Break-in Period and Gun Care?

[JoeS]

I just picked up my first polymer gun (XD-9 Tactical) and I have a couple of questions before I start using it:

1. Do these have a break-in period before they are considered 100% releable?

2. On my steel gun, I use Hoppes 9, Gun Scrubber and Rem Oil on it. How should I clean my XD?

[omegaic]

I've read posts that say there is a break-in period of a couple-hundred rounds. I personally haven't experienced that. The only difference I have noticed between the first and 1500th round is that the trigger pull got a little smoother and the magazines load easier.

I keep my cleaning regimen quick and easy. I clean it after every visit to the range or once per month, whichever comes first. I use Hoppes on everything that is exposed to powder, and lube wherever there is metal-on-metal wear as indicated by the finish rubbing off. (I try to keep my cleaning sessions under an hour as I tend to sit there and clean for hours if I don't watch myself.)

[XD-9Service]

No real break in period. Wipe away excess oil or grease before you shoot it the first time. Shoot several different brands and types of ammo through it to see if it will feed all of it reliably. It will probably be reliable right out of the box, but shoot several hundred rounds through it before you trust it.

Don't over clean it. It will run reliably with a minimum of care and maintenance. Some people cause more wear and damage from over cleaning or constantly disassembling their pistols than actually shooting them.

Follow the directions in the owner's manual for cleaning and maintenance. Don't over lubricate it. It doesn't need much lubrication.

Be careful what you put on the polymer frame. Some strong chemicals will weaken or mar it, but I'm not sure which. I've never needed to put any chemical cleaner on my polymer frames. Just wipe with a Qtip or rag. It usually comes right off.

I run a dry mop or bore snake through the barrel after every trip to the range. I wipe down the exterior of the magazines and the frame inside and out with a clean dry cloth. I put a little oil on the lubrication points and store it away safely. Every so often I clean the barrel. It doesn't seem to get very dirty.

With an XD you will want to keep the slide protected with rust preventative. Some really like the Armadillo product. I just use a thin layer of RemOil and wipe off the excess.

I don't keep my pistol too clean or spend too much time cleaning it or I will be reluctant to shoot it and get it dirty. Don't sweat it. Enjoy your gun.

[kgpcr]

I lube with gunbutter. it works great. check it out at
www.gunbutter.com pistol-gear.com sells it and he has great prices and service. as for a cleaner i love Hoppes Elite

[Waldo]

Break in instructions for rifles and handguns...


Buy gun, get 100-3,000 rounds of ammo. Go to range, shoot all ammo, go home. Clean your gun.

Its broke in.

[Lumberjack98]

+1 on gunbutter.

I was really skeptical, but it definitely makes the slide cycle noticeably easier.

[JoeS]

I know that on my steel Kahr, every so often I give it a really good cleaning. I field strip it including removing the grips and clean it like new. I use a toothbrush with some Hoppes 9 and remove all the cr*p thats on there, especially in the barrel. Then I hit some hard to reach spots with the Gun Scrubber, dry it off with a rag and spray some Rem Oil on the wear & tear spots. When I'm done, that gun looks like new.

Do these guns ever get field sripped and cleaned or does everyone just give them a quick cleaning? If you do field strip and clean them, how ofter is this done?

[XD-9Service]

I think most people field strip their XDs regularly and clean the major parts. I don't think they need to be disassembled beyond field stripping and cleaned very often - unless you were shooting in poor conditions and got dirt or water in it.

Like I stated above, most of the time you can wipe the major parts down with a cloth, run a bore snake or mop down the barrel, relubricate the wear points, and reapply rust preventative where needed after normal range trips. My XD-9 doesn't seem to get very dirty. Most of the powder residue comes off the feed ramp and barrel with a wipe of a regular cloth and Qtip - even from my reloads.

Seriously, I think you can do more damage to a firearm by over cleaning or disassembling it rather than using it.

Our semi local indoor range almost never cleans their range guns - unless they have extra time on their hands or a gun starts malfunctioning. That is, they get lots of rounds without much cleaning.

[JoeS]

Thanks for your replies.