Cleaning frequency?

[Hidalgo]

New guy here in Chattanooga.

I have owned rifles all of my life and shoot quite often. But, I have just purchased a new Colt 1911 in .38 Super. I love this pistol. I am already reloading for it, and it's going to be a great joy to shoot.

Being that this is my first 1911, I am wondering how often the bore should be cleaned, and how often you guys recommend a complete tear-down and cleaning. I am shooting only JHPs, no cast lead bullets.

Thanks for the help. I've been reading here for a few days and this place is a God-send for a new pistol owner.

[TripleDigitRide]

I completely clean my guns after every trip to the range. No exceptions.

Welcome to TGO.

[Guest looneeetunes]

same here

[fizik]

Yeah, I clean after I shoot, and every thousand rounds or so I fully disassemble and clean everything. If it's a picky gun, I'll break it down and clean it more often. Nice choice on a Colt 1911, I'm wondering about it being chambered in .38 super. How do you like it?

[Im Neero]

I clean my 1911 around every 500 rounds. Keep it oiled and it will run. There's no reason in the world to clean it after every range trip, unless you just like too, or shoot a lot each session.

[Hidalgo]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions! I think I'll clean it maybe every other trip. I usually don't run but about 25 rounds through it when I go.

FIZIK: I have always had a "hankering" for a Super. Maybe it's just the fact that it's a little odd, or maybe I'm just crazy, but the caliber has been on my "want list" for many years. I found one at CCA in Knoxville, and it followed me home.

[fizik]

ah, cool. it's one of those rounds I've yet to shoot. And if you only shoot about 25 rounds through it, you likely don't need to worry about cleaning it every time, but I still would. Of course, I typically shoot at least a couple hundred rounds at a time, so I am a little more routine with my cleaning.

[Guest Fastzntn]

I clean mine after every trip to the range, and generally shoot 300 or so rounds each session.

Also, if the gun sits for over a month since it was last cleaned, I'll at least swab the barrel before taking it to the range next.

[ninja128]

every trip here as well

[Guest Verbal Kint]

I clean mine after every trip to the range, and generally shoot 300 or so rounds each session.

Also, if the gun sits for over a month since it was last cleaned, I'll at least swab the barrel before taking it to the range next.

+1

[Guest Astra900]

Better than half of what I shoot is corrosive. I don't have much choice.

[Guest johnmattwill]

+1

another +1

I clean mine after every trip to the range... Usually, I put about 200 - 300 rds thru...

Personally, I enjoy the cleanning as much as I do the range time..... Sometimes Ill spend 2 hours making sure I get every nook and cranny.....

TW25B is great stuff..... nothing like making a Sig shine!!!!!!

[Guest truthsayer]

Same for me. They get cleaned after every range session and usually get treated to a few clean patches through the barrel before.

[Tacblack]

For my Nowlin 38 super single stack idpa/carry gun and my SV 40 uspsa gun. Clean them every 4-6 matchs or 1000 rounds or so. After shooting wipe off outside, feed ramp and add little oil to rails and barrel shoot and repeat.

When I do take down and clean may wipe out chamber, never clean barrel. Usually shoot jacketed rounds.

MY idpa load for 38 super

124grn Montana Gold RN

1.250 OAL

vv320, 4.5grns, 130 PF

[Guest Grout]

Meh,Revos,every time I shoot them.Autos,when I feel like it.Maybe every 1K rds or so.

[Guest voigts]

I do a field strip and clean mine after every range trip. I won't mess with a total strip down until about 1000 rounds or so. For now I just squirt brake parts cleaner followed by CLP into the firing pin chamber.

[Guest bkelm18]

I clean after every shoot. I also clean my carry piece every couple of weeks if I haven't shot it just to clean out the lint and junk that accumulates.

[Rightwinger]

All the above have merit but I think you can look at one aspect more closely now with modern powders...that being the use of metallic bore brushes and "toothbrushes" on your metal parts. Invest in the new polymer brushes and clean without metal to metal friction.

There is very little wear going on by running a patch around anywhere on the weapon, but using the metal brushes is actually speeding up the pace of wear on your parts and bore.

I tend to lube more than "clean" now as the excess residues will come off quite well with the modern lubricants almost as well as with solvents.

Occassional deep cleans of the entire weapon and more often on the bolts and chambers where most of the heat and powder residue is acting on your weapon without work best to extend the life of your weapon.

Remember, your taking bits of the lands away every time you push that metallic bore brush down the barrel. You might as well be shooting it!

[Guest bkelm18]

All the above have merit but I think you can look at one aspect more closely now with modern powders...that being the use of metallic bore brushes and "toothbrushes" on your metal parts. Invest in the new polymer brushes and clean without metal to metal friction.

There is very little wear going on by running a patch around anywhere on the weapon, but using the metal brushes is actually speeding up the pace of wear on your parts and bore.

I tend to lube more than "clean" now as the excess residues will come off quite well with the modern lubricants almost as well as with solvents.

Occassional deep cleans of the entire weapon and more often on the bolts and chambers where most of the heat and powder residue is acting on your weapon without work best to extend the life of your weapon.

Remember, your taking bits of the lands away every time you push that metallic bore brush down the barrel. You might as well be shooting it!

Considering that most barrels can probably handle well over 20k rounds going through them, using metallic bore brushes is really a non-issue.

[Hidalgo]

Considering that most barrels can probably handle well over 20k rounds going through them, using metallic bore brushes is really a non-issue.

It's a non-issue UNLESS you're using a copper solvent. These solvents will actually "eat" the bronze brushes. I've seen it first-hand when cleaning rifles.

I only use nylon brushes on all of my weapons. If the proper solvents are used, the nylon will do a very adequate job removing any powder residue as well as copper deposits.

I'm not sure that a bore can be damaged by cleaning to the point that it's life is impacted, but they can definitely be damaged by improper cleaning techniques.

[Guest bkelm18]

It's a non-issue UNLESS you're using a copper solvent. These solvents will actually "eat" the bronze brushes. I've seen it first-hand when cleaning rifles.

I only use nylon brushes on all of my weapons. If the proper solvents are used, the nylon will do a very adequate job removing any powder residue as well as copper deposits.

I'm not sure that a bore can be damaged by cleaning to the point that it's life is impacted, but they can definitely be damaged by improper cleaning techniques.

I agree, but using copper brushes is not an improper cleaning technique.

[Hidalgo]

I agree, but using copper brushes is not an improper cleaning technique.

You're reading more into my remarks than I said.

A bore can be damaged with a jag and a patch.

Bronze brushes are fine (like I said) unless you're using a strong copper solvent.

[Rightwinger]

I can't recall the study nor do I have any documentation to back it up, but the Army did look into its cleaning habits in the 90s and found apprecialbe wear in the barrel from weapons that were not fired enough to have generated it. Conclusion, the dry cleaning method of using metal bore brushes. I will say that technique probably had a ton to do with that as well since most soldiers had never fired or cleaned a rifle when they entered the service. I still cringe when I hear the cleaning rods scrapping the barrel!

That being said, you can see the relationship to wear on weapons that were cleaned everytime they went to the field but were not fired and still had measurable wear. I don't use the metal brushes any longer either except in the case of extensive fouling.

[deerslayer]

I fieldstrip and clean every 500-1000 rounds. Boresnake the barrel w/ Hoppes, thoroughly clean all edges/surfaces w/ a cotton patch (aka cut up t-shirt), and oil frame rails, connector (Glock), one drop inside top of slide, and a couple drops spread 360 degrees around the outside of the barrel an inch or two from the bore. About two or three times a year, I will completely detail strip and scrub everything.

Edited to add: I shoot only jacketed bullets.

Edited October 26, 2008 by deerslayer

[Guest voigts]

I've been in the military for 19 years and we have never put dry bore brushes through the weapons. We always oiled them with some CLP.

On mine, I do the same thing and make sure the bore is oiled well before putting the bore brush through it. If it isn't oiled with something like CLP, then running the bore brush through defeats the purpose.

I did see the poly brush the other day in the store, but really have never used one and didn't know if it worked ok or not.