
Glad to see you back. Professional and level headed advice are rare these days.
Everything clean, everything smooth… smooth Charleen.
Defensive carry and home defense guns should always be kept clean and lubed. Weapons intended for practice only require periodic maintenance. I clean mine every few trips to the range and don't worry about it too much.
Spot on! Couldn't have said it better myself. 🎯👍
For me when come to handguns in general they get toss into 50 cal cans and each can has their own Eva Dry(e-333) in it so i don't have worry too much about "moisture or/and humidity". My XD9, M92 FS, RIA 38 Super and LC380 are not my defense guns. They are range toys so they go inside the 50 cal cans along with the mags or other accessories. The only time I give these guys a full clean is after a range trip otherwise they stay inside the 50 cal cans. ONCE in a while I take them out, give them a quick oil cloth rub and toss them back inside.
My G19 is my defense gun. I give it a FULL CLEAN as in 15mins to 30mins after I hit the range. Lets say that this week I carry but I haven't been to the range at all or something in this after..say..maybe a week or month? Depending. I will just give it a quick oil cloth rub, quick bore cleaning, run a dry patch through the bore and be done within 3mins.
Excellent advice. The only thing I would add is that in my case I keep my home defense pistol in a safe by the bed and I decided to add a small pack of dehumidifying chemical to the safe after watching this video.
I tend to clean my weapons after most range visits…because sometimes I have no idea when the next time I will fire them.
I would rather have them clean and ready to go whenever I head to the range regardless of how long it has been.
Haven’t watched this yet but my Thompson Center TCR started having tons of light primer strikes and cleaning it fixed it.
Pretty much nailed all of my cases for cleaning. Anything outside of that just gets a couple patches through the bore and a quick wipe of the feed ramp and breech face before I toss it back in the safe
Nice video, I'm a "only when necessary" guy, and I use only Ballistol because it both clean and lube, both smokeless and black powder.
I like putting on music and and chillaxing while cleaning.
My CCW is a S&W 686+. I carry daily, and use it as my backpacking/woods gun. I fire it in a range type situation maybe 6-8 times a year. I clean/lube it once a year, usually around christmas. This has been my habit for over 10 years now, and I have never had any issues with it. I also lube my non-used firearms (which is most of my firearms) at the same time.
Project Farm did an interesting episode on firearms lubricants. Ballistol as it turns out burns off pretty readily and may not be the best lubrication option.
WAIT A SECOND………….I’m supposed to be cleaning my guns?!?!
Having gone through both a Mosin Nagant and 5.45x39 chambered AR as primary rifles (shooting corrosive surplus out of both), I can tell you thankfully the process is not difficult, but as Chris says it really MUST be done after every range trip. The main key is HOT water. I had a link saved to an old webpage about "Perpetuation of Corrosive Ammo Cleaning Mythology" but it is now unfortunately dead-linked. The author posted solubility charts of different cleaning methods and solvents, and by more than an order of magnitude the greatest solvent was hot water. You do not need Ballistol, Windex, or other ammonia-based solvent. Simply hose every part of the weapon that comes into contact with the gas of the cartridge with very hot, not boiling, water and then clean as usual.
As a cautionary tale, even though I was aware of the dangers of letting corrosive salts remain behind, in my 5.45 AR, it did not occur to me to clean out the carrier gas key and gas tube portion in the upper receiver (as that's not really a concern with non-corrosive 5.56). I cleaned the bolt, the rest of the carrier, the fire control group, and the bore, but simply leaving the carrier and gas tube together allowed such a rust to form, that I had to mortar the charging handle to cycle the action.
As far as lube goes, I use full synthetic 0W-20. The same stuff that goes in my Toyota Tacoma. Have several gallons of it. Been using it for about 20 year and never had an AR or handgun fail to cycle.
Mobil 1 5w-30 here. Same as my vehicle. Essentially costs nothing.
Just ordered some ammo! Thanks for the video Chris!
Every "Old Army" company armorer making...Animal-like Screeching Noises.
I have a compensated m&p 2.0 with almost 3k rounds through it that I haven’t cleaned since I bought it. I wanted to see how far it would go without cleaning because i was curious, and so far it’s been 100% reliable
It absolutely depends on the gun. My stainless Ruger MKII goes years and many thousands of rounds between cleanings and runs like a top. My Winchester 63 gets cleaned after every every shooting session or it starts getting fussy. I have an old .222 bolt gun with a barrel that's near end of life that needs a thorough bore cleaning after maybe 40 rounds or accuracy goes away, while ARs go years between bore cleanings.
I "really cant tell you" how much I like lucky gunner
I only clean most of my guns because I love playing with and disassembling guns, and I don’t like having to do a full surgical scrub after each time doing so.
Cleaning is also preventative maintenance.
I clean after each use not only to make sure that they are ready for the next outing / use but also to check the status of components.
I only obsessed over cleaning my weapons after use. It was always about the next mission. I wasn't going to be caught lacking wishing I had maintained my weapons with my last breaths.
If lint or a little bit of gunpowder residue is what keeps your gun from functioning then you need to choose a better carry gun. Sorry to say but it's true
Its not true. Any gun will start malfunctioning with with fouling and foreign debris, especially browning auto designs like the Glock. Just a little sand on the top of the barrel where it locks into the slide is enough to keep it out of battery.
@@sloppyfloppy79 what? what's not true?
@@waholoopesorry74if you have really fine dust and a lot of it that can make most firearms pretty unreliable pretty fast, might not even get into your gun but into the mags in your ammo pouches etc. And from there into your gun.
If your shooting on any normal range you usually won't get your gun very dirty unless you drop it, not even close to driving in a open truck or heli though a desert.
Often you won't notice that dirt unless you clean your weapons - sure most of the time it won't matter but for most people outside military service the chance of your survival depending on proper weapon function is also extremely small. (combining both its probabilites its probably fine to just buy a new kel-tec all 10ish years and never ever clean it. Even if my army enduced cleaning ocd revolts against it)
Also it's really difficult to get a firearm so dirty it won't fire the first shot...
@@kunicrossgamingThat first shot often threw the dust of the deserts off of my weapons. Subsequent shots weren't a problem because of post mission maintenance.
As a former soldier and current machinist that manufactures guns for a prominent FFL dealer, yes, you need to clean your guns and they need to be oiled wherever metal makes contact with metal. If you think otherwise, run your car without oil or doing routine maintenance. Sure it will start and get you down the street, but getting you back home is another matter. Take care of your guns and they will take care of you. They are machines after all.
Lube is necessary, cleaning isn't.
@@tsoliot5913 talk to me after 1,000 rounds through your AR without having to tap the forward assist.
That's a stupid comparison. Outside of trying to melt down the barrel on a belt fed, a gun's internals never see anything even approaching the friction inside of ANY motor.
I always shoot the same ammo. I know what to expect when I get home from the range. A fast clean and back in the safe. Have fun.
I find that cleaning is a good opportunity to look for wear and other damage. There have been several times when I discovered a problem developing in a gun when I cleaned it. For guns I shoot often, I clean them about every third time I shoot them. If it is a gun I shoot only a few times a year, I clean it every time so that it goes back into storage clean. I am a bit suspicious about the idea of adding lube without cleaning. First, the lube is going to do some cleaning even if that is not your intent. Second, though, if there is any grit in the residue then it could end up causing excessive wear even with lube (it would be like an abrasive slurry). This is less likely to affect steel parts but aluminum would be at risk.
Nice work, Chris.
There are notably places you do not want to lube. In the case of my shield that’s the firing pin, as it can encourage dust buildup that leads to increased friction and light primer strikes.
You shouldn't lube the firing pin on any gun whatsoever. If you get oil on the firing pin then you need to make sure it is dry before reassembly
Avoid getting lubrication in the chamber as well. You can essentially triple or quadruple the bolt thrust. That's how the British army used to proof the rifles.
Had a glock 19 I bought from the pawnstore as non functioning once. I did a full dissassembly and found the firing pin channel was so fouled that it didnt allow a solid primer strike. Turns out it was oil and powder residue sludge buildup. Once cleaned, it worked like a top.
The previous owner would lube by pulling the gun appart and soaking with remoil aerosol, and wiped down with a rag. Enough oil got in that it created that sludge.
Its why I absolutely HATE that lary vickers video where they submerge a glock in oil, fire a few shots, then call the myth busted. Like no, my guys, youve missed the entire point.
Here's another maintenance tip. If you do a plus one in your carry piece (and you probably should do a plus one), and you drop the mag and rack that round out when showing clear, it's a good idea to drop that round in a jar for range use later, or at the very least, cycling it lower in the stack, rather than loading it up again as the first round.
May not be an issue with your particular chamber design and/or ammo of choice, but it's not uncommon for the bullet to be set back a wee bit in the case every time it's cycled into the chamber with the weight and spring pressure of the slide behind it. Do that enough, you're going to have issues as the projectile gets pushed further and further back inside the case.
I like the "range jar" method because it sort of forces me to build a supply of my carry ammo that gets burned up on the range, rather than just using ball ammo that may or may not shoot exactly like my carry ammo of choice.
And for God's sake, don't get in the habit of dropping a single in the chamber from the ejection port as a way to mitigate this!
My routine is to keep two boxes of ammo, since I usually carry an obsessive amount of ammo (52 rounds of .45ACP). Because I use more than one box of ammo, I keep one empty box and cycle the remaining ammo from the other box, placing the already cycled ammo into the original empty box (and marking it). That way I know which rounds I’ve already cycled through my gun. Then I may swap the rounds back to the previous box since the rounds are generally rated for 3 or so chamberings, then once I reach that, I switch my ammo from my carry mags and repeat the process.
Does let the ammo last a looooong time if done properly.
One potential caveat. Some carry ammo like critical defense has a cannelure that works to keep the bullet seated after multiple ejections and charges. Maybe it’s trustworthy, maybe not. But it’s a feature to consider.
@@markjohnson206Yep, which is why I said it depends on your ammo.
@@markjohnson206 All rounds can get setback eventually even with that cannelure, though the cannelure does help immensely in letting you chamber it more often.
There's actually a method of dropping it in the chamber. I've done it for years now with zero issue. Once you drop the round in the chamber what you do is SLOWLY let the slide home with retention all the way up to the point where the extractor is almost touching the cartridge.... Now, this is where gravity comes into place. Orient the muzzle at about 45° or just enough where the cartridge would drop free on its own from the chamber but ease the slide back slowly, not allowing the bullet to just fall through the magwell.... You'll get to a point where the rim of the cartridge will drop on its own underneath the extractor. At this exact point you can now ride the slide all the way home and you'll have a perfectly chambered round with zero fear of any kind of setback OR fear of slamming the extractor overtop the rim of the cartridge. This works on litteraly ALL striker fired pistols.... It's hard to properly explain through text how to do it exactly but it's extremely easy to do once you figure it out and you'll never have to worry about setback ever again or having to cycle the round into a jar or bottom of a mag somewhere.... I used to have a video of the process on my older channel showing the process but that's been lost in time. If anyone can't figure this out and is curious of the process I wouldn't mind taking another video of the process.... I even have a nifty trick to keep your extractor from damaging the rim of a casing if for whatever reason you need to remove the chambered round!
I do a fair amount of dry-fire around the house, which is also a good opportunity to inspect what's going on, and see if anything is generally gummed up.
Good We Need More Lucky Gunner ! Videos ... !
My daily carry gets cleaned more often, my range toys once in a while.
On the topic of gun lube, I got my own witches' brew I throw together that's a one-and-done application that you never really need to worry about again once applied.
Specifically, it's a combination of Lithium Grease, Moly Greese, Teflon Powder, Graphite Powder, and a water displacer (I use WD40 because it's cheap and available, but any displacer would work). I usually do a ratio of 5:5:1:1:1 - though you don't have to be super precise. Once mixed properly, you should have a medium-gray paste-like substance that won't want to run, will stick to/stain your fingers, and feels not oily but "glassy" if rubbed between your fingers. Once applied (thinly) to a metal surface, it wants to stick to that surface and will leave a decent amount of lubrication behind even if wiped away. I've used the same mixture on all my centerfire, non-revolver firearms for over 15 years and I've never once needed to re-apply lube, even after cleaning. ARs, AK's, pump action shotguns, bolt action rifles, semi-auto shotguns, etc. The shit is like magic.
Any valve grinding paste ?
I inspect/lubricate as required beforehand. I also clean and lubricate after every use. I'm in the habit of taking care of my tools, so they can take care of me... Makes good sense.
Cleanliness is next to godliness. A clean well maintained mechanical object will always last longer than one that is not.
Some of the quality pistols I have bought over the years have come in completely dry. Just a few dry fires and slide racks new out of the box caused a few to freeze to the point I almost couldn't get them apart. I can tell you for sure, at least for sure for me from my experience, don't even rack the slide or dry fire more than once or twice before doing a field strip and lube on any new gun.
Then the problem is that the lubrication collects dirt so if you're not cycling and shooting, then clean between range trips. In between that, I tend to not lube or clean as much as I wish I could but my wife has medical conditions that make her extremely (literally extremely) sensitive to chemical and other smells and I don't have a shop. I wish I could clean mine more.
"That would be an embarrassing way to go." 😄
Very good video. I'm sure there are many differing opinions out there.
Early on, I got into the habit of cleaning whatever I brought to the range when I got home. I find it rewarding and think of it as part of the whole process of practicing and remaining familiar with my guns, especially with my everyday carry!
Next up: oil vs. grease! 😂
I carry mine after every shooting session as it’s a holdover from my blackpowder days. Plus I enjoy field stripping and cleaning my firearms, well, except for my Dad’d Ruger MkII 22/45. What a nightmare to assemble.
I'll second that!
Yes
Before, after and during the year
Best gun content period.
My friend inherited a walther ppk .22 from his dad that hadn’t been cleaned for twenty years. Now this gun had been fired hundreds of times and we just assumed the dad cleaned it with everything else. . . Nope.
The only issue was that the slide was slower when dropping the slide release. Genuinely blew me away as I cleaned two decades of carbon off that thing and it worked just the same 😂
Unless corrosive ammunition is fired from the weapon, my gunsmith uses a simple green solution in a parts washer to clean firearms, then rinses the firearm in tap water. He uses compressed air to assist with the parts drying. He cautions to remove the wood stocks, and furniture, and other things that might be damaged soaking in a water solution, prior to using his method. It's amazing how many uses there are for Simple Green.
I use a 2020 Colt Python for ICORE and Steel Challenge. I can ignore the cylinder and bore and the general black that will coat the gun from hard use. The face of the cylinder and the forcing cone have to be addressed, sometimes mid-match because of the tight cylinder gap. Beyond that any cleaning is purely to make it look nice again. I find 1911s can be similarly neglected as long as the feed ramp is cleaned once in a while.
Another perspective on keeping your carry/defense firearm clean and well maintained - - If you get in a defensive shooting, LE will likely seize your weapon as evidence. Whether in a criminal case or a civil one, your weapon will likely be inspected by a professional armorer who will produce a report on the function, condition and maintenance of the weapon. You certainly don’t want that report to show you were negligent in any way as it pertains to how well you maintained your firearm.
Well said and done!
Thank you!
Most quality gun/mag/ammo combos will run reliable if they are dry or dirty, but not both.
When in doubt, more lube.
More guns malfunction from lack of lube than from being dirty I guarantee
Cleverly disguised Hoppes no 9 propaganda to try and get me to clean my shotgun
Lubrication recomendation that is AMAZING!
Take Mobile 1 full synthetic grease (red grease, silver and blue can) and cut it with Mobile 1 full synthetic motor oil. What youre shooting for is the consistency of molasses.
Itll be thick enough to not run, even when its hotter than heck. But equally not so thick that it impedes function if its colder than frosties buttcrack. It makes guns so silky smooth cycling that its got to be experienced to be believed. Its also very very long lived. I can edc a gun for months without a cleaning, and itll be well lubed when disassembled. Likewise it stays put on rifles stored vertically in the safe. No more oil pooling to the buffer tube of your ars.
Give it a try! Its awesome!
I just throw them in the dishwasher.
This is not a joke. I bought a black powder cap and ball revolver years ago. The manual actually suggested doing just that. Remove the barrel and cylinder and clean them on the pots and pans cycle.
Tedious and dull??? Dude, you need to embrace your inner Gunnery Sergeant. 👍
Just went to a qualification range with nothing but brand new M4A1's. So new they were still dripping with corrosion inhibitor from FNH. We didn't get a chance to clean them or put proper CLP on them, we took them as is and zeroed, qualified, and the only one individual had a stoppage that I know of, we had the wrong mags for M855A1 but my rifle still functioned well enough.
clean and lube go together for me. After every shooting session, first clean then lube. Ditto for any firearm I haven't fired for the prior six months. I enjoy the process - it's good therapy for me.
After seeing some of your videos over the years I'm surprised with your OCD tendencies that you don't regularly clean your guns. I've been hunting with one of my shotguns since 1986, and it still runs as well as the day I bought it. Firearms are machines and need preventative maintenance too. For CC, cleaning even once a month can't hurt a firearm.
I don't really clean my polymer guns that much, but I sure do clean my metal ones right after I shoot them, or else I can expect to see rust spots on them after a few weeks. I don't know if it's just the carbon attracting dirt and turning a weird orange color or what, but I'm definitely not going to let it sit around to find out! I also have a container of Hoppe's pre-oiled wipes that I picked up awhile back and maybe once a month I get one of those out and run it over the whole collection, just on the surface. One rag will handle over 50 guns it seems, and it only takes like 20 minutes or so.
Im fastidious about clean firearms, however I worked for the largest government LE agency in the country, we had range M-4s that we qualified on that were never cleaned and averaged about 750K rounds through them they were condemned military rifles.
When I think about cleaning my guns I see Pvt Pyle sitting on his footlocker cleaning his rifle.
I have multiple ARs with 1000-2000 round on them since the last time I cleaned them. I also have a shadow systems mr920 elite, canik mete sfx & mete mc9, glock 17, and a walther PDP that I've put close to a thousand rounds if not more than a thousand rounds through each since they were cleaned. After shooting I run a loose fitting dripping wet clp patch through them, let them sit for a while, then run a bore snake through them. I add lub where it's needed and put them away. The next time I take them out to shoot, I add more lube if needed. When it gets close to deer season I take a break from shooting (to not spook the deer), that's when I disassemble each gun, clean it, check for wear and lube them. In my experience, the guns are not wearing any faster than when I cleaned and lubed them after every time I used them. The amount of time and money saved, coupled with still having great reliability
and no added wear is why I've done it this way for the last decade.
Somewhere between always and never, closer to as needed.
I clean mine about every 3 times i take em out. Oil my carry piece once a week to keep rust down. And i only use a metal brush in the bore of my precision rifle lightly since i learned in sniper 101 that keeping some copper fowling keeps point of impact consistent.
Nice to see you back
Sweet video. Thanks for the considerations.
My carry gun is an HK USP in 45. I've literally never once cleaned or lubricated the gun since I bought it. I'm at over 2,700 rounds fired through the pistol so far with exactly 0 malfunctions. I've heard people say they've had far higher round counts without any issues with theirs. I've heard similar reports about Glock pistols. Why would I clean or lubricate a gun that doesn't malfunction or rust regardless of whether or not I do so?
My Dad was in the Sea Bees in WW2. He always made us clean a gun after firing. Always. Fail to do it, lose your privileges. The USMC made me a firm believer in clean weapons. ARs are always filthy after firing, as are M4s in combat situations. You clean them. For those that do not clean their weapons? Hey, you do you but I will be myself and clean my firearms after using them. They clean up easily if they are regularly kept clean. An old gunsmith friend of mine said he cleans as many weapons as he repairs. His level of cleaning gets added to the bill. Over the years a lot of crap has been heaped on the 1911 for reliability issues. When you look under the hood, a bunch of that can be explained by poor cleaning, then poor magazines. Keep that handgun clean and identify bad mags early, you will have no problems.
Foaming bore cleaners and the electronic solvent vats both cut cleaning times and yield wonderful results. The foaming bore cleaners can be used on ALL metal surfaces. The electronic solvent vats are absolutely fantastic for ARs, shotgun barrels and bolts, semiauto handguns (watch the sights), revolvers (take the grips off).
CLP, nylon brush, bore snake, and something to wipe with. Can get a lot of cleaning done with those.
If the barrel looks fouled or it's a .22 I will bust out the brush and rod and grab the bore solvent.
I'm a "clean it when it needs it" guy. a while back I put ~1000 rounds through one of my AR-15's without cleaning or lubing it, then let it hang on the wall in the shed (no climate control) with the bolt locked back for a couple months to see what would happen...during the hottest and humidest months of the year. The bolt carrier rusted just enough to get stuck in the buffer tube and wouldn't "slam home" when I tried to load it. There's a video on my channel of fixing it and getting it running again. Now I check all my guns at least once a month for rust buildup, re-lube as necessary with synthetic motor oil, and check my carry gun weekly.