Question re: Cleaning the Bolt Carrier Group

[old tanker]

Anyway, CLP is what we called it. LSA was also known by a less polite name having to do with simians. More or less official, back in the day...

https://www.logsa.army.mil/psmag/archives/PS2018/784/784-36-37.pdf

https://www.logsa.army.mil/psmag/archives/PS2008/671/671-23.pdf

 

[Rastoff]

Anyway, CLP is what we called it. LSA was also known by a less polite name having to do with simians. More or less official, back in the day...

https://www.logsa.army.mil/psmag/archives/PS2018/784/784-36-37.pdf

https://www.logsa.army.mil/psmag/archives/PS2008/671/671-23.pdf

Well, I learned something new. I wasn't in the Army. The military does often make up their own names for things they buy en mass. That may indeed by why so many people refer to it as just CLP.

 

[vonn]

I was taught to use plenty of LSA by an old E7 in Ranger School many years ago . Maybe just lucky but I have never had a problem in a bunch of nasty AO's but was using rifle length systems which are supposed to be more trouble free.

 

[old tanker]

Well, I learned something new. I wasn't in the Army. The military does often make up their own names for things they buy en mass. That may indeed by why so many people refer to it as just CLP.

The 3 letter military symbols for lubricants are often used to refer to a product. Appendix E of TM4-33.31 may be interesting to you, especially the section on Weapons Lubricants.

https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/TM 4-33x31 FINAL WEB.pdf

"NOTE: The M16 family of weapons was originally designed to be cleaned with RBC and lubricated with LSA. Before using them, Soldiers first have to use a dry cleaning solvent (SD-2) to remove any traces of CLP or any other lubricant.

WARNING:
CLP must NOT be mixed with any other lubricant, or it will gum up. It is designed to be the only thing used on a working weapon, when used."

 

[Racer X]

AK owners just swish their rifle around in the nearest muddy puddle.

 

[WR Moore]

If no mud puddles are handy, one can just use one's own liquid waste product.

 

[Moe Mentum]

The bolt always comes apart, too much crud in there to leave .... the extractor gets taken out every other time.

 

[Hair Trigger]

When you take the BCG down for cleaning, you should have 5 pieces: 1-the carrier/gas key assembly, 2-the firing pin retainer cotter pin, 3-cam pin, 4-firing pin, 5-bolt/extractor/gas rings assembly. No further disassembly should be needed for cleaning.

 

[Engineer1911]

I guess my Janet Reno era AR-15s need a better cleaning.

 

[Oldsalt66]

If you keep up on your cleaning and the rifle is running well, there's no reason to disassemble the bolt.

Just beak the BCG down to the 5 parts, clean and scrape to get rid of the carbon buildup, lube the bolt, and reassemble and lube the BCG.

Worked for me for decades.

 

[WR Moore]

The CAT M4 tool is worth every penny. For those unfamiliar, it makes cleaning the bolt, firing pin and carrier much, much easier.

While CLPs can be the darling of the supply chain folks and those who have to pack all their gear on their backs, they generally sorta kinda do all three jobs. If you don't fall into either category, separate cleaner and lubricant/protector is a better option.

Back when I smithed, at the end of the competition season, I'd get a few 1911s dropped off because "the trigger needs redone". These folks generally didn't clean their guns thoroughly but used Breakfree generously. What happened was that powder residue would clump up and adversely affect the sear/hammer engagement. A detail strip, cleaning and lubrication would virtually always solve "the trigger problem".