I have an M&P Shield 2.0 9mm for my carry. I have been going to the range 3 or 4 times a month and firing 50 to 100 rounds per trip. I clean the gun itself after every range trip but I honestly don’t know how often I should clean the magazines and what I should focus on when I do. Any helpful tips much appreciated.
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There is a good thread about cleaning, it somehow covers magazines as well:
But for fast answer:
- outside wipe off every time I clean my firearm (I focus on top of the follower to be sure it’s completely clean)
- detailed (take it apart) every 1000 - 1500 rounds or whenever I find malfunction
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I’ve never really cleaned my magazines… maybe wipe down the feedlips?
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Actually it depends on the ammo and maybe a firearm a little. If you find you r firearm dirty after shooting 100 rounds, the magazine will probably require detailed cleaning after 500 - 600 rounds.
But the most important is the follower - be sure the top is ALWAYS clear. Dirty follower will cause malfunctions.
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I don’t necessarily find my gun dirty after just 100 rounds. I just find it very relaxing to clean my gun. So after range time I like to clean her up.
…and after typing that I have realized I think my gun is a her…
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Welcome to the team @Marc19
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Welcome to the community Marc19!!
Great question…usually most people just focus on the firearm itself.
My answer lines up with @Jerzees 's …every time I clean my firearm I give my mags a quick wipe down (which for me is after every trip to the range).
The only time I’ve disassembled them is when I’ve had issues with them feeding or after a training where mags were dropped in the dirt to get any debris out and wipe down.
My two cents…welcome again.
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@Marc19 Does She ever talk dirty to you? Mine does! 
LOL.
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but… do not clean your gun like dishes after every meal. Frequent cleaning does more harm than good…
Looking at your shooting - 100 rounds per trip x 4 per month …
I’d suggest to just wipe it off (outside + magazines) per each trip and filed strip every 4th trip (once per month).
M&P Shield doesn’t like a lot of oil so clean and lube during field strip is enough.
Detailed magazines cleaning… perhaps every 6 months…
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I use Gun and Choke Grease on the inside and on the spring and base. I found a mag that I dropped in the yard last fall (I was wondering where it was) so it was under the leaves for 6 months.
The outside was pitted in spots but the inside was fine because of the grease, I clean mine 2 to 3 times a year. Just me. 
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@Marc19 Welcome to the community,from Michigan
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Now that’s something I hadn’t heard before or considered (normally the argument against cleaning is eh, it doesn’t need it so why do it).
Can you expound a little bit on that @Jerzees? My range attendance and cleaning frequency if probably 2x per month…how would cleaning after each session do more arm to my firearm (assuming I’m not over lubricating anything)?
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Twice per month is definitely less than after every meal… 
unless you eat every 2 weeks… 
Anyway, nobody is perfect and whenever we do something we can either make mistakes or do something incorrectly, thinking we do this right.
Firearm is a tool which can handle a lot, but also it contains small parts, precise parts and weak parts (if used incorrectly).
It’s easy to make mistake cleaning the firearm:
- improper solvent, lubricant
- wrong cleaning tool (bad cleaning rod can ruin rifling; bad brush can scratch or score the surfaces)
- frequent, repeated disassembly can make screws or pins loose
- incorrect assembly
- forcing parts back together
So it’s not “over cleaning” but rather “taking risk to do something wrong way if it’s not required to be done”.
Cleaning process itself may not harm the firearm but we can easily do something that may harm it.
And YES - over lubricating is not good. The same story… it’s nothing really bad, but it creates necessity of frequent cleaning. 
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Take a Q-tip and run it down your magazine, when it comes out black and dirty, clean it. If it is gray, just give it a wipe. S=D/T or T=D/S
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This is what I do. After about 500 rounds I disassembled them and wiped them down and reassembled them dry. After each cleaning I cycle 10-15 dummy rounds to be sure all is functioning correctly.
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Welcome to the family and God bless you. If you are going at that rate you stated at least once a month you should clean your mags.
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I would be once a week for me
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I check mine when I clean the gun by compressing the spring etc and clean them if needed… I have noticed some places that have sandy soil require the mags to be cleaned every time I shoot there. I took a class that involved drills with dropping empty mags and doing reloads. I could feel the sand grit in the mags every time I topped them off and was probably lucky to get through the day with out one hanging up.
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I would recommend cleaning them more Often if you are dropping them on the ground when changing magazines, especially if the ground is dirt or sand.
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I always buy several extra mags simply because it’s easier at the range. I clean the outside just because they are there when I clean my pistols that have been fires but I have never cleaned the interior of a magizine, I do rotate them every few months the keep the springs from weakening
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