[aimless]

How often should I clean my 4" GI .45? I've put 120 rounds through it of Remington and Winchester target ammo. I'd like to have something to look forward too, that way the thing isn't jamming every other shot before I decide it needs a good cleaning.

 

[Paul F.]

Aimless, I clean mine every time I shoot it. :wink:

 

[semiauto]

I'm with Paul on this one, I clean my 1911 every time I use it. It doesn't really need it all the time but it makes me feel better :wink:

 

[aimless]

Well, I use mine a tad more often with a slightly lower frequency. I've had it for nearly three weeks. I've shot it five times already, but only put about 25 rounds through it each time. I may finish the box of ammo I have then do it, because otherwise I'm going to go through a ton of oil and pads.

 

[TheRedScare]

About every 200 rds should do it. Depends on what types of ammo used. Handloads with unique or old ammo should be cleaned right away.

Dont forget that you can clean guns too much. Sounds stupid but I was removing my extractors and firing pins and cleaning them individually. This seemed to lead to extraction problems. Not sure if it was from moving the extractor or oil........

 

[b540glenn]

How often should I clean my 4" GI .45? I've put 120 rounds through it of Remington and Winchester target ammo. ....

I have had times when I ran hundreds of rounds through mine ( SA mil spec .45) over several shooting sessions without cleaning and without malfunctions.

As you use your gun, you'll learn its behavior patterns.

 

[uh1]

you can keep the bore and feed ramp clean without disassembling. you may have to clean the extractor groove after awhile if you start getting extraction or ejection problems. when I was on a pistol team, we only cleaned ours thoroughly once a year; unless something broke, which was pretty rare. After each thorough cleaning, the pistols had to be 'shot in' again, and would usually return to a slightly different zero than before. When you have .45s that are easily capable of keeping all shots in the X-ring at 25 yards, you soon learn what works and what doesn't. baths don't work. do keep the bore and feed ramp clean tho. also, keep it well-lubed. wiping off excess lube is all the cleaning you will generally need.

most people on this forum know that .45 ACP barrels have very shallow rifling. you should examine a new bore at your first opportunity to see just how shallow. that will keep you from thinking you need a new barrel when you don't.

 

[Titandriver1]

do keep the bore and feed ramp clean tho. also, keep it well-lubed. wiping off excess lube is all the cleaning you will generally need.

+1 Unless I am not going to the range in a while then I do a thorough cleaning.

 

[Paul F.]

When doing general cleaning, I field strip the gun only. Patches, a brush and a bit of lube suffice. About 2-4 times per year, I take it down to the "pieces" level, no more. As stated, taking the gun down to pieces level on many occasions more than necessary can result in problems and isn't needed.

 

[451911fan]

Agree with everything said so far. As someone who learned the hard way, I now clean my 1911 after every range visit.

 

[woodsong]

Ditto here -- clean after every range trip!

 

[White7]

Agreed ,,I clean mine after every outing,,,and sometimes I take it out and clean it again for the heck of it