1911 cleaning

I find that BE powder is very dirty....I typical range session for me is 60-80 rds never really counted just a close guess....How often do clean your .45 ....I went 2 sessions between cleaning last time and find the gun was pretty funky....I use a mix of oil, lucas synthetic oil stabilizer and marvel mytery oil.....gun cleaned up easy but man was it filthy.....never noticed this with clays....

I don't clean it until it malfunctions, or the barrel hood is black. I lube with Hoppe's oil.

Bullseye is dirty, you can take the slide off and take a patch with oil and swab out most of the gunk, i do this about evey 200 rounds. check your barrel for leading, this will effect accuracy.

Every 2-3k rounds whether it needs it or not.

I always field strip and clean thoroughly before a match. At least once a year, I detail strip it and clean it. This also gives me a chance to look at commonly failing parts like the firing pin stop and extractor.

BE Mike wrote:I always field strip and clean thoroughly before a match. At least once a year, I detail strip it and clean it. This also gives me a chance to look at commonly failing parts like the firing pin stop and extractor.

+1.
With the exception of I do a complete 2x/year. Once before indoor season and once before outdoor season.

Wow I figured you guys would be cleaning aliitle more often.....I'm more in line with DavidR but I usally go 2 sessions and clean it up ....maybe I should rethink the oil that I'm useing and just go with the #9 stuff as I think my present lube could be adding to the mess.....

My gun shoots just as well after thousands of rounds as when it's perfectly clean. I've found that taking the bushing out of the slide often loosens it very quickly, therefore it's kept well lubed. I'll be honest that it does get so nasty that my pride has to be subdued to prevent me from making it spotless.
When I do get around to cleaning it is a complete tear down of the frame and slide and an inspection, usually 3x/year.

Keith that is why I switched to Clays!

I'm about par with Steve 2 - 3 complete disassembles a year, clean, oil, maybe dress up the hammer hooks and sear nose, confirm full engagement, inspect all parts and reassemble. Confirm trigger passes weight and shoot it!

I think last year I cleaned it right before Canton, went to my local range fired a few rounds to settle things in and confirm reliability. That may be the last time I cleaned it? I do rip a bore snake thru every now and again to clean the feed ramp up nice.

Thats about it!

Joe

I strip it a couple of times a year and the rest of the time I keep the slides and barrel dripping wet with light synthetic oil. I know this isn't a lube thread but I treat it like an old Harley - if it's not leaving a puddle it needs oil. Works for me.

is there a reason you would not clean it after every session? i was always taught to not go to sleep with a dirty gun in the house - is this wrong?

armouredbear wrote:is there a reason you would not clean it after every session? i was always taught to not go to sleep with a dirty gun in the house - is this wrong?

I'm kinda of the same thought.....seems like they dont like removeing the bushing as it tends to lossen it faster....And I would tend to believe that their right...I dont clean completely every session but to me I just dont like my gun dirty either but it doent seem to hurt . I will be switching back to clays most likely as BE is very dirty...it does shoot well and has a softer feel than clays but damn its filthy

With as much oil as I keep in that gun, along with shooting them at least twice/week, there's no concern with corrosion.

Paper-Puncher wrote:

armouredbear wrote:is there a reason you would not clean it after every session? i was always taught to not go to sleep with a dirty gun in the house - is this wrong?

I'm kinda of the same thought.....seems like they dont like removeing the bushing as it tends to lossen it faster....And I would tend to believe that their right...I dont clean completely every session but to me I just dont like my gun dirty either but it doent seem to hurt . I will be switching back to clays most likely as BE is very dirty...it does shoot well and has a softer feel than clays but damn its filthy

American Select is an alternative to Bullseye and burns cleaner, if that is a concern.

After shoot BE that last 3-4 range outtings.....I find that I can remove and replace the slide without any trouble without removeing the bushing.....and I can keep the gun clean enought where I'm not worried about the dirt causeing premature wear....I just bore snake the barrel , and I can use Q-tips on the lock lugs and slide ways....reapply some oil and good to go.......

If it starts to get gummed up and jam I will clean it otherwise I will usually clean it before a match. Before big matches or leg matches I will take it down completely and clean, which lets me inspect the small parts for wear. I wet it with oil before and during a match, just barely a drop here and there as I go along. Hope this helps.

I'm a newbe here but been shootin Bullseye since the early 70's. I clean my gun after maybe a thousand rounds or so, maybe a month or so before a match. Then it gets a good inspection, cleaning with gasoline in an old bread pan with a toothbrush and then some oil. Otherwise it's not as good as my old Giles, but my Kimber just keeps on pluggin along...
Jack

WildmanJack wrote:I'm a newbe here but been shootin Bullseye since the early 70's. I clean my gun after maybe a thousand rounds or so, maybe a month or so before a match. Then it gets a good inspection, cleaning with gasoline in an old bread pan with a toothbrush and then some oil. Otherwise it's not as good as my old Giles, but my Kimber just keeps on pluggin along...
Jack

Safe bet your not puffin on a old stinky seagar when your scrubbin the iron with go juice.... Ive used K-1 mixed with mystery oil a time or two when I didnt feel like goin out at 11:00 oclock at night and theres no Hoppee's around...