am i cleaning to much

So i clean and lube my bolt after i shoot it every time even if its just 150 rounds, i also oil the outside of it once a week cause i don't want it to rust cause i keep it inside one of those foam cases. Am i over doing it??

update i now have a safe and my rifle is in there instead of the foam case it came with.

o man sorry i post this in wrong thread i didnt realize till now.sorry once again

Cleaning is never bad after a range day as long as you keep it to a minimum. A couple of swipes with a brush, a little CLP to clean the residue, and reassemble. There's really no need to keep adding oil to the exterior though. If the parkerizing starts to turn grey from burning off during a rough shooting session then you need to lube the exterior. If its still a black color then it has enough oil in the parkerizing layer to protect against corrosion.

yes

Keep it relatively wet when firing(as in wet with oil), and you'll be fine. Wipe off the worst crud near the chamber and the bolt, and you'll be fine.

Unless you are near the ocean, nothing is going to rust.

I have yet to "clean" my new upper.

Your not hurting anything

I wouldn't store it in a foam case if it were my rifle

Mine runs soooo much smoother after a period of no cleaning. I usually clean after every 1100 - 1700 rounds, with the addition of lube as needed.......Sully

my buddy runs his gun "wet" every couple mags he sprays with remoil....i have about 1000rds through my gun..now its time for me to clean it...but i only lubed it ehh maybe twice in those 1000rds.. and it was usually a DROP or two of hoppes elite. no jams either. so i think it depends on the gun....

as of right now i dont have anywhere else to store it..im saving up for a safe but that could take a while..i also put my ar inside a gun sock then put inside the foam case plus i put those desiccant packs in thier as well...thanks for the feedback guys

also good to know it wont rust..so ill probably just keep it clean to look pretty..lol.looking forward to my next range day hopefully put 250 rounds through it

You seemed to be doing so well.

What happened? No RSVP needed

dont know what happen i just had a brain fart and posted in this thread instead of the maintenance one

I'll run a bore snake down the pipe after a session and do a proper cleaning at 1000 rounds.

yea i also run a bore snake after each session too along with cleaning the bolt.but ill probably take it easy from now on with the bolt..

Whats the reasoning behind this?

The foam can tend to absorb moisture, which will transfer to the rifle if it's in the shut case.

Only reason I can think of is that the foam will absorb moisture and hold it against the rifle, promoting rust. I hear closed cell foam doesn't absorb moisture though, can anyone confirm?

ETA: JL beat me to it

i will now take the foam out of my case until i can get a safe.i feel like even if it did rust my rife it wouldn't be that bad and easily removed though

You're right, it wouldn't be hard at all to remove as long as you catch it early enough (ie. a week rusting versus years). I was out shooting while it was snowing a few weeks ago and put my rifle on my soft case without wiping her down. Noticed some rust around the FSB on the barrel a few days later, and it cleaned up easily with a toothbrush and CLP.

I dont think an AR can be too clean...

Far more damage is done to AR15s by unnecessary and hamfisted cleaning than shooting.

Topic Moved

yup i mean i always keep an eye on my rifle it comes out of the case 3 times a week..

I like my guns how I like my cars: clean.

Same here.

I actually ENJOY cleaning my guns. I don't have the money to shoot unlimited so cleaning is something I can do for less

Like a cheap date....

Paul

Like you, I often wonder if I clean my guns too much. Its probably my OCD kicking in but I can't let it sit in the safe without being cleaned. I will tear down the gun after each time I shoot and do a full cleaning, no matter how many rounds I put through it.

Same here. My firearms are my "investments" (not that my intent is for resale later). I will keep them very clean. YMMV.

For cleaning?


And why are you so worried about rust?

Anything that isn't plastic or aluminum is chromed or parkerized.

But do you see any functional benefit from that? Do you know if your guns will function dirty? Do you ever think they may function better not being stripped of oil constantly?

I'm not trying to be smart, but I think that Freud would have a field day with the chronic gun cleaners.

Fair enough. I've thought about it before.

I'd like to someday try to let myself let em go for awhile and see how they function

I have got into the habit of not cleaning my handguns every time....so i'm getting there.....baby steps

Paul

You have a good point. I get my OCD from my parents.

I guess the reason I clean my AR everytime is because its my go to gun. If I needed it I want it to be clean and ready.

As an Infantryman we cleaned our M4s spotless everytime we used them I believe weapons maintenance should be done often and thoroughly!

Pre mantenance is cheaper than post maintenance!

its comes out to be my go to home defense weapon and to fondle with it..lol

NEW QUESTION..

how many rounds have you guys gone without cleaning or lubing your ar's??

This is me - exactly

without cleaning? 2,000 +/- 500


without lubing? lube is a continual process. It can drain off into the barrel or buffer tube extension if the gun is stored for a long time. I probably squirt the bolt through the ejection port before I head to the range. But if I'm shooting it, it can go maybe 300-400 rounds before I have to even think about adding another drop. Probably more than that. I lube often.

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