Smyth Busters: How Often Do You Have To Clean a Gun (Really)?

"You’ve gotta clean that gun after EVERY time you shoot it!" Your mother may not have said that, but chances are some trusted mentor in your early days as a shooter did. Sure, cleaning a really gunky gun is important, but in these days of smokeless powder, highly corrosion-resistant gun finishes, and climate-controlled homes, do you really have to clean a gun THAT often? Brownells Gun Techs™ Caleb and Steve say, in a nutshell….. no. Both admit to being typical gunsmiths with a bunch of dirty guns lurking in their gun safes! Steve wipes down the outside and checks for leading in the barrel, but as for a stem-to-stern, thorough bore cleaning? About once or twice a season, he says. Certain shooters DO have to clean their guns after every outing: duck / geese / pheasant hunters, black powder shooters, anybody operating in adversely wet conditions. Certain guns require attentive maintenance like the M1 Garand and M14 (M1A), whose roller systems need frequent cleaning and lubrication. If you get satisfaction from disassembling a gun and thoroughly cleaning it, go ahead - it won’t hurt. But the myth is BUSTED: you typically do not have to clean a gun every time you shoot it.