Cleaning tips

[DesertRatR]

I just picked up a new Shadow and am getting used to it. Cleaning is important to me. Looking for thoughts on cleaning the internals inside the frame (trigger / firing assembly).  I was looking for a gunsmithing forum here but didn't see one. So here goes.

I am pretty fanatical about cleaning my guns, and not just the barrel. All my 1911s (various vintages and manufacturers) and 22s (all Rugers) I periodically strip down to bare parts and clean/degrease everything. When I reassemble I don't lube the trigger / firing assembly, other than a little dry film lube on the ends of the leafs of the 1911s (they're polished anyway). I lube the various interfaces that are loaded and/or reciprocate, at the usual points. Every 200-300 rounds I field strip and clean the usual stuff and lube, with every gun I shoot.  Yeah, I spend time in the garage cleaning. 

This CZ is my first, and my only experience with this type of gun. I am not going to start disassembling the gun, beyond field stripping for the usual cleaning. At least not yet. Is it worthwhile to periodically spray the internals inside the frame with CRC Brakleen to remove any debris down in there?  It is a great degreaser and leaves no residue after it dries.  Doesn't harm finishes, in my experience. My concern is that any lube will eventually pick up debris and not work as designed, and over time a bit of lube will probably dribble into the trigger / firing assembly. 

[M1A4ME]

I clean mine every time I shoot them and sometimes when I haven't when my carry pistols get linty/dusty/dirty - just from carrying.

I always put a drop of lube on the trigger return spring, the sear spring, the sear/sear pin, the hammer/hammer pin, the surfaces where the sear/hammer contact, the safety shaft, the slide release shaft, etc.  Even the magazine release where it slides back and forth in the frame.  The hammer spring.

I do get oil on my hand and my clothes at times.  It washes off and the gun works.

I have also used carb or brake cleaner to spray out the inside on a really dirty/nasty gun.  I do remove the grips first.  My old Ruger Mk1 5.5" still has a funny looking spot on the grip from 40 years ago when I sprayed it out with carb cleaner and then grabbed the grips and realized the hard plastic grip wasn't hard anymore.  It got back to normal again after the carb spray evaporated away but I don't take the chance on plastic/rubber anymore.  Having just said that I have used brake cleaner on the glock, a couple M&Ps and my P07.  No issues with any of those but it's not something I do a lot.

[Matt101]

They don’t need that much cleaning.

Mine will get the top end taken off and the slide wiped down / extractor brushed out / barrel ramp cleaned every 2000 of rounds (and a re-oil when putting back together)

Every 4 months or so I’ll take the grips off and blast out the frame with brake cleaner (but not take anything apart).

Maybe every 12 months I might do a detail strip & replace some springs.

This is for competition guns so if there was a benefit in more regular cleaning I’d do it.


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[scroadkill]

After a match Ill field strip my gun, spray down everything with rem oil, soaking the sear, trigger, mag release areas.. then bore snake the barrel, brush the feed ramp, extractor, and inside grip clean, wipe down everything, lube rails and lugs with lucas lube.. (moving to gun butter soon)

mags get broken down,  brushed in and out,  then wiped down in and out w/ a silicon cloth.

I may go 2-3 matches at times before field stripping my gun but I wont run a dirty mag.

firing pin channel gets a pipe cleaner every 6-10 matches.

[larryflew]

I keep hearing about this cleaning thing.  Might have to look into it.