AR Sponsor
Posted: 1/13/2004 8:39:48 AM EDT
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Is it big taboo to NOT clean your AR-15 after each time you use it? For example, on a given day lets say I shoot 200 rounds, can I wait a week without damage to the gun if I don't clean it after shooting since I may be shooting it 2 more times during that week, lets say 200 times each shooting session (for a total of maybe 600 to 800 rounds). Bill |
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I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would definately clean after you were done with the sessions or if you needed very high accuracy. Copper and powder fouling after a certain number of rounds may affect the accuracy of your gun, but by how much, who knows. As far as damaging your barrel? I doubt it. If you are to put it away for a long period of time I would recommend cleaning and proper lubrication for storage. If it were me, I would perform a minor cleaning every time after shooting, which would almost be a wipe down of everything. Running a few wet swabs down the barrel and a few dry. Then a proper lube job. It would not take very long, and would mainly be for funcionality, and to keep away from any major build up. |
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In the unlikely event that you [b]don’t[/b] have a chrome plated barrel, you really should at least put some oil in the bore after every shooting session. I’m personally a little fussy about cleaning – to me an AR with a couple of hundred rounds through it really should be cleaned. Admittedly, failure to do so shouldn’t cause any damage of consequence. However, if you let it get too dirty, you may start having malfunctions. That seems to vary greatly depending on the specific AR and ammo being use. Also, letting the AR stay dirty and unlubed will accelerate wear a bit. Plus, the longer you wait, the bigger the mess you’re going to have to deal with. |
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You mean you're supposed to clean these things? Just kidding. I do clean my rifle, and when I do, I clean it very thuroughly. However, I haven't cleaned my rifle in 2+ months now. No rust or corrosion anywhere, I use Eezox. Haven't seen detrimental effects either. Shot just this last weekend, no cleaning since the last time I was out. Best group was 1 1/8" @ 100 yards using BH 75gr and plain old Irons. Granted, most my groups with Irons hover around 3-4" @ 100 yards. I'm not advocating neglecting your rifle, I would've cleaned mine a lot sooner but I kept telling myself I'd go shooting this weekend, as each weekend passed by. [:P] |
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