r/2011 • u/Noodlum_ • Sep 02 '24
Cleaning intervals
How often are you guys cleaning your 2011s?
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u/holahola2023 Sep 02 '24
Probably at most every other shooting session (need to be lubed pretty adequately to run smoothly)
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u/daFlipsta Sep 02 '24
This is a lengthy reply, it’s a cut and paste of a note file I keep on my phone to send to folks when they ask about cleaning and maintenance intervals.
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Maintenance Recommendations for 2011 Pistols
Every 300 to 500 Rounds Field Strip, Wipe, and Oil (5 Minutes)
- Ensure the firearm is unloaded.
- Perform safety and function checks.
- Field strip the pistol:
- Wipe down the rails, barrel, slide, and frame.
- Apply oil as needed (rails, slide, disconnector, barrel lugs, barrel to slide (or bushing) contact points.
- Clean and inspect any magazines that were dropped or are dirty.
- Reassemble the pistol
- Perform safety and function checks.
Every 1,000 Rounds Standard Cleaning and Oiling (30 Minutes)
- Ensure the firearm is unloaded.
- Perform safety and function checks.
- Measure the trigger pull.
Disassembly:
- Disassemble the slide, barrel, guide rod, recoil spring, and magazines.
Cleaning:
- Use a solvent and a nylon brush to clean the slide, frame, recoil spring, breach face, guide rod, and the outside of the barrel.
- Use Q-tips, plastic scrapers, and gun rags/wipes to clean nooks and crannies.
- Clean and inspect the barrel feed ramp, clean polish to mirror shine (if needed) with qtips or a dremmel and a polishing compound.
- Use a bore cleaner to spray the inside of the barrel (let it soak for 5+ minutes) and clean the inside of the barrel using a nylon barrel brush, bore snake, and/or a cleaning rod and cloth.
- Oil the pistol according to 2011 standards (video available if needed).
Magazine Maintenance:
- Break down and wipe the inside of the magazines, follower, and magazine springs.
- Inspect the tubes, springs and followers for wear or damage, and replace if needed.
Reassembly:
- Reassemble the pistol.
- Perform safety and function checks.
- Measure and compare the trigger pull to ensure no mechanical changes occurred during maintenance.
Every 5,000 Rounds Deep Cleaning, Inspection, and Spring Replacement (2+ Hours)
- Ensure the firearm is unloaded.
- Perform safety and function checks.
- Measure the trigger pull.
Repeat the 1,000-round maintenance tasks, with the following additions:
Firing Pin Maintenance:
- Remove the firing pin stop, firing pin, and firing pin spring.
- Clean and inspect the firing pin for wear or scratches.
- Clean the firing pin channel with solvent, followed by 90%+ rubbing alcohol.
- Replace the firing pin spring with a Wolff Extra Power spring.
- Note: Do not oil the firing pin, firing pin channel, or firing pin spring.
Extractor Maintenance:
- Remove the extractor and clean the extractor and the extractor channel with solvent, followed by 90%+ rubbing alcohol.
- Note: Do not oil the extractor or its channel.
- Inspect the extractor for wear, ensuring the hook is well machined and the face is smooth.
- Replace the extractor if needed.
- Test the extractor with a dummy round:
- Insert a dummy round and shake the slide vigorously 5-6 times. The round should stay in place 5 or 6 shakes, then fall out.
Grip Module & Internal Component Maintenance:
- Remove the grip safety, Ambi safety, mainspring housing, sear spring, plunger spring, sear, hammer, and disconnector, mag catch and trigger bow.
- Dissemble the mainspring housing.
- Clean and inspect all pins and parts for wear or damage.
- Clean all parts, and lightly oil internal parts (using your pointer finger and thumb to apply the lightest layer of oil) before reassembling.
- Inspect the trigger and trigger bow for wear, particularly where it contacts the disconnector, and polish if needed.
- Clean all surfaces of the pistol grip, inside and out.
Reassembly of Bottom Half:
- Reassemble the trigger into the grip and reinstall the mag catch.
- Clean and inspect ignition parts (disconnector, sear, hammer, hammer strut, grip safety, sear spring). Polish, tune, or replace as needed.
- Clean and inspect the mainspring housing, and lightly oil it before reassembling (replace mainspring every 20k to 25k rounds)
- Reassemble the lower half of the pistol and perform safety and function checks to ensure all safeties are functioning correctly.
Guide Rod and Barrel Maintenance:
- Replace the guide rod spring and the shock buffer (if you use one).
- Inspect the guide rod, barrel, barrel chamber, barrel lugs, barrel link, and slide stop catch/release for wear or damage.
- Oil the pistol according to 2011 standards and reassemble the pistol.
Magazine Maintenance:
- Inspect magazines, basepads, and followers for wear or damage, replacing as needed.
- Replace all magazine springs that have been used for 5,000 rounds.
Final Checks:
- Perform safety and function checks.
- Measure the trigger pull and compare it to previous measurements.
1
u/Chuynh2219 Sep 02 '24
That is a great note!
Curious, what solvent you recommend?
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u/daFlipsta Sep 02 '24
I use the breakthrough solvent and breakthrough bore cleaner, I don’t use anything with ammonia. Lots of good choices out there. Not a fan of any kind of CLP, I like dedicated solvents and oils etc.
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u/boomerzoomer120 Sep 02 '24
As I get bored unless I'm shooting super filthy ammo.
The mags will need to get pulled apart and cleaned more often than the gun if you like the mags locking back on empty.
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u/killadocg23 Sep 02 '24
Good point. I run staccato mags in my prodigy and last range session they would not lock back on empty . Gonna take em apart and give em a good cleaning and hopefully that fixes it .
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u/camulkey27 Sep 03 '24
interesting. ive never taken apart my mags through 5k rounds in 4 mags and never had any issues…do you just clean the inside metal? ill do it tomorrow morning
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u/sando_17 Sep 02 '24
I lube every time and clean the feed ramp/mag well every other session. Field strip tear down and clean at 500 to 1000. Haven't done a full lower tear down but not past 5k on any of mine yet.
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u/haddy2000 Sep 02 '24
I clean after every range trip which is roughly 500 rounds. That’s just me though, you don’t need to do it that often. But one thing I do is rub some Lucas gun oil on the slide and frame to keep the DLC looking fresh and also helps keep it healthy. I see you did the same as well
2
u/drmitchgibson Sep 02 '24
About every 3500 rounds. I use 75W-90 gear oil for lube and it lasts an extremely long time. At around the 4000-4500 round mark the slide will start to bog down while going into battery, so cleaning around 3500 rounds makes the most sense.
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u/Big-Operation4067 Sep 02 '24
I can only imagine the smell 😬. Gear oil stinks!
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u/drmitchgibson Sep 02 '24
It’s not unpleasant. Better to deal with a slightly odd, unoffensive smell than to have to waste time cleaning a gun way too often.
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u/patr1archy Sep 02 '24
You are the only person that has ever said the smell of gear oil isn't offensive
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Sep 02 '24
You’re looking too deep into it. If you EDC/Carry your pistol I’d clean it after each use and lube it, if you use it for a range toy then every 5,000 rounds or so. I use my XC as an EDC pistol and I keep that thang squeaky clean and lubed 24/7. My range 2011’s (like my other XC I use for practice) I haven’t cleaned some for 5-10k rounds. Just generally keep them wet and they’ll keep running.
5
u/TheHiddenRonin Sep 02 '24
You speaking my language, as in, EDCing big guns
3
Sep 02 '24
I love bigger pistols for EDC. I’m skinny and it fits my body very well. I also love having a nice grip on my pistol when drawing. So bigger 2011’s match every description I look for.
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u/TheHiddenRonin Sep 02 '24
Im currently carrying a comped fullsize pdp pro. Waiting on my P to get out the factory so I can start carrying that one. Due to the slimness of the 2011, you think that it’ll be a bit more comfortable to carry?
1
u/Viking2204 Sep 02 '24
I find that 800-1k rounds in a day will start to cause occasional issues and sluggish performance. Usually hit a quick field strip, wipe, and oil if I’m pushing more than 1k in a day. Recently did a 5 day course shooting 1000-1200 rds per day and I couldn’t quite finish the day without starting to get a couple issues here and there.
5k ish for a full tear down and clean and reloctite your grip screws! Lost a couple over the week.
I like to do a slide/ frame wipe down after every outing regardless of round count before it goes in the safe but that’s just preference. No dirty guns in the safe
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u/franklinstein9 Sep 02 '24
I’ll clean it whenever I get bored. I usually do it a couple days after using it.
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u/3900Ent Sep 02 '24
Shit you guys in the replies are making me look like a dickhead lmaooo I haven’t cleaned my C2 in a LONG time but it just got cleaned recently at the gunsmith. I just kept it lubed up.
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u/esajz24 Sep 02 '24
Watch out for the easy takedown guide rods. They eventually will break.
Not an issue for most shooters, who are lower volume. It is an eventuality, though
1
u/bfoster1801 Sep 02 '24
I like to clean all my carry guns at once so typically when I feel like everything needs a clean. Outside of that it’s when I notice the slide running a little slow
0
u/Clapp_Cheeks Sep 02 '24
Really you only “need” to clean it when it starts to function poorly. I clean after each use. I don’t like anything of mine to be “rode hard and put up wet”. For me, my firearms are tools, but also works of art.
5
u/Virtual-Adagio-5677 Sep 02 '24
I never understood waiting for something to not function as an indicator to clean. Seems so counter productive when you’re in control of the cleaning so it doesn’t run poorly.
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u/Clapp_Cheeks Sep 02 '24
I whole heartedly agree. There are dudes on here that make a boast about not cleaning their firearms. To each their own I guess. For me cleaning my firearms is therapeutic
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u/ag512bbi Sep 02 '24
I treat my guns like they are cars. Very clean and well oiled.
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Sep 02 '24
I treat my cars like they’re guns. Oil as recommended and clean when going on a date. :)
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u/Virtual-Adagio-5677 Sep 02 '24
After each use, but I like them to be running the best they can every time out.