cleaning lower receiver?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - cleaning lower receiver?

Posted: 8/27/2018 12:10:29 PM EDT

How often do people clean their lower receivers out? i just realized ive never cleaned mine and its pretty nasty at this point. ive always just cleaned the bcg and barrel but never anything in the lower.
is it needed? havent had any problems with it. palmetto state rifle i put together a couple years ago.

Posted: 8/27/2018 12:41:47 PM EDT

[#1]

You should be doing a detail strip every 5 years/5000 rounds minimum.

Oil breaks down and becomes acidic with fouling. Gunk builds up, springs rust,etc.

If you run suppressed a bit more frequently.

I just regularly use an air compressor to blow mine out of lint, dust, seeds, old oil and drizzle in some mobile 1 and blow out the excess. Seems to be easier than detail stripping and maintenance but done frequently/bi-monthly.

Alternatively just run it until it quits working and fix it.

Posted: 8/27/2018 2:12:49 PM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
You should be doing a detail strip every 5 years/5000 rounds minimum.

Alternatively just run it until it quits working and fix it.

View Quote

I go with the last option, most cleaning I do is wipe the lower with the rag I used for cleaning the upper after I'm done cleaning it.

Posted: 8/27/2018 2:19:51 PM EDT

[#3]

I have changed triggers so much in the past couple years, nothing has had a chance to get dirty. OP needs to get with the program.

Posted: 8/27/2018 2:24:03 PM EDT

[#4]

Items in the disconnector usually cause the most malfunctions.

Popping the trigger and hammer out to clean takes 3-5 minutes.

If I'm cleaning I'm doing this anyway, but I run suppressed.

Posted: 8/27/2018 2:29:14 PM EDT

[#5]

I shoot suppressed, it gets nasty but doesn't seem to affect anything.

I spray it with CLP then compressed air, repeat.

Posted: 8/27/2018 3:21:08 PM EDT

[#6]

ty for the replies. so just add clp after a quick wipe down or take out trigger/hammer and get it looking good before clp?

Posted: 8/27/2018 4:08:48 PM EDT

[#7]

If I take a dip in the drink with my rifle it gets cleaned. I'f I'm in the rain and it gets wet inside I clean it. Other wise I only usually take a cotton swab and wipe off the guts and every once in a while put some CLP very lightly and sparingly on them with a cotton swab and wipe off the excess. If it is full of gunk and what not I will thoroughly flush it out with solvent, dry and lube accordingly. Just make sure you are performing PM on your buffer, the inside tube and spring also especially if you spend time in water and rain. I hope this helps OP.

Posted: 8/27/2018 4:46:18 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
If I take a dip in the drink with my rifle it gets cleaned. I'f I'm in the rain and it gets wet inside I clean it. Other wise I only usually take a cotton swab and wipe off the guts and every once in a while put some CLP very lightly and sparingly on them with a cotton swab and wipe off the excess. If it is full of gunk and what not I will thoroughly flush it out with solvent, dry and lube accordingly. Just make sure you are performing PM on your buffer, the inside tube and spring also especially if you spend time in water and rain. I hope this helps OP.

View Quote

thank you. I havent cleaned inside the receiver extension, the buffer or the spring either. should i be giving those a wipe down when cleaning?

Posted: 8/27/2018 8:37:29 PM EDT

[#9]

There's just no need to over do it..lol at strip & clean after 5K rds...

Wipe it down, inspect everything is there, some lube & call it a day.

Posted: 8/28/2018 4:10:07 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:

thank you. I havent cleaned inside the receiver extension, the buffer or the spring either. should i be giving those a wipe down when cleaning?

View Quote

I would ensure they are wiped down and the inside of your receiver extension is dry. A little CLP on the spring (really light like from a patch that has some CLP on it or a rag that has some CLP on it) is good to go to prevent rust. Just don't overdue it with CLP.

Posted: 8/28/2018 10:54:44 PM EDT

[#11]

After a high round count rifle class, I separated the upper and lower, hosed the shit out of the lower with non chlorinated brake cleaner spray until everything was clean. Next blow the entire lower bone dry with compressed air and finish by giving everything a good mist with aerosol eezox. In reality, a thorough coating of whatever your favorite lube will do the same thing.

For a normal cleaning, I just use my normal cleaners with patches and q-tips until I am happy. Even after a normal cleaning, I like to apply a light coat of oil to all the parts in the lower. Doing so keeps everything operating smoothly and prevents rust.

Posted: 8/29/2018 7:07:32 AM EDT

[#12]

I remove the upper.

I hold it by the stock with the magazine well down.

I spray it out good with brake cleaner or carb. cleaner until the crud stops running out and dripping on the concrete.

Then I let it dry.

Then I spray some light lube in it (like rem-oil - not much good for lubrication but it gets some lube/rust preventive back on the bare metal parts left after the spray cleaning).

Then I put a drop of Mobil 1 on the springs (both sides), the safety (both sides), the take down pins, the magazine release, the bolt release, the disconnector, anything that is steel or moves.

I don't spray the cleaner very often, just when it starts to look cruddy.

I really don't see the lower getting as dirty as I remember them getting in the Army (M16A1's).

Posted: 9/19/2018 12:48:25 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
There's just no need to over do it..lol at strip & clean after 5K rds...

Wipe it down, inspect everything is there, some lube & call it a day.

View Quote

This is what I do...use the small end of those green gun brushes and patches. Slip 2000 on the trigger and pins, grease on the engagement points of the trigger and hammer, that is it.

I run suppressed 90% of the time, so if the lower starts to get a lot of build up, will spray down with jet cleaner, then lube up.

77

Posted: 9/20/2018 9:59:32 PM EDT

[#14]

You can get something like gun scrubber and simply give it a blast.

I usually do that and then simply oil as needed. For the buffer tube, I use a shotgun brush with a patch around it with solvent. Cleans it up good.

Most of the time, I just simply use a dental pick and simply wipe around the areas with a soak patch using the pick to squeeze in tough to reach spots. Be careful not to bend the springs.

Posted: 9/20/2018 11:10:30 PM EDT

[#15]

I don't shoot a lot, so lowers don't gunk up much. Others with more experience should critique this, but I've started using Hornady OneShot Gun cleaner on hard-to-reach places that need some lube and rust protection. The can is compressed, so I spray with the small tube attached. It cleans, then leaves a dry film after a quick dry time. It's probably overkill and way more expensive than brake cleaner and dabs of CLP. (Full disclosure: I live in Nebraska, so anything that helps the economy....).

Posted: 9/22/2018 12:48:09 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
I go with the last option, most cleaning I do is wipe the lower with the rag I used for cleaning the upper after I'm done cleaning it.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
You should be doing a detail strip every 5 years/5000 rounds minimum.

Alternatively just run it until it quits working and fix it.

I go with the last option, most cleaning I do is wipe the lower with the rag I used for cleaning the upper after I'm done cleaning it.

right here

Posted: 9/25/2018 6:39:23 PM EDT

[#17]

For my lower recievers, I like to spray everything out with aresol wd-40 (what!?, I know, right?). Then, I blow it all out with compressed air. WD-40 has enough solvents to break down any crud and the foaming of the aresol pulls out any dirt and debris. After I blow everything out real good with compress air, I might use a q-tip on any areas that need it (I usually don’t need to). That’s all I use wd-40 for on my rifles. I’ve never had any gumming issues or any of the other issues that I’ve read about. AR-15s don’t really have any tiny parts in the lower to get gummed up when cleaned this way. It only takes about 3 minutes and I don’t have to take anything apart. I’ve been doing it is this way for about 14 years with good results.

Posted: 9/26/2018 2:39:05 AM EDT

[#18]

Hose out your lower with non chlorinated brake cleaner once in awhile.

Posted: 9/26/2018 2:51:21 AM EDT

[#19]

Spray it out with brake cleaner and then put a thin coat of CLP on it. Remove buffer and spring and wipe them down. Run a patch of cloth down the buffer tube.

Posted: 9/26/2018 3:55:42 AM EDT

[#20]

Every July (it's hot as shit here, not like I'll be shooting) I take all my guns apart (minus taking the barrel out if its a rifle) and detail clean them. Let's me check the wear on parts and if anything needs replaced.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - cleaning lower receiver?

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