[Guest]

I'm fixin on havin a cleaning session sometime soon. I'm wonderin if there's an easier way than the way I've been doin it...a million patches and a million q-tips it seems like.
I was curious as to if it'd hurt it to be soaked for a day in some kinda cleaning solution to help remove all of the gunk. I've talked to some military vets and they used to tear em apart and just soak em in a vat of mineral spirits.
I don't like that idea all that much, but what about some kinda solution like gun scrubber??
I've shot probably 1000rds through it so it's pretty icky in the usual places...chamber, barrel, and parts of the trigger assembly.
I did manage to get the bolt really clean tho!
Any advice would be helpful as to what you guys do with yours....I'd like to get it as clean as new for this summer's shooting season.

 

[Guest]

........nevermind :twisted: .....nikon777 should be here soon.... :wink:

 

[Guest]

The AR is a pretty simple machine, easily broken down into its basic components and, in my humble opinion, not too difficult to clean. In the time that you've contemplated soaking, you probably could have thoroughly cleaned your AR.

 

[Guest]

Not sure why you need so many patches to get the bore clean. Chrome lined? If so, it shouldn't be that hard to clean.

Anyway, it takes me a bit to clean mine too. I usually soak a few of the smaller parts in Hoppes #9 while I clean the other parts with Breakfree CLP.

If you want to soak parts overnight, you won't hurt anything but you need to be mindful that when you're done, you've still got clean wipe them off and lubricate. You may want to use CLP instead of mineral spirits. Also, I'm not sure if you're doing this but don't use excessive lubricant. Follow the guidelines in any of the numerous manuals that are out there. I've seen folks o crazy with CLP and then complain that their weapon is filled with gunk after shooting. Last bit of advice, you don't need to clean for an inspection by a DI.

 

[Guest]

The barrel is easy to clean really...it's chromed. However that little areay before the chamber is gnarly nasty.
I've got a can of Break Free powder blaster that's never been used....would it work?

 

[Guest]

The barrel is easy to clean really...it's chromed. However that little areay before the chamber is gnarly nasty.
I've got a can of Break Free powder blaster that's never been used....would it work?

I've never tried it. I just use a chamber brush with some drops of CLP on it, plung it about 5 times, and the last one I leave it & rotate it about 5 times.

 

[Guest]

I tear down and shoot Liquid Wrench over the parts and let them soak for a couple of hours (good time to load ammo or watch a ball game).

I then scrub with brushes, spray with brake cleaner, and lube up. If I can I like to shoot 10 or so rounds to make sure I put it back together correctly.

 

[Guest]

Chuck a cheap rod into a power drill and attach your chamber brush. Add some CLP to the locking lugs area and use your power drill to power scrub that annoying area. Then rinse it with brake cleaner, powder blast or some WD-40.

I just tried this the last time I cleaned my AR and I hated the locking lugs. I took apart the bolt and bolt carrier and soaked it in Simple green and scrubbed with a toothbrush, rinsed under HOT water and sprayed with brake cleaner to remove any water. Worked like a charm.

The bolt carrier makes me want to buy an ultrasonic cleaner though.

 

[Guest]

I also read somewhere about someone building a cheap bubbling type cleaner using a small pump for an aquarium, tubing and assorted stuff from Home Depot.

 

[Guest]

Just out of curiosity, how about the dishwasher with 'simple green' or 'pruple power' for the smaller stuff?? All my AK kits were cleaned like this before the build. Pots and Pans setting, hot dry........worked really good...wife ws pissed...but the CC bill for the receivers :twisted: took her mind off the dishwasher....

 

[Guest]

Echo what some have already said.

At OCS we didn't fire live rounds but we did put a lot of blanks through it which IMPO are more nasty than typical ammo you can use....and not to forget all the mud and water me and my girl had to go through.

All we were issued was CLP and an old cleaning kit. If you are talking about where the locking lugs are, Q-tips are your friend. Use the chamber brush with CLP to break up the nastiness then take a handful of Q-tips to clean up what was broken up from the bore brush and repeat over and over. Some times I would bend the Q-tips a little to help reach in difficult places.

And don't over lube everything. I had to lug around my rackmates M-16 for a week because he got booted out for not performing up to standards. To make a long story short, it was the nastiest thing I've ever seen. All he would do was add CLP and never wipe it down. Then there was me.....our last inspection at OCS by the Colonel, being told my weapon was flawless………

 

[Guest]

TAKE THIS ADVICE FROM A FORMER MARINE.....

Clean the M16/AR15 rifle after EVERY shooting session. Never let the carbon cake into and harden on or in the bolt carrier set. It is a necessary evil to keep the rifle free of carbon in the chamber and in the bolt carrier group. To help remove deposits, go to Walmart and buy Breakfree solvent spray cleaner (it is not as harsh on skin and it doesn't smell as strong as most) and Breakfree CLP as lube. Also while at Walmart, buy yourself a BoreSnake for a .223 and a big box of Q-tips. Forget about using the patches and bore brush. Put some CLP on the first few inches of the BoreSnake and run it thru several times. It will do the trick. Use a small nail to loosen the presoaked carbon deposits in the chamber. Do not scratch into the metal. You only want to break the top layer of carbon then aggitate it with a small nylon brush. Mil-spec M-16 cleaning kits are availible with a specific chamber brush. If you can locate one of those then that is good to use too. Be sure to stagger the gap of the 3 gas rings on the bolt. Make sure that the ring groove is well lubed and that the gas rings are not broken or damaged.
http://www.amerisurp.net/misc_cleaningkit.htm

 

[Guest]

I dont find the locking lugs too bad to clean. However, inside the bolt carrier is a PITA. I have cleaned that thing for what seems like days, and I still cant get the q-tip or rag to come out clean.

 

[Guest]

What Warhead'z said about not letting carbon cake on the bolt and bolt carrier.

lots of good advice already posted.

Other than that, hot water, carb cleaner, tootbrush, clp, q-tips, patches, a bore brush and a dental pick.

Also simple grean, shaving cream, wd-40(and similar sprays) work great. How about some kiwi on the handguards/buttstock?

 

[Guest]

I dont find the locking lugs too bad to clean. However, inside the bolt carrier is a PITA. I have cleaned that thing for what seems like days, and I still cant get the q-tip or rag to come out clean.

Take the female end of a cleaning rod, and run it around the inside. tap the loose carbon out, and repeat. Use carb cleaner and a dental pick to assist.

 

[Guest]

This is a nice cleaning tool for the chamber that I found. I used it one time and it really saved the pain of trying to get q-tips or dental picks in that tight area. Easy to use and IMO worth the price.

http://www.gandrtactical.com/cleaning_files/stars.htm

 

[Guest]

There are many ways to clean the AR Rifle. What works best for ME is for the bolt & carrier, disassemble & blast it out good with brake cleaner. Use Q-Tips for some areas. Finish with G96 CLP. Both My ARs are RRA. The RRA Armorers said all they use is G96 for CLP. I bought some & now use it on all my guns. Period. Even smells good! 8)
Cleaning the chamber is made easy with chamber stars. Link below to obtain some. Soak these with your CLP of choice and you can clean the chamber easily & effectively
Buffer Tech - M16/AR15 Chamber Star 20 pack

 

[Guest]

break clean, just use a face shield

 

[Guest]

Clean it well, especially the chamber/lugs, but it doesn't have to pass a white glove inspection. Break-Free foaming bore cleaner is the best product I've ever bought to clean rifle bores. If your chamber and bore are chrome lined, it should clean up relatively easy. Clean the BCG well, but I don't worry about the carbon on the bolt tail too much, it flakes off on it's own. If you soak the bolt, while you're cleaning the rest of your weapon, most of it will come off easy anyway. Don't stick anything in the gas key, or gas tube. If you feel like you must clean the gas tube, spray some brake cleaner in there, and call it done. It cleans itself, so I never bother. I use BF CLP as a final lube.

 

[Guest]

I tear down and shoot Liquid Wrench over the parts and let them soak for a couple of hours (good time to load ammo or watch a ball game).

I then scrub with brushes, spray with brake cleaner, and lube up. If I can I like to shoot 10 or so rounds to make sure I put it back together correctly.

+1 ON THE BRAKE CLEANER