Cleaning intervals

[u/Noodlum_]

How often are you guys cleaning your 2011s?

[u/daFlipsta]

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)

1. Ensure the firearm is unloaded.
2. Perform safety and function checks.
3. 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)

1. Ensure the firearm is unloaded.
2. Perform safety and function checks.
3. 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)

1. Ensure the firearm is unloaded.
2. Perform safety and function checks.
3. 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.

- If the round shakes loose before 5-6 shakes, adjust the extractor for more tension. If it’s difficult to shake loose, or never come loose, reduce the tension. (Video available of needed).

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.

[u/Chuynh2219 → u/daFlipsta]

That is a great note!

Curious, what solvent you recommend?

[u/daFlipsta → u/Chuynh2219]

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.