# Who strip cleans their Magazines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Guns & Gear\ **Created:** [December 30, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689 "2021-12-30T13:55:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Buddha-In-The-Sun](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/buddha-in-the-sun/32/46405_2.png) [@Buddha-In-The-Sun](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Buddha-In-The-Sun)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/1 "2021-12-30T13:55:20Z")
I break down all my magazines and clean them not regularly, but I do it enough to know it gets pretty dirty. The follower is always filthy, and the Magazine body and base plate I find those need love. Spring needs a little wipe down. I feel good knowing I do Maintenance - I have less chance of a malfunction. In my daily life ---
**Author:** ![Scoutbob](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/scoutbob/32/158375_2.png) [@Scoutbob](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Scoutbob)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 2:14pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/2 "2021-12-30T14:14:30Z")
I don’t do it often. Honestly I don’t get to shoot enough these days to be concerned. I’d like to do all my carry mags once a year. ---
**Author:** ![John292](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/john292/32/22214_2.png) [@John292](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/John292)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/3 "2021-12-30T15:00:49Z")
More often when I’m dropping the mags in the dirt at an outdoor range, or shooting really dirty ammo. Less often when I’m not. When I hear-feel or see grit when I’m loading them, I take that as a cue they need attention. ---
**Author:** ![Nathan57](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/nathan57/32/37700_2.png) [@Nathan57](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Nathan57)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/4 "2021-12-30T15:01:51Z")
I pretty much don’t. I have carry/HD/SD magazines that I use enough to prove their function, and then I stop actively using them (other than cycling carry ammo through carry gun on occasion). Contrary to myth, springs in quality magazines wear out primarily from use, from being cycled, not from sitting loaded. And of course using mags means getting ‘stuff’ in them and probably dropping them on the ground/concrete as well. So I then have ‘range mags’ that get used and maybe abused. I don’t take them apart to clean them either unless I literally dropped them in mud or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![BRUCE26](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/bruce26/32/111546_2.png) [@BRUCE26](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/BRUCE26)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:07pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/5 "2021-12-30T15:07:20Z")
I clean and oil mine several time’s a year or when I know their dirty, Take nothing for granted. 🇺🇸 ---
**Author:** ![Alexander8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Alexander8](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Alexander8)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/6 "2021-12-30T15:47:18Z")
I disassemble my mags maybe once every 5 years if even so. They don’t get any abuse though. I do use a compressed air canister when I can to make sure they don’t accumulate grit/lint. ---
**Author:** ![AlphaKoncepts](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/alphakoncepts/32/6472_2.png) [@AlphaKoncepts](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/AlphaKoncepts)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/7 "2021-12-30T16:27:14Z")
It really depends. I don’t do it often, but certainly, I advise my students after an outdoor defensive pistol class, it’s a really good idea. The magazines get much dirtier from outdoor shooting activities, such as dropping them in the dirt for emergency reloads, than from being gentle on a static indoor range. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to occasionally clean your carry magazine since lint and dust have a tendency to find all the small cracks. ---
**Author:** ![Jesse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/jesse/32/3112_2.png) [@Jesse](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Jesse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/8 "2021-12-30T17:20:46Z")
Occasionally, just to make sure that they are fully functional. ---
**Author:** ![Brad](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/brad/32/9565_2.png) [@Brad](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Brad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/9 "2021-12-30T17:52:59Z")
Never, and no issues so far. I just wipe them down on the outside after I’m done with them. ---
**Author:** ![Jerzees](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/jerzees/32/111382_2.png) [@Jerzees](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Jerzees)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/10 "2021-12-30T17:58:32Z")
Mostly… it depends. I always clean the follower and outside body. Detail cleaning… I would say every other month. I shoot a lot and never found single problem with magazine that didn’t get detail cleaning for 2 months… but it may depend on the manufacturer. ---
**Author:** ![Mike164](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/mike164/32/52494_2.png) [@Mike164](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Mike164)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/11 "2021-12-30T18:03:26Z")
Sounds like a good idea but I’m not sure I’d know how to take any of my magazines apart, short of brute force… ---
**Author:** ![techs](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/techs/32/28512_2.png) [@techs](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/techs)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/12 "2021-12-30T18:37:26Z")
Once in awhile, when I feel like major “spring” cleaning — probably not more often than annually. Never have found any surprises. Wipe grime off top of followers after use, and shake loose dirt out after they’ve been on the ground. I find soil particles will get between the follower and the magazine body pretty often. Before refilling, I will push the follower around with my finger and shake until there’s nothing rattling around inside — don’t get accumulations. I use EDC magazines only when swapping out old ammo, to verify function. Practice is all with separate magazines, which seem to be functioning indefinitely. I don’t find pocket lint or such accumulating inside a magazine which is full of cartridges and inside a gun all the time. ---
**Author:** ![John292](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/john292/32/22214_2.png) [@John292](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/John292)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/13 "2021-12-30T19:03:02Z")
There are instructions elsewhere on the web, depending on if your mags have detachable floor plates or not. With fixed floor plates press the follower down and insert a small screwdriver or brazing rod through the witness holes to release pressure on the follower. The follower should come out followed by the spring. Reverse the process to reassemble. ---
**Author:** ![Mike164](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/mike164/32/52494_2.png) [@Mike164](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Mike164)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/14 "2021-12-30T19:04:53Z")
Thank You! I’ll give it a try this afternoon… ---
**Author:** ![Wood](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/wood/32/10460_2.png) [@Wood](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Wood)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/15 "2021-12-30T20:45:22Z")
Any and all magazines I have, new or old, are thoroughly cleaned, very lightly lubricated with a non-oily, non-dirt attracting protectant, function checked, and are then _kept_ clean so I _know_ they are ready to go at a moments notice. I can appreciate the training aspect of dropping the magazine to the ground for a fast reload however I cannot bring myself to do it for several reasons. Plus, it’s more work to disassemble and re-clean them. Should the time come that I have to drop my magazine to the ground to re-load I will and have no problem doing so because the last thing I will be worrying about at that point is getting my magazine dirty. ---
**Author:** ![John292](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/john292/32/22214_2.png) [@John292](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/John292)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/16 "2021-12-31T17:14:32Z")
I should add that I don’t make a habit of regularly taking apart my magazines on a schedule, but only when they actually need it. We’re dealing with stamped sheet metal and a spring, which are possible to inadvertantly damage. ---
**Author:** ![GumballPro](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/gumballpro/32/26710_2.png) [@GumballPro](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/GumballPro)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/17 "2021-12-31T17:34:21Z")
If you own a Glock, this is pretty cool: > **[Homepage - GTUL](https://mygtul.com/)** > > You can now take apart your magazines without marring, gouging, or damaging the metal liner. Quickly remove dust, powder residue and grime that may hinder ---
**Author:** ![Mike164](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.usconcealedcarry.com/mike164/32/52494_2.png) [@Mike164](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Mike164)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/18 "2021-12-31T18:42:54Z")
My Kimber mags were simple to take a part and clean. One screw and all of the parts come out pretty easy. ![20211231_113406](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/dd_dev/original/3X/f/6/f619ef2e71991989f14a491bf0ea3e8c430f4a98.jpeg) ![20211231_113103](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/dd_dev/original/3X/9/a/9a0d1ca0c656618bf43c1b3201a16845d8f577cf.jpeg) They were all dusty but not disgustingly so. I wiped them out, one drop of Lucas on the spring and done. ---
**Author:** ![PDA3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@PDA3](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/PDA3)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/19 "2021-12-31T19:04:01Z")
I take apart my mags when I drop them on dirt. Otherwise, all I do is a wipedown of the outside, follower, and feed lips then blow some compressed air through them. ---
**Author:** ![Frank73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/13edae/32.png) [@Frank73](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/u/Frank73)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689/20 "2021-12-31T19:08:09Z")
Excellent advice. Same here. Happy “Cake Day” @PDA3 [Next page](https://community.usconcealedcarry.com/t/who-strip-cleans-their-magazines/78689.md?page=2)