I recently got a complete upper. The barrel has parkerized finish on the outside.  I read that parkerized finish needs oiling from time to time to maintain its corrosion and rust resistance. But since this barrel is completely covered by the handguard, how do you oil it? The handguard in this case is a BCM KMR which is notorious for being really tight and the clamp screws are blue loctited. Is there an efficient way to do this, short of removing the handguard every time? Thanks.

I have never oiled mine under the hand guards, and never saw any rust.   You are overthinking this.

Thanks for the reassurance. My one other AR has a nitrided barrel which I just leave alone under the handguard. Good to know a parkerized barrel can be that way as well.

I do oil mine.  I've seen too many rusted M1 Garands, M1A's and ever M1917's and 03A3s from lack of proper care/protection - and all those are parkerized.

I use a spray oil through the holes in the free float tube and then wipe off the excess with the oily cloth I use to wipe down the surfaces on my guns.

I'm one of those guys who still has the Ithaca M37 my dad bought me in 1969 that has been used to hunt in the rail, snow, etc.  in ND, TX, IL, AR, WV, VA, etc., etc. and doesn't have a single spot of rust on it.  Do I get oil on me when I carry it?  Sure, so what.  I get dirt/dust/blood on me (sometimes) so what's a little oil?

I try to take care of my stuff.  Might really need it to work some day.

I put a coat of black grill/engine paint on my barrels, let cure a day, then install HG.

So far so good.

You might as well remove the HGs if they're going to be that difficult in the future. Now instead of later. An "at your leisure" kind of deal rather than really, really needing to do it later. You can then judge upon your reinstall how much force you need assuming you do a dab of blue threadlocker and it'll be easier if needed again.

Let me start by saying with most of my weapons, if they get dinged, scratched, etc, then so be it. But they all are very well maintained at a level satisfactory to me. Any "park'd" surface appreciates and benefits from a little wipe down now and then.  All my firearms are stored in a controlled environment therefore they might get only an annual cleaning, lubing, surface treatments, etc, unless fired, etc. A very light coating of thin dark grease makes those park'd surfaces very happy. Coincidentally, here's a decent discussion on this topic over at CMP. http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=120148

OP in my experience unless you are going to paint or have your barrel cerakoted or a very similar treatment you need to remove your hand guards periodically and wipe them down with a CLP.  They need to be removed and cleaned ASAP if you are out in rain, in the drink, mud etc unless they are coated.  If you shoot indoors only and your rifle is only exposed to heat/ac fluctuations moving from your home, vehicle range rinse and repeat you won't have to maintain the exterior of your barrel that often at all.

If you use your stick for work and train outdoors and it is exposed to the environment, rain, water, mud etc you need to maintain it a heck of a lot more often (like after exposure withing reason) or you WILL eventually get rust on your barrel unless it is coated like I previously stated and that's just the way it is.  YMMV and this is merely my opinion based on my 20 plus years of experience

If you are really concerned about areas you can't see having (mostly cosmetic) corrosion issues spray some oil in and blow out the excess with an air compressor.  If it gets dirty, hose it out with brake cleaner or some other solvent and do the same.

If you are throwing it in the mud or swimming in the ocean with it, you might need to be a little more particular.

I’m not seeing it as a problem, unless there will be salt water exposure.  This is no safe queen, and it has been in inclement weather more than once.  Often on week long hunts, living out of a tent.  No bbl rust at all, and the handguards don’t get pulled for a wipe down after this kind of stuff.  Parked steel is very rust resistant.

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Place a paper towel or rag on work bench and stand rifle up on the muzzle, spray with your favorite areosol lube, let excess run off and/or blow with compressed air...done expect for cleaning excess off handguard.

From hunting I learned it’s a good idea to put your firearm near a heat source when you come back in. If not a hair dryer will work as well.

Not a good idea.  The cold gun will "sweat" (like a beverage glass with cold drink) when brought inside to warm, and that moisture will cause rust.

In cold environments, it is common to leave firearms outside in unheated (but secured areas) to prevent this.

Yeah, I just brush the snow off and store it in the tent.  You don’t want that getting warmed up till after the hunt.  Since we run a wood stove in the tent, the rifles get stowed in the far corner from the heat and they do fine.

Thanks. That’s a very practical advice for a newbie like me.

Spray a bunch of CLP onto it through the openings in the handguard, store it muzzle down for a bit to let any excess run down onto a papertowel or sponge and TAA DAHHHH  you are done.

No need to take off a rail for oiling it.  Just spray it and don't over think things...

*IF* you find yourself shooting in quite inclement weather on a frequent basis, then you'll want to do as described above and just shoot some on it through the holes in the handguard, let it run down and excess onto a rag.

They do make aerosol cans of CLP now with a plastic straw and everything, so it's easier to get in those hard-to-reach (for the lazy among us at least) places.