1911: Service Interval?

[Rovert]

Can you guys tell me what the recommended service/cleaning interval is for a Kimber 1911? I know the old saw says 'never let the sun set on a dirty gun', but I also know experienced guys that just wipe down the outside of the gun with a silicone rag, and only clean every 200 or 300 rounds, or two weeks, whichever comes first.

What's the story? Is cleaning a must after ANY use, or can it wait? If it can wait, for how long?

TIA!

 

[Dyno 10]

Don't let cleaning your 1911 or any other gun wait. It's nice to think that we can clean them the next day-but something always comes up to delay us even more. It's easiest just to clean them after every shoot. Guns that I don't shoot I clean every 3-4 weeks, I will admit that I am obsessive but it is the only hobby I have and have invested too much to see rust or any other nasty crud build up. Enjoy.

 

[dsk]

I have a Series 80 that I cleaned well, then took to a training class where I fired 500 rounds. A month later I took the same gun (without having been cleaned) to an advanced class where I fired 1000 rounds. It went back in the safe afterward, and a year later I went to the range with it after merely squirting some lube on the slide rails. I then fired 200 more rounds. That's 1700 rounds without cleaning, with NO malfunction of any sort! While I certainly don't advocate abusing a gun like that, it shows what a 1911 can take. By the way, mine has a loose slide/frame fit (since new) so it can take getting gunked up. One of those nice, tight 1911's that folks seem so enamored of might not go as far.

 

[Rovert]

Thanks. The gun in quesiton is a Kimber Custom Eclipse II, and I am a bit concerned about going a few days between cleanings, if I happen to be away from home, or not able to do it right away.

 

[stans]

If you can't clean after a trip to the range, just put the gun in a very dry place. Moisture is the bane of any firearm.

 

[ryucasta]

I would say that it all depends. If your using surplus corrosive ammunition you should clean the immediately since those primers will rust out your barrel in a matter of hours. Out here in Southern California you can get by without cleaning a gun for sometime due to the lack of humidity but in climates like Florida you’ll have to clean it more often and store it with silica gel to prevent rust from forming. Just use common sense. Certain powders are dirtier than others. For example when I use Winchester 231 it leaves a lots of residue behind, but Vihtavouri 320 is a lot cleaner burning which allows me to shoot more rounds without the buildup. Hope you find these responses useful.

 

[7th Fleet]

If you can not clean it when you get home, just spray it down with WD-40 until you can get around to it and no harm will be done to it if you must wait a few days.

7th

 

[kdh]

I just clean mine every 500 rounds whether it needs it or not.

 

[la rue]

lifes too short to worry about it.i try to clean my gun everytime after i shoot,but i have been known to go through a thousandrounds before i clean my kimber.no harm done.