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Posted: 10/28/2010 5:23:27 AM EDT
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I know I can scour this forum and find all the necessary info for which cleaning/lube products I need as well as how to do the job. But it's really overwhelming for a newbie to collate all the information from this vast library of info. So many different products and procedures. Would anyone be willing to write a list of the top 2 or 3 products for each stage of the cleaning/lube process and then maybe a basic step by step procedure on how to clean/lube? I've already got the disassembly down.
Has anyone heard of Prolix? Is this a viable product for AR maintenance? I know it's asking a lot, but I figure what the heck, it's worth a try. Thanks. |
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For cleaning products to do it RIGHT, you need the following:
A good cleaning rod. Preferably either coated or stainless steel. NO jointed or brass or aluminum rods. Buy a good one from Brownell's or Midway that's the right length. Tips for the rod. You can use button or loop types. I use loop types these days because I no longer push a rod through the bore, I pull it. This prevents rod flex and possible damage to the bore. Brushes. Buy good quality bronze bore brushes and buy in bulk, they don't last long. Extend brush life by washing them off with soapy water or paint thinner to keep the solvent from eating them. Chamber brushes: You can buy these threaded for commercial or military rods. A bore guide is nice. This is inserted into the receiver and guides the rod into the bore. This keeps dirty solvent from leaking or spraying into the action. On guns you clean from the muzzle, buy a muzzle guide. Bore solvent. Just about any modern bore solvent will do fine. Hoppe's #9 is still a good one and you can leave it in the bore indefinitely without harm. If you buy something else, READ THE LABEL for how long it can be left. You can use a CLP as a cleaner, but it has no effect on copper fouling, and is a lot slower then a dedicated bore solvent for the bore and carbon removal of the parts. Toothbrushes to scrub the parts. You can buy solvent-proof toothbrushes or the GI type double ended brushes. Patches. Buy these in bulk from Brownell's or Midway. Lubricant. There is no miracle lubricant. What you use is not as important that you use something. People will argue for days on the internet about their favorite lube. CLP Breakfree is as good as anything on the market and that's what the military has used for years. It's also a good protectent to prevent rust and can be used as an expedient field cleaner. If you shoot a lot you might want to consider bolt and bolt carrier carbon removal tools. These scrape the carbon off without harming the parts. Some are expensive. Brownell's carry several. As example: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=19646/Product/AR_15_M16_BOLT_CARRIER_CARBON_SCRAPER http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=53563/pid=38917/sku/CRT_15_Carbon_Removal_Tool Solvent transfer pipettes. These are small plastic bulbs used to put solvent on brushes and patches without dipping them in the solvent bottle and contaminating it. Buy from Brownell's or a lab supply house. How to clean: You can just read a GI manual or a commercial manual to get all the details. Basically, you run a solvent soaked brush all the way through the bore and out the end, then pull it back. Do this about 15 to 20 times maximum. Use the chamber brush to clean the chamber and the bolt locking lugs and recess in the barrel. Soak two patches and run them through the bore. let the bore soak while you clean the rest of the rifle. Again READ THE LABEL on the solvent for safe soak times. Clean the bolt and bolt carrier with solvent and a carbon scraper tool. Make sure to clean the hook area of the extractor. Clean the firing pin, the bolt cam pin and the inside of the bolt carrier gas key. The GI manual shows using a worn bore brush to clean the inside of the key and the exposed end of the gas tube in the receiver. DO NOT clean the inside of the gas tube. This is completely self cleaning and all you'll do is break something off inside the tube. Yes, people sell big pipe cleaners to clean the tube, but DON'T. If you ever have a problem with the tube, you simply replace it. Don't put any solvent or lube inside the tube. Just leave the tube alone except for cleaning the outer end inside the receiver that goes inside the gas key. Use a brush to brush out the lower and trigger unit area. You can use some good grease on the hammer face, the disconnecter and the hammer/trigger sear areas. Any good grease will do fine, you don't need an expensive gun grease. Clean the slots on the muzzle attachment with a brush and solvent. Brush any debris out of the upper receiver. Finish cleaning the bore by running a clean soaked patch straight through and out the end. Look for any green or blue stains. This indicates there is still copper fouling in the bore. Allow to soak longer. Continue to allow soaking for about 30 minutes then check again with a wet patch until the patches are clean. Then dry with clean patches. NOTE: "Pumping" patches up and down the bore does nothing. The purpose of a patch is to carry clean solvent into the bore and dirty solvent out. Pumping a patch up and down doesn't do anything useful. Apply a few drops of lube to a patch and run through the bore and chamber to coat with lube. Run a dry patch to remove the excess. Before shooting again, use dry patches to remove all lubricant from the bore AND chamber. Apply lube to the bolt and bolt carrier in the areas shown in the manuals. You can use a little grease on the bolt lugs and carrier if you want, many competition shooters do. Unless I forgot something, that's about it. There are many ways to clean an AR, this is one that seems to work well. Again, get an M16 or AR manual. You can get these free online. Read these for directions in where to lubricate. |
| First, field strip it. Then all you need is, non-chroloric brake cleaner, or either (engine starting fluid) to clean with, a bore snake to run through the barrel a couple of times dry. Then Mobil 1 to oil up & wheel bearing grease to grease what needs to be greased , put it back together & go & shooting the hell out of it. |
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Quoted:
First, field strip it. Then all you need is, non-chroloric brake cleaner, or either (engine starting fluid) to clean with, a bore snake to run through the barrel a couple of times dry. Then Mobil 1 to oil up & wheel bearing grease to grease what needs to be greased , put it back together & go & shooting the hell out of it. Nothing in a AR type rifle "needs" grease. |
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Thanks for the replies. My Rock River did not come with a manufacturers owners manual per se, but it did come with the Army Manual which I have read. But I like to hear from other shooters as well. I spent a lot of time reading through the threads regarding lubes, solvents, techniques etc... And I talked to a former Green Beret who owns the Martial Arts studio where my son trains. Some guys go "full bore" (pun intended) when they clean their guns others say it really doesn't have to be that complicated. Either way, I've gleaned a truckload of useful information and will proceed from there.
And if anyone just feels like adding their two cents to this thread, I'll still read it even though I think I've found a lot of good info to get me started. Thanks to all of you. |
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