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How often do you clean your Glock lower assembly?

14K views 130 replies 79 participants last post by  OMCHamlin 
#1 ·
I just shot 4 boxes of the "Russian Bear" ammo. I must say I was pleasantly surprised, but damn was the gun dirty afterwards.

How often do y'all clean the lower assembly, especially when you shoot the dirty Russian bear ammo?
 
#2 ·
I usually clean the entire weapon after every time it's fired. Too many years in the military to let me feel comfortable with a dirty weapon. Does it need to be cleaned so often? Probably not but that's just me. It would take a lot of "Dirt" to really effect a Glock in any way. I guess that you could shoot a Glock for years without cleaning it and it will still function. Check out some of the Glock torture tests on You Tube.
 
#5 ·
I brush it out after every shooting but I do not remove the pins to take out the trigger every time if that's what you mean. It's not necessary and can eventually work them loose. I only remove them maybe twice a year on heavy use guns.

But then I don't shoot Russian ammo either. I had a case of .380 and gave most of it away after cleaning a Sig with about 100rds through it.
 
#7 ·
I clean my firearms after I come home from the range. Good peace of mind having clean guns in the safe. All Glock frames are wiped, brushed, and cleaned well including the slide and barrel. I would hate to have corrosion take hold of my tools.
 
#12 ·
Having been a Cop for 20 years I can tell you that some of my brothers in arms never cleaned or oiled their Glock 22's! I know it's hard to believe but some Cops are the worst shots at the range barely qualifying. Keep in mind many Cops are not on patrol but work the desks, evidence rooms and forensics etc. If I bought a Police turn in and it was spotless it would either have come from a really good distributer or an neurotic sicko Cop like me.
 
#14 ·
I know it's hard to believe but some Cops are the worst shots at the range barely qualifying.
Not hard to believe. When I took my cross over for the SD, back in '87, there were a number of cops at the academy, requalifying. Guns were 4" Smith revolvers that would definitely hit what you wanted, except in the hands of some cops. Passing score was 230 out of 300 and you got 3 attempts, but each attempt had to be done on a different day, if you needed it. It was interesting the number of 227's and 228's that got 'grandfathered' through, after 3 failed attempts. You could shoot a 240 on that course, blindfolded, standing on your head, and shooting with your foot.
 
#16 ·
First I don't shoot dirty ammo.
Next I thoroughly clean pistols that have been to the range about once a month.
This is done with hot water, and dishwashing soap in the kitchen sink. With a tooth brush scrub any signs of dirt, everywhere I can reach, rinse and lay on a paper towel, after shaking it to remove excess water. Barrel gets a good scrub inside and out, and a Bore Snake with Break Free down the tube, as I put it back together.
Slide, gets a careful cleaning with Break Free, to keep water out of the Firing Pin Tube.
About once a year a detail strip and clean.
 
#21 ·
I clean and properly lubricate my firearms after each use. 'Not a complete strip down to the last pin and spring mind you, but cleaned of powder residue and especially any grit infused lubricants found on the major operating/recipricating parts like frame/slide rails, etc., which if left to remain will promote unnecessary wear.

But, but, but...a gun, it's just a tool, right?! Well, I 'dunno about you, but I like to keep my tools in clean working order, and I never, I mean never eVAR mistreat them or intentionally neglect them by leaving them outside in the elements to rust, or by denying them their required proper lubrication, especially pneumatic tools...if you don't keep them properly lubed and use a dry air source they're going to degrade and eventually fail, typically when you need them most. "But, but, but...I own a $400 Snap On impact gun, and they're the best!" Sorry Charlie, they too need proper lubrication and dry air to continue functioning as designed.

And like the plates and utencils I use while eating my meals, cleaning them after each use makes the cleaning process itself less laborious, complicated, and time consuming. I don't know anyone who would use plates and utencils that were encrusted with 3 day old dried food just because they still "function" as plates and utencils, LOL!

As such it puzzles me why some believe that a particular device promoted as being designed to function in adverse conditions should constantly be proven to function in adverse conditions, while most others would consider such treatment of the device to be unecessary intentional neglect...

I'll take clean as a whistle and properly lubricated, over dirty and dry. And the same goes for my guns ;)
 
#23 ·
I shoot between 15,000-20,000 rounds a year of my own reloads. Clean the bore after every match, and lube everything, using Kellube M12 and PTFE grease on the barrel hood, but only detail the upper twice a year, and the lower once a year. Glocks can run dry and clean for a little while, until they get too hot, and they don't like dry and dirty, but oily and dirty, yea, that's a happy Glock. This is my old 2 pin G17, which just rolled over 200,000 rounds, at about 5,000 rounds since the last detail clean. Still good for at least 10,000 more to cleaning.

 
#24 ·
While it might be worthwhile to detail strip the slide annually if you shoot a lot ( say 5+ thousand rounds a year) there is very to clean or maintain in the frame that you can't get to while the frame is assembled, so you should never have to detail strip the frame to maintain the pistol routinely. My glocks are carried used in matches and practice a lot. My current 19 bought used about 12 years ago sees a minimum of 5k a year and is field stripped about once every 500 rounds ( I do swab the bore every 150-200 rounds if shooting cast lead bullets) and I detail strip the slide once a year and it runs fine. The frame has been detail stripped only twice in each instance as part of an armorer inspection at a glock match, but never have I seen a need to detail strip the frame for routine maintenance
 
#27 ·
I've never heard of a Glock failing to function because it was 'dirty' from not being cleaned.

Frequency of cleaning is a personal choice, and Glock owners seem to have varying notions on when detail cleaning is necessary. I don't recall what the owner's manual says about cleaning, but I don't think it recommends detail stripping to clean on a frequent basis.

I don't shoot my Glocks a lot and I don't take them apart frequently. In my opinion, frequent removal of the pins could eventually wear the holes enough to be problematic.
 
#28 ·
I have a couple of friends who are LE (and also gun guys). They had a competition seeing whose carry could go the longest (round count wise) without any maintenance. One was a Glock 22, the Other a SIG P226 chambered in 40S&W. They had all sorts of rules with regard to what they could and couldn't do, wiping the feed ramp OK, field strip not OK, etc.

They were into the tens of thousands of rounds each with no stoppages, I never did find out who won, I guess in a sense, they both won.

Having said that, I field strip and clean/lube each time any gun has been fired. Detail strip and clean/lube annually for the guns I shoot most often.
 
#29 ·
I do not shoot Russian, Mexican...
The only brand I shoot through my pistols (not counting my SD ammo), is Aguilla. Great stuff. zero issues, very consistent, and shoot as clean as anything else i have ever shot.

To the OP.

On my practice guns, I do a basic field strip, clean, wipe, and re-oil every time I come back from shooting. I pull the trigger out, and strip the slide every 4 outings. (once a month)

On my SD/EDC/Competition guns, they are completely stripped, cleaned, and oiled (frame and slide) every time I shoot them.
 
#30 ·
If you mean taking the lower apart, not very often.

In my practice guns, I basically just wait for something to need mechanical attention. I might or might not clean out the frame at that time. In summer, my practice guns sometimes go 10k rounds with no cleaning at all.

Match guns, I clean the bore and barrel after each use, and brush out the lower. Might break the lower down once a year. But match guns see a lot less use than practice guns.
 
#31 ·
I can't believe that all you guys strip your lowers after "every time you shoot".

That's extreme overkill.

I do field strip and clean after each range session, but detail strip the slide and lower, heck no. Zero benefit to this. If anything it would make your frame pins looser over time.
 
#115 ·
I can't believe that all you guys strip your lowers after "every time you shoot".

That's extreme overkill.

I do field strip and clean after each range session, but detail strip the slide and lower, heck no. Zero benefit to this. If anything it would make your frame pins looser over time.
+1, I'd rather spend more time shooting than cleaning. Have never detail stripped any gun, and have never had one suffer because of that. I think some people just like taking things apart and putting them together again.
 
#32 ·
OK, I'm one of those that detail strip and clean the whole pistol after a range session. Detail strip potentially loosens pins? Help me out. The trigger pin is secured by the edge of the slide stop lever fitting into a groove on the trigger pin. The trigger housing pin is plastic and the the frame is plastic. The locking block pin is metal and is, in my experience, pretty well secured by the guide notches in the locking block. I have a G27 Gen3 purchased in 2002 and well used. Never a wobble in any of those pins. So, does someone have a personal story to the contrary?
 
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