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Just got my CHL and it struck me today that carrying introduces a variable that I've not seen discussed on these forums (although I haven't searched too deep).

Prior to this week my favorite handgun du jour would make a trip to the range every other week or so for some play time, followed by a thorough cleaning as soon as it got back to the stable. It would then be tucked away in a safe and cozy spot until I pulled it back out for the next outing.

Now it's with me all day, protected from the elements by nothing but a piece of Kydex and whatever shirt I'm wearing. After just two days of carrying I'm already noticing lint.

So... how often do you clean your primary CCW? Did you change your cleaning schedule when you began carrying?

Just throwing this topic out for discussion...

Gosh Addy, that's like asking the question "what kind of gun should I get for carry""

Some people clean them every time they shoot them. Some people clean them every month on a certain day.

I clean mine about every 150-200 rounds, more or less....depending how bored I get on the weekends.

I've gone as far as 400 rounds without one FTF before I took the time to clean my gun. And that's with my carry piece.

My gun is about due for a good cleaning. Thanks for the reminder.

Since I try to shoot at least once per month, that's how often I clean mine.
I'm very detail orientated about cleaning though. I use picks and brushes
to get all the little nooks and cranny's. Oil it up good and re holster.

Now if for some reason I go longer without hitting the range I'll disassemble
and do a mild oiling just to knock off the lint.

I know some people that don't clean theirs at all.

I also clean mine after every 200 rounds or so. My point is that I now expect to find myself cleaning more often, whether the weapon has been fired since the last cleaning or not. After only two days of carrying I see lint in the barrel.

So maybe the question should be... what impact did CHL have on your cleaning schedule (if any)?

Hmmmm.....honestly? I think the last time I cleaned my gun was about 2 or 3 weeks before the super bowl. And I've shot about 3 or 4 boxes of range ammo since then.

And getting the CHL had absolutely no impact on my cleaning schedule. You know? If anything, I don't get out my gun and admire it as much as I used to....before I had a CHL. How odd! Never thought of it before. Thanks for bringing the subject up.

With very few exceptions, I clean my carry gun every time I shoot it. That's why I have "range guns" and shoot my carry gun very seldom. The range guns get shot until they won't function reliably, then I clean them.

Chas.

My Kel-Tec P32, that I carry everyday in my pocket, gets pretty much linted up.
I blow it out a little occasionally. Sometimes I field strip it and blow all the lint out.
As for real cleaning? Yeah, about that... I field stripped it today, blew out some lint and put it back together and had black stuff all over my fingers when I was done. I need to get around to cleaning it.

As for my Glock 26, it's been cleaned recently, although I don't even remember the last cleaning before that. I carry it with me every day as well, but it mostly gets left in the center console of my car.

So to answer your question, My cleaning schedule is quite random. Also, getting a CHL didn't really affect my cleaning schedule. I actually took the CHL class and sent in the application shortly after getting my first and second gun, a Walther P22 and a Glock 26. Since my CHL came, I've added an AR15, a Kel-Tec P32, a Taurus Judge and a S&W M&P 15-22 and I'm sure many more to follow.

Would say it depends on what you carry, and how you do it. I normally pack a Ruger SP101 in a TT Gunleather IWB Mike's Special. Rugged. Revolver. Not as much maintenance. I often think about a quick clean, then forget. Notice the lint in the crevices on the grip, think about it some more. If I noticed some crud when I check it before I holster it every day, I might blow it out, or take the time, when I have the time, to brush out the nooks and crannies. Have yet to notice some crud. Paying attention is very important. Pocket carry on either a revolver, or more importantly, on a semi-auto, would absolutely call for more attention to detail. Rambling aside, if you feel better 'bout checking and cleaning daily, weekly, or monthly, do it. You are the one that needs to trust with the utmost confidence that your little carried friend is not gonna get troublesome in the unlikely event that you need it to perform in its' intended task. I find that paranoia has kept me from being beaten or jailed for thirty-six years and a handful of months now. YMMV.

I clean my carry everytime after everytime I return from the range. The others get get cleaned sometime during the year

I clean my guns once a month or after shooting.

AddyLO wrote:I also clean mine after every 200 rounds or so. My point is that I now expect to find myself cleaning more often, whether the weapon has been fired since the last cleaning or not. After only two days of carrying I see lint in the barrel.

So maybe the question should be... what impact did CHL have on your cleaning schedule (if any)?

To me, lint in the barrel isn't a cause to clean my carry gun. If that's all it took to impact reliability, I'd be seriously looking for a more reliable weapon. That said, I try to clean mine after each trip to the range.

I clean after every range trip, and I strip and clean my carry guns as needed. If it has been a hot day and I sweated a lot, then the gun gets wiped down and lubricated. Stuff like that.

Thanks for all the responses! It's interesting that it has not affected most folks.

Additional cleanings due to carrying never occurred to me until I actually started carrying. I figured if there was lint in the barrel (which I'm also not worried about) then it stands to reason that there could easily be lint in the trigger mechanism, magazine, etc. That's what started me thinking about this. I'm not going to be paranoid about it but I was curious whether it was a topic others even worried about.

I'm somewhat of a stickler about keeping my guns clean so I'll probably give my carry a weekly going-over even if I haven't taken it to the range for exercise. I'm weird in that I enjoy the ritual of cleaning a firearm for its own sake.

Guns need cleaning?

AddyLO wrote: I'm weird in that I enjoy the ritual of cleaning a firearm for its own sake.

You too?

There's nothing like laying out all your supplies and guns with the aroma of Hoppe's in the air.