Cleaning: How Many Rounds Before Malfunction

[dross]

I prefer handguns that go hundreds of rounds without malfunction even if I don't clean them. On the other hand, I know that's not realistic for some handguns. Do any of you guys have guns that start to malfunction after a certain number of rounds without cleaning? What kind of numbers are you getting? For example, I have a CZ P01 that has only had one or two malfunctions in more than 5000 rounds. I've shot 500 to 1000 rounds without cleaning it with no malfunctions. What are you guys seeing?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Depends on what type of ammunition that I am shooting, the powder, etc.

I think Tam is shooting different guns without cleaning them inlcuding that waterhead Glock of hers. Might want to check her blog.

 

[wcd]

Why?

Would you carry your edc dirty? Firearms are investment wouldn't regular cleaning help id a potential problem? Cleaning supplies are cheap.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Would you carry your edc dirty?

Yes, of course. Like Ross Seyfried, I don't carry clean guns.

 

[Harleyrider_50]

Why?

Would you carry your edc dirty? Firearms are investment wouldn't regular cleaning help id a potential problem? Cleaning supplies are cheap.

Yer carry'n the wrong EDC.......'K?......

 

[gregkl]

I didn't catch he was talking about carry guns but for those, I keep them clean. For others, when I get them I do my own "torture test" to see how many rounds I can fire before I get a malfunction.

I get tired of the dirt and clean them since they don't seem to malfunction. I put close to 1000 rounds through my Range Officer without a malfunction(and it's a 9mm) and was tired of getting my hands and gear dirty. So I cleaned it. Same with my AR. I really think I could put 1000's of round through it, but the goo and the dirt just get to me after awhile.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I clean my pistols after 500 rounds. Revolvers a bit more often.

 

[rvb]

Back when I was competing with beretta 92s, I put 15,000 - 20,000 through them several times without cleaning.

my glocks I usually only go 5,000-10,000 between cleanings, since I'm not shooting as much as I used to (clean them once in the off-season winter when not much else is going on).

My ipsc open gun I'd 'field' clean every couple thousand and detail strip every 5k or so.

ARs, i suppose every 2000 - 5000; Closer to the 2k with the silencer.

just keep well Lubed (I use mobile 1 synth.) and they run flawlessly.

if a gun couldn't run 1k w.o cleaning, I probably wouldn't keep it

My carry guns are not clean, either. I refuse to carry a clean gun. I've become superstitious on the matter. Too many times at competitions I'd get malfunctions after cleaning... I want some rounds though the gun to make sure all is well.

-rvb

 

[IndyGlockMan]

I clean my Glock 19 about once a year. So that's probably 2000-3000 rounds
I do however pull the slide off every now and then and give it a few drops of oil where it needs it.

 

[Leo]

My carry guns are not clean, either. I refuse to carry a clean gun. I've become superstitious on the matter. Too many times at competitions I'd get malfunctions after cleaning... I want some rounds though the gun to make sure all is well.

It was common with rifle competitors to shoot a few "fouling shots" through a freshly cleaned barrel before an match.

 

[dross]

Why?

Would you carry your edc dirty? Firearms are investment wouldn't regular cleaning help id a potential problem? Cleaning supplies are cheap.


On a gun board, this kind of response is just inevitable, ain't it? If I ask the question, - What was the first name of the hottest blonde you ever had sex with? - It's guaranteed I'll hear, "Why do you have sex with blondes? Redheads/Brunettes/Purple Beehives are so much hotter. I don't want to not clean my EDC. Yet I, perhaps foolishly, associate rounds without malfunction between cleaning with a level of reliability I might never discover if I were to clean my weapon after only a few rounds every time.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

On a gun board, this kind of response is just inevitable, ain't it? If I ask the question, - What was the first name of the hottest blonde you ever had sex with? - It's guaranteed I'll hear, "Why do you have sex with blondes? Redheads/Brunettes/Purple Beehives are so much hotter. I don't want to not clean my EDC. Yet I, perhaps foolishly, associate rounds without malfunction between cleaning with a level of reliability I might never discover if I were to clean my weapon after only a few rounds every time.

It's like wanting to know just how far that needle goes past E before you run out of gas. You don't want to dwell there, but good to know.

 

[Drail]

Bottom line - it will run more reliably when clean. I don't understand this craze - it seems like everyone is doing it now. And when they finally do clean their gun - it's going to be a real fun time. With the poor quality of factory ammo today you're more likely to have a stoppage because of the ammo than because of the gun. All of that fouling mixed with oil in your gun is just like lapping compound and will cause accelerated wear. Makes no sense to me at all. I also love the comment about having malfunctions after cleaning. You really think your gun malfunctioned because you cleaned it? Seriously? Personally I never run my gas tank down below 1/4 tank. I ran a car dry when I was young and had to walk many miles with a gas can. Never doing that again. My wife though - she's down exploring that E zone all the time.

 

[Seancass]

Bottom line, a gun will run better when clean, unless it doesn't. As mentioned, if you happen to be a human, you're prone to error. Errors such as putting a gun back together wrong after cleaning so that it doesn't work the next time you Need it.

I wouldn't carry a gun prone to Any malfunctions. I'd say 2000 is a reasonable number. Shoot it that much, clean it, shoot it a few hundred, wipe it off (assembled) and carry it with faith.

I'll have to research this whole "fouling is lapping compound" theory. Lapping compound contains abrasives. Fouling is mostly copper, lead, and carbon(carbon like graphite lubricants). I'm not aware of any powder companies adding sand to the powder mix, but I'll certainly look into it!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Do people not know how to function check a reassembled pistol? It's not tough to do.

 

[rvb]

All of that fouling mixed with oil in your gun is just like lapping compound and will cause accelerated wear.

this makes no sense. 50 rounds or 5000 the "lapping compound" would be causing damage. After many tens of thousands of rounds on individual guns I've seen no evidence of this

I also love the comment about having malfunctions after cleaning. You really think your gun malfunctioned because you cleaned it? Seriously?

Yea, seriously. I saw it happen enough I changed my routines. Why/how might it happen? I have some theories. Maybe some crud gets dislodged but not cleaned out and interferes with normal function. Maybe a piece doesn't get set back in right like the end of a small spring or the head of a guide rod.

I remember one particular USPSA Area championship. I hadn't cleaned my gun in a long time, so I did before this match. First stage my ultra reliable beretta EII had like 5 malfunctions. By the 3rd stage it was running solid again. I'd had several instances like that, but I decided then and there not to show up to a match w.o at least having a couple hundred rounds through the gun. That was many yrs ago, and hasn't failed me yet. That practice has carried over to the carry guns, only I usually don't go more than 1 - 2 k before cleaning them.

my 2c.
Im not trying to "convert" any body. Just sharing my experience.

-rvb

 

[rvb]

Do people not know how to function check a reassembled pistol? It's not tough to do.

Theres more to a gun running than passing basic function tests.
-rvb

 

[88E30M50]

What do you guys consider 'Cleaning a gun' to be? Is pulling a boresnake through it, wiping the exernal surfaces down and putting a drop of oil on the barrel considered 'cleaning' a gun? Or, is cleaning the act of field stripping the gun and wiping down all internal components and running patches through the bore? If the boresnake counts as cleaning, then I've only gone a max of maybe 350 rounds on a range trip before that gets done at the end of the day. If cleaning means a field strip, then I regularly run my 1911s between 500 and 1000 rounds before they get disassembled and thoroughly cleaned. Typically everything gets a boresnake, wipe down and a bit of lube after a range trip, so if that counts as cleaning, then I really can't add much to this thread.

Edit: Just to clarify, I'm stating the round count before they get cleaned, not between failures.

 

[ajeandy]

My Glock will do over 9000

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

When I was a kid, my friend's mom had a little hand-painted sign in her house that read "This house is clean enough to be healthy, but dirty enough to be happy".

I like to think that my guns are dirty enough to be happy.