Cleaning after carry?

[jmra]

I remove the slide from my Glock and throw the rest of the gun in the dishwasher twice a year. Comes out nice and clean.

Wow, I never thought of that, but I guess it would probably do wonders for the little crevices on top where rags and brushes don't really reach. The only thing I think I would be worried about would be rust forming somewhere on the inside of the gun that I can't get to (e.g. the trigger mechanism) from leftover or trapped moisture. Do you stick it in there upside down to allow for any kind of natural drainage, or does it not really matter?

Top rack upside down and use the dry cycle at the end. My brother was introduced the method by a former Marine firearms instructor who now owns his own security company. Said he has been doing it for years with no complications. Really gets the thing clean too.

[drjoker]

Yes, especially if you carry a gun with an exposed hammer. Be sure to clean out the dust bunnies and pocket lint from the crack between the hammer and your gun or it may jam when you need it to work. I don't ever clean out my Glocks, no exposed hammer. However, 1911's, most revolvers and many .380 pocket guns beware....

[RPB]

Yes, especially if you carry a gun with an exposed hammer. Be sure to clean out the dust bunnies and pocket lint from the crack between the hammer and your gun or it may jam when you need it to work. I don't ever clean out my Glocks, no exposed hammer. However, 1911's, most revolvers and many .380 pocket guns beware....

Good point, I do clean Keltec P11 and PF9 which live in front pockets as Backups though the hammers are hidden/recessed for that reason.

[mgood]

Probably a good idea to clean your daily carry once a week or so to get the dust bunnies out of it.
I always intend to do that but it ends up being more like once a month.

I'm not fanatical about cleaning guns every time they're shot. (My dad was. When we went hunting, the first thing we did upon arriving home was clean the guns.)
I figure every thousand rounds or once a month, whichever comes first. (Very rarely have I approached a thousand rounds in a month, but I've been close to that mark once or twice.)

I do often wipe away fingerprints and smudges and places where excess lube is seeping out, especially on a new gun (because when I've got a new gun, I look at it all the time, lol). That does keep the outside reasonably clean.

[OrangeAnimal]

Well I am breaking in a new leather holster so i find myself wiping little bits of leather off it every time I remove it from the holster. Otherwise I would clean it once a month or after every trip to the range which is more like every two weeks. I use q tips etc for it. That's for my sig p238. Now the glock I rarely give it a super cleaning. After the range I strip the slide clean out the barrel wipe it off a bit a drop of oil on the slide railes and reassemble it. I had never thought about sticking it in the washer. I have just been annually stripping the gun and using q tips. Now I have something new to try.

[Rrash]

How often depends on how dirty it gets and what kind of gun you carry (Glocks are pretty amazing in that aspect). I clean my carry weapon (XDm) about once every month, or more often if I see any lint build up. XDm's don't need to be babied to remain reliable, but I'm not willing to take any chances just to save 10 extra minutes of inspection/clean/lube every now and then. I also use a lubricant that stays on the metal and doesn't dry up (this attracts more lint of course). Usually, I'll shoot every 20 days or so (or at least I try!), so I will always shoot the gun without cleaning it first, just to double check (or kind of test) that the weapon functions flawlessly. Of course, fully clean and lube your gun after shooting as if your life depends on it (because it very well could).

[Derf]

I clean after range work, had been using MPro7 products, giving Froglube a whirl now after a friend had good things to say about it.

My carry weapon (Glock 19) get wiped down with a silicone cloth daily and cleaned weekly whether or not it is fired at the range. I sweat a lot, so more preventive work is required to keep rust away.

Yes, a Glock will rust, seen it with my own eyes I have

[rev210]

I usually clean my carry weapon after every time I shoot it at the range, with other weapons I usually clean them every other time after the range.

[barstoolguru]

What I tell everyone it's not just a cleaning but an inspection of all the parts for wear and stress cracks. I do a wipe down and inspection every time after shooting

[Beiruty]

Not only am I new to CHL (still waiting, actually), but I'm a new gun owner as well and consequently don't know a lot about proper maintenance. I clean my M&P every time I shoot, but I was wondering if it is recommended to clean it after carrying as well -- obviously not every day, but weekly? Monthly?

Also, if anyone has any cleaning & maintenance tips or links, they would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Get some Rem oil spray it and wipe it off. Sweat is not good for your firearms.

[speedsix]

...I carry IWB and it's amazing how much lint gets down into the gun in a week's time...I'd recommend unloading and inspecting closely at least weekly...