Always assumed my firearms would go “bang” when I pulled the trigger until I started cleaning my firearms this past weekend. Ugh, breaking them down, cleaning the action and barrel is not fun, plus I think I got a slight buzz from using Hoppe’s #9 even though I was in my garage with the doors open. Most were fairly clean and it went pretty quickly. I got to my Ruger SR which has always been reliable and went to check if it was loaded (I try to be easy on the springs and have the slide in battery, hammer dropped with semi automatics). When I pointed it in a safe direction and pulled back the slide stuck and was “sticky,” it was not pulling back smoothly. Even worse, it did not snap forward as quickly as it should have, almost slow motion. Last time at the range I did not clean it. The oil had gummed up and was the consistancy of grease and elmer’s glue. It cleaned up well and was as snappy as ever. It had been at least two years since I last shot it. No rust fortunatly. My point is clean your firearms on a regular basis. I typically use CLP “Break Free” to lubricate them, but had used another brand of oil on the firearm during it’s previous cleaning. Since I only use the Ruger for fun it is not a big deal, but it would have been a bad day at the range if I had brought it and hoped to shoot it. All are clean now, I will be cleaning on a more regular basis especially my carry guns (which I may only clean after range use or every two months, more often in hot weather.)
A clean gun is a happy gun… 
Cleaning guns is fun. The nasty job is shooting them so they get dirty.
To each his own. I enjoy cleaning my guns. I like breaking them down, examining the internals, taking everything from foul to clean. I enjoy putting them back together — really knowing my gun. It’s a confirmative process.
Like @Fred_G said, a clean gun is a happy gun.
And a happy gun is a happy shooter.
And clean your bullets before you load them into the magazine so your pistol won’t be as dirty when you go to clean it.
I typically clean each gun the day I use it, or on rare occasion, a day or two later. A friend of mine who was much more lax about cleaning his guns, moved one summer, and the guns went unattended for some time. Tragically, most of the guns that went uncleaned, did indeed rust, some severely. Major portions of his collection were damaged or rendered unusable. some revolvers would not even “revolve”, and others that did not show rust, still did not work, as springs were stuck and the like. I would caution that it can take less to keep a revolver from functioning than one might imagine.
Even if a gun was well cleaned and well oiled, depending on where you live, a year in the safe uninspected can be too long. Black powder guns are particularly notorious for rusting if not cleaned,
But a carry gun, even if not fired, in my opinion, ends up needing a simple cleaning on a regular basis. On the order of once a month.
Round count can make a lot of difference too. Often, the more often it’s cleaned, the easier it is.
Forgive me, because I don not mean to “lecture” but that ruined collection was awful not only for the great loss of value, but also for the fact that he, unwittingly, was without the gun he counted on having!
Polish the cases of your ammo with Flitz (no Brasso) too.
“A clean gun works cleanly!”
Religiously, once a month! Put a reminder in the phone.
These days I’d rather polish the barrel than wax the car!
That sounds a lot worse than it is! 
I clean mine after every use. I don’t like the thought of anything that might cause a malfunction of any kind. For example, I used some crap ammo once in my S&W Victory during the peak of the last shortage. The barrel had so much lead garbage in it, the brass brush cleaner got stuck in the barrel and I had to rubber mallet it through twice. Also, if any are going to sit for a long duration not fired, I check them monthly and at the very least give them a good spray coat of Birchwood Casey Barricade.
Oldman talk here. I come from the day when Gun Powder was the worst thing you could do to a gun. Leave it for a day or 2 and the bore would start corroding. Because of that I HAVE TO clean mine the day I shoot them, it’s just to traumatic not to. If I don’t I lay in bed at night thinking about the inside of the barrel pitting and rusting and gunk and… OMG it’s terrible.
I have been pretty fortunate, no rust with poor cleaning habbits. The firearm goes in the safe, and every week or two I pull out the dehumidifier (an Evadry), plug it in let the moisture leach out of the silica jell for 24 hours and put it back in the safe. Typically the gel has turned light pink from dark blue. Guess I will be stepping it up a bit on all my firearms, even the unused ones. BTW, I have heard garages are the worst place for your safe. I tend to agree with that from both a safety standpoint and humidity and temperature standpoint. Most people do not have a heated or air conditioned garage!
That’s correct. People usually use gas heating in garage, without humidity control and with overhead door this area is the best way to get a rust.
Whoever cares about the firearms will keep them in the same conditions as him/herself. 
Barney’s bullet maintenance.
Yeah, he played the annoying guy in so many things, but I always loved Don Knotts. Especially in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet.
That’s hilarious!
I have several Glocks, I shoot them, I clean them. As soon as I get home, even if I only fired one round, gun gets cleaned. It’s easy on the Glocks, but my AR15 takes a bit more work. Not my idea of fun, but when it comes to items that may save your life (gun, iPhone, etc) I never chance it. Maintenance always.
I feel the same way. But lately, I’ve spent more time on the range watching other people shoot. I haven’t cleaned a firearm in weeks! Hopefully I can set aside some “me time” this week and find an excuse to clean a handgun or rifle.
Stay safe out there.
You might try some Hornady One Shot spray. Cleans and lubes. Goes on wet but dries to a slick film. No oily residue. A wet carry gun will gunk up and the oil can kill ammo.