"To clean or not to clean? That is my question."

[wingbone]

On friday I hunted all morning in the pouring rain. I always wipe down my gun after an outing like that but after saturdays hunt I tore down the gun and did a complete cleaning. We can't hunt sundays in PA so today I shot some patterns just to keep my confidence.

My hunting mentor tore me a new one and said never tear down until after the seasons over.

Just wondering how others felt about this issue. I would still do it again, I can't stand the thought of my gun sitting all season soaked on the inside.

Thanks for any replies.

[Moonshine Gobbler]

If it's a semi yes I would have done the same. With my 870 I just do a wipe down and be done with it.

You said you shot it so I assume it's still on.

With that being said and done, I say don't worry bout it.
No go out there and get your bird!
Good Luck

R

[janesy]

You mentor's superstitions are his and his alone. If you think you're gun needs cleaning than it does.  You never specified what gun you shoot. if it was a wingmaster than it would probably be OK, an express...different story, you'd have rust forming in all the small spaces whether you can see them or not.

All guns could definatly benifit from a cleaning after a full days rain and mud. I cleaned mine after a totally crappy day this past tuesday.

[mark hay]

CLEAN IT . if in any doubt about a pattern or point of aim shift , shoot a couple .
 you'd be sorry for not cleaning if the piece failed you at the moment of truth.
if there is any water at all in the woods while i'm hunting , i'll remove forend and barrels and wipe her down and re-oil liberally. i keep a gun oil soaked , 100% cotton bandana stuffed in an ALTOIDS can . actually i keep two on hand , one in my safe , and one in my hillside sportin' room .

[Turkeybuster]

Clean it I hunted in the rain today and when I got home I took the gun apart and left it sit for a couple hours to dry. As a second thought as I was prepareing to clean it my son took the bolt and trigger mechanism out and there was a lot of water still in the receiver. I shoot a semi and it will probably get stripped every day I hunt in the rain.

[Magnumdood]

Clean your firearm after shooting.

Clean your firearm if its been exposed to moisture.

Clean your firearm every month in the off-season whether it needs it or not.

Clean your firearm because you feel like it.

Don't ever NOT clean it because the bones fell in a forbidding pattern in the dirt.  How ridiculous.