I'm wondering if there needs to be a difference.  When I shoot the M-16 system, it's usually 300-500 rounds in a day, and the whole gun gets cleaned internally and externally from front to back.  It's a pain, but the high temps and extra crud that gets in the upper just builds up to the point that I basically do depot level cleaning maintenance on the gun.

On the AR-15, I may only shoot 50 rounds and usually its at such a slower pace that the heat buildup and whatnot seems to be such that the gun really doesnt get that dirty.  I still clean the AR, it just doesnt get to be stripped completely down from end to end.  

Perhaps it's the number of rounds fired, but I think its the extreme heat build up from full auto fire that makes the M-16 one dirty dog to clean at the end of the day.  Is it just me, or am I getting to be taking this cleaning and maintenance thing too seriously...???

yup.


pretty much identical.

M16 might be a bit more indepth, and more rounds goign through it. But pretty much the same procedure.