• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

How often do you clean your suppressed hunting rifle?

I clean my barrel about every 200 rounds - if I am hunting where it is dusty or gets where it looks pretty ugly in the barrel, then ill clean it then
Clean my suppressors about 1x per year.
 
If I shoot it, I clean it. I like to stay on top of the carbon. Everybody's accuracy requirements are different though. When my hunting rifles won't maintain 1/2 moa the barrel gets pulled.
 
Curious on everyone's experience. Seems like these cans put a ton of carbon in the barrel. My range days usually consist of 10-20 rounds depending on what I'm doing. Probably twice a month or so. What do you do?
Well it appears that this is another, "Here we go again," topic. I know that there are those of you out there, will or some who have even already posted their reply to this post already who obviously will disagree. That is up to you.

I grew up in a different era than most of you. I was trained by my Dad, who was a cop who carried a Smith & Wesson Model 19 or a S&W snub nose 357 when in plain clothes. He retired before semi autos became fashionable and anyway, at that time the 9mm left a lot to be desired as a self defense firearm. I learned to shoot handguns with the Model 19 at 14. I was taught that your life might depend on your firearm and the rule was, you shoot it, you clean it. From there I joined the Army, which had the same policy as my Dad (Who was a WWII vet, wonder where he learned about keeping his firearm clean) You shoot it, it got cleaned for the same reason, it may be the only thing that kept you alive when the chips were down. I ended up spending 30 years in the Army and one of my either assigned duty or additional duty assignments was as a Marksmanship Instructor. Over the years the assigned weapons changed but the theory, you shoot it, you clean it never did. Sometimes if it even got dusty you cleaned it, or if you had time on your hands you cleaned it. To this day, if I shoot it, I clean it. The only exception is after I do the final sighting in of the rifle that I am going to be hunting with. After the final shot, it doesn't get cleaned until I get my deer, or the season is over. (unless out in the rain or snow) No, my life no longer depends on my rifle or handgun, that is unless I was to come across a ****ed off bear, or some deranged criminal, but that is no reason not to have your firearm cleaned and serviceable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 52 weeks out of the year. Don't come crying to us here when you miss the shot of a lifetime on your dream big game animal, when your rifle didn't shoot, or didn't hit it's mark. The life you save, or the trophy you lose, may be your own.
 
Well it appears that this is another, "Here we go again," topic. I know that there are those of you out there, will or some who have even already posted their reply to this post already who obviously will disagree. That is up to you.

I grew up in a different era than most of you. I was trained by my Dad, who was a cop who carried a Smith & Wesson Model 19 or a S&W snub nose 357 when in plain clothes. He retired before semi autos became fashionable and anyway, at that time the 9mm left a lot to be desired as a self defense firearm. I learned to shoot handguns with the Model 19 at 14. I was taught that your life might depend on your firearm and the rule was, you shoot it, you clean it. From there I joined the Army, which had the same policy as my Dad (Who was a WWII vet, wonder where he learned about keeping his firearm clean) You shoot it, it got cleaned for the same reason, it may be the only thing that kept you alive when the chips were down. I ended up spending 30 years in the Army and one of my either assigned duty or additional duty assignments was as a Marksmanship Instructor. Over the years the assigned weapons changed but the theory, you shoot it, you clean it never did. Sometimes if it even got dusty you cleaned it, or if you had time on your hands you cleaned it. To this day, if I shoot it, I clean it. The only exception is after I do the final sighting in of the rifle that I am going to be hunting with. After the final shot, it doesn't get cleaned until I get my deer, or the season is over. (unless out in the rain or snow) No, my life no longer depends on my rifle or handgun, that is unless I was to come across a ****ed off bear, or some deranged criminal, but that is no reason not to have your firearm cleaned and serviceable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 52 weeks out of the year. Don't come crying to us here when you miss the shot of a lifetime on your dream big game animal, when your rifle didn't shoot, or didn't hit it's mark. The life you save, or the trophy you lose, may be your own.
Thanks for the reply, and thank you for your service!
 
I run Hoppes in my bore every other range trip and dry patch out. Sometimes I use a bronze brush. I don't go for bare metal clean, just most of the carbon. I have found I get predictable velocities and group sizes keeping my bore in this window.
 


Write your reply...

Recent Posts

Top