I have my standard pistol cleaning kit. Once I get my AR, what do I need to add? Just a longer rod thing? What about the bore brush? Do I get the one for .22 cal? Anything else?
Checked the US Army manual, and it makes no mention of cleaning the gas tubes. I guess I'm the victim of shameless marketing. The only mention it made of pipe cleaners was for the firing pin chamber.
The required items for cleaning an M-16/AR-15 are as follows:
1. Basic military issue cleaning kit
a. cleaning rods.
b. chamber brush
c. bore brush
d. patch eye
e. cleaning brush (toothbrush)
f. patches
g. Break-Free
2. Pipe cleaners
3. Q-tips
4. cleaning rags
In addition a dental tool or piece of wire coat hanger with one end bent and sharpened like a pick and the other sharpened to a chisel point to get small creases and corners is handy.
This is a basic requirement list and can be modified as desired. This list though will get your weapon as clean as needed unless you decide to completely abuse and neglect it.
What's up with the 223 brushes being a different thread (8-36) versus the normal 8-32? I was buying a bore and chamber brush this weekend and I was told they are a different thread than the normal 8-32. Sure enough they were right, but apparently some people make 223 brushes in 8-32.
The gas tube is sort of self cleaning. As the hot gas burns off it also burns off just about everything inside of it. If it gets plugged up or realy dirty, something is wrong with it. At that point i would replace the tube. I find that pushing a brush or long pipe cleaner through them, just causes more problems.
Just my 2 cents worth of info.
Nice 1 piece rod made from carbon or brass
.22 brush and a patch holder
solvent and lube
Chamber brush with a handle that doesn't rotate
m16 brushes (the green toothbrush looking things with a small brush on one end. they're like $1)
If you want to be anal about it you can get a bore guide
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