What is the best stuff to use to clean an AR with?  I got the spray CLP and was using it today and it comes out so much at a time, is there a such thing as too much??  I was trying not to get too much around the end of the bolt where the firing pin is.  Is that a big deal??  I used carb cleaner to clean everything out real good and then went back over everything with CLP.  I didn't really like the way the carb cleaner turned everthing really dull looking and it started freaking me out.  But then when I put the CLP on it, then it brought it back like it was before.

Now that you've given your rifle a thorough cleaning with carb cleaner and applied CLP, put away the carb cleaner and stick with CLP only.
Further applications of strong organic solvents like carb cleaner and Gun Scrubber will remove the protective film left on/in the metal by CLP.
Also, CLP does not play well with others.
Don't use other oils once you've applied CLP to avoid gumming.

shawnster - I've sprayed a lot of carb cleaner, for a lot of different things, but I wouldn't use it on my AR15.

I use Kleen-bore on the bore once-in-a-while to help dissolve the copper fouling in the barrel, but other than that I use CLP Break-free.

I've used TW-25B on the bolt & carrier too - it's outrageously expensive, but it's very slick!

I use CLP, it works the best.

CLP to "clean" CLP to "lube" CLP to "protect"
I think I heard this somewhere.

Carb cleaner is very caustic and not a really good gun cleaner it's solvents are designed for potroleum varnish. Brake cleaner would be a better choice for carbon, but stick with the CLP.

I've spend a small fortune on all the fancy cleaning products that the Highpower shooters and others have tried to push, from home made concoctions of CLP+Grease+Molly to top selling solvents like Shooters Choice. Never found anything, that worked one bit better, than CLP alone.

Next time, get the CLP in the bottle as opposed to the spray aerosol.  You'll waste far less.

Noah

Buy it by the gallon, its alot cheaper and you don't waste as much.

I always buy the CLP in the can, the trick is trigger finger control as you press the tip. LOL!!! For general first time cleaning of the bolt and associated parts I drop everything in a small tub (1 pt.) of mineral spirits. Let things sit and then scrub with a tooth brush.

After the parts have set out and dried I use Hoppes No. 9 and a q-tip to clean the spots that I missed in the solvent bath.

Upper is then carefully brushed out over the solvent tank to loosen up large deposits and set to dry, then it gets the q-tip and Hoppes.

Lower gets the q-tip and Hoppes.

I then come back a day or so later, dissassemble and wipe down everything with a patch and q-tip soaked in CLP, lube according to the -10 and reassemble.

For the exterior I have a good quality paint brush that won't loose hair. I lightly spray the tip of the brush with CLP and brush down the weapon, then follow up with a dry, black cotton rag.

Tip on the solvent: recycle it!

I have a small glass jar I keep my solvent in. When I'm done cleaning my weapon I set a funnel in the empty jar, place a coffee filter in the funnel and pour the solvent through the funnel! I keep it for cleaning weapons untill it starts to turn dark (tea colored), then save it for cleaning other machine parts around the garage!

I use brake cleaner. It works great on parts that come in cosmaline also.[bounce]
For normal cleaning I use a homeade brew that some guy came up with similar to CLP without the oil. JB Bore cleaner every now n then.
Thinking about the KROIL next time around.  I don't like oil n my rifle. More oil translates to more carbon. I use moly and home brew. The home brew is like CLP except it uses a teflon lube and not oil base.

I like G96. It seems to pretty much match CLP except for the horrible smell that CLP has. The G96 doesn't smell bad at all.

I love the smell of CLP in the morning!
That smell!
That organic solvent, petroleum based smell!
It reminds me of...victory...

[LOLabove]

I buy CLP in the bottle and spary can because I find advantages to having both around.