For Everyday Cleaning I have found that removing your bedded action from the stock is a bad idea.  Over time this will result in "play" between the action and the stock.  At first it is unnoticeable but your accuracy will slowly be affected.  Here is the way I clean my M1A which has worked for quite a while with no problems yet.

1.  Lock the Bolt to the rear of the receiver.  Once it is set there begin cleaning the chamber.  To do this, I use a GI kits chamber brush.  I turn repeatedly giving the brush anywhere from 3 to 10 full rotations to loosen any gunk that may be stuck right there.
2.  I insert my bore guide into the flash suppressor.  From there I use my cleaning rod with the brush attached to the end of it.  I push it through the barrel from Muzzle to chamber pushing anything down into the muzzle allowing it to fall to the floor.  I repeat this several times until I feel the barrel is ready (use your judgement).
3.  I run a soaked patch of either Hoppes 9 or Butch's Bore shine through from muzzle to chamber.  I let it sit for 5 min.  I run a dry patch through and repeat again.
4.  after making sure the barrel is cleaned I take a 12 gauge cleaning patch and wipe down the bolt face and bolt assembly (you may have to scrub the bolt face with a wire brush if it is overly dirty).
5. I then take a can of computer air cleaner and spray it behind the bolt.  This is for any powder or metal fragments that are trapped to be forced out and fall on the floor.
6.  I then rewipe the area with a CLP soaked 12 gauge patch and proceed to wipe down every spec of exposed metal on the rifle with an extremely thin coat of CLP to protect so it is ready to be used once I pull it out of the safe.  I also oil the track the bolt rides on to allow for a smoother action.

You do not have to follow these instructions or may use a different approach for your maintenance.  This method has worked for me after I have shot countless rounds of various manufacture shot through my rifle.  I haven't ever touched the gas tube under the barrel and I don't think I will unless I have a major malfunction where the rifle will not re cock after firing.

A very important step missing:

1.5- Secure rifle upside down before cleaning the barrel. This minimizes solutions from entering the gas cyclinder. {This goes for the M1 Garand as well.}



Notes:

a) Always use a single piece, coated cleaning rod like the Dewey.

b) Never, ever, ever, clean the barrel from the chamber through to the muzzle. Doing so will wear the crown of the barrel and cause poor accuracy.

c) Always use a bore guide at the muzzle end. Dewey and others make a guide that fits the flash suppressor. If you are from CA and have the brake, you will have to machine one as the diameter is larger (so as not to be classified as a grenade launcher). If you know of one that fits brakes, speak up.

d) Always use grease, not oil, for the action areas such as bolt roller, oprod channel, and hammer/bolt contact areas. If you clean these areas with a cleaner or CLP, you should regrease. Most people use plastilube, lubriplate, or tetra grease.

Thanks for pointing that out.  I also recentlybegan cleaning the gas tube as I originally didnt think itwas necessary.  It made a big difference. I bought the gas cylinder cleaning kit from champions choice and it is worth every penny. I will post the Drill bit sizes to purchase if you dont feel like spending money on the kit (which is a little pricey for what is offered)

Keep your rifle upside down to keep solvents from going into the gas cylinder.

Make sure the gas system is dry before putting the gas plug back in.

Clean the gas system every 300-500 rounds, depending on the ammo you shoot (surplus, factory) your gas piston will either be black or somewhat dirty. Keep it dry, DO NOT OIL the gas piston, keep it dry or else you'll get caked on oil+carbon wich is a bitch to clean.

I saw the advice on cleaning/brushing  from muzzle to chamber.  I use a Boresnake on my other rifles and they seem to work well. Do you really think this will harm the crown if I am careful to pull staight ??

Quoted: I saw the advice on cleaning/brushing  from muzzle to chamber.  I use a Boresnake on my other rifles and they seem to work well. Do you really think this will harm the crown if I am careful to pull staight ??

THe only reason i go from muzzle to chanber is because I only use cleaning rods.  I am not doing this against an unprotected flash hider as i use a bore guide.  I see no problems with boresnakes but personally I do not use them.  I know of 2 people who have had their otis cleaning kits stuck in the barrel of their M1a and would not like to have to deal with that situation

I own a standard preban M1A.  I have shot it several times over the last ten years.  I bought some ammo that allows me to shoot it at my local range.  I am looking for the following:

1)  where to purchase bore guide?
2)  I own a dewey rod for it.
3)  where is best place to get maintenance book so I do not screw it up?
4)  when you say upside down, you mean witht he muzzle pointing to the ground?
5)  anyone know where to get smith enterprize mount and how much compared to arms #18?

Quoted: I own a standard preban M1A.  I have shot it several times over the last ten years.  I bought some ammo that allows me to shoot it at my local range.  I am looking for the following: 1)  where to purchase bore guide? 2)  I own a dewey rod for it. 3)  where is best place to get maintenance book so I do not screw it up? 4)  when you say upside down, you mean witht he muzzle pointing to the ground? 5)  anyone know where to get smith enterprize mount and how much compared to arms #18?

dewey sells a bore guide.. or you can use a 12 ga shell with the primer punched out.

scott duffs book on the m14/m1a do a google search for it

by upside down i mean with the trigger group pointing to the sky.. so that the gas cylinder is on top instead of the barrel.

arms or smith.. they are both tons better than the SA 3rd generation mount...

i have a arms 18 mount. i love it.

you can get it from fulton-armory.com

check swfa.com too

Quoted: b) Never, ever, ever, clean the barrel from the chamber through to the muzzle. Doing so will wear the crown of the barrel and cause poor accuracy.

stator; where did you get that idea?  That is the only way to clean a precision bolt action rifle and how would you accomplish cleaning in that direction with a semi-auto.  Please educate me.  Thanks.

Geez, you need to be educated on not to try cleaning an M14/M1A from the chamber to the muzzle?? Ever try to stick a cleaning rod from that direction in one of these rifles? Surely, you must be joking or looking for an argument.

Hi,

O.K, what seems to be the most popular method of barrel cleaning on M1A's in the U.S?

I recently asked some benchrest shooters at my rifle club & they reckoned I'd still be better cleaning from chamber to muzzle using an Otis kit rather than a muzzle mounted bore guide & a Dewey rod?? They reckoned the crown would sustain more damage over time with a bore brush being inserted than the Otis kit would cause (provided I kept it clean & pulled it through the bore carefully).

Thanks in advance.

John.

Clean chamber to muzzle by inserting rod fully through the barrel and then screwing the rod end or brush onto the rod from the open bolt area. Drag/pull the rod from the chamber to the muzzle. Then remove rod end. Repeat with brush and patches as needed. By doing this all the dirt is removed from the chamber instead of it being deposited in there. Slow and simple.

Closing the gas port will help greatly in keeping solvents out of the gas system. Remember to turn it back or your next trigger pull will remind you.

Stator, I don't believe semiauto was looking for an argument, but a clarification. Alive45acp has given a method of cleaning from chamber to muzzle that doesn't involve bending a cleaning rod. You mentioned muzzle damage as a reason not to.

Is there any reason you can give for not using Alive45acp's method? If it is still your contention muzzle damage will occur can you give us more info?

Thanks.

Quoted: Clean chamber to muzzle by inserting rod fully through the barrel and then screwing the rod end or brush onto the rod from the open bolt area. Drag/pull the rod from the chamber to the muzzle. Then remove rod end. Repeat with brush and patches as needed. By doing this all the dirt is removed from the chamber instead of it being deposited in there. Slow and simple.

Thanks for the reply alive45acp, confirms what I was told over here.heers.
John.