Should you clean your gas tube?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Should you clean your gas tube?

Posted: 9/1/2005 8:23:30 PM EDT

It seems like it could get crap built up in it after lots of use.

Is this true, or do they relatively clean?

Posted: 9/1/2005 8:38:16 PM EDT

[#1]

No, The gas blows out all. Maybe replace it if you have a .22LR kit. They are cheap.

Posted: 9/2/2005 3:57:32 AM EDT

[#2]

unless youre having problems i would just leave it be.

Posted: 9/2/2005 5:22:58 AM EDT

[#3]

You clean your gas tube EVERY time you fire your rifle. Do NOT get those damn infernal long pipe cleaners that are advertised to clean your gas tube, all they do is clean money out of your wallet. You also run the chance of getting one stuck and then having to replace the whole tube.

Posted: 9/2/2005 5:45:47 AM EDT

[#4]

Most people here say no.

I say yes.

Here's why. The gas tube does get carbon built up in it, or even other things .
The gas tube is a simple stainless steel tube, nothing inside it, and you can't hurt it.

Just take some carburetor cleaner from the auto parts store, that has the skinny long nozzle tube that comes with it, and open up the action, remove the bolt carrier, and spray some carburetor cleaner down the gas tube from the breech end, until it runs out the muzzle(hold the gun muzzle down). Then you're done.

Why people are so worried about cleaning the gas tube is beyond me.

The barrel gets "blown out" every time you shoot that too, but it still gets dirty, and you clean it, don't you? The gas key and gas rings get "blown out" every time you shoot them, but you still clean them, right?

What is the paranoia about cleaning a simple little gas tube?
You cannot hurt it.
Using the carburetor cleaner method, you don't even have to stick anything in it.
It works, and I've fixed customers short-stroking rifles with a simple squirt down the tube.
Don't give me that crap about "self-cleaning".
Carbon deposts do build up in there, and eventually they can cause short stroking.

Posted: 9/2/2005 5:52:33 AM EDT

[#5]

Flushing it out will not cause any problems, I would use brake cleaner non cloro type. Carb cleaner on plastics may cause a problems.

I would not stick anything in the tube like pipe cleaners.

Me I just leave it alone. So far 5,000 rounds on the gas tube and no clogging.

Posted: 9/2/2005 6:39:36 AM EDT

[#6]

i use brake cleaner on mine too but sometimes wonder if there are clumps that would form in the gas port but i have never had a problem

Posted: 9/2/2005 2:29:07 PM EDT

[#7]

I use MPro7 and the monster pipe cleaners together...works great. Have never had a problem with the pipe cleaner getting stuck, they are long than the gas tube anyway so there's always a couple inches sticking out.

Posted: 9/2/2005 4:22:07 PM EDT

[#8]

I clean my m4 's gtube about every 3000 rnd's with carb cleaner and a quick blast of compressed air seems 2 work just fine

Posted: 9/2/2005 4:28:51 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I use MPro7 and the monster pipe cleaners together...works great. Have never had a problem with the pipe cleaner getting stuck, they are long than the gas tube anyway so there's always a couple inches sticking out.

if not a problem a waste of money

Posted: 9/2/2005 7:54:03 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I use MPro7 and the monster pipe cleaners together...works great. Have never had a problem with the pipe cleaner getting stuck, they are long than the gas tube anyway so there's always a couple inches sticking out.

if not a problem a waste of moneyhinking.gif

In your opinion....the pipe cleaners don't cost any more than the brake cleaner you're shooting down your gas tube...so what's the difference?

Posted: 9/3/2005 12:24:10 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I use MPro7 and the monster pipe cleaners together...works great. Have never had a problem with the pipe cleaner getting stuck, they are long than the gas tube anyway so there's always a couple inches sticking out.

if not a problem a waste of money

In your opinion....the pipe cleaners don't cost any more than the brake cleaner you're shooting down your gas tube...so what's the difference?

technically your using mpro7 and the pipe cleaner

i use one can which cost me .99c and i could clean my whole rifle at least three times.

just my 0.02 worth

Posted: 9/3/2005 8:11:29 PM EDT

[#12]

I break open my AR, use that Sinclair cleaning link thingie that holds the upper and lower apart, all the while clamped in a cleaning cradle. I then drip a few drops of FP 10 or CLP or Butchs down the gas tube, the kill time doing something useful...after a reasonable time period I run a long pipe cleaner down the gas tube-which comes out BLACK, by the way...then a blast of brake cleaner and watch the remaining slime run out the muzzle. The bore is soaking with FP or CL or Butchs in the meantime. I do not find the extra step of cleaning the gas tube that egregious....

Posted: 9/4/2005 7:41:46 AM EDT

[#13]

Diablo

Waste of time. I have a XM15E2S that I've owned and shot since 1994 and NEVER touched the gas tube. I have over 11K thru this carbine and have just recently replaced the Bolt as a locking lug broke off. Just shows ya other parts will give ya a problem loooooong before the gas tube will.

Worry about your Chamber and Bolt/Bolt carrier first.

Worry about your gas tube when you start having gas problems.
I think 30-50.000 PSI will do a much better job of cleaning then I ever could with a Q-Tip or Cleaner.
Some Shooters are over Anal and have to clean EVERYTHING as they feel they must , its a Compulsive/obsessive thing.

Much to do about nothing. Go shoot and enjoy

Posted: 9/4/2005 11:47:21 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Diablo

Waste of time. I have a XM15E2S that I've owned and shot since 1994 and NEVER touched the gas tube. I have over 11K thru this carbine and have just recently replaced the Bolt as a locking lug broke off. Just shows ya other parts will give ya a problem loooooong before the gas tube will.

Worry about your Chamber and Bolt/Bolt carrier first.

Worry about your gas tube when you start having gas problems.
I think 30-50.000 PSI will do a much better job of cleaning then I ever could with a Q-Tip or Cleaner.
Some Shooters are over Anal and have to clean EVERYTHING as they feel they must , its a Compulsive/obsessive thing.

Much to do about nothing. Go shoot and enjoy

+1

Posted: 9/5/2005 12:13:50 AM EDT

[#15]

No.

Waste of time!

If ya think a long pipe cleaner and some Moose Milk will help things however....

Have at it.

confidence in the weapon is a primary component.

The only gas tube have ever seen clogged, was the result of complete SHIT ammo, that should nevr have been allowed tobe used in the first damn place.

Kingsford burns cleaner than that crap.

Other than that bunch of completely garbage ammo that is unavailable to civvies anyway, NO...
I see no reason to clean the thing.

S-28

Posted: 9/5/2005 12:21:28 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

If ya think a long pipe cleaner and some Moose Milk will help things however....

what is Moose Milk?

i only knew Moose Milk as that stuff you add to concrete to harden it.

Posted: 9/7/2005 3:54:39 AM EDT

[#17]

I don't bother cleaning the gas tube either. I shoot Wolf ammo.

Posted: 9/7/2005 4:41:58 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Quoted:
If ya think a long pipe cleaner and some Moose Milk will help things however....

what is Moose Milk?
i only knew Moose Milk as that stuff you add to concrete to harden it.

If he’s referring to the same “Moose Milk” I know, it’s a nick name for Mouse Milk. Mouse Milk is a light penetrating oil use quite often in aviation.

As far as cleaning of the gas tube is concerned, I too on occasion shoot a little carb cleaner down the tube. Never felt the need to go any further than that.

www.mousemilk.com/

Posted: 9/7/2005 10:12:52 AM EDT

[#19]

Okay, I'm a n00b to the forums, but I've dealt with M16s, SAWs, and M60s from 90-97. it doesn't hurt to clean up the carbon from the gas tube.. Remember these aren't like AKs that you can just drag thru the mud, pick up, and shoot. Plus you will probably wished you had cleaned it right when you need it the most and it fails on you.

I found it interesting that someone mention Carb Cleaner, I got my butt chewed for using it once at my first Duty Station. Reason they gave was that it removed the blueing..

Posted: 9/8/2005 7:40:06 AM EDT

[#20]

I would have agreed with the no cleaning crowd but had an experience yesterday. I have a Colt HBAR that I was having re-barreled. I took it to the gun smith and he took it off. When he did, he showed me the gas tube. It was almost completely plugged. I saw it with my own eyes. Admittedly, I have been shooting Wolf ammo and it functions flawlessly but it wouldn't have been shooting much longer!! I will clean the gas tube from now on to prevent any such buildup. I'm also going to keep shooting Wolf ammo cause it's cheap!!

I plan to use a small diameter stainless steel wire and push it down the gas tube gently every so often. Then follow it up with brake cleaner.

The military SAWs have a gas port on the barrel and when you clean the SAW you have to take the port off and clean out the gas port. I've seen them almost completely plugged with carbon and copper.

Jgonell: I also got chewed out when I first got to my MOS school (0311). I kept doing it any way....just did it when they weren't looking! Besides, there isn't any blueing on M16s. It's a phosphate finish.

Posted: 9/8/2005 8:12:39 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
I would have agreed with the no cleaning crowd but had an experience yesterday. I have a Colt HBAR that I was having re-barreled. I took it to the gun smith and he took it off. When he did, he showed me the gas tube. It was almost completely plugged. I saw it with my own eyes. Admittedly, I have been shooting Wolf ammo and it functions flawlessly but it wouldn't have been shooting much longer!! I will clean the gas tube from now on to prevent any such buildup. I'm also going to keep shooting Wolf ammo cause it's cheap!!

I plan to use a small diameter stainless steel wire and push it down the gas tube gently every so often. Then follow it up with brake cleaner.

The military SAWs have a gas port on the barrel and when you clean the SAW you have to take the port off and clean out the gas port. I've seen them almost completely plugged with carbon and copper.

Jgonell: I also got chewed out when I first got to my MOS school (0311). I kept doing it any way....just did it when they weren't looking! Besides, there isn't any blueing on M16s. It's a phosphate finish.

probably due to ammo choice or some other type of problem
i have a gas tube taked off my bushmaster superlight which had around 7-8k through it and other than it being black there was no major difference with the inside diameter compared to a new one.

Posted: 9/8/2005 10:10:48 AM EDT

[#22]

I was taught in the US Army on how to clean the gas tube. It was simple and quick and my platoon and I just that often. We used a very long pipe cleaner. So everytime I would read not to clean the tube always reverted me to back in the day of the US Army when we cleaned our M-16's.

Posted: 9/8/2005 5:23:09 PM EDT

[#23]

uh, no

Posted: 9/11/2005 5:03:02 PM EDT

[#24]

I also don't fully subscribe to the self cleaning theory. It may or may not be true but what's a few seconds of spraying Gumout into the tube (muzzle down) and then following with good old cheap (not the ones advertised for cleaning gas tubes) pipe cleaner. Every time I swab the tube, I get a nice black pipe cleaner.

Posted: 9/12/2005 5:14:51 AM EDT

[#25]

Can one substitute a blast of WD-40 ILO carb cleaner?

Posted: 9/12/2005 5:54:05 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
Can one substitute a blast of WD-40 ILO carb cleaner?

I wouldn't. Then again I do not clean my gas tube. To me, that is like cleaning your exhaust pipe on your car.

WD-40 and guns do NOT mix, unless you want to get water off/out of them. Afterall, WD stands for Water Displacement, that is what it was designed for, not as a lube which it isn't.