Cleaning the gas tube on an ar-10

[Kevinq6]

I used some foaming bore cleaner on my AR-10. Yes, should have read the instructions more carefully. Now I am concerned some got in the gas tube and hardened. Is there any specific tools I should get to clean the gas tube?

 

[Blue68f100]

Long pipe cleaners. May just see if air will pass through it. Should not really be a problem unless you had the port down while cleaning.

 

[Skylerbone]

Don’t touch it.

 

[243winxb]

The gas tube should be self cleaning. I used to spray WD-40 down the M16 tube, now and then.

 

[Uffdaphil]

Be careful buying pipe cleaners these days. I bought some extra longs that are worthless Chinese junk. So soft and fluffy they barely scrub at all. And worse, they shed a lot - not what you want in a gas tube.

 

[MEHavey]

I can't for the life of me think why brake cleaner shot down the tube -- w/ the red straw -- to flush it out the end of the barrel wouldn't be the universal solution.
(That assumes there was a problem to begin with at all)
Anyone have counter-opinion/experience ?

 

[edwardware]

Yes. Do as all true adherents to the Brainchild of Stoner (PBUH) have been doing for decades. . . clean the gas tube with hot combustion byproducts.

Cleaning a gas tube with a pipecleaner is like cleaning inside your exhaust manifold with a sponge. No matter what you do, combustion gas at several kpsi will blow it out better than you ever could.

If you really feel the need to aerosolize a bit of oil or brakeclean as a religious ritual, go ahead and put some in there before shooting.

 

[jak67429]

Still don't know why you need to clean the gas tube on an AR. But if you must just squirt break cleaner in it.

 

[David Hoback]

Yeah, they don’t need cleaned. And I wouldn’t worry about it. Just shoot it! Bet the gas pressure will vaporize & blow out any potential obstruction.

 

[MEHavey]

Yes. Do as all true adherents to the Brainchild of Stoner (PBUH) have been doing for decades. . . clean the gas tube with hot combustion byproducts.,,, If you really feel the need to aerosolize a bit of oil or brakeclean as a religious ritual, go ahead and put some in there before shooting.

edwardware's reply might better be more helpfully be reworded to say
"don't put brake cleaner into a gas tube and then immediately shoot it"

That is all....


.

 

[herrwalther]

The gas tube shouldn't need to be cleaned on an AR. If it actually does, that usually means something in the rifle isn't working as it should.

When I clean a gas tube, to cover bases in AR work. I shoot a quick burst of gun oil down the tube. Let it sit for a few minutes then follow it with compressed air. The air will force some of the oil into the barrel, where it can be dried with a patch as with regular barrel cleaning. Any leftover oil will go through the bolt the next time it is shot. Do not stick anything else down the tube. That is not a place where you want a clog.

 

[Mizar]

This should do the trick:
https://www.smokingpipes.com/access...aning-supplies/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=117802
Or, you can go to any tobacconist and ask for "Bristle Churchwarden cleaners" or "long bristle pipe cleaners".