How Often You Should CLEAN Your Gun! (Competition + EDC)

               In competition a single malfunction can cost you a win or title quickly, which of course with the time and money we put in can be a devastating ordeal. Many of us (including myself) rigorously clean our competition guns between or before matches (or final training session BEFORE the match which is more common) which can be twice a week, once a week, or biweekly. Although there are many who do not ever clean theirs and they continue to run like a charm! I try not to base efficiency that can result in a detrimental setback on hope if I can control anything at all! Often, on the other hand I hear a lot of guys claim they never clean their carry gun! I hear things like “oh it just stays in my center console/Bag anyway”, or “I haven’t shot it so why would I need to mess with it?”. Well in defense it could cost you YOUR LIFE. Which I think we can all agree on is much more valuable than a trophy or bragging rights. 

                 As a former construction contractor, I have found MANY different types of debris in my concealed carry that either nearly or completely disabled it from functioning as properly as would be required in defense of one’s life. Had I not religiously checked it daily after a few realization moments, I would’ve been carrying around an unfunctional firearm on more days that I can count. Had I needed to use it, that would’ve been the biggest and possibly final “uh-oh” for the rest of my life!

                  You may already be thinking, “competition and defense are 2 entirely different things”, whilst yes you are correct on the grand scheme, what it comes down to where its equal in priority is the ability to maintain a reliable system for your intended purpose. Considering the consequences to your neglect to do so. Whether you’re racing a car or trying to get to work you don’t intentionally neglect its maintenance because you want to see WHERE and WHEN you break down for FUN! Just to “deal with it then”. You generally will follow a maintenance schedule that avoids leaving you stumped and stranded! You schedule regular oil changes, you know when it’s time to get new tires (before they get shredded or leave you sliding in the rain or snow), and you clean it regularly enough even though it has no part to play in its ability to run efficiently. So why not treat your guns the same if not better?

My Schedule and Recommendation

  Competition Guns: I shoot an average of 2500-3000 rounds a month on average and 85% of that being out of the        same gun. That includes 1-3 Live Fire training sessions a week amongst daily dry fire practice on top of 4-6 competitive matches per month. So, with that volume and requirement of constant mechanical efficiency I clean my competition guns…

- Weekly spit shine clean and oil including a recurring light chamber polish to keep the brass moving freely (This means    complete field strip + Firing Pin/FCU Removal, degrease, scrub, blow out, polish, and oil; 20-30 minutes)

-If there’s a match Sunday, and I’m training Saturday afternoon I will clean it Saturday morning and run it for the final session + the match. (I have had a gun go down in the final training session before as well from said cleaning, so cleaning right before a match I don’t usually recommend due to inability to test it properly after disassembly/reassembly). i.e. always make sure it runs after you clean it, BEFORE you “need” it

  Duty/Concealed Carry: I do compete with my concealed carry at least once a month in an IDPA or SCSA format. Averaging around 200-500 rounds a month on said duty/carry gun. In those times I do follow the same format as above. I do carry every single day with no exceptions, so I prioritize it heavily. But say I’m not using it often! Let’s say (like the winter months here in Michigan) I only run maybe 50-100 rounds out of it every other week to test function and defensive fundamentals. How often should I clean it?

-I RECOMMEND it gets tended too weekly or biweekly at the least (take 30 seconds to field strip it, clean out the obvious dust, lint, or debris, and oil as needed).

-Visual inspection every day before attaching it to your person. (You generally check a flashlight by turning it on and off before you put it in your pocket, why wouldn’t you at least take a quick look at the tool you’re carrying for a primary purpose of defending your life before loading. Stowing, and trusting your life with it.)

-If you don’t shoot it at all (first of all CHANGE THAT…) and second of all at LEAST give it a once over monthly. By once over I mean the full strip, inspection, degrease, clean, re oil, and test. Which is also where I say CHANGE THAT, and get out an use it. This also goes for guns that are left in drawers or staged across your home. Don’t wait until you need it to realize it’s not working or let alone, not remembering where it is because its “been a while”.