How to Clean & Maintain Your Gun
How often to clean, what you actually need, and maintenance routines for carry guns, ARs, and more — answered by experienced owners.
The Quick Take
Most people overthink cleaning. For a modern gun, the routine that actually matters is simple: after each range trip, run a bore snake, wipe the carbon off, and — most important — re-lubricate the contact points. Under-lubrication causes far more malfunctions than dirt does. A full detail strip is only needed occasionally, not every session.
Carry guns need one extra habit: pocket and holster lint builds up around the striker channel and extractor, so even if you barely shoot it, pull it out monthly and brush that out. The community answers below cover how often to deep-clean, what products you actually need, and platform-specific tips for ARs, pistols, and shotguns.
