Cleaned some guns today - my random thoughts

[zachomega]

I very recently heard something (I'm going to butcher paraphrasing it) like, most of the time at war is spent maintaining your weapon.

So in that spirit, I cleaned 5 guns today that i had shot over the past month.

1st i started with my s&w 686. I had put a little over 100 rounds through it of Winchester white box 38 special. Wow was it dirty. I always remove the crane retention screw so i can get some the cylinder easier. I highly recommend this method if you aren't already doing it.

I love shooting this gun, but always hate cleaning it. I like putting a 40 caliber bore snake through the charge holes. I also went at them with a brush and clp. Next time i will use hoppes bore solvent. It'll probably cut down on the elbow grease.

2nd was my new (to me) cz75d PCR. It really isn't bad to clean other than the breach face. You just can't get a brush in there easily and the goofy loaded chamber indicator looks like a great place for crud to collect. I had put 60 rounds through it.

3rd was a Ruger American Rimfire. I fully expected this to be a mess given it is 22 and had seen a lot of use. Nope. It was clean in under 5 minutes. Bore snake and cleaned the bolt will a brush and some solvent. I always forget your clean bolt action guns are. Maybe that is part of why they are so reliable?

4th was an s&w m&p15t. There is something really beautiful about how pretty much all of the cleaning is in the bolt and carrier.

I used a pick to get some carbon building out of the bolt carrier. It isn't perfect but it literally chipped off like paint. I was also surprised at your dirty the firing pin gets.

And even more surprised how my dog's hair gets into everything. How do you did guys keep your dog's fur out of the mix?

Anyway, even the muzzle brake wasn't too dirty.

I regret how long it took me to get an ar15. They are easy to work on and so simple inside.

Last up was an ar9 that i built myself. I have a 10 oz buffer in that beast. The bolt/carrier (you know because it doesn't have a gas system) was surprisingly very clean. Just a quick wipe down. The barrel was bore snaked and looked good. The integral brake in the other hand was filthy. It left my rags black.

I spent the most time cleaning the revolver. Followed by the ar15. The least time was spent on the bolt action.

I did all of the cleaning over a cardboard flat that (2) 12 packs of seltzer come in. The nice thing about them is they are wrapped in plastic to hold the soda cases. I remove the cases and leave the plastic in place so that when the solvents and oils soak into the cardboard, they are stopped by a plastic barrier and stay off of the table. The brushes can aerosolize solvent so I end up wiping the table down anyway. But nowhere near as bad.

-Zach

[Ecclectic Collector]

Every time I shoot, I clean. Some of the guns I own now have some history on them. I remember my first cleaning of a WW 1 era SMLE. There were little bits of dried mud in the crevices. Hard to think a British noncom would allow it to linger under his withering gaze but perhaps a trace reminder of France in hidden corners?

Or my Sharps carbine. Built in 1862 and converted to the new metallic cartridge system in the years after the Civil War. The action still has hints of the original case hardening on the inside and the bore pristine. But the forend has a deeply worn groove likely from being carried across a saddle by a cavalryman.

The M-1 I bought more than twenty years ago is more enigmatic. I was made in late 44 or maybe 45. Did it serve in the Second World War? Perhaps not in combat, and was rebuilt extensively by a target shooter in the early 1990s. But I still love handling the old bear of a rifle and and loving clean it after each outing.

Cleaning your guns puts you in touch with both the warrior self they represent but also the people whose hands your weapons may have passed before you had them.

[MikeStull]

Cleaning guns is relaxing for me. Although I am typically impatient, cleaning is one task where I take my time, methodically work through the process and wind up with a clean gun. Along the way I admire the engineering and workmanship. The only exception to the previous sentence is reassembling my Ruger Mark III, that is engineered with evil.

[RockIsland]

Keeping the dust cover closed helps to keep the dog hair out of the BCG.

[zachomega]

Keeping the dust cover closed helps to keep the dog hair out of the BCG.

But my pistols don't have dust covers. I'm starting to think my dog went shooting without me.

-Zach

[zachomega]

Cleaning guns is relaxing for me. Although I am typically impatient, cleaning is one task where I take my time, methodically work through the process and wind up with a clean gun. Along the way I admire the engineering and workmanship. The only exception to the previous sentence is reassembling my Ruger Mark III, that is engineered with evil.

So much hate for the mark iii. I love mine. Cleaning it was always easy. The only think i don't routinely do is remove the barrel. But i remove the bolt and clean it And the inside where the bolt rides.

Mine has the lci removed and the magazine disconnect removed and the best tool to open the main spring is a safety pin with the point opened up far enough that it won't poke you when you use the safety latch thing to open the spring.

-Zach

[McSull]

I got a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner for father's day. Highly recommend getting an ultrasonic cleaner.

I have a Ruger MKII stainless. Full disassemble upper and lower. Ran through ultrasonic and reassembled. Aprox 1.5 hrs. First time disassembling the lower.

[steve_010]

Thank you for reminding me that I need to clean 4 guns tonight.

[jthrelf]

Cleaning is also opportunity for inspection. I clean after every time shooting.

[Hodgie]

I got a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner for father's day. Highly recommend getting an ultrasonic cleaner.

I have a Ruger MKII stainless. Full disassemble upper and lower. Ran through ultrasonic and reassembled. Aprox 1.5 hrs. First time disassembling the lower.

What cleaning solution are you using?