no you are mistaken grasshopper....if you do not maintain your barrel on the outside then the bluing will beging to disappear and the barrel will then begin to rust. Kinda like expensive silverware....if you don't keep it polished then it will then tarnish and look like kaka. Keeping your barrel oiled up will protect it in rainy conditions or morning dew. Inside of the barrel you should use powder solvent as well as a nice wire brush to remove any solids that buildup in the barrel. In most cases the gun should be cleaned after each shooting outing to keep it in tip top conditions. I myself neglect my rifles and shotguns and they only get cleaned maybe once a month if they have been shot or longer if they haven't. Now my glock 40 gets cleaned after each outing. Mostly because I can take it down, clean it and have it back together in just under a few minutes or so.