Hey all. I figured I post here since I need a quick answer (I am in the middle of cleaning my AR).

I have been a bad boy, and didn't clean my rifle right after I shot it last.  So, tonight I was feeling guilty and decided to clean it.

Background:
-Bushmaster A2 20" Post Ban.
-Approx 1800 rnds through the gun.
-Using Hoppes #9 Solvent to clean the muck
-Not lubing the rifle until my TW-25b lube comes in.

So, here are the questions:

1) I was cleaning the gas tube with a pipe cleaner kit, and got a lot of gunk out of there.  The thing I find 'odd' is that when I put the pipe cleaner ALL the way down, and bring it up; the end of the pipe cleaner is BLUE.  Blue as in a BLUE felt-tip marker.  The pipe cleaner is an off white color, so it shows pretty easily.  I have done about 12 swabs or so, and each time it is still pretty darn thick blue.  What is this 'blueness'?  It seems to be only at the very end.  If I take the pipe cleaner down 95%, its not there.

2) Ware & Tear.  The rifle has lots of blemishes inside.

-The Cam Pin shows excessive 'scaring' under the 't' hat.  The cam pin was black originally, but now you can see lots of silver metal.  I always lube this section well in the reassemble.  Is this normal?

-The Hammer has some good wear.  When looking down on it, it has a nice silver 'T'.  Right above the very center of the 'T' shaped wear, there is actually a very small grove, also leading to the next edge on upwords.  Is this normal?

-The railing system for the charging handle and bolt carrier has some 'scars' in misc places.  Is this due to 'insufficient' amount of lubrication?  I usually load this section up pretty good.

Other than that, the rifle is in excellent shape.  Thanks for your time.

1) Don't know what the blue is, sounds like copper but since you're in the gas tube, who knows?  The gas tube is not normally cleaned, BTW.  

2) I wouldn't worry about the finish wearing on bearing surfaces.  This is inevitable and will also give you a good idea where to lube.  Just inspect the areas regularly and don't worry unless you see metal actually being worn away.

3) The only place that needs a good amount of lube inside the gun is the bolt lug area, and perhaps the cam pin.  Everything else will easily get by with a light coating of lube, or even dry.  Excessive lube (i.e. you can see oil running when you tilt the rifle) can actually contribute to faster wear as it attracts and holds grit to places it wouldn't normally stay.

You really should not be messing with the gas tube. it requires no maintenance.  It sounds like your making your cleaning job a real project.

all of the other wear is normal.