Concealed Carry Corner: Different Levels of Firearm Maintenance

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we looked at the best caliber for smaller carry guns. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to take a look at another issue that’s fairly common – lack of maintenance for the firearms you carry on a daily basis. Cleaning firearms after hitting the range can be a fairly common occurrence, but often we don’t think about our carry guns as being dirty even though we don’t go to the range and fire them. The amount of dust, sweat, and other debris can degrade the protective coatings and eventually affect the firearm’s functionality. Let’s take a closer look at the different levels of firearm maintenance.

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• Concealed Carry Corner: How Competition Improves Carrying Concealed
• Concealed Carry Corner: Training With Your Carry Gun
• Concealed Carry Corner: Small Semi-Autos Vs Revolvers

Sweat and moisture from the summer heat can do a significant amount of damage in a relatively short period. What I will typically do is set a certain day whether it’s the first or last day of each month to sit down and do a thorough cleaning of each carry gun to make sure everything is in working order. Making sure the barrel, internal parts and slide are all rust-free and in good condition will help lengthen the life of your carry gun. It’s important to regularly inspect and maintain the one piece of equipment you will rely on in a self-defense situation, and it’s important to take care of it to your best availability.

I hate to admit the obvious fact for most, but there’s a large majority of people who don’t clean or maintain their carry gun nearly as much as they really should. Whether it’s a busy schedule or just the fact you don’t want to take the time to do it, people will oftentimes just say it’s good enough and go on with their day. I will say I have been in that position even though my gun was as dry as a desert and full of lint or sweat. It’s easy to sit on my ivory tower and demand people do a full disassembly and cleaning once every month or two but that’s not realistic for some. Some people just want to do the bare minimum for one reason or another so what’s the best thing to do in that situation?

If I had to choose just one thing to do, I would pick up a good synthetic-based lubricant, and even if I do not want to clean my carry gun, I would at least throw a couple drops on the top of the barrel, on the slide rails and on the outside of the slide. This basic level of maintenance will not only ensure your gun can work effectively but will also help prevent surface rust spots from developing on the slide of your carry gun. This may be a lazy way of cleaning your gun but it will ensure your gun functions properly and at least has some protection from sweat and moisture during the summer months.

States like Florida and the southern American states have a high level of humidity and moisture in the air. When visiting South Carolina, I was shocked at how fast some of my guns developed surface rust in as little as a week, so these southern states may require people to maintain their carry guns more than other states where temperatures are cooler with less humidity. If you live in a dry stable climate without excess heat or moisture, you can probably get away with only cleaning your carry gun once or twice a year, whereas if you live in a climate with high humidity, you may have to clean your gun on a monthly or even bi-weekly basis. Maintenance may not be a fun topic but it’s certainly important to ensure your gun works as it’s something you depend on in a life-threatening situation.

We are all busy people with our daily lives, but if you take on the task of carrying a concealed firearm every day, it’s important to take time to maintain and care for your carry gun. Whether it’s a full disassembly and cleaning, or just re-applying some lubricant to the essential parts. Cleaning your gun is dependent on where you live which can vary from a couple times a month to once a month or even more. What are some of your thoughts on how often you clean your carry gun? I would love to hear how often you typically clean your carry gun down in the comments below. If you have a question about carrying concealed or firearms in general, be sure to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.