How often to clean semi-auto shotguns....

T

Trapper Luke

New member
Just outta curosity how often do you guys like to clean your semi-auto shotguns? Mine is a Winchester SX3 so its gas operated if it matters any...?

Thanks,
Luke
 
I shoot a Maxus and a SX2 during duck season, I flip flop back and forth, but I can go nearly all season before I clean them, unless it gets wet or has been raining.

Buy you some Slip 2000 piston and choke cleaner for the piston, steel wool and a good carbon cutter for the magazine tube, I like Hoppes and a good gun scrubber for the inside of the barrel and magazine tube.

I toss the piston in a sealed container with the Slip 2000 over night and use a brass/copper piston brush in a drill motor for the inside of the piston and a brass brush for the outside, if it is really dirty it may take a couple of overnight cycles. I use the same brush dipped in the Slip 2000 for the barrel/piston lug making sure I do not damage the o-ring.

I dip the steel wool in the Hoppes for the mag tube and remove all of the carbon tracking.

I use the gun scrubber and a bore brush chucked in the drill for the bore, making sure I pay special attention to the gas ports.

I use a short bore brush for the action tube and the magazine tube chucked in the same drill motor.

I use a brass "tooth" brush for the bolt, rails and inside of the receiver, spray it all down, wipe everything with a quality oil, making sure to remove the excess, a couple of drops of Slip 2000 gun oil on the rails, anti-seize on the choke tube, re-assemble and truck on
 
I at least wipe my SBEII down after every use, and if im water fowl hunting it gets torn apart soon as i get home. Been used and abused but looks brand new still because i take the time to do it. The SX3 is a good gun, take care of it and it will last a long time. Make sure you clean the "gas" parts often otherwise when it does come time to clean, you will be scrubbing for a long time. They tend to get dirty pretty quickly.
 
Gas guns every time I use one. Benellis when I get around to it; at least when shot for upland or clay sports. After shooting ducks and geese, it gets cleaned every time.

I have a buddy who shoots the SBE II and he hasn't cleaned his in two years and he hunts water fowl about 3 days a week. It cycles every time with full loads. We shot trap the other day and it would not cycle 1 oz light 2 and 3/4 loads. I attribute that to a lack of cleaning.
 
My Benelli M1 get's cleaned once or maybe twice a year and it hasn't failed me since 1996. I am guessing it has close to 10k rounds through it.

Regardless of how dirty it is, a shot of Rem Oil always seems to loosin things up.
 
My sx3 gets put to the test. I don't clean it until it jams. If it rains on it or gets dropped in the lake (happens to much). I spray it with oil. Real cold weather I hit the bolt with breakfree the day before I use it. This time of year when its used every day I shoot it with oil before I put it in the gun case. No jams this waterfowl season 2 1/2 cases of shells in. Keep oil in your bag and it won't let you down
 
If it's wet and nasty out. Or when the action slows down. Use a decent grease rated for the low temps. Last 2 bird hunts I went on I had at least 1 person with a single shot because their oil froze up and kept the action from cycling.

My o/u no issues
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Trapper LukeJust outta curosity how often do you guys like to clean your semi-auto shotguns? Mine is a Winchester SX3 so its gas operated if it matters any...?

Thanks,
Luke

Luke,

It really depends on the shotgun. First, if any gun gets
wet, or is exposed to dust, sand or mud, clean it ASAP.

If it is just a nice day in the field/marsh and I am pounding
out a lot of rounds, then the shotgun determines when I
clean it.

For an older style semi-auto gas gun like a Rem. 11-87/1100,
I clean them when they get to a 100 to 200 round count. One
important note on cleaning gas guns, is cleaning means tearing
down the stock to get to the recoil spring. That is a regular
source of cycling issues in gas operated shotguns.

For newer generations of gas operated shotguns, like my
Browning Gold, or my Beretta 3901, I think you could go
a couple of seasons between cleaning, if you were so inclined
to neglect a shotgun that way. After a couple of dry weather
hunting trips, I clean mine, just be cause I have nightmares
about guns not going BANG...

Squeeze
 
Originally Posted By: CATWHISKERSEvery time you use it.

I'm the same way. It normally not really necessary to clean out the gas system every time, but I clean everything after every shooting session.
 
Most of the duck hunting I do is in salt water. Around the Salt Lake. So mine get cleaned every time I'm out. Now just kicking bunnies or maybe a chance coyote, I just run the bore snake through it.
 
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