...i'm sure this question has been asked about a thousand times here, but i was wondering about the carbon buildup in the bolt carrier and on the rear of the bolt itself (behind the gas rings). how much is normal after about 200 rounds or so, and what's the easiest/best way to clean this? it seemed like i had quite a bit the other day, most of which i just couldn't get off the inside of the bolt. would excessive carbon buildup in this area indicate a problem?

Depends on the ammo you shoot. Some fouls worse than others.

It's not a huge issue, I have'nt mechanically removed it since I bought my AR. And that was a while ago. A shot of carb cleaner, or tossing it in the tank of carb dip at work will clean it off, without resorting to scraping.

For the most part, it seems to be self limiting. I would'nt worry too much about it.

Meplat-

[url]www.slip2000.com/cleaner_info.html[/url] . I've heard that their Carbon Cutter works really well. Hope this helps.

If you keep that area well lubricated, it keeps the carbon build up pretty soft, and most of it wipes off.