It sounds like a dumb question, but Glock makes a lot of claims about how they will fire under all these circumstances - filled with dust, covered in mud, frozen, etc...  It almost makes it sound as if I don't ever need to bother cleaning my Glock.  Am I just misunderstanding the point that Glock is trying to convey by their statements?

BTW, I have a Glock 17C

I also have a SIG P220 and P226 (which I clean after each range trip)

Nah...just shoot it and throw it in the drawer or the safe. When it eventually fails you can sue Glock because they lead you to believe it never needed cleaning!

Glocks certainly are rugged and can remain reliable under adverse conditions, but I would still say that you need to keep a Glock clean just like any other firearm.  I think Glock's point is that under certain conditions, i.e. military operations, the user may not have the time or the materials to effectively clean their weapon, and their Glock will remain reliable under these conditions.  

Anyone who can keep a Glock clean should.  My Glocks may be rugged as heck, but they're all cleaned meticulously after every use just like the other firearms.  Maybe even more so as I rely on a Glock for defense of life, not just punching paper.

I rely on a Glock for defense of life, not just punching paper.

Word.  If you are able to keep your weapon(s) clean, by all means do so.

No, it'll probably break before it needs cleaning.

I think it depends alot of what ammo your shooting. If you shoot lead then you {b]Must clean the barrel at least every 250 rounds and shoot below 1000 fps.

If you shooting jacketed bullets with fairly clean burning powder you can get away with several thousands with no problem.

My glock seems to shoot better when it's dirty. I clean it every 1000 rounds (about 2-3 weeks for me)

think of it as an portable ak.  yes, you must clean it.  otherwise give it to me and i'll take care of it.

do you really want to put your life on a weapon that is not functioning under the best conditions possible.  I would make sure it is cleaned as often an it is shot, especially if it is you defense weapon.

My life, and more importantly, the lives of my loved ones rest on a Glock 19.  I carry it religiously.  Why would I not clean the tool I depend on?  I consider that abuse.  Not keeping your defensive weapon clean is just gambling with your life.

I clean my pistol after each range session, and once every week, even if I don't shoot it.  

Does it really matter if you need to clean or not...? I find cleaning my weapons is half of the joy of owning them. Glocks are particularly fun to clean. When cleaning, make sure you have a good movie running in the DVD like "Blackhawk Down" or "We Were Solders". "Bravo Two Zero" is another good gun cleaning movie.

They're so easy and quick to clean, I can't think of a reason to not clean them.  If you forget to clean it, or just don't have the time, you're fine to let it go for a while, but I'm borderline OCD w/ the cleanliness of my "kids" so, I have to clean them after each trip to the range.  I just don't like to hold a dirty gun.  

Glocks are the easiest guns to clean and MOST FUN! I wish it will take longer to clean them, sometimes I just do it twice.

The glock will tolerate abuse better than most. But do you want to abuse something that you may use to save your life,or the lives of your family?. Clean your weapon, besides you'll learn more about it that way.

Take care of your friends, as they will take care of you. Your Glock is your friend.

I have a handful of Glocks for varying reasons.  My bedside 9mm gets taken out and shot every several months and then cleaned.

My Carry Model 22 is cleaned every time I fire it and regularly after checking for lint build-up and or dust from running around outside.  I clean it this way because I depend on it. Knowing that it is clean, that I checked out all the important areas before re-assembly, gives me peace of mind.  But also and nearly as important, I don't want to get pulled over because my description matches some ya-hoo that just murdered the clerk at a nearby "Stop and Rob" only to then be found with a pistol that has lots of gunpowder residue on it. I prefer to answer as few questions as possible.  This precaution may help me to limit any problems in such a scenario.

My IPSC competition Model 22....I clean it every couple of months.  I shoot only factory jacketed bullets through it. (So far just factory ammo as I have yet to crank a single cartridge through my Dillon 550 reloader, it's getting cold so that may change) I enjoy seeing how my G22 eats round after round, collects dirt in the mags, and keeps me in the "winners circle" at my local matches.  Not bad....Makes me feel even better carrying another G22 for my defense. (I use the same holster and gear in competition that I carry every day)

Do you HAVE to clean you Glock? Probably not.  Should you?  Might as well.  It's easy and it just might be an important facet of you self-defense.  Hope my thoughts prove useful.

Sly

Quoted: Do you HAVE to clean you Glock? Probably not.  Should you?  Might as well.  It's easy and it just might be an important facet of you self-defense.  Hope my thoughts prove useful. Sly

Exactly.  I would hate to bet my life on skipping a few minutes of time after shooting.

How about this.

I want to know whether a Glock should ever be cleaned.  

How about asking the manufacturer?


I see all these dumb threads about .45 government model vs. Glock and so forth.  

Here is a comment and it relates to cleaning firearms.  I have taken literally dozens of firearms courses.  The .45 government models fail a bit sooner than the Glock models.  There is one constant, however.  When I check, the .45 government model hasn't been cleaned, lubricated or serviced.  Why not?  Because of the folklore that a .45 government model is a "mudder" and doesn't need to be cleaned.  Can the user point  to one manufacturer, Army Drill Sargeant with a name, retail firearms dealer, gun magazine writer, service manual or in fact any source of authority for the proposition that it doesn't need to be cleaned?  Well, you all know the answer!
 


I also see television ads in which people drive new suvs at a high rate of speed on salt water beaches kicking up spray.  Try that!  If you don't get arrested, I would be amazed.  Do you really think that the manufacturer is advocating running its cars in salt water?

 
Mommy!  Do I need to brush my teeth?  

No honey, save time.  Just let them rot and fall out . . . .

if i shoot it,i clean it,if ya don't have enough ammo to get it dirty then leave it at home

The following post is RATED PG 13 {Adult Language} A sense of humor is required...

You know I've been looking at this thread for a while and I think there is a simple reasoning to 1help answer this question. It just hit me like a bolt of lightning...

Do you *need* to wipe your ass?  Again, I say probably not.

I once told a wise man that I was called an asshole and took offense. The wise man said, "Oh Grasshopper, you must come to realize that the asshole is the only thing in the world that is perfect.  It is perfectly round and it serves a function...If it quits you die.  It's that simple, that important."

The wise man went on to say that you can live without a lung, arm(s), leg(s),or without a kidney.  A lot of folks live only using one side of their brain.  But when your asshole shuts down your dead.

I clean my Glock and I wipe my ass regularly.  I advise others to do the same!

Sly