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Member Posts: 554 ✭✭✭
after how many rounds should I clean a ruger lcp 380??
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Standard rule of thumb for military weapons is after the last shot of the day.
Zero.
IMO, you should clean the gun before firing the FIRST round! You do this to get manufacture-related residues out of the gun, ensure its properly clean and lubricated, help speed break-in (especially important in these small polymer 380s) and also familiarize yourself with its takedown and operation before using it.
As to how often to clean the gun AFTER that, I think there is room for debate there.
Some people will clean their gun after every use/range trip. That's perfectly reasonable, ESPECIALLY for a concealed carry gun you're effectively trusting your life to. As long as you're careful about how you clean the gun, there is nothing wrong with doing this.
That said, I think some of this "clean after even one shot" mentality is a holdover from the days of corrosive primer ammo, when NOT cleaning your gun promptly after use would likely result in serious corrosion problems. That's basically not an issue with modern guns and ammo.
If you're specifically talking about the current generation of combat handguns, almost all of these will run for many thousands if not tens of thousands of rounds of normal ammo without cleaning, without malfunction. While there are guns that will start to malfunction after being just a little bit dirty, IMO the "solution" to guns like that isn't to keep them sparkling clean, its to get rid of them entirely, and replace with a more rugged design!
You may choose to do so for peace of mind, and to create a good habit, but you shouldn't *have* to clean your gun after every single use.
Bottom line, how often you clean it is partly up to you. If the gun is malfunctioning, clean it. If the gun looks visually dirty, you should probably clean it. If the gun has been exposed to moisture or other corrosive elements (EG corrosive ammo) then strip it down and clean it. Otherwise, its probably reasonable to clean it once every few boxes of ammo you run through it.