Gun Safety, what to purchase, how to get training?

Over cleaning a firearm, especially the barrel, is worse than letting it remain dirty. It takes a lot to get a modern firearm to stop functioning just by being dirty. I fired 500 rounds through a non-lubed M9 in a short period the last time I was at the range and it wasn't until the last few magazines that it started to slow down. It still functioned but the slide was moving noticeable slower due to carbon build up.

 

Well, after 40 years and no telling how many thousands of rounds I've got a pretty good idea of what each gun I own can do. Some get cleaned more, some less, but none often. As I said, clean as often as you want. It's an old habit from the days of corrosive powder and primer. Modern powder and primers are extremely clean, and many use decoppering agents to keep the barrel clean as well. You'd probably faint if you knew how many rounds we put through an M16 or SAW in a weekend without so much as a wipedown.

If you have something unreliable when dirty, definitely keep it clean.

 

Scrubbing the barrel I would agree but running a boresnake through once wont hurt it. I dont use those wire brushes on any of my firearms. Only boresnakes, Q-tips and cloths.

My firearms instructor (Marine) said pretty much the same as you and the amount of abuse his firearms would see and he would hardly clean them. Said his one rifle saw probably 50k rounds before it was even stripped and was still running good. He is the one that would pound it into our head to always keep our firearms cleaned and lubed, first thing he said was "Do as I say not as I do" With his experience in the military, law enforcement, and private instructing, I will follow his instructions.

You both are experienced shooters but as a new shooter, its good practice to always keep your firearms cleaned and lubed.

 

Bore snakes SUCK!!

 

Using the wrong caliber snake? Mine slide right through with minimal force.

 

Bore snakes really serve no purpose. They don't actually clean anything off the bore, just loose powder that gets blown out in front of the next bullet anyway.

I shoot a magazine through my carry 1911 every time I go shoot. I rarely just shoot it, but I do like to put a magazine through it just to stay familiar. By the end of this week, that should be 3 magazines. At this pace, I'll clean it in a few months. My other revolvers and pistols are shot less often, but at a higher round count. Usually at least once a month for all of them. That's spread over many different shooting trips throughout the month. I can barely keep up with reloading, much less work.

Most people that clean often do so because that's what someone told them to do. That person did it because someone told them to. Back when powder was very dirty and primers corrosive, it made sense. Now, there's not so much reason to unless that's what you want to do. If you shoot once or twice a year, then yeah, go ahead and clean after shooting. If you shoot often, clean when they need it.

 

When I do clean my Glocks I just toss them in the Dishwasher no chemicals blow them out with the air compressor, spray with carb cleaner oil and shoot never an issue in 25 plus years......

 

Good to know. I'll be sure to keep an eye on them.

 

Turns out the range changed ammo brands, and now sell Federal. I know it wasn't Federal that had the brass transfer issue. So I am not certain if it was PMC or Blazzer, but as a general rule I try to avoid both.

 

Just a little heads up for the OP.

 

@lotuscupcar How did things go at your range session? Did you find something you liked?