shibumiseeker
Grandmaster
I grew up being taught to take care of your gear.....
If I shoot it - I clean it.
I grew up being taught not to do things just because. If there's a good reason to clean gear I do it. If it's just a matter of cleaning a piece of equipment because it meets someone's idea of aesthetics then I don't bother. I don't buy the "clean gear lasts longer" theory either. That's true if the dirt is abrasive, but in the case of soot, lead, and copper fouling, that "dirt" actually acts as a lubricant and protects bearing surfaces. Even if it didn't I have probably 50,000 rounds through a Buckmark, and it doesn't feel loose, nor has the accuracy noticeably degraded since I bought it. It gets some clp once in a while.
Now, if I were rolling around on the ground with it, or using it in a high grit environment, I'd clean it more. If the barrel were getting so fouled as to obstruct, I'd clean it more.
I clean equipment when it needs it to remain reliably functional. In the case of my EDC guns they collect lint and grit as I carry them, so they get cleaned more.
In my mind taking care of your gear does not equal "making it shiny and spotless." It means making sure it will do the job you ask of it and not wear it out needlessly. If you like your gear to be squeaky clean that's fine, but don't try to justify your fetish by looking down upon those who don't share it.