AR-15 Maintenance Question.

[entropy]

Mixing carb cleaners, WD40 and other solvents with quality firearm lubricants defeats the attributes needed to prevent rust and lubricate moving parts.
A decent firearm lube will have carbon dissolving chemicals that with only work if they are left on the parts.
Storing your firearm with the operating parts fairly wet with lube will keep everything happy.

Not in the gas tube of an AR.

 

[FL-NC]

No. Disassemble the upper if you are replacing the barrel.

 

[earplug]

Not in the gas tube of an AR.

While I have not lubed the inside of a gas tube with CLP or the like, I'm curious what harm you think would happen?
I'm not suggesting filling the gas tube, you would have to plug one end.

 

[Coal Dragger]

About the only bad thing to potentially happen with a gas tube obstructed with oil is a short stroke malfunction of the action. I doubt there’s enough potential for pressure build up to rupture the gas tube, so just a short stroke until the oil is cleared.

Even that is unlikely....

 

[12Bravo20]

I can tell you from personal experiences that cleaning the gas tube is not needed while using military ammunition or good civilian ammunition.

The ONLY time that I saw issues with clogged gas tubes was during long field exercises when firing lots of blanks (it takes a crap load of blanks) to cause a problem. We would just let the complete upper soak in a parts cl anger for a while then follow normal cleaning procedures.

 

[entropy]

While I have not lubed the inside of a gas tube with CLP or the like, I'm curious what harm you think would happen?
I'm not suggesting filling the gas tube, you would have to plug one end.

It's not what I think would happen, it's what I know happens from having to clean and/or repair the M16A1's of numskulls who thought it would be a good idea. It's kind of like communism; the perfect solution, except for human nature. Lubing the inside of the gas tube is fine idea, until you fire the rifle. Then all kinds of bad things happen. Lube grabs a hold of carbon and turns it into a hard caked solid that is difficult to dislodge, even in areas you can easily reach. (The back of the bolt comes to mind.) Some of this slurry, for that's what it is initially, is blown down the gas tube and deposited on everything downtube. (Bolt carrier group, bolt, breech, inside of receiver) to become said hard carbon deposits. But some does remain in the gas tube to effectively reduce the diameter, causing under gassing and it's attendant problems. It's so much easier just to not lube any gas operation part of a gas-operated rifle. Gunsmithing 101.

Yes, I've seen Larry's video, too. You'll note the rifle is sopping wet the entire time, not set in a corner somewhere or thrown on his back (to cause streaks of oil running down the back of his shirt) and left there until it dries into the aforementioned cakes of carbon. Not every soldier is an 18 Bravo, nor every civilian AR owner a former 18 Bravo, or 45 Bravo for that matter. They're going to lube the hell out of it, let it sit when they get home, and wonder why there's so much caked on gunk in the action. It is possible to lube an AR like that, and maybe even desirable, IF you are heavy combat AND that's the only way to keep it running. (shouldn't need to, however.) Just be advised that doing so will result in paying the piper later with having to do an extremely detailed and frustrating cleaning later on. Again, I speak from experience here. It's really frustrating when it's not your rifle you're cleaning....

If I had $1 for every Remington 1100 that 'was jamming' that I removed oil (or worse, WD-40) from the gas operation parts, I'd be rich! (Hey, wait, I got paid more than a buck for those....why ain't I rich?....)

 

[herrwalther]

There has only been one time where I have taken an AR apart because the gas tube needed cleaning. Otherwise the gas tube is a pretty robust part of the system you could pretty much forget about, maintenance wise.