[JCROWNII]

Hello GT,

I am considering a tactical shotgun, Remington 870 to be exact, and I was wondering when do you clean it. I usually clean my firearms on or usually the day after I shoot them, whether its my AR, Glock, or Smith J-Frame, I still clean it. Do you do this with your shotgun? or do you clean it about every 300rnds or so? Never owned a shotgun before so im a newb in the shotgun world. Any help would be appreciated, Thanks.

[cj5mrt]

If it's a new gun I'd clean it before I shoot it. Kinda gets you familiar with the gun too.
Then I clean mine after I shoot them. Usually the same day.

Mike

[pmwglock19]

I go with the idea of cleanning all my firearms after I have shot them at the range. Pnce clean, they are ready to be used again.

[Navitimer]

I clean after every shooting session.

[mixflip]

You may not need to clean your guns at the end of the day since you may think you didnt shoot enough to cause excessive carbon fouling....but its still a good habit to clean your guns at the end of the day to "inspect" for wear and damage.

Just look at GT member Sturmgewehr who found his bolt being torn up by his bolt catch all related to the new P-mags he was using. He caught it quick because he cleaned and inspected his gun at the end of the day. If he had destroyed his bolt, it might have been hell trying to get another one from FN?

[Jon_R]

I'll buck the trend. I clean my pump shotgun every few months. I shoot 50-75 rounds a month through it at 3-gun. If you want to clean more feel free. What I do works for me.

I wait for a nice Sunday morning where I don't have anything to do and hang out on the back porch and clean some guns.

[05DodgeDakota]

After every range trip, and also once a month if I haven't shot it. I do this for all my guns, and I'm a freak about it too

[dc2integra]

I clean mine every other time I shoot them

[Kevin08]

I clean my after every trip, but not thoroughly. I don't take off the barrel or take out the bolt, I just clean the bore and as much of the bolt face and inside of the receiver as I can without taking it apart. It's a pump-action shotgun and I'm not worried about it needing to be smooth.

Each range trip it shoots between 100-200 rounds.

[Boxerglocker]

Originally Posted by Jon_R

I'll buck the trend. I clean my pump shotgun every few months. I shoot 50-75 rounds a month through it at 3-gun. If you want to clean more feel free. What I do works for me.

I wait for a nice Sunday morning where I don't have anything to do and hang out on the back porch and clean some guns.

I follow your suit. I clean every few weeks at the most. Though I run a CLP soaked patch followed by a boresnake though it every outing and lube the rails.

[WhiskeyUnicorn]

I clean my weapons at least once a month if I shoot them or not. Oil evaporates and they need teh lubes

[05DodgeDakota]

IMO, you should at least remove the barrel and run a snake through it after each use

[youngAR]

Your supposed to clean shotguns?

I don't shoot mine enough and I'm not sure how often they clean the dept. guns but Id guess not very often.

[David Armstrong]

I clean mine every 500 rounds or yearly, whichever comes first. That is pretty much true for all my guns except Glocks, which go 1000 rounds between cleaning. I will wipe down the outside or do a little "as needed" work should something come up.

[Aceman]

I clean after shooting, always (+/- and hour or a day)

I also run over every gun once a month. Mag swaps, check the wet/dry level, batteries in lights, etc...

On the SG, besides a basic check, I cycle the ammo out of the mag and reload. I could easily go a long long time without checking a 12g pump though...90 days would be fine, or even six months. It would never go that long without being shot though...

[collim1]

I am very particular about my shotguns, I hate the plastic fouling from the shot cup being in the barrel.

I dont take the entire gun apart, but I clean the barrel and chamber thoroughly, wipe the bolt face off, and clean underneath extractors everytime it is shot.

BTW I have 870P and Mossberg 500.

[OldScribe2009]

After every time I shoot.

[KilgoreTrout]

i clean mine after every roll in the dirt drill I do with it.

[PlasticGuy]

I'm normally very good about cleaning all my guns immediately after shooting them, but I've always been bad about cleaning my pump actions. I normally run a boresnake through it a few times, and drip some oil on the action bars. I clean it thoroughly every few sessions. I guess they're so forgiving that I get a bit complacent.

[robert91922]

I clean my Benelli Nova approx. twice a year. Since I don't expose it to mud or extreme dust neither go out shooting when it rains, twice a year is enough IMO. Once a month I apply few oil drops on action slide and onto bolt friction areas.

[Glockin21]

I clean between every shooting,whether it be right after,right before or sometime in between.Whether i shoot 50 rounds or 200,i always clean before my next session.Every gun.

[Big Bird]

It depends. I don't mess with a really good take it apart cleaning maybe once or twice a year with my tactical guns which really don't see more than 300-400 rds a year. My Benelli waterfowl guns--depends on how bad the weather was that day and how much mud got on the guns.

As a general rule I almost always run a bore snake through the bore after every day in the field and when I shoot the gun.

But a big thorough cleaning only happens maybe every 6 months. Again, depending on conditions etc. There were three days duck hunting in Manitoba last year where we got pounded with rain, sleet and snow and lying down in a layout blind the action on my gun got full of barley straw...so every night it got broken down and cleaned and left in pieces overnight to dry out.

I used to shoot registered skeet and sporting clays and I would go a whole weekend of 550 shells or more and never touch the gun.

More guns have been worn out from being taken apart and cleaned than ever have been worn out from shooting.