ChattanoogaPhil
Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2009
- Messages
- 14,601
- Reaction score
- 20,622
Need Help Cleaning and Oiling new AR-15
- Thread starter goodoboy
- Start date
Thanks
Early in the video he states the bore brushes unserviceable and serveable. What does that mean and where can I get it from. I bought a .22 caliber bone brush from academy.
Also, he uses CLP, but I don't have that. I purchase the Hopper oil and bore cleaner. Can I use the bore cleaner on other parts (e.g., BCG, etc)to clean or just the bore only?
Last edited:
cyphertext
US Veteran
He said you need one that is "unserviceable", meaning it has been used to the point that it is no longer useful for cleaning the bore... use a small toothbrush or nylon brush in place of the "unserviceable bore brush"...
On the guide pics, "G" means 'generous, enough that you
can push the oil layer around with your finger tip'.
"L" means 'light, wet with oil but not enough to push around'.
Pass a lightly oiled patch through chamber and bore, but don't leave a heavy coat in there. It's good practice to run a dry patch through the bore right before firing, under "non-exigent" conditions.
cyphertext
US Veteran
Yes, you should, but on the bore only.... if he is using a bore brush on anywhere other than inside the barrel, use a toothbrush or some other small brush.
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
@goodoboy This video pretty much answers all of your questions. He explains field stripping, chamber and bore cleaning, lube points, and reassembly. I recommend a good CLP (cleaner, lubricant, protectant) like BreakFree. Don't over think it. It is all just a simple process.
How to Field Strip and Clean your AR-15 | Shooting USA - YouTube
How to Field Strip and Clean your AR-15 | Shooting USA - YouTube
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
@goodoboy This video pretty much answers all of your questions. He explains field stripping, chamber and bore cleaning, lube points, and reassembly. I recommend a good CLP (cleaner, lubricant, protectant) like BreakFree. Don't over think it. It is all just a pretty simple process.
How to Field Strip and Clean your AR-15 | Shooting USA - YouTube
How to Field Strip and Clean your AR-15 | Shooting USA - YouTube
Godo, do you know anyone who's an Army or USMC vet?
Anyone who served in last forty years could sit down with you and show you all this stuff and answer these questions (and more that you'd think of, on the spot) in half an hour--a lot easier than all the posts.
goodoboy, the AR is easy to field strip, clean and lube.
You can use bore cleaner to clean any of the metal surfaces. It shouldn't harm any of the plastic surfaces, but some cleaners will cause discoloration. Don't worry too much if a small amount of cleaner gets on any of the plastic pieces, just wipe it off and press on. You shouldn't need bore cleaner on much of the exterior. Just to clean the bore, the chamber and inside the receivers if you're seeing carbon build up.
Some manufacturers use a light coat of preservative on their firearms before shipping them out. Preservative on the barrels will cause smoking as the barrel heats up. Preservative in the bore and chamber should be removed before firing. It's not likely it will cause enough of a rise in pressure to be dangerous, or cause cases to stick in the chamber, but it's a good practice to remove it first. The most common problems I've seen preservative cause are light hammer strikes and weak trigger returns.
Along with the lube points shown on the chart posted above, place a few drops in the exhaust port on the BCG. It will help to keep carbon build up on the tail of the bolt from hardening and will keep the AR functioning reliably. It's been my experience this is one of the most important places to keep lubed on an AR. It doesn't need much oil.
I know some will recommend using grease on the carrier. Just remember that the AR is designed to use oil. Grease is thicker than oil and can cause drag on the carrier as it reciprocates. While grease and oil both trap dirt and fouling, adding oil to dirty oil will wash out the junk without disassembling the rifle. To clean out the junk collected by grease, the rifle will have to be disassembled to wipe of the dirty grease before clean grease can be applied. The only way to see if this is a problem for you is to try it. I find using just oil on my AR
makes maintenance much easier, especially when shooting with a suppressor
You can use bore cleaner to clean any of the metal surfaces. It shouldn't harm any of the plastic surfaces, but some cleaners will cause discoloration. Don't worry too much if a small amount of cleaner gets on any of the plastic pieces, just wipe it off and press on. You shouldn't need bore cleaner on much of the exterior. Just to clean the bore, the chamber and inside the receivers if you're seeing carbon build up.
Some manufacturers use a light coat of preservative on their firearms before shipping them out. Preservative on the barrels will cause smoking as the barrel heats up. Preservative in the bore and chamber should be removed before firing. It's not likely it will cause enough of a rise in pressure to be dangerous, or cause cases to stick in the chamber, but it's a good practice to remove it first. The most common problems I've seen preservative cause are light hammer strikes and weak trigger returns.
Along with the lube points shown on the chart posted above, place a few drops in the exhaust port on the BCG. It will help to keep carbon build up on the tail of the bolt from hardening and will keep the AR functioning reliably. It's been my experience this is one of the most important places to keep lubed on an AR. It doesn't need much oil.
I know some will recommend using grease on the carrier. Just remember that the AR is designed to use oil. Grease is thicker than oil and can cause drag on the carrier as it reciprocates. While grease and oil both trap dirt and fouling, adding oil to dirty oil will wash out the junk without disassembling the rifle. To clean out the junk collected by grease, the rifle will have to be disassembled to wipe of the dirty grease before clean grease can be applied. The only way to see if this is a problem for you is to try it. I find using just oil on my AR
makes maintenance much easier, especially when shooting with a suppressor
Last edited:
Hello,
I have the rifle disammbely now, is this correct how the extractor should be reinstalled. ?Screenshot by Lightshot and the bolt cam position, perpendicular to the gas key?
THanks
I have the rifle disammbely now, is this correct how the extractor should be reinstalled. ?Screenshot by Lightshot and the bolt cam position, perpendicular to the gas key?
THanks
yes - the bolt cam pin shouldn't go in if you have the extractor on the wrong side. you need to have the long edge of the top of the cam pin parallel to the gas key as well then once the cam pin is pushed down you turn the cam pin 90 degrees so you can then insert the firing pin.
ok, I am done cleaning and oil the gun for the first time. lol, took about 2 hours. I wrote down some things I need for the next time.
I have some questions to ask regarding the cleaning
1.During the lubing process, I kept asking myself "how much oil is too much". Is this common with you too? What do you use to oil components. I basically used my hand for most of it except the bore and chamber.
2. Should I clean and oil this part as well Screenshot by Lightshot Neither video above showed cleaning and oil this part. I did clean and oil it.
3. I wasn't sure about this part Screenshot by Lightshot, so i just put drops on oil here Screenshot by Lightshot where the red arrows are. Is that about right?
4. Screenshot by Lightshot what is this for? I put oil on it to lube the champer parts.
5. Before running oil down the barrel oil on a patch, I run a patch about 6 times until most black was not on the patch. Screenshot by Lightshot this is the last patch pic before I oiled up a patch and run it down the bore one time and left as is. Should I have continued until the patches are white showing no black?
7. With my hand a Qtip I put oil all over each component of the BGC, including inside the gas key. The video didn't show this. I assumed every moving part needs some oil on it. Was this right.
I think what I learned from this is to just clean and oil everything as best I can and takes me awhile.
Thanks,
I have some questions to ask regarding the cleaning
1.During the lubing process, I kept asking myself "how much oil is too much". Is this common with you too? What do you use to oil components. I basically used my hand for most of it except the bore and chamber.
2. Should I clean and oil this part as well Screenshot by Lightshot Neither video above showed cleaning and oil this part. I did clean and oil it.
3. I wasn't sure about this part Screenshot by Lightshot, so i just put drops on oil here Screenshot by Lightshot where the red arrows are. Is that about right?
4. Screenshot by Lightshot what is this for? I put oil on it to lube the champer parts.
5. Before running oil down the barrel oil on a patch, I run a patch about 6 times until most black was not on the patch. Screenshot by Lightshot this is the last patch pic before I oiled up a patch and run it down the bore one time and left as is. Should I have continued until the patches are white showing no black?
7. With my hand a Qtip I put oil all over each component of the BGC, including inside the gas key. The video didn't show this. I assumed every moving part needs some oil on it. Was this right.
I think what I learned from this is to just clean and oil everything as best I can and takes me awhile.
Thanks,
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
By George! I think you've got it.
1. Don't worry so much. Too much oil really won't hurt anything. It will just fly out of the gun when you shoot it.
2. Just wipe it out with a lint free rag or shop towel.
3. Looks right.
4. That's a chamber swab. I've never used one - just a chamber brush.
5. That's good enough. There's no need to fret about a little bit of black on the patch.
6. Oh . . . there is no 6.
7. I never put oil in the gas key. I don't think doing so is a good idea. Oil attracts and bonds with dirt and soot. You don't want that in your gas tube. You might want to run a pipe cleaner in there to get as much as you can out.
2. Just wipe it out with a lint free rag or shop towel.
3. Looks right.
4. That's a chamber swab. I've never used one - just a chamber brush.
5. That's good enough. There's no need to fret about a little bit of black on the patch.
6. Oh . . . there is no 6.
7. I never put oil in the gas key. I don't think doing so is a good idea. Oil attracts and bonds with dirt and soot. You don't want that in your gas tube. You might want to run a pipe cleaner in there to get as much as you can out.
hdwhit
Member
I think TX-Dennis has given you some very good advice.
Remember, this rifle is based on one designed to be carried into combat. It is neither frail nor flimsy. It will function well even under adverse conditions. Do what you described in post #34 as corrected in post #36 and you should have many long years of service from your rifle.
Remember, this rifle is based on one designed to be carried into combat. It is neither frail nor flimsy. It will function well even under adverse conditions. Do what you described in post #34 as corrected in post #36 and you should have many long years of service from your rifle.
IIRC, the Army -10 said "one drop" in carrier key.
I just used a wet q-tip.
The gas tube sees over 25K psi on every round. It
doesn't need any help staying clear.
Everything you need, for now:
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/MILITARY/united _states_army_tm_9-1005-249-10 - 11_may_1990.pdf
Last edited:
