Gas tube cleaning...

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Dude Jones

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So I am new to the world of the "evil black gun".:rolleyes: I have a M&P sport and honestly I think i am in love:D. Runs perfect, accurate as all get out and fun as heck. Only problem I have is my 16 year old daughter shoots it better than I do. Dang aging eyes!

But being a newbie I do have a question. What do yall use to clean the gas tube? I know they make pipe cleaners for this specifically. But $10 for 20 pipe cleaners seems a bit steep. Will the ones from a craft store work okay? I assume they need to be longer than the 6in ones from a smoke shop. Also how often should i clean it 100rnds 200rnds 1000rnds? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Wana keep my baby running like new.
 
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The gas tube is just about the only part of an AR that does NOT need to be cleaned. You will most likely do more damage trying to clean it than if you just forget about it and shoot!
 
The gas system is self cleaning to a point.That being said you can get a can of gunscrubber or carb cleaner,l like throttle body cleaner.Get the can with the long plastic tube.Put the tube connected to the nozzle into the back of the gas tube and give it a few strong sprays.Then run a patch from the chamber using a bore guide.I usually do this every couple hundred rounds.Remember this system was designed as a machine gun and does not need babied,nor abused.
 
Good to know... I have been spraying it out it with non-chlorinated brake clean after each range session. Just didn't know if that was enough. I work in a large dealership shop so brake clean and carb cleaner is dirt cheap... cant beat that. Once again thanks. You guys rock!
 
I used cheapie pipe cleaners from the dollar store to swab the inside of my gas key. Worked pretty well - but all I did was a quick swab.

I wouldn't put a pipe cleaner - or anything else - into the gas tube though.
 
Dude Jones said:
So I am new to the world of the "evil black gun".:rolleyes: I have a M&P sport and honestly I think i am in love:D. Runs perfect, accurate as all get out and fun as heck. Only problem I have is my 16 year old daughter shoots it better than I do. Dang aging eyes!

But being a newbie I do have a question. What do yall use to clean the gas tube? I know they make pipe cleaners for this specifically. But $10 for 20 pipe cleaners seems a bit steep. Will the ones from a craft store work okay? I assume they need to be longer than the 6in ones from a smoke shop. Also how often should i clean it 100rnds 200rnds 1000rnds? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Wana keep my baby running like new.
Click to expand...

I have NEVER cleaned the gas tube on any AR. Ever. And, I have never had a problem. Just keep it dry. Do not spray anything in there.
 
I kind of get the sense that each round fired cleans out most of the debris from the previous. In this sense, the 100th or 1000th or 10,000th shot leaves behind about as much residue as the 1st.

So, unless you are willing to clean after every round...why bother?

I normally keep my stuff really clean, and clean after each time I go shooting, but as far as gas tubes go I think you're more likely to mess things up by leaving behind the wrong kind of debris than you are to improve things.
 
I've seen quite a few uppers with those long pipe cleaners stuck in the gas tube. :cool:

Remember , designer Gene Stoner said it never needed cleaning.

And when fed good ammo with clean burning powder , it probably doesn't.

I myself use aerosol cleaner. Brake-Kleen , 2+2 Gum Cleaner , Gun Scrubber , etc.

No pipe cleaners!
 
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I asked this same question a long time ago. Was told by several experts on this great forum to NEVER OIL the tube, and you don't have to clean it. I have never had any issues or reason to clean it.
 
The guys most anal retentive about cleaning their arms that I have ever known, The USMC drill instructors, had a very strict rule when it came to cleaning the M16. "Don't mess with the gas tube." The rifle had to be able to pass a white glove test, but don't touch the gas tube.

In the many many thousands of rounds I fired through mine while in the fleet I never touched the tube and the gun ran fine, besides all the jams.

That included using BFAs (blank firing attachment) that did nothing but make the inside of the rifle filthy. Or the time our company spent a week at the range using up a Deuce and a half full of 5.56 ammo heating up our barrels to a dull red glow just for fun.
 
Dude Jones said:
But being a newbie I do have a question. What do yall use to clean the gas tube? I know they make pipe cleaners for this specifically. But $10 for 20 pipe cleaners seems a bit steep. Will the ones from a craft store work okay? I assume they need to be longer than the 6in ones from a smoke shop. Also how often should i clean it 100rnds 200rnds 1000rnds? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Wana keep my baby running like new.
Click to expand...

It depends. If all I am using is CLP for cleaning and lubing I never do anything to the tube. If I am using some type of bore cleaner (rare) I give a quick spritz of brake cleaner into the gas tube to make sure there's no bore cleaner sitting in the gas tube. I never stick anything at all in the tube.
 
Smith357 said:
The guys most anal retentive about cleaning their arms that I have ever known, The USMC drill instructors, had a very strict rule when it came to cleaning the M16. "Don't mess with the gas tube." The rifle had to be able to pass a white glove test, but don't touch the gas tube.

In the many many thousands of rounds I fired through mine while in the fleet I never touched the tube and the gun ran fine, besides all the jams.
Click to expand...

We were always told the gas tube is self cleaning from the gas pressure blasting through it. Never touched one or had any troubles with the tube either (then 70's or now).
 
Waywatcher said:
It depends. If all I am using is CLP for cleaning and lubing I never do anything to the tube. If I am using some type of bore cleaner (rare) I give a quick spritz of brake cleaner into the gas tube to make sure there's no bore cleaner sitting in the gas tube. I never stick anything at all in the tube.
Click to expand...

I also give mine a quick spray with brake cleaner, just to remove any residual bore cleaner. Other than a pipe cleaner through the carrier key, I leave mine alone.
 
Smith357 said:
The guys most anal retentive about cleaning their arms that I have ever known, The USMC drill instructors, had a very strict rule when it came to cleaning the M16. "Don't mess with the gas tube." The rifle had to be able to pass a white glove test, but don't touch the gas tube.

In the many many thousands of rounds I fired through mine while in the fleet I never touched the tube and the gun ran fine, besides all the jams.

That included using BFAs (blank firing attachment) that did nothing but make the inside of the rifle filthy. Or the time our company spent a week at the range using up a Deuce and a half full of 5.56 ammo heating up our barrels to a dull red glow just for fun.
Click to expand...

have to agree with that - was in Marine Corps reserve before AF & never tried to clean the gas tube - the M-16A1 I used at boot camp had to be fired who knows how many times & worked just fine - the firing pin broke the day before qualifying while snapping in but never had a malfunction
 
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