clean it every time you shoot it, you dont need to, all ive ever shot for competition was a remington 1100, i still shoot it and clean it after everytime i take it out, and ive never had a malfunction in competition, and ive had one in the field,(dont ask me how a stock of maize got stuck in the receiver, anyway, i was just at a competition, and i was the only one who cleans my gun everytime i take it out, nota malfunction, everyone else was using remington 1100's and veronas, mine was the only one that didnt stutter