Cleaning your AR - how many rounds before you do it?

[nick84]

I've gotten lazy and undisciplined. I clean the guns I carry every couple times I shoot, and my ARs should probably be clean by Christmas or so. Here's the great thing though, they still go bang and make small groups.

[26 Inf]

All I know is that if Pat Rogers logs in to give his two cents again, I'm outta here.

I get what Pat Rogers was doing, but I do feel that his Filthy Fourteen encouraged some folks to skip/put off proper maintenance.

It is one thing to run a range weapon extended periods between cleanings - my range pistols (Glocks and M&P 2.0's) regularly go a thousand rounds between cleanings - rifles probably 1/3 to 1/2 that because I shoot then at less tempo. My seldom shot range toys and all .22's get cleaned before they go back into storage.

But anything that is carried, or goes in a vehicle, safe or other location with a magazine inserted, is clean, period. paragraph.

As others mentioned, cleaning gives me a chance to inspect and ensure.

[markm]

But anything that is carried, or goes in a vehicle, safe or other location with a magazine inserted, is clean, period. paragraph.

That's why I do a Bi-annual qualification on my pistol. I was trying to qualify annually, but I really didn't want to buy pistol ammo, and clean it afterwards.

[Artiz]

I genrally count in crates, but that depends on what condition the gun has been in to begin with.

As others mentioned, cleaning gives me a chance to inspect and ensure.

I inspect without overly cleaning, generally I check wear spots and stress points and re-lube. Heck if I was cleaning my guns too often I would have missed the cracks on a BCM bolt face during my last inspection.

[Dr. Bullseye]

Every time it is shot, it is cleaned.

[Vegas]

For the clean every range trip camp, if I go to the range and run 300-400 rounds through my clean gun and then put it in the safe unclean, what happens to it? Serious question. I'm looking for the negatives outside of the obvious; a dirty gun might have a stoppage.

[Skrapmetal]

For the clean every range trip camp, if I go to the range and run 300-400 rounds through my clean gun and then put it in the safe unclean, what happens to it? Serious question. I'm looking for the negatives outside of the obvious; a dirty gun might have a stoppage.

Probably nothing. Your hands get dirty when you take it out maybe?

The only thing I actually worry about with not cleaning is on my stainless precision barrels... if I don't have time to clean it, it at least gets a boresnake run through it with a little CLP a couple of times before it gets put away. I have no idea if anything could damage the barrel, but since it only takes me a few seconds and it lets me not worry about it I figure why not.

Otherwise it isn't about a concern over something bad happening for me. It's just about a desire to have a clean and inspected rifle when I put it away, and the enjoyment I derive from the process of doing so.

[Omen]

I clean my guns after a few range trips. Thing is, I use the cleaning room at the range and when done run one mag through the gun to confirm function. So my guns are never "clean" I guess...

[markderp]

After every range session I wipe the bolt down, run a borsenake down the barrel and re-lube. It takes 5 minutes and there's no reason not to do it.

[daddyusmaximus]

The AR in my gun cabinet stay clean.

The SBR leaning in the corner waiting to shoot a home invader gets brushed off whenever I notice dust building up, or before I go practice with it.

The insides of both, get cleaned whenever I get bored, or after long periods of not remembering when the last time was. They do, however, get checked, and lubed often.

To be honest, I don't shoot the one in the safe that often, I mostly just practice on the SBR. It's pretty much my go-to gun. As a retired cripple, I think defensively (close range) most of the time these days. I don't really need long range precision, and I don't need to spend my time cleaning... I just need my shit to run.

This is about my normal routine...

After every range session I wipe the bolt down, run a borsenake down the barrel and re-lube. It takes 5 minutes and there's no reason not to do it.