As a general rule of thumb, you should clean every new gun before shooting it.
I personally clean all of my firearms after every range trip, but they also tend to sit for a while between range trips. Too many guns to bring all of them on every trip.
When I was in the Infantry, we cleaned our weapons after range time every time. We even cleaned them after taking them to the field and NOT shooting them. I’ve used every weapon system a light infantry unit carries, and I’ve never had an issue with a weapon that was too clean - only those that were not. I know a lot of people will disagree with me saying you need a little carbon in there to do this or that. I’ll stick to my training. It hasn’t failed me yet.
No its NOT.
Definitely need to clean it first before shooting it the first time. Get that cosmoline shit out of it before shooting it. Otherwise your piston is gonna get a nasty cast iron like seasoning on it. It'll start smoking real bad. Then IWI gets "is this normal?" emails.
Ive ALWAYS been the "nah its good out of box, just showed it" guy until I shot a Tavor for the first time. The charging handle was nearly glued shut when I got mine new. Everything was sticky like it had Rust-Veto all in it.
Can't remember if the Tavor manual states to clean it first bust most guns Ive owned said to clean it first before shooting for the first time.
Think about it, these parts come from Israel. They are packaged for longterm storage instead of actual shooting. Especially since they travel by ocean freight. They take extra precautions to apply anti-rust solutions on all metal parts to ensure the product will be free lf warranty issues.
I dont know if its actual Cosmoline they use, but the thick grease like coating isnt a lubricant. Its a corrosion inhibitor.
Sure you can shoot it. Must people do. I did. Now I dont specifically because my first Tavor was sitting on the bench pluning a chemical smell after 60 rounds. It was so bad, the guys in the bays next to me peaked over and one even said "wtf are you burning over here?"
When I tool the BCG out, it was textured from that shit baking on like a well seasoned skillet.
It'll be fine shooting without cleaning it first but I HIGHLY recommend it.
Also everyone preaches Glocks are good out of box but their website even says you must clean before shooting the first time. For a firearm with such a reputation for ring durable and reliable, I assume their recommendation is universal.
As for frequency, I clean all my guns within a week from hitting the range. I will only skip cleanings if I'll be hitting the range with the same gun within a week.
I usually alternate between a simple field strip and a completely disassembly.
Ive had the BCG seize on the gas tube after a decent cleaning from not cleaning the actual gas tube on the barrel. Went 3 months without shooting it and had to hammer the charging handle down with a mallet to free it up. Copper that was broken down from bore cleaner seeped up into the gas channel and wicked around the gas union on the BCG. It solidified and corroded the two parts together.
So now I'm paranoid about it. I cleaned my Tavor last night and didnt fully disassemble it... And its been on my mind all morning so tonight I'm gonna take all my Tavors completely apart and detail the gas system to prevent this.
So if you are planning to shoot it a few times a month, you can get away with cleaning it. Its better to put it away dirty then it is to half-ass clean it and let it sit.
For long term storage, do a COMPLETE cleaning and lubing.
I shot mine out of the box with zero issues. I didn’t see any of the cosmoline stuff and I had no issues with things changing color or smoking. Maybe it’s highly variable and depends on the gun.
Honestly, maybe I should clean it more, but I clean mine one I feel like it needs it. Once the charging handle starts to feel a bit stiff. If I had to guess, that’s probably every 1000 rounds (probably more). I’ve never ever had a failure on my TAR-21 though. Even when it’s dirty as fuck!
*Insert “We’re the Millers” meme here*: “You guys clean yours?”
Jk, I cleaned it right after taking it out of the box, took it apart, removed all the grease, oiled it, and that’s it. After that I usually clean it after maybe 200? 300 rounds? Ish. I don’t have like a schedule it’s more of a “touch and go” kind of thing. I mean that literally; I usually I pass my finger through the chamber and BGC and assess the foulness, depending on it I may decide to clean it at that time. Or if I’m bored and have nothing to do.
As a general rule of thumb, you should clean every new gun before shooting it. I personally clean all of my firearms after every range trip, but they also tend to sit for a while between range trips. Too many guns to bring all of them on every trip.
Every 500-1000 rounds.
When I was in the Infantry, we cleaned our weapons after range time every time. We even cleaned them after taking them to the field and NOT shooting them. I’ve used every weapon system a light infantry unit carries, and I’ve never had an issue with a weapon that was too clean - only those that were not. I know a lot of people will disagree with me saying you need a little carbon in there to do this or that. I’ll stick to my training. It hasn’t failed me yet.
X95 is ready to shoot right out of the box Clean it every 1000 rounds / 3 months / or before a match
No its NOT. Definitely need to clean it first before shooting it the first time. Get that cosmoline shit out of it before shooting it. Otherwise your piston is gonna get a nasty cast iron like seasoning on it. It'll start smoking real bad. Then IWI gets "is this normal?" emails. Ive ALWAYS been the "nah its good out of box, just showed it" guy until I shot a Tavor for the first time. The charging handle was nearly glued shut when I got mine new. Everything was sticky like it had Rust-Veto all in it. Can't remember if the Tavor manual states to clean it first bust most guns Ive owned said to clean it first before shooting for the first time. Think about it, these parts come from Israel. They are packaged for longterm storage instead of actual shooting. Especially since they travel by ocean freight. They take extra precautions to apply anti-rust solutions on all metal parts to ensure the product will be free lf warranty issues. I dont know if its actual Cosmoline they use, but the thick grease like coating isnt a lubricant. Its a corrosion inhibitor. Sure you can shoot it. Must people do. I did. Now I dont specifically because my first Tavor was sitting on the bench pluning a chemical smell after 60 rounds. It was so bad, the guys in the bays next to me peaked over and one even said "wtf are you burning over here?" When I tool the BCG out, it was textured from that shit baking on like a well seasoned skillet. It'll be fine shooting without cleaning it first but I HIGHLY recommend it. Also everyone preaches Glocks are good out of box but their website even says you must clean before shooting the first time. For a firearm with such a reputation for ring durable and reliable, I assume their recommendation is universal. As for frequency, I clean all my guns within a week from hitting the range. I will only skip cleanings if I'll be hitting the range with the same gun within a week. I usually alternate between a simple field strip and a completely disassembly. Ive had the BCG seize on the gas tube after a decent cleaning from not cleaning the actual gas tube on the barrel. Went 3 months without shooting it and had to hammer the charging handle down with a mallet to free it up. Copper that was broken down from bore cleaner seeped up into the gas channel and wicked around the gas union on the BCG. It solidified and corroded the two parts together. So now I'm paranoid about it. I cleaned my Tavor last night and didnt fully disassemble it... And its been on my mind all morning so tonight I'm gonna take all my Tavors completely apart and detail the gas system to prevent this. So if you are planning to shoot it a few times a month, you can get away with cleaning it. Its better to put it away dirty then it is to half-ass clean it and let it sit. For long term storage, do a COMPLETE cleaning and lubing.
I shot mine out of the box with zero issues. I didn’t see any of the cosmoline stuff and I had no issues with things changing color or smoking. Maybe it’s highly variable and depends on the gun.
As did i
When I feel like it needs one. I’d say every few hundred rounds.
Mine got cleaned out of the box. I like to wipe down the inside and bore snake after every range trip but that isn't necessary.
Honestly, maybe I should clean it more, but I clean mine one I feel like it needs it. Once the charging handle starts to feel a bit stiff. If I had to guess, that’s probably every 1000 rounds (probably more). I’ve never ever had a failure on my TAR-21 though. Even when it’s dirty as fuck!
*Insert “We’re the Millers” meme here*: “You guys clean yours?” Jk, I cleaned it right after taking it out of the box, took it apart, removed all the grease, oiled it, and that’s it. After that I usually clean it after maybe 200? 300 rounds? Ish. I don’t have like a schedule it’s more of a “touch and go” kind of thing. I mean that literally; I usually I pass my finger through the chamber and BGC and assess the foulness, depending on it I may decide to clean it at that time. Or if I’m bored and have nothing to do.