I've always just used a bore snake on my AR's. I realize this isn't the most effective method, so I think I'm  going to get a one piece carbon fiber rod from Tipton or Dewey. I also plan on picking up a JP chamber guide as well.

A couple of questions:

When I'm cleaning with a jag and patch should  I push from chamber to muzzle?

When the patch has been run though is it best to remove it before pulling it back down the barrel, or will the exposed brass damage the bore?


Very elementary questions I realize, but as I said I've never used a cleaning rod before and am confused about the process.

Always clean from the chamber to the muzzle if you can.
Get the bore saturated with solvent and let that sit while you clean the chamber and lugs.
Then clean the bore. You can run a brush back and forth as long as you don't change directions in the barrel.
Patches catch dirt so run them one way and dispose of them, then pull the rod back for another pass with a fresh patch.

I like the Dewey, it lets the rod spin as it goes down the bore.

I'm a puller, and I pull from muzzle to chamber.  It takes a bit mort time to run the rod through the barrel, put a patch on the jag and wet it with solvent, then pull it through, but using the pull method you can get a larger patch through the bore, so better patch to barrel contact, which equals better cleaning IMHO.

I do one pass only with a patch, but not because of brass, but because of redistributing carbon in the barrel.

I bought a bore guide, and I never use it.  For bolt guns they are great for keeping stuff out of the action, but I found it of no use in an AR.

I clean upside down and my last step is cleaning the upper so you get anything that spills out then.

Any recommendations on what type of solvent and jag (Parker hale or other kind)?

I have a big bucket of various solvents but fall back on Hoppe's or Shooter's Choice.
Chrome lined barrels tend to not copper foul and jacketed ammo keeps leading down.
You don't really need a super-aggressive solvent. It's mostly carbon you're washing out.
I also use Break-Free bore foam occasionally.

I like the pointy jags and 1.25" patches.
Better coverage than the "bowtie" you get with the looped jags.
Plus, the patch falls off when you pull back to the muzzle.

Hoppe's #9

CLP or some other "oil" for lube and rust protection.

Montana X-Treme makes the very best cleaning rod IMO.

Link

Dewey rods

Proshot jags and brushes

Proshot copper solvent IV

Brownells precut .223 round cotton patches.

Why do you say that? I found that my good quality boresnakes were easier, faster and doing a better job than my rods.

Just curious?

Boresnakes are faster and easier to use.

Typically you can get much better agitation using a rod with a brush. More time consuming but a better clean, especially on a very dirty rifle when followed with patches.

I like using a cleaning rod for brushing the bore.

I prefer using Otis for pulling patch through the bore rather than jag and patch. I have had trouble on an AR15 but love using a jag and patch on my Glock.

Otis has a really good cleaning system plus it is compact. Just make sure you use there patches.  Again, much easier than using a rod and jag IMO.

Otis kit has everything you need but may want more patches and CLP or cleaner and lube.

Otis Link

I highly recommend M-Pro 7 cleaner and your favorite lube.

I have used Boresnakes, GI sectioned rods (the worst of this bunch, but doable), Dewey coated rods, Otis kits, and whatever else.

Dewey coated rods, brass jags/loops, and Hoppe's #9 are what I always come back to for most applications.

I use a bore guide too, chamber end to muzzle.

What is a bore guide and what does it do?

These are plastic tube devices that fit into the AR upper receiver and guide the cleaning rod into the chamber.
This prevents damaging the chamber, barrel throat, and the upper receiver, and prevents getting dirty solvent in the upper.

Brownell's and Midway sell good ones.

http://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=bore+guide&ksubmit=y

I like the JP bore guide. They are convenient but not necessary.

JP Bore Guide

Yeah, they seem totally unecessary.  I can't imagine any high quality cleaning rod damaging a chrome lined barrel.

The best solvent I have ever used is Simple Green (yeah the household cleaner). You can get it at Sam's or Costco in a gallon size jug. From there the directions say to cut it will 50% water. I never dilute it for gun stuff. I did a test. I cleaned a barrel with Hoppe's #9 until the patches were clean. Then I ran Simple Green...and dirty patches came out! Simple Green is non toxic, you can get it on your hands and there are no fumes.

A word of caution though, you should not get Simple Green in contact with aluminum. It will eventually weaken the aluminum. They do make a SG for aluminum, but I have no idea how well that works for cleaning.

You should also use a copper solvent. Use regular solvent until clean, then use copper solvent until clean, then back to regular solvent until clean. Also, if you do use the copper solvent, do NOT use a brass jag/rod as the main ingredient in brass is copper! Use a plastic or some other material.

I use Parker Hale and pointed jags depending on where I'm at the process.  At the fisrt I use pointed jags to push out all of the carbon, I then use Parker hale style jags and run it back and forth.  I then scrub the hell out of it with a copper brush (I don't worry about the crown).  If I have copper fouling I use Sweets 7.62 and Tetra with with nylon brushes (blue nylon).  Don't use the copper remover with copper brushes as it will eat them.  Don't smell the copper cleaner either, it's mostly ammonia and will put you on your ass and make your brain recoil from the fumes.

Oh, and I use Kroil for a carbon solvent.

You'll go crazy using a copper solvent with a bronze brush.
Every time you pull that patch out, there will be blue stain on it.

And clean off the brush with brake cleaner or even a hot water rinse before you put it away.
Stuff like Sweet's or Shooter's Choice will attack the bristles over time.

So am I good to go if I run a patch and jag through the barrel then pull it back through?

Or should the jag be unscrewed from the cleaning rod before pulling it back through?

Don't reverse a patch or brush while it's still in the barrel.
Generally, patches only go one way and are then disposed of.
If you're "mopping" with one, then just make sure you clear the bore before you change direction and pull it back through.
You can pull the unloaded jag back through the bore.

I know this subject has been beat to death on this thread and on the forum, but here's my 2 cents as a guy would did it the "Army way" till I got out and found my own solutions.

Hands down, the best-quality rods I've even found (after buying MANY sets of many different brands of rods) is Pro Shot.  Between their rods, brushes, jags, punches, and other cleaning gear, they make quality, lasting stuff.  I don't like their solvents/oil, but I do like their rods and gear -they'll last for life.

For the solvent, I use M-Pro 7 or Hoppes Elite gun cleaner -they're the same thing, buy whatever's cheapest.  

For the oil, I use M-Pro 7 LPX oil, or if I'm feeling like it, Winchester 44 -it's the closest thing I've ever found outside the military that replicates actual military CLP the best -it's not like that knock-off Safariland breakfree stuff (which is a good product, but it's NOT CLP and I hate that they advertise it like that).

I'm assuming you're cleaning a chrome-lined barrel, so with that said, keep in mind that a very detailed bore cleaning will not be necessary for most philosophies of use, but this will work well:

1) Check to make sure it's unloaded.
2) Pop the upper, take out the BCG and charging handle.
3) Use the brush head soaked in solvent and scrub up and down several times in the barrel (going from the chamber to the muzzle -NEVER insert rods from the muzzle into the chamber unless the gun design won't allow you to do it any other way).
4) Pull out the rod, clean the rod and the brush.  Use the jag to punch the right sized patch through the barrel.
5) Repeat this process till the patches start coming out clean.  For best results, do a pass with the brush and solvent, then let the solvent soak for a little while, then come back and continue the process.
6) Use the loop head and slide a patch into it, soaking the patch with oil on both ends and send it through the barrel twice, ensuring the barrel gets a very minor coating of oil on the inside.

That will work for any chrome-lined barrel.  For heavy-duty accuracy guns without chrome-lining, the process will be a little different.