Moderator Phil, I hope this thread is ok to post. And, if so, I hope that everyone can make some great contributions to it.
I will start out with a deflector tip. If you are like me about your AR (anal) then you might want to add a piece of black electrical tape, or, velcro tape, onto the deflector. It will keep the deflector from pitting when the shell ejects and hits the deflector.

I prefer good honest wear on my AR's. The finish is going to wear off all sharp corners and edges anyway just through use. If it doesn't, you aren't shooting enough.

The brass marks doesn't bother me as much as my mistake for going with a 5.56. I should have gone with an AR10 16" which would have been the best of both worlds but oh well

That is a nice tip for those who want to preserve their finish. I follow more along the thought process of MichiganScott. I take care of my rifles but it's a tool, so wear and tear doesn't bother me so much.

I like that idea, as I too, am a VERY picky ***!..

after my first X amount of rounds i noticed the marks etc on that area, and was like dang, that sucks! LOL.. t ant bad, but.. i may very well, go ahead and use a piece of tape, cool man.

actually, come to think of t, I got a giant roll of sticky Velcro squares that I bet are the perfect size!

just checked, their perfect man! and I got about 3000 of them.. LOL.. peel and stick Velcro squares..

I use them for the bottom of ashtrays and what not on my bar, so as not to end up with scratches etc..

hey man, if you want a few, throw me a mailing address and I could drop about 20 or so in a envelope for ya....

I have never given much thought to cover that area but one thing I do, when removing my upper from lower for cleaning, when I put them back together I am very careful not to allow the take down eyelets on the top receiver smack the lower, thus putting a ding in the metal. I have seen a lot of guys just smack them together not caring...ouch! But with brass deflecting off that part it has never bothered me because I have never seen an AR get damaged because of that.

As one gets older the imperfections from wear and tear just doesn't matter that much.

WAY too late for my rifle... but at least now no one will notice.

here is something that might be helpful when cleaning your AR etc..

Puppy pee training pads.. LOL.. Really though..

they have a plastic backing, so no fluids (oil, brake clean, whatever) will leak through, and they also seem to be pretty lint free, and cheap!

I use one on my kitchen table when cleaning etc.. when finished, simply throw away..

I also use one in my Case, so as to not have any excess oil leak onto/into the padding inside.. I just fold it over the upper and lower area of the riffle..

The color of the tape don't match!

The rubber band trick!
Bushmaster M4A1 AR-15 (rubberband trick) - YouTube

That's a great idea! No more solvents leaking through towels onto the table. And, the $ store has them in a 10 pack, 24"X24".

I'm taking my new .357 on an outing this weekend. I have BOOKOO huge rubber bands that are aching to make my AR's fully auto. I will have a report Monday morning.
Danke für den Tipp PanzerSS. Diese dummen Amerikaner denken, dass dieser Thread ein großer Witz ist. Das glaube ich nicht.

LMAO! I hear ya!

that's exactly where I get them!

I got a large pack this time though, as I actually DO need them for a dog as well.. LOL

A general tip for anyone who likes to shoot off a bench and use sand bags.

Inexpensive make shift sand bags. Take an old pair of jeans/pants and cut off the legs. Ziptie one end and fill with play sand. Ziptie the other end and you have shooting sandbags on the cheap.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

And you can tape one to the brass deflector, too!

Good thread. Just picked up my first AR this weekend. M&P Sport II. Can't wait to get to the range this weekend and getting some rounds downrange. I will be checking back here for tips and tricks.

I've always tried to take really good care of my tools. I also use my tools as intended. Because I live in a dusty area, it's hard to keep anything perfectly clean. The AR platform is especially hard to keep it dust free because of all the little nooks and crannies. So, while I understand wanting to keep the gun as perfect as possible, I've personally moved past that. I keep it clean where it needs it.

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Freedom isn't free.

So, I don't have a pic, but I'm sure I'm going to have to fix that. I use black "100 mph" tape on my deflector. What else is there? OH I know. That piece of tacticool bailing wire I've got carelessly twisted around my lower rail just north of my magwell. Nothing says this guy knows what he's doing better than duct tape and bailing wire all over his/your AR. I can't tell you how many times I have to explain one or the other, but as soon as they are both in the conversation, the looks and smiles make life worth living.

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Here, a grain of salt.

For a quick wipe down of your guns and your hands after a firing session, try "Wet Ones".
Good for removing powder residue, especially on stainless guns which show you where they are dirty.

I always wash my hands before eating after a lengthy shooting/brass picking session. Saw something in a video to the effect that otherwise there is a slight risk of lead contamination.

I've been shooting for a loooong time without knowing that and I thimk I'm nermal, er, ah, nurmel, ah, er, fuggedaboudit .....

Great tip!
Q?; You suggest WET ONES. Can a wipe like BABY WIPES be used as well? I stock up on these every time I buy toilet paper.
I have a few SS firearms and will be trying this tip on them soon.

"Wet Ones" are just a brand name for baby wipes. I first started using them when shooting cap & ball guns in CAS.

I use Rem Oil Wipes before putting anything shot back in a case AR and Pistols .. keeps the material on the inside of the case much cleaner .. I was just using an oiled rag I kept in a zip lock bag but these are much handier .. found them on sale 1/2 off and bought 3 containers they're 60 of them that are 7X8 inches in size..

When shooting I wear a hat with a brim and/or a Shemagh Head Neck Scarf .. will keep hot rounds from burning your neck face if one hits you ..
Saw the after math of a man who got a burn around one of his eyes when a round landed between his glasses and skin .. and he couldn't shake it off quick enough .. I always wear some kind of head gear ..

I use Clorox Disinfectant Wipes on my hands to clean them and a squirt of hand sanitizer to finish them off after shooting .. you can also buy single packet of sanitizer wipes .. wife buys them 50 in a box ..

It's not just the deflector that needs protection. When the bolt is pulled back, the dust door flies open and strikes the lower receiver. The dust door bumper/press-pad needs it too. I put some of the left over rubberized Talon Grip material on the deflector and dust door pad.

While I'm the caretaker, I like to take care of my guns. The next owner can peel the stuff off and wreck it all he wants.

Attached Images

Talon Grip on AR.jpg (151.7 KB, 87 views)

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Si vis pacem para bellum.