Up till now, I've simply used an aerosol propelled gun parts cleaner shot down the gas tube.  I'm assuming that there will still be carbon buildup, right?

How do I thoroughly clean the gas tube without those tube cleaner rods?  I think some of the short stroking had to do with a clogged tube, so I can use your advise.

Did you also check to make sure the bolt rings do not have all the slots lined up?  If the bolt drops right out when you hold the rear end of the carrier up with the cam pin and firing pin removed, the rings may be worn out.  These two scenarios will allow the gas to escape and cause short stroking.

Quoted: Did you also check to make sure the bolt rings do not have all the slots lined up?  If the bolt drops right out when you hold the rear end of the carrier up with the cam pin and firing pin removed, the rings may be worn out.  These two scenarios will allow the gas to escape and cause short stroking.

Brand new stuff, but thanks for the info anyway, it may come in handy.  

Now how about how to clean these dang tubes!?

Don't have a shortcut for ya.  If anyone has a better way than those darn pipe cleaners, I am all ears.

When cleaning, just give the gas tube a good blast of CLP.  

The clp will do all the cleaning, and the fouling will be blown back to the gas chamber on the next outing, where it can be cleaned.

P.S. Never think of of the cleaning of an AR-15 as going for spotless, just changing the oil.

Hope this helps.

Because of the velocities in the tube, it's not likely to clog but the gas volume may vary.

My method:  Kroil spray down the tube, wait a couple of minutes, swap it with a long pipe cleaner, blow it out with compressed air.  THEN, clean the barrel.

I don't bother cleaning them. They seem to keep themselves clean. Anyway they are relatively cheap. Next time you go to a gun show you could pick up a few. If you ever have problems with them I'd simply replace it. Replacing it takes less than 5 minutes.

Its a "consumable" part - always stock spares (and plenty of those easy to lose roll pins.)

Quoted: Because of the velocities in the tube, it's not likely to clog but the gas volume may vary. My method:  Kroil spray down the tube, wait a couple of minutes, swap it with a long pipe cleaner, blow it out with compressed air.  THEN, clean the barrel.

The Kroil cuts the carbon, I let the Kroil soak in with the muzzle pointer down for a couple of minutes and then used compressed air through the end of the gas tube. I have a long air nozzle just for that, then I blow once though the bore. Then clean and lube as normal. No problems thus far. KEA is right on IMO.

I am a unit armorer in the Army. The soldiers in my unit have never cleaned the insid of the gas tube and have yet to have a problem.

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life is to short to drink cheap

To quote Derrick Martin on gas tubes plugging: "It can't, It can't, It Can't"  So DON'T try to clean the stupid thing.  Forget about it, it's a freebe.  If you're really compulsive, replace it after every 10,000 rounds.  Enjoy life, there are much better things to do than worrying about how clean your AR15 is.

You mentioned short stroking.  I had a problem with short stroking a while back, that I simply could not figure out.  

I tried cleaning the gas tube, changing ammo, scrubbing the chamber, checking the three gas rings on the bolt, etc, etc.  Finally, a gunsmith friend of mine and I tore the AR apart.  I had previously taken the buffer spring apart to make sure their was no obstructions, etc inside the tube.  I could not find any.  My gunsmithing friend looked at the actual metal buffer, with the rubber end and instantly realized that the rubber end was sticking out of the actual metal buffer too much, maybe 1/2".  A few knocks with a hammer on the rubber end cap pushed it back in.  I have not had any random short stroking problems since.

Quoted: Because of the velocities in the tube, it's not likely to clog but the gas volume may vary. My method:  Kroil spray down the tube, wait a couple of minutes, swap it with a long pipe cleaner, blow it out with compressed air.  THEN, clean the barrel.

This is what I've done in the past, I think the shortstroking was due to some bad ammo, it hasn't happened since.

Thanks for your responses, I guess I don't have to worry about dissassembling the whole upper and lower to toothpick out the dirt, or do I?!?!

OH GOD, THE DIRT, THE FILTH!