Any cleaning advice for rifle gas regulator and piston

[bigwheelzip]

First SAR, and unsure about one item of maintenance.
Been cleaning the parts of the short-stroke piston assembly with a nylon brush and Hoppe's solvent, wiping dry and assembling dry.

I've looked for more info about this, read on the net about using brake degreaser (don't want to do that), Scotch Brite pad, or other solvents.

There seems to be mixed schools of thought about lube on the piston ring. It was dry and tight from the factory, and no mention of lube in the owners manual. Thoughts?

The photo (item 5) is all the manual provides on the subject.

Thank you.

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[Eric300]

Try Kleen Bore Lead-Away cloth. works great for cleaning stubborn lead/powder build-up. Clean up with Gun Scrubber. Then light lube and you're good to go.

 

[Nevada Ed]

For those that have a 391 shotgun;

The the screw that holds the forearm, also needs to be cleaned now and then, along with the piston system, for proper uses.

 

[chief38]

I would use Hoppes solvent and a nylon toothbrush (or similar). Oily pistons can/will collect dirt, debris and carbon and then act as a cutting agent. Leave dry when done.

I would definitely not use any abrasive such as a scotch-brite pad, emery, stainless steel brush, etc. which can scratch the metal and cause it to pick up and collect debris. Hoppes should more than suffice.