Army: Break-Free?
USMC: Break-Free.
USAF:?
USN:?
USCG:?

Anyone know what is in 'general use' for cleaning/lubing our rifles? Have FP-10, Militech, or any of those other 'new' CLPs been used (in bulk) by any of the branches?

Also, do they use (talking about for their AR-type rifles) the metal rods for cleaning, or do they use Otis kits, or some other solution? (Again, talking about bulk use; What would Joe Grunt use?)


Edited to add another question:

Anybody have a clue what the Brits/French/Germans/Polish/et cetera use to clean and lube their rifles?

We (Army National Guard) use Break Free and whateever cleaning rods and brushes we can scrounge. It's almost impossible to get a complete rod assembled. We also have a very limited amount of Otis kits. What I do with my troops is we take our rifles and the crap the supply nazi grudgingly loans us into a classroom at the armory, Then I break out my own cleaning supplies, including bore snakes, break parts cleaner, Sweets, and other items, and pass them around. We go outside to use the potent stuff. The guys in the motor pool use the parts washer on their rifles. A SGT takes care of his troops.

I have my personal GI kit and an Otis kit that I use when I'm cleaning my own M16 alone.

But, the official answer to your question is: The Army uses Break Free and the issue cleaning kits to maintain their rifles.  

Try this link

Approved Army Weapons Cleaners


If you have trouble reading it zoom in. I also like a small paintbrush for cleaning the outside and cleaning rags made from an old GI t-shirt .

I think the Army has had several suppliers of CLP with BreakFree being the best known and widely available(I have a small bottle made by Huls America that is Army Issue).  I would think any CLP that meets the current Milspec for CLP (including FP-10) would be authorized.

U.S. Army- What ever we can get our hands on that works.  
Cleaning supplies are always in great demand. Lots of my own money has been invested cleaning and maintaining uncle sams weapons.

x

The Navy at NAB uses Simple Green to clean.

Dignity and honor

and sometimes

Blood, sweat and tears

Quoted: Army: Break-Free? USMC: Break-Free. USAF:? USN:? USCG:? Anyone know what is in 'general use' for cleaning/lubing our rifles? Have FP-10, Militech, or any of those other 'new' CLPs been used (in bulk) by any of the branches? Also, do they use (talking about for their AR-type rifles) the metal rods for cleaning, or do they use Otis kits, or some other solution? (Again, talking about bulk use; What would Joe Grunt use?) Edited to add another question: Anybody have a clue what the Brits/French/Germans/Polish/et cetera use to clean and lube their rifles?

 During the time i was in the Army(8 years), i used Hopps #9 solvent to clean both the M-16 and the M-60 and never had any feed or operating problems whatsoever.  I always lubed with the required CLP.  

Coast Guard: we use CLP.

USMC (during the 1980's - 1990's) used C.L.P. and USGI cleaning kits as issued via the armory we drew our weapons from.

CLP in my experience liked to "bring out carbon".  A weapon that was "clean" on day #1 and lubricated/preserved with CLP would coat patches and Q-tips with carbon residues on day #2.
 In my opinion this is normal behavior for CLP and part of the reason the military specified that a weapon would be cleaned daily, for three days in a row, after being fired during a mission.  This is in addition to any cleaning or maintenance required to protect the weapon from environmental conditions.

~Craig

AF when I joined used "LSA" then we switched to "CLP" I never encountered anything other than "breakfree" brand that does not mean anything but at one time my unit had a 55 gallon drum of the stuff....