Your guns came with manuals. Follow them.
Run 400 rounds through a chromelined barrel before cleaning, else you just prolong the break-in.
I usually clean after a trip to the range, which runs 200 to 1500 rounds. I don't always, so sometimes I'm doing 2 or 3X that number between cleans.
You don't ever do a total strip down. You don't need to be pulling the trigger group and all that. Follow the manual.
You don't clean the gas tube (other than the outside of the tail sticking in the upper receiver) - it's self cleaning. Try to clean it and you are more likely to cause problems.
Bore snakes work for a quick field cleaning, but don't scrub like the real deal.
I prefer [url=www.otisgun.com]Otis[/url] kits. They are a portable, cable pull-through system that works very, very well.
Basically, you shouldn't be spending more than 15 minutes cleaning your weapon once you get the hang of it. It's a gun, not a musuem piece. Many folks over clean and cause damage.
BTW - the carbon on the tail of the bolt and inside the bolt carrier is self limiting - just a wipe with a rag and leave it be. Don't waste your time scraping it.