AR maintenance

[kestak]

Greetings,

I know how to maintain an AK, SIG556 or bolt action.
I already asked a few pointers, but I am not sure I do it right.

When I clean my AR-15, I split the top from the bottom. I use Hoppes #9 and soak the barrel. Then I use a brass brush and brush a little bit, the clean with a patch. Then I lightly oil the barrel (I live in the south). I also use a cloth and remove the carbon residues by simply "dusting" the interior of the receiver.

The bottom receiver, I simply use a cloth and remove the carbon residues by simply "dusting" the interior of the receiver.

Now, the part I am not sure. I dissassemble the bolt up to the extractor and I remove all the carbon residues with Hoppes #9, cloth and brass brush when needed. I lightly oil all the parts and reassemble the bolt. Then I put 1 drop of gun oil in each hole on the side of the bolt and work it a few times.

At the end, I put some lithium oil on the track on the bottom of the bolt and a little drop on the hammer to limit the friction.

Do I do something wrong? Am I forgetting something?

Thank you

 

[Deer Hunter]

Wow, you treat your AR soooo much better than mine.

Mine doesn't know what Hoppes is.

 

[Kurt_D]

No, that's my quarterly cleaning regiment too; except I use CLP for lubing everything and do not put any oil in the barrel (mine are chrome lined so the Hoppes residue will do).

ETA: mine will get a bore snake in between and a wipe down/re-oil if I'm shooting a high number of rounds or using steel case (dirty stuff).

 

[IndianaBoy]

Sounds like you are doing ok.

You need oil on the raceways for the bolt carrier inside the upper receiver.

You need oil on the bolt where it contacts the bolt carrier.

You should pull a dry patch through to get oil out of the bore before you shoot it. It shouldn't cause a problem but if you have excess oil in there at some point, it may act as a barrel obstruction.

If it gets shiny from friction as you shoot the rifle, lube it!

 

[flyboy1788]

Sounds like you are doing ok.

You need oil on the raceways for the bolt carrier inside the upper receiver.

You need oil on the bolt where it contacts the bolt carrier.

You should pull a dry patch through to get oil out of the bore before you shoot it. It shouldn't cause a problem but if you have excess oil in there at some point, it may act as a barrel obstruction.

If it gets shiny from friction as you shoot the rifle, lube it!

What Indianaboy said is spot on.

 

[kestak]

Greetings,

I am used to use lithium grease for raceways in my AK and SIG 556.

A guy at the gunclub told me you should keep the bolt wet and it would be enough. Litium grease or gun oil?

By the way, I am used to run a patch soaked with 10W30 oil with my bolt actions and Dragunov(especially those that shoot corrosion ammo). Is it too tick for a 22 caliber?

Thank you

 

[ny32182]

Things I would add would be to run a clean patch through the bore at the end to get rid of the excess oil (you don't want any oil buildup in there).

Also, I use Q-tips with Hoppes to clean the interior of the carrier where the bolt's gas rings ride. This area is where the gas vents, and must be physically clear to allow for bolt travel, so I make sure to clean it well.

Also, I use Qtips/Hoppes to clean behind the locking lugs in the barrel extension. This is another place that gets dirty, and *must* be free of major obstruction, or the bolt will not be able to lock up.

 

[IndianaBoy]

I don't know how 10W30 oil does as a corrosion protectant.

If you like it, keep using... just make sure to pull a dry patch through the bore before you head to the range, to wipe it away before you shoot it.


I personally pull an oiled patch through, and then go ahead and pull a dry patch before I put a gun away.


I hear a lot of people saying to run the bolt wet. Personally I don't see any advantage to having lube all over the place in places where there isn't friction, the only thing that will do is capture MORE carbon fouling.

That being said, if you shoot a lot of rounds at once, you will cook a lot of your lube away. At that point a few squirts of CLP are probably a good idea to keep things running slick.

 

[Coronach]

If it gets shiny from friction as you shoot the rifle, lube it!

This is about the gist of it, for almost any gun. Regardless of what you THINK you need to lube, the places that get shiny are the places that are wearing. Lube those.

Mike

 

[CoRoMo]

A guy at the gunclub told me you should keep the bolt wet and it would be enough. Litium grease or gun oil?

I'd agree. I keep it all dripping with Mobil 1 Synthetic and mine do fine. Gun oils are too expensive for my taste, but YMMV. I'm a fan of lithium grease too, but the Mobil 1 does a good job alone. As long as you are conscious of your gun's lubrication needs, it matters little whether you choose the grease or an oil.

 

[briansmithwins]

Short, easy to read manual with lots of pics: http://www.box.net/shared/tlxri3l1ic

BSW

 

[Cannonball888]

For the bolt, carrier, and it's contact on the upper, it's grease for me. Oil tends to get slung.

 

[61chalk]

This may not go over well...but...I had a AR before military, kept it well oiled..but as someone said, too much oil in barrel can effect the first shot. In the Army, we cleaned them, all oil an grit, then we washed as much of the metal internals in hot water an dried. When we handed them in there had better be NO oil anywhere!!!!! DRY as a bone or else.
I think one very bad thing with oil is that it collects dirt, an seems in my opinion, to gum up faster with carbon. With my AR I use carb cleaner an whatever brushes an clothes to remove carbon an clean. This includes the bore, I do go down bore with a little oil, then run dry patches until its dry. Any parts that I do feel compelled to oil, I wipe off until dry with a clothe...if I don't, I feel like I have sinned....all my other rifles you will fine oil on or in.

 

[possum]

do like this says and you will be good to go, they know how to make a gun run and continue to do so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIsKEHo-4g&feature=channel_page

 

[Iansstud]

how often should one use a pipe cleaner to "de-coke" the gas tube?

 

[dscottw88]

I just remove the bolt, wipe it and the inside of the action down. Run a bore snake through the barrel and then add a little CLP to the bolt carrier and call it a day.

 

[briansmithwins]

how often should one use a pipe cleaner to "de-coke" the gas tube?

Never.

Nothing solid goes in the gas tube. If it's clogged replace it.

BSW

 

[JimJD]

do like this says and you will be good to go, they know how to make a gun run and continue to do so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIsK...e=channel_page

Heh, the 40 second mark into the video had me laugh.
I do pretty much what everyone else here has stated. At least some CLP and I'm good to go. I never used a pipe cleaner in the gas tube. However, I need to try grease one of these days.

 

[Zak Smith]

I use literally 6 drops or less of FP-10 to lube my AR's. One or 1/2 drop per corner on the bolt carrier. One or two on the cam pin. On spread around the gas rings. That's it.

 

[peck1234]

When I do my very thorough cleaning I...

1. Use Carbon Cleaner and scrub off the entire bolt assembly and inside of the gun. (with a rag/old shirt) Make sure to take the extractor out (as a lot of carbon can build underneath the joint and effect ejecting...

2. Then once all my parts are bone dry I lube them Generously with Mobil 1...


my 2 cents... : P

 

[briansmithwins]

I've seen dry ARs quite working even though they looked 'clean'. I've also seen filthy ARs that that lots of lube kept working.

With AR lubrication you're better to stay on the 'wet' side of things, in every environment*.

BSW

I don't live any place that's going to get -40 barring an asteroid strike. I know that the Alaska guys have different needs.

 

[Kurt_D]

how often should one use a pipe cleaner to "de-coke" the gas tube?

Every time you pull the trigger 50,000 psi "de-cokes" the gas tube. No need to do anything else.