I just got a preban Colt AR (20"), and love it do death. I just want to take good care of it. Just not too sure how. I know how to clean it, but what do I need?

I'm thinking:

Dewey Rods
Breech Guide
Cleaning Rod Guide
Chamber and Bore Brushes
Mill-Tech Cleaners/Solvents/Degreasers

Anything else?
Are there any good books on AR15 cleaning?

Just read all of the post's in this forum..................

I have, lol.

Do I need a breech guide though? What's the difference between that and a bore guide?

And I have a shotgun, .22, HK USP40, and the AR. Should I use Mill-Comm on the USP and the AR, and use CLP on the shotgun and .22?

Grab a US GI Cleaning kit contains: Double headed tooth brush, four piece rod w/t-handle,Rod end device for patches, bronze brush, bronze chamber brush, and a bottle for CLP/LSA.

other than that: A bottle of CLP, a bottle of Bore Scrubber and a bag o' patches.

Using Mil-comm depends on you and what you want.
There is a little more work involved with Mil-comm due to the initial surface prep and you will have to use a seperate bore solvent.
The mil-comm is also more expensive than a clp.
CLP is easier to use since its a all in one.But I prefer the extreme performance of the TW-25B so its worth it to me.
For a cleaning rod I would use a stainless coated rod like Dewey,BoreTech etc..
Hoppe's No.9,BoreTech Bore Solvent or similar works perfectly for the bore if needed.
I use the ProShot cleaning patches from Georgia Precision since they come in large 1000 count packs at a cheap price.
Georgia Precision also has the chamber brush kit that uses a Dewey brass pistol rod at a good price.
I would also get a bore guide.That way you dont get solvent in/on the receiver.This is especially a concern when using ammonia based copper solvents.It also helps to prevent possible cleaning rod damage to the throat/leade when cleaning as well as damage to the coating on the cleaning rod.
Raymond

I don’t quite know what you mean by a breech guide?

I kinda like the Dewey coated rod myself.

As already mentioned, you need a chamber brush rod and a USGI toothbrush.

Pipe cleaners and Q-tips are handy.

You need a dark colored piece of cloth to apply CLP (or whatever) to the outside of the rifle without leaving noticeable lint.  A black T-shirt or a black sock will work nicely.

If your front pivot pin is actually a screw, a Sinclair AR-15/AR-10 Cleaning Link is really handy, though not essential.

As far as books go, I’d recommend “The AR-15 Complete Owner’s Guide” by Walt Kuleck and Scott Duff.

Also, you can download the US Army’s Operator's Manual, TM 9-1005-319-10, here: [url]http://www.ar15.com/content/books/[/url]

This is the BREECH guide, not the bore guide:

http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/gunsmith/dewey-1000.asp

Aren't you supposed to enter the rod from the chamber to the end of the muzzle? (For a dewey rod)? OR will mil-comm or dewey send good instructions?

Breech guide,rod guide or Bore Guide the same thing.
The one I have is the Sinclair o-ring rod guide #RGAR15 that cost me $18.00.Its all polymer and fits perfectly in the upper.

When you order your Mil-comm request an instruction sheet.

Yes you need to clean from the breech to the muzzle.
If you have a weapon that has to be cleaned from the muzzle end,you can use a muzzle rod guide to protect the crown.
Raymond

Bushmaster has a breech guide and a bore guide... Two seperate things, for different prices...

And I'm still debating on whether or not to use Mil-Comm or just go with CLP.

I'd vote for CLP.  You only have to keep up with one thing.  It works fine in the AR system and it actually feels kind of weird not to have to worry about three different solvents, lubes, and protectants.  After using it long enough you will find yourself using it all over the house, to oil the door hinges, keep the rust off your tools, and for all kinds of stuff you never imagined.  

One warning: it doesn't work as well as a mustard / ketchup replacement as you might think.

Other than CLP the only other solvent you'll need is some sort of copper solvent to occasionally clean the bore.  I prefer Sweet's personally.

Be sure to get a non-rotating rod for use with your chamber brush. It's kind of hard to clean the chamber when your rod is just spinning around the brush.  The GI cleaning kit has a rod like this, and the kit is a worthwhile purchase even if you mostly keep it in the buttstock.

Is the dewey rod non-rotating? Cause I'm pretty sure on getting a dewey, FP CLP, Hoppe's bore solvent, and use the chamber and bore brushes that came with the AR. And I'll also get a guide.

New term to me!!

I didn’t think you were describing a bore guide since you also mentioned a cleaning rod guide.  

Anyway, if I may jump in ahead of ken_mays, the full length Dewey cleaning rod is rotating - which is good!  The short Dewey chamber brush rod is not – which is also good.

You need both, though as Ken mentioned, you can use the military cleaning kit in lieu of a separate chamber brush rod.

Note that the bore brush and chamber brush that came with your AR [b]might[/b] be a military 8X36 thread.  The Deweys have a commercial 8X32 thread.  (Some Dewey cleaning rods even have a male thread, making thing even more confusing.)

Thus you may need an adapter to use them.  An adapter is cheap and is worth having anyway.    

I would think I'd need to get the breech guide, since it goes in from the breech to the muzzle, right?

SO i need a chamber brush, a bore brush, and an adapter from Dewey...

I'm pretty new at this, but I'm thinking I should probably clean the gas tube out eh. I've seen pipe cleaners mentioned, but I'm not quite sure what kind you mean. I see some for actual pipes (teh smoking kind) and multi-colored ones like I used in pre-school.

So um, what  should I look for or get, where can I get htem in bulk, and how exactly should I use them to clean the gas tube?

I would leave the gas tube alone.
I have found and have been advised by the senior members of this forum that the gas tube keeps itself clean.Jamming pipe cleaners and lube into the tube could lead to problems,like build up or cause a blockage of some sort.
Ive never cleaned my gas tube and it looks and functions perfectly.
When the rifle is fired it blows whatever chunks that are in there out.
Raymond

While it would seem logical that you should clean the gas tube, in reality you don’t need to.

They rarely get clogged, and when they do it’s either a result of many thousands of rounds being fired or of someone getting a pipe cleaner stuck in one!!  [:D]

Further, any build up in the tube takes place near the sight tower, which is next to impossible to get to.

Brownells sells very long pipe cleaners for AR gas tubes for those who must have them.  However, I’ve tried them and they don’t seem to do anything anyway.  Run them through the tube a few times and they’re still as clean as when you started.

Spend your money on ammo instead!

Edited to add that I see Blankwaffe95 already answered the question!!  I continue to amaze myself with my incredibly slow typing!!

Thanks! Was just kind of worrying me when I see how dirty the bolt carrier group gets heh.

The coated Dewey rod is rotating which is what you NEED.  The rod used for the chamber should be nonrotating.