AR-15 Maintenance Question.

[Guns&Religion]

Hi Everyone,

I haven't posted in a while, but I have a question concerning my AR. About a year ago, I purchased a nice Colt LE6920. I shoot occasionally. I've probably put 1000 rounds or less through it.

Do I need to disassemble the upper and clean the gas tube?

When I watch videos on AR's, they show how to strip and clean the barrel, chamber, bolt assembly, and upper and lower receiver, which I've done several times.

This is my first AR, and I'm still learning about it's use. I don't necessarily want to take it completely apart, I just want to take reasonable care of it so it will last many years.

Any advice would be welcome, thanks

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Can’t help you with the gas tube as I don’t know for sure.

What I can say is that I’ve never heard anyone doing that so don’t think it’s common.

As for taking your AR totally apart. You should feel comfortable separating the upper from the lower and doing a full field strip. In fact some of us feel that’s a good thing to do before shooting it so you remove the assembly grease, and dirt from transport and display.

If you didn’t no biggie, but I’d suggest you go to YouTube if they still have field stripping videos, or better yet a gun friendly site and watch a few videos.

Basically you pull the upper and lower apart, pull the buffer and spring, and take out the charge handle and BCG. Disassemble the BCG clean everything, lube and reassemble.

It’s not hard, and you’ll probably “mess up” a few times. No biggie, as long as you don’t force things you probably won’t harm anything. Just take apart again, reassemble the right way then function check and you’re good.

 

[rskent]

Do I need to disassemble the upper and clean the gas tube?

No.

 

[badkarmamib]

There is nothing you can do to clean the gas tube that 10,000+ psi won't, every time you pull the trigger. However, if you try, you could end up jamming something in the gas block, turning your semi into a bolt action. If you tend to shoot corrosive ammo, squirt some WD-40 into the gas tube, followed by compressed air, either into the muzzle with the breech plugged, or into the breech with the muzzle plugged (i.e. don't blow the crud from the tube into the gas block, for the aforementioned reason.)
ETA: strike through irrelevant info

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

There is nothing you can do to clean the gas tube that 10,000+ psi won't, every time you pull the trigger However, if you try, you could end up jamming something in the gas block, turning your semi into a bolt action.

Yep, would do more damage than good. Fuggetaboutit.

There is a website, or blog, or whatever, I can't remember the name- who have an AR with over 10K rounds down the pipe which has never been cleaned, just had the bolt oiled regularly. There is a MOUND of powder and lead built up around the ejection port, but it keeps on running!

 

[JO JO]

Just follow the maintenance instructions in the owners manual and you will be fine,

 

[jonnyc]

"If you tend to shoot corrosive ammo"
Where do you find corrosive 5.56??? Wait a minute.....I don't think I want to know!
As above, leave the gas tube alone.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Hi Everyone,

I haven't posted in a while, but I have a question concerning my AR. About a year ago, I purchased a nice Colt LE6920. I shoot occasionally. I've probably put 1000 rounds or less through it.

Do I need to disassemble the upper and clean the gas tube?

When I watch videos on AR's, they show how to strip and clean the barrel, chamber, bolt assembly, and upper and lower receiver, which I've done several times.

This is my first AR, and I'm still learning about it's use. I don't necessarily want to take it completely apart, I just want to take reasonable care of it so it will last many years.

Any advice would be welcome, thanks

No need to clean the gas tube, although there are companies that are happy to sell you long pipe cleaners for that purpose. Totally unnecessary.

Otherwise your maintenance schedule sounds just fine. Remember to lube generously, AR's like to be run with plenty of lube. In fact as long as you keep the rifle/carbine lubed well, a quality AR will run almost indefinitely without cleaning of any kind. Not that such a policy is wise, but you can get away with it.

 

[dfariswheel]

As above, the AR gas tube is NOT cleaned other then to remove any build up from the outside-rear enlarged area that goes into the gas key.
USGI manuals show using a worn M16 bore brush to clean that area on the outside of the tube, but usually a patch with some solvent and a wipe will do it.

The AR/M16 gas tube is intended to be simply replaced if there's any problems.
Normal "maintenance" is to replace the gas tube when you replace the barrel after the barrel is shot out.

Various large pipe cleaners and other junk is sold to clean the tube, but all that will do is risk jamming something in the tube and causing problems.
In the military if your Sargent catches you sticking something in the gas tube, he'll stick something up your gas tube.

 

[badkarmamib]

Where do you find corrosive 5.56???

I knew it was more of a problem in 7.62x39, but thought I remembered coming across some in 5.56 way back when. Apparently, it would be a few more "ways", most of the old corrosive surplus is gone (probably due to corrosion ). So, unless you have been storing your ammo for 50 years, no cleaning of the gas tube is necessary.

 

[GBExpat]

Do I need to disassemble the upper and clean the gas tube?

Nope.

Enjoy!

 

[Guns&Religion]

Good info, thanks everyone

 

[carbine85]

The AR is about as simple as it gets to take apart and reassemble. There's not that much maintenance needed. These rifles are not high maintenance as some might say.

 

[Slamfire]

I am probably OCD about keeping my firearms clean and well lubricated. I lived for about 12 years next to a salt water lake, through which the inter coastal waterway ran through, and until you live next or near to a salt water environment, you have no idea how quickly things rust. So I keep my firearms clean and worry about powder residue causing rust.



Occasionally I would blow carb cleaner down the gas tube. I insert the red plastic nozzle tube, stick it into the end of the gas tube, but, not all the way!, and blow carb cleaner down the gas tube. Then I blow compressed air in the end to flush it out. You have to wipe the inside of the barrel out, because all that gunk gets blown into the barrel. I really don't think this is necessary, but I do it anyway. I have used very long pipe cleaners, holding the end with a surgical clamp, to wipe out the end of the tube, this is also not necessary, but it keeps me happy.

Sometimes your cleaning philosophy is based on your psychological level of happiness.

 

[BSA1]

You have to wipe the inside of the barrel out, because all that gunk gets blown into the barrel.

Why do I want to blow "gunk" INTO my barrel?

I want keep "gunk" and everything else OUT of the barrel.

Why don't you plug the chamber end of the barrel, spray some cleaner into the gas tube, then spray some canned air into the barrel from the muzzle. The way the "gunk" will go out the end of the tube where it is suppose to rather than introducing contaminates into the barrel.

 

[entropy]

Why do I want to blow "gunk" INTO my barrel?

I want keep "gunk" and everything else OUT of the barrel.

Why don't you plug the chamber end of the barrel, spray some cleaner into the gas tube, then spray some canned air into the barrel from the muzzle. The way the "gunk" will go out the end of the tube where it is suppose to rather than introducing contaminates into the barrel.

? ? I'd like to see the physics of that. The reality is that it will end up piled up against the plug in the barrel, and all along the length of the barrel from about 1/2" ahead of the gas port back.


If you feel you must clean the gas tube, there are long pipe cleaners made specifically for this, Brownell's has them. DO NOT put oil or solvent on them. Insert them in the gas tube above the barrel at the breech end.

 

[cdb1]

To blow or not to blow,
That is the question.

Gunk that is.
For a tube with such a small diameter I think I’d leave well enough alone.

 

[MistWolf]

Do not stick ANYTHING in your gas tube that you do not want taking up permanent residence there.

 

[Varminterror]

$10 every 10,000 rounds as preventative maintenance. Replace if you start getting failure to lockback, prematurely.

Gain a little perspective folks. Really that simple.

In reality, gas blocks erode and the port opens about as fast as the tubes foul, and either of them last longer than the throat of ANY barrel, so if a guy just replaces their gas block and tube when they replace their barrels, it all comes out in the wash. If you like to shoot barrels until they become smoothbore, then replace the tube (and gas block, preferably) every 10,000 and life will be grand.

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

With over a dozen different m16a2s, m16a4s, m4s, and my own civilian ar-15s i've never cleaned a gas tube. I've never needed to, and it caused no issues.

Like varmintterror said, the barrel is worn out before the gas tube could theoretically be worn out.

Everything wears eventually, but its not worth worrying about.

For AR type rifles, ive had more issues with worn out or bent magazines combined than any wear components on the actual rifle.

The AR design is much more reliable than people will have you believe. Keep it clean and lubed well, and have fun shooting.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

For AR type rifles, ive had more issues with worn out or bent magazines combined than any wear components on the actual rifle.

Not to sidetrack this thread, but that's one thing that gets me about the AR. The magazine is the weak link in almost every autoloader design, and if any semi-auto is jamming, the first advice you'll get is to change the magazine because it's simultaneously the most likely cause of the failure and the easiest one to fix.

Yet the AR has been running around with these chintzy aluminum magazines for 50 years. Yes, they're lightweight, but they are just so dang flimsy. They were designed in the 60s to be disposable, and I get the feeling that no one in the army changed the design once it was decided they would be permanent.

Maybe the new Pmags are more durable - I've never rode one hard before.

 

[CapnMac]

Shot of spray gun scrub down the gas tube has always sufficed for me.

And using the GI pipe cleaner on the aft end--but, I have a ton of those.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Not to sidetrack this thread, but that's one thing that gets me about the AR. The magazine is the weak link in almost every autoloader design, and if any semi-auto is jamming, the first advice you'll get is to change the magazine because it's simultaneously the most likely cause of the failure and the easiest one to fix.

Yet the AR has been running around with these chintzy aluminum magazines for 50 years. Yes, they're lightweight, but they are just so dang flimsy. They were designed in the 60s to be disposable, and I get the feeling that no one in the army changed the design once it was decided they would be permanent.

Maybe the new Pmags are more durable - I've never rode one hard before.

The most recent aluminum magazines with the latest followers are quite reliable, and more durable than you think.

PMags are even more durable still. I make it a point to order a 10 pack of Gen 2 or Gen 3 PMags once every 2 months. Once I get up to around 100 magazines I’ll probably call it good and just pick them up when they go on sale.

I’ve never had a magazine related malfunction from a PMag, the feeding geometry is excellent and the followers refuse to tilt. If Stoner had access to the technology of reliable and durable molded polymer magazine bodies, aluminum would have never even been a thing.

If you want steel AR magazines and don’t mind spending some coin Beretta makes an excellent steel bodied AR magazine.

 

[earplug]

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.

 

[Coal Dragger]

When in doubt add more lubricant.