# Cleaning semiauto pistols questions?



## KeithB (Nov 25, 2007)

I hear both ways “You can’t clean your weapon enough” or “you shouldn’t clean it to often”

1.How often do you guys clean? Every time you shoot? I honestly get lazy and don’t

2.Do you use Hoppes #9 to clean, Breakfree, or something else?

3.What oil do you use? I use Remington Rem Oil


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

1) Every time I shoot. I view a gun as a tool that has the potential to save my life, so why not ensure it's in its best working order by taking the time to clean it?

2) Hoppes

3) Mobil 1 Synthetic. What's an engine? Hot, moving metal. What's a gun? Hot, moving metal. The Mobil works great and is a hell of a lot cheaper than true gun oil. You buy a quart for $5.00 or so and it last forever.


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## Joeshwa24 (Nov 14, 2007)

Call me a total loser here but I think cleaning my gun is part of the fun of going shooting... I clean it every time. I also Use Hoppes and I just use whatever gun oil I have at the moment but after that last comment Mobil 1 synthetic sounds like a winner, I had not thought of that...

Todd, how long have you been using motor oil on your gun and have you ever had any issues?


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Joeshwa24 said:


> Todd, how long have you been using motor oil on your gun and have you ever had any issues?


Probably about a year and a half now. Run it on my XD, P3AT, and my AR, and haven't had a single problem.


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## Joeshwa24 (Nov 14, 2007)

Hmmm I may have to try that....Thanks for the info


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## KeithB (Nov 25, 2007)

Todd said:


> 1)
> 3) Mobil 1 Synthetic. What's an engine? Hot, moving metal. What's a gun? Hot, moving metal. The Mobil works great and is a hell of a lot cheaper than true gun oil. You buy a quart for $5.00 or so and it last forever.


one quart would last 10 guys forever :mrgreen:


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

The quart containers are a bit heavy when combined with 1000 rounds in my range bag plus they tend to leak. Because of all that I purchase a $2.00 bottle of Rem Oil every 3 or 4 years. It fits a small pocket at the end of my range bag.

I'm one of the last big time spenders don't you know. :anim_lol:

:smt1099


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Well, I'll be the minority here and say that I clean my Glocks maybe twice a year. Some guns are more maintenance intensive, like my little KelTecs, which I clean every 2-3 times I shoot them. When I owned an M4gery, I cleaned it maybe three times a year. I might clean my 870 once a year. All my guns work fine, and I see no reason to clean them more often since they work with complete reliability now.

I think lots of gun guys overclean their guns just because they like tinkering, which is okay with me. The military definitely overcleans in garrison environments. Most military rifles show more wear from cleaning than shooting!

I use whatever cleaning/lubricating products are on sale. They all work about the same.


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

For the guns I shoot a few times a month, I clean them maybe every 3-4 months. For the gun I carry that I shoot maybe once every 3-4 months, I clean it after each use. I use the stuff for sale at the gun aisle.


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## Spartan (Jan 1, 2007)

I'm not as anal as most and clean my guns after about 400-700 rounds.

I also see no reason to clean them after every range visit. I buy quality firearms and have confidence they would work after dropping them in a lake, let alone putting a few hundred rounds down the barrel. IMO, it's like changing the oil in your car every 1,000 miles... just overkill.

To each their own...

I've actually been wanting to buy another Beretta 92, G19, or XD9 and just never cleaning it and see what happens  . I honestly think any of them will work fin for years and thousands of rounds. There's always an excuse to buy another one.


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## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

One guy ran his out-of-the-box XD for 10,000 rounds before cleaning it, then tortured it for another 7,000 rounds, and now shoots it competetively in IDPA. Accurately.

I started cleaning mine every time I shot, like you wash a new car once a week. Now, I clean them when I'm bored on a cloudy Saturday. I wipe down the exterior after shooting my carry gun, so that it keeps my clothes clean!!! lol

I think once a month is fine. I'm more concerned about lint in my carry gun, that powder residue.

Jeff


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## P97 (May 8, 2006)

Depends as to what degree of cleaning. I have boresnakes and drag them through after every shooting. The guns I shoot a lot I clean about once a month. My safe guns that I don't use much I clean twice a year. I have some guns that have never been taken completely apart and detail cleaned.


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## Hokkmike (Oct 22, 2007)

There is a difference between cleaning a gun and scrubbing it to death. Don't use the brass brush unless you see fowling. Stay with a soft patch and multiple swipes. 

I cleaned all three of my pistols yesterday just for the fun of taking them apart and admiring their construction.

All of the cleaners you mentioned are good. My two favorite are break free and the Rem Oil. I also have Hoppes #9 but don't use it too often. There is nothing wrong with it though.

As for how much you must clean your pistol, I would say every 500 rounds or so would be the bare minimum - though they could actually go longer between cleaning.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Hokkmike said:


> As for how much you must clean your pistol, I would say every 500 rounds or so would be the bare minimum - though they could actually go longer between cleaning.


Heh heh, when I'm home I probably shoot 500 rounds in a month, but I only clean my Glocks about every six months. That's about 3000 rounds between cleanings, though admittedly split between a couple of guns, so actually maybe 1500. They work fine and never malfunction.

Anyway, there's not much to admire in a Glock's construction. :mrgreen:


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## Thunder 9 (Nov 4, 2007)

After every trip to the range. Oil and cleaning is cheaper than repairs. 
Break Free and swabs every time. Hoppe's #9 solvent and brush in barrel when necessary. I keep some Mobil 1 synthetic 15w-50 in a tiny hotel shampoo bottle and believe it's enough to last for a couple of years or more. It doesn't take much and it's really good oil.


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## Don357 (Dec 4, 2007)

*Cleaning*

I clean mine after every range time. Especially my CETME rifle and my carry gun. The CETME I clean so that the rollers don't crud-up and my carry gun which is an EAA (Tanfoglio) Witness Polymer Compact .45 ACP to get rid of the burnt powder smell, (it's a dead give-away to those who know the smell), and to keep my clothes clean.


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