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Posted: 10/26/2009 5:35:43 PM EDT
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If you read through this cleaning forum you will see a multitude of recommendations. If you have been an AR15 owner/operator for awhile, you already have your favorite techniques. But a newbie may be pretty well confused. So, I am creating this post for someone who just wants to know what works, real quick, with a minimum of expense and supplies.
First let me say that if you want to really understand cleaning, you need a borescope. You have to practice with different solvents and examine the results under internal lighting and magnification. I have a borescope, and have done alot of this - so I am saving you the expense of a borescope. I also know the AR15 platform is actually pretty dependable –– I know people who clean once every 5000 rounds "whether it needs it or not". Their guns still work. Folks who just run a brush through and then lube have guns that work also. But in examining their bores with a borescope, they look horrible. So, what I am about to suggest is really for the true clean freaks, but it results in cleanliness that can be verified under magnification (again, I am not saying you NEED this level of cleanliness, just that it will be there if you follow this regimen). I clean after every 200 rounds or so. I have not noticed any accuracy improvement from more (I shoot competitive long range so I notice the slightest accuracy changes.). I shoot 200 rounds every day or two. Therefore, I have done alot of this cleaning. I have experimented with lots of solvents, brushes, tools, and practices. I am giving you the results of that experience. My process is: AFTER SHOOTING: 1. Remove bolt and carrier, separate bolt components. Dump these in a small container and brush vigorously with MPro-7 or CLP, as you choose (don't mix these though, choose one or the other. In general don't mix solvents - some mixtures can actually chemically react and corrode things). I couldn't detect a cleaning difference between them , but M7-Pro is supposed to be more biologically friendly than CLP. Let the parts sit in the container and soak in the solvent overnight. 2. Shoot some Wipe-Out bore cleaner through the barrel, making sure you have foam coming out both ends (and a good quantity in the chamber). Leave this and the container of parts to soak overnight. NEXT DAY: 3. Use the Sinclair Chamber brush rod kit to clean out the chamber. After a first pass with just the nylon brush, I wrap a patch around the nylon chamber brush to absorb the grime and pull it out. Then use the Sinclair lug recess cleaning tool to clean out the lug area. I use two of the cotton swabs (Midway sells them cheaper than Sinclair) for this –– the first takes out the heavier grime and second comes out pretty clean. 4. Re-activate the Wipe-Out (the barrel will look clean and dry with the naked eye) with a patch or two through the barrel with fresh Wipe-Out. Then wrap a patch around a nylon brush and push it through the barrel. Repeat (with new patches) until the patch comes out clean. I then run a patch through around a .22 caliber jag until this comes out clean also. (For some reason, even after the brush-wrapped patch comes out clean, the jag-wrapped one will not, so I do both.) 5. Using a nylon toothbrush, I re-scrub the bolt and carrier parts using the solvent of choice as a lubricant until clean. Dry off with paper or cotton towels. 6. Re-assemble. Use fresh CLP or MPro-7 to lubricate with a thin film. The Wipe-Out in the barrel provides a corrosion preventative. Some notes: 1. Do not use the Wipe-Out on the carrier or bolt components. I used to do this, but I found that adding lube later gummed up in some sort of interaction with the Wipe-Out. Keep the Wipe-Out in the barrel, and the MPro or CLP on the carrier/bolt parts. 2. This whole cleaning process takes me about 5 minutes (not counting the overnight soaking, which I don't have to be there for.) I find this to be pretty good compared to other methods requiring many more patches and hands-on time. 3. Under the borescope, the first time I used this process on a well-fired AR the barrel was still not perfectly clean. However, it was cleaner than with any other methods I tried. After 5-10 cleanings like this, the borescope revealed a clean bore. So, gradually and ultimately you will end up with a perfectly clean bore with this approach. 4. If you have a high quality barrel, use the Sinclair rod guide so you don't ding up your chamber or muzzle. If you have a chrome-lined barrel you probably don't need to bother with this. 5. I use nylon brushes exclusively because I have high quality (Kreiger, Douglas, etc.) barrels. Chrome-lined barrels will last longer but are slightly less accurate than pure stainless steel barrels, and can take brass/bronze brushes. You probably do more wear/harm to your barrel by cleaning than by shooting - so don't over-clean! Here are some product links to what I use: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=356987 http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=619561 http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=784639 http://www.sinclairintl.com/product/5769/AR15-Cleaning-Products http://www.sinclairintl.com/product/5778/ActionChamber-Cleaning-Tools http://www.sinclairintl.com/product/Sinclair-AR15-Rod-Guide-223-Rem/Semi-Auto-Rifle-Guides |
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Quoted:
I clean after every 200 rounds or so. I have not noticed any accuracy improvement from more (I shoot competitive long range so I notice the slightest accuracy changes.) You say you haven't noticed accuracy improvement from cleaning more often than 200, but how about less often than 200? Do you see a measurable drop in accuracy beyond 200 rounds, or does your cleaning regimen simply fall between individual matches? |
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