How often do you clean your duck gun?

[Scott Klecka]

I clean mine at the start and end of the season.  I will wipe it down after a hunt but only if I'm not going the next day.  I do clean it better if it has been out in really nasty weather or if I get muck on it.  What does everone else do?

[killerv]

I break mine all the way down at the end of each season. I have the sure cycle system in the stock and magazine so it can go awhile without a cleaning. I can't brag enough about their products. I worked for a gun shop during college and at one point I could break down almost any pump or automatic shotgun. I stick to mostly beretta and benellii cleanings now.

[Scott Russell]

I use a Browning Gold Hunter and I break it completely down about every 3-4 hunts.  Will shorten that interval if I've had a few days where I ran through more shells than normal from missing.  I might could push it between cleanings but like Don said it's part of the program at this point in my life.

[Shawn H.]

Once every five years ,if it needs it or not! J/K I shoot a walmart 390 and have the sure cycle system as well, like most I clean it well every third or fourth hunt and wipe it down in between. I too have been pleased with the performance of the sure cycle system. I have been thinking about having it cleaned with the ultra-sonic deal and then dipped in a camo cover. The bluing is showing some wear and will rust quick in some spots. Shawn

[killerv]

That walmart 390 was the best deal going on a good autoloader for awhile. The only difference between it and the al390s was that it didn't have a magazine cutoff and came with a plastic buttplate. I use Slip2000 choke and piston cleaner on most of my gunparts, at least the ones that fit in the bottle, it gets all that carbon and powder building up without out any scrubbing. When done, I just wipe the parts down, spray with a light coat of oil and rebootyemble. For bigger parts or spraying out the reciever and mag tube, I use Gun Scrubber. A guy I shoot with bought 20 of those walmart 390 and took them down to mexico for the outfitter he books hunts for. They shoot 10s of thousands of rounds through those guns every year and they say the 390 and the benellis are the only guns that holds up to that kind of shooting. They had issues with the 391 barrell bands breaking from the barrell because of the carbon and powder buildup around the spring and piston, the spring couldn't move and eventually the band would break. You also have to keep in mind that they don't exactly shoot quality clean shooting shells.

[Shawn H.]

I still have my old 870, but I got a wild hair a few years ago and wanted an autoloader. I bought that gun for $499 and it has been a work horse. I am not real easy on one in the field, and I even dropped this one barrel down in some mud and four feet of water one morning. I got back on the bank, field stripped it and cleaned it best I could with my emergency blind bag t.p. Got back to hunting and limited out on blacks and gads (Scott K. I need to get you to this spot next year) all this was 5 minutes before LST. It has been a great gun. Shawn

[Scott Klecka]

Got back to hunting and limited out on blacks and gads (Scott K. I need to get you to this spot next year) all this was 5 minutes before LST.

I will take you up on that offer.

[TedE]

When Mossberg introduced the 835 I ordered one. Yup "ORDERED", they weren't actually out yet.  I wanted a goose killer but rather than wait longer I took a NWTF commemorative model that came available.  I've used that gun for everything.  Used to say everything but paddleing the boat but can't say that any more.

I do wipe her down when she gets wet - usually - and have had her apart a few times over the years but by and large I "clean" her when ever I get the urge.  Sometimes that interval is years!  Used it for everything from doves to clays to ducks and geese.  My youngest boy (22yoa) just killed his first gobbler with her this spring (finally she got to do what she was meant for).  The gun has never let me down in spite of my abuse of it.  I've gravated to doubles in recent years, which get a good cleaning and oiling after every outing but when the chips are down the old mossy is what I reach for.   Not exactly what you asked for but there it is none the less.
TE

[killerv]

An 835, all my dad ever introduced me to growing up was deer hunting. We lived in a fairly populated area and our county was shotgun only, no slugs either. When the 835 came out, he bought the first one he could get his hands on. We shot  3 1/2in 00buck and we killed some deer with that gun. When I finally got into turkey hunting, it was all I shot. Killed my first turkey at 55 yards with it, but it was pure luck at that range with those loads back in the day. Quite frankly, I patterned a lot of turkey loads with it and I got tired of the punishment, so I bought an xtrema2. The thing was, shooting at a turkey didn't hurt, but at a paper target, good gosh, that was painfull! My dad broke his collar bone shooting turkey loads through a single shot back in the day. Did you know, a lot of turkey loads have more recoil that a lot of safari guns, 458 win mag and up, and we are just trying to kill a bird at close range? Makes you think.

[TedE]

Don't want to hijack the thread but the comparison to big bore rifles is worth a thought - happens to be one of my other interests. 

While such rifles pack higher pressures and velocities, few use projectiles over an once like most shotguns do! [1oz.=437.5gr.] The roman candles from the mega12 and 10ga. approaching 2oz. of shot are over all but a few rare big bores. It is the starting of that heavy projectile(s) down the barrel that most affects felt recoil. 

Most field shooting is from a standing or at least an up-right (sitting) position as opposed to the "bench rest" normally used for patterning, sighting-in, etc... In an up-right stance your body rocks back somewhat with the recoil absorbing much of it.  In a ridgid sitting position you are essentially an anvil and the gun is the hammer!  Of course the excitment of shooting game helps more than a little!  

Many big bore shooters use a "standing rest."  Essentially a long legged benchtop at elbow level to the standing shooter.  Repeatedly shooting a big double rifle for regulation or to "file-in" the sights would be tortutre from a regular bench. A 2x4 c-clamped to a post will give you a steady standing rest while sighting in or patterning your shotgun.  Try it and save your shoulder some pain!     

[killerv]

Don't want to hijack the thread but the comparison to big bore rifles is worth a thought - happens to be one of my other interests. 

While such rifles pack higher pressures and velocities, few use projectiles over an once like most shotguns do! [1oz.=437.5gr.] The roman candles from the mega12 and 10ga. approaching 2oz. of shot are over all but a few rare big bores. It is the starting of that heavy projectile(s) down the barrel that most affects felt recoil. 

Most field shooting is from a standing or at least an up-right (sitting) position as opposed to the "bench rest" normally used for patterning, sighting-in, etc... In an up-right stance your body rocks back somewhat with the recoil absorbing much of it.  In a ridgid sitting position you are essentially an anvil and the gun is the hammer!  Of course the excitment of shooting game helps more than a little!  

Many big bore shooters use a "standing rest."  Essentially a long legged benchtop at elbow level to the standing shooter.  Repeatedly shooting a big double rifle for regulation or to "file-in" the sights would be tortutre from a regular bench. A 2x4 c-clamped to a post will give you a steady standing rest while sighting in or patterning your shotgun.  Try it and save your shoulder some pain!     

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/ammunition/2009/03/bourjaily-i-hate-3-12-inch-turkey-load

"A .458 shooting a 510 grain bullet at 2100 fps out of a 10.5 pound double rifle generates a 53 foot-pound shove of recoil. A 3 1/ 2 inch, 2 ounce turkey load at 1300 fps in an 8 pound pump smacks you with 66 foot pounds. When a cartridge made to kill elephants before they kill you is more pleasant to shoot than a shotshell for 20 pound birds, something is wrong."

[charlie f]

After every hunt..!!!

[Ben Evans]

At least once a season unless we get into a super dirty wet field hunt.

  Goose smasher

[Jeff Nelson]

Have been using a lubricant called MILITEC-1 here in Iraq and it works great with all the sandstorms.  Dust/sand clings to oil on our weapons something terrible.  This stuff collects a fraction of the dust that CLP (military issued oil) does and it is super slippery.  It is like an oil lube, but synthetic.  You can actually hear our machine guns cycle faster after we apply it - compared to when we only used CLP.  You only use very small amounts and the website does say it inhibits corrosion and makes cleaning easier.  My observation is that nothing will "stick" to it...again, super slippery.  I plan on using it on my SBE to kill ducks.  

http://www.militec1.com/

-Jeff

[Jared77]

After every time I use them at the end of the day.  Grandpa got me in the habit and I think its a good one to get into.