How long does it take to clean your pistol's, ARs etc.

[thankGod]

This is a kind of followup to "What gun care products do you use? by Bunkins on Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:27 pm".

This question is out of curiosity. I seldom shoot a single pistol when I go to the range. I will usually shoot a couple of 1911's and a Glock (no jokes about cleaning a Glock); or a 1911, and a Glock and a .380; or maybe 3 1911's. You get the idea.

For 3 pistols it usually takes me about 2 hours including setup and cleanup. For a single pistol (1911), maybe 45 min. For a Glock, about 20 minutes.

How long does it take you? How about AR's, or M1's? I haven't cleaned either of those for about 40 years. How about your shotgun?

[bridge]

45 minutes for a 1911? I must be doing something wrong. I just field strip it and clean out any fouling with hoppes coated patches and follow up with a dry cloth and silicone wrag. Takes me maybe 15 or 20 minutes.

[thankGod]

Yeah, I know!

I get stuff everywhere.

[WEC]

Typically 15 minutes per handgun, around 30 for an AR, for me.

[Skiprr]

I dunno if I can arrive at an average. On the 1911s, if it's a non-stainless steel frame, I always remove the grips to make sure those little rust hidey-places are handled. I only do that every once in a while on aluminum and stainless frames. I always toothbrush-down the slide and frame in addition to cleaning the barrel. Every second or third cleaning, I'll pull the firing pin and spring and clean that area. About every 10 times or so, I'll do an almost-detailed-strip.

And truth be told, after shooting any handgun I usually come home, strip it, wipe down aforementioned areas, and plop the barrel in a tupperware tub of Hoppe's #9 and let it soak a while. That could be an hour's bath, or overnight. I don't have to use brass brushes if I do that.

So actual time spent standing there cleaning is close to WEC: I'd say 10 to 30 minutes per handgun, depending on the amount of work they're in for. (I wonder how the folks who have ultrasonic cleaners will respond to this thread.)

Stoner rifles are a different animal for me. Even with my handy-dandy Otis snake, I never feel like I've gotten the barrel clean. I'd much rather clean larger calibers: I can get cleaning tools through 'em easier, and I can get a better idea from looking down the barrel if it's clean or not. That, and I always feel like I haven't paid enough attention to the chamber lugs; and I stick the long pipe cleaner down the gas tube and hope it's clear. I just don't enjoy cleaning ARs, and 30 minutes would be fast for me. So I guess I'd better estimate 40 minutes.

Shotguns have a big, easily-accessible barrel. Too, I don't think I'm as meticulous with the shotguns (no autoloaders...yet; I may become more fastidious if I ever buy that Benelli ). So, in general, 15 minutes and a shotty is function-tested and in the safe.

[Revet]

I allow myself three pistols per range trip. I clean them that day and it always seems to take about two hours for all three. I'm careful and actually enjoy the process. Maybe a little less time for rifles and shotguns, with the exception being ARs. I'm new to them and am slow.

[Bunkins]

It takes me about an hr for my Kimber, thats just the slide and components, and the top of the frame.... I take the FP out, extractor, I use a Q-tip soaked in oil and clean every surface until the Q-tip comes back clean ( takes quite a few of them, and thats only after 50 rounds or so ).. Using a pick I clean all powder residue up.. If I do a detailed cleaning, it takes me about 2 hrs.. I've had my Kimber for about 2 weeks, and I've done a detailed cleaning 2 times ( just to become familiar with the gun ), I've cleaned the slide and components probably 6 times, mostly due to trying out different lubes.. After I take the CHL class Saturday I'll do another detailed cleaning, it would have had 300 rounds put through it by then.. I enjoy cleaning my guns though, I just take my time. If I had to hurry, I know I could clean the slide in 15 minutes, and a "detailed" cleaning in about 45.. I can tear the gun down in about 5 mintues. Since I conceal the gun in the truck, and will it will be my carry weapon, I want it clean and in perfect working order, so I dont foresee my cleaning frequency changing any time soon. The first few times I tore it down was a nightmare though, I actually had to file on several parts to remove ridges and burrs so everything came apart and went back together smoothly.

When I clean my dad's guns though, your talking a night or two. He's got more guns than he can remember, many of them he's never even shot, just bought used or new and put them in the safe. His hunting rifles are very well taken care of though.. He has a .32 semi auto pistol thats sat in a desk for 10 yrs and never shot, I bet it hasnt had 20 rounds put through it in 15 yrs. It's been soaking in oil for a week, and I still cant get everything apart.. Took me 6 hrs to clean the slide.. And to think, I've had to pull this gun in self defense a few times, and I seriously doubt it would have worked if I had to actually use it.. Kinda scary. The parts I have cleaned though, look brand new, so it's not destroyed, just needs some TLC..

[asleepatthereel]

Doesnt take long to clean them. Usually around 30 minutes per gun, but sometimes I like to spend a little more time 'bonding' with them, so Ill take my time. I actually enjoy cleaning them. I think I might be addicted to the smell of burnt powder and Hoppes.

[asleepatthereel]

The longest it eaver took me to clean a gun was on an old Colt AR that I bought at a pawn shop back in the 80s. The guy behind the counter sold it to me for $150 and said that it had been sold a couple times but kept coming back with jamming problems, so it was being sold as-is. I stripped the rifle before buying it, and quickly found the problem. Paid the man and took it home for some TLC.

Someone had filled, and I do mean FILLED, the action including the gas tube and piston with wheel bearing grease.
It must have still fired, because the grease, combined with the burnt gasses had become solidified to the point that it was hard like glass or ceramic. Each part had to be scraped clean and some, like the firing pin and bolt carrier had to spend some time on a wire wheel to get the stuff off. It actually took a couple days working on and off to get most of it off, then a whole weekend cleaning the stuff out of the reciever. I used a guitar string and some tolulene to clean out the gas tube. Once I got it all back together, it was a real good shooter. Being young and stupid, when the klinton gun ban came along, I sold it and got $1000 for it. Several ARs later, I still miss that one.

What kind of uneducated fool fills his AR action with wheel bearing grease?

[bdickens]

Especially since wheel bearing grease is for wheel bearings and not firearms.

[Excaliber]

The longest it eaver took me to clean a gun was on an old Colt AR that I bought at a pawn shop back in the 80s. The guy behind the counter sold it to me for $150 and said that it had been sold a couple times but kept coming back with jamming problems, so it was being sold as-is. I stripped the rifle before buying it, and quickly found the problem. Paid the man and took it home for some TLC.

Someone had filled, and I do mean FILLED, the action including the gas tube and piston with wheel bearing grease.
It must have still fired, because the grease, combined with the burnt gasses had become solidified to the point that it was hard like glass or ceramic. Each part had to be scraped clean and some, like the firing pin and bolt carrier had to spend some time on a wire wheel to get the stuff off. It actually took a couple days working on and off to get most of it off, then a whole weekend cleaning the stuff out of the reciever. I used a guitar string and some tolulene to clean out the gas tube. Once I got it all back together, it was a real good shooter. Being young and stupid, when the klinton gun ban came along, I sold it and got $1000 for it. Several ARs later, I still miss that one.

What kind of uneducated fool fills his AR action with wheel bearing grease?

Apparently the original owner of that old AR would be a good candidate for the answer to that question.

In my experience, high temperature / high pressure wheel bearing grease does a significantly better job than Break Free at keeping an AR working real well through extended rapid fire, and doesn't cause a buildup like the one described above as long as the gun is cleaned regularly.

I can't say what would happen if you left it there and never cleaned it, because that's not how I maintain my guns.

[NcongruNt]

I don't have any AR rifles, or anything gas-operated for that matter, so can't give an answer for that part.

Most guns will take around half an hour, but I'm generally taking my time, sitting on the couch and watching the teevee. My pistols have become much quicker for cleaning, after treating them with Microlon Gun Juice. Most notable was the PA-63, which takes about 1/4 the time it used to - all it really needs now is a blast of brake cleaner, a couple of patches with CLP through the barrel, some patches applied to various internal parts to get any residue that didn't wash away, then a light oiling and it's nice and shiny inside and out. I use a lot of patches and q-tips on the slides and little parts of my other handguns. Like others, I also enjoy cleaning my guns and put a lot of care into the process.

The rifles take a little longer because of the barrels. The Mosin-Nagants take the longest, as they're simply bigger and more unweildy, and cleaning the barrels with the standard cleaning kit is somewhat labor-intensive. If I'm taking apart the bolts and completely disassembling them (something I do around twice a year), I spend more like an hour on each.

So, specifically speaking, pistols take around 20 minutes or so, and rifles take more like 40. This is all at a leisurely pace, and if you put me on a clock, I'm sure I could cut those times in half - I just wouldn't enjoy it as much.

[atxgun]

I don't have a set schedule. When I got my first couple of guns they were cleaned after every trip to the range. Now it's just when I come back and think "I haven't cleaned them in a while". When I do I'm pretty anal and get off every bit of grunge I can, including completely field stripping the AR.

I'll get a cleaning station setup with towels and wipes in front of the TV for some background noise. For those itching to reply how irresponsible this is, every action is opened and it is ensured no ammo is in the room before I begin.

[asleepatthereel]

Apparently the original owner of that old AR would be a good candidate for the answer to that question.

In my experience, high temperature / high pressure wheel bearing grease does a significantly better job than Break Free at keeping an AR working real well through extended rapid fire, and doesn't cause a buildup like the one described above as long as the gun is cleaned regularly.

I can't say what would happen if you left it there and never cleaned it, because that's not how I maintain my guns.

Agreed. a very thin coat of real good quality high temp synthetic grease on the moving parts can be a good thing if cleaned regularly, but the entire receiver, bolt and trigger group and gas tube was literally full of grease. Even the recoil spring was thickly coated, although not gobbed full. It was like someone had scooped out a couple handfulls and packed it in like they were packing bearings. Im suprised it fired at all. I never tried it until it was thoughroly cleaned out, but after it was, it was a pretty good shooter for an A-1 model.

[Liberty]

I suspect that what was packed in the tube was that gunk they put in new guns. Colt used a ton of that stuff when they sent the M16s off to the troops who were stuck with it. I suspect they did the same thing with the civilian model. It looked like axle grease but nastier stickier.