Cleaned My AR Last Night

[dross]

Okay, so the last time I cleaned an AR was my M16A2 in the Army twenty or so years ago.

I tried to follow the new advice, which is that not every speck of carbon has to be removed from every surface, and that a white cloth rubbed anywhere in the weapon doesn't have to come clean, and that overcleaning is more harmful than no cleaning.

I have to say, though, the Army sergeant in me felt a little guilty, like I'd done a half-assed job.

My sadistic armorer back in the 82nd would roll over in his grave. If he were dead, that is.

 

[thompal]

Okay, so the last time I cleaned an AR was my M16A2 in the Army twenty or so years ago.

I tried to follow the new advice, which is that not every speck of carbon has to be removed from every surface, and that a white cloth rubbed anywhere in the weapon doesn't have to come clean, and that overcleaning is more harmful than no cleaning.

I have to say, though, the Army sergeant in me felt a little guilty, like I'd done a half-assed job.

My sadistic armorer back in the 82nd would roll over in his grave. If he were dead, that is.

So, are you now in the "run it dry" camp, or the "run it wet" camp?

 

[esrice]

You're supposed to clean them? Who knew!

 

[melensdad]

Just pop the 2 takedown pins and put it in the dishwasher on "POTS AND PANS" cycle. Take it out and wipe it down with a little lube and you are good to go.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

Where has it been said that "over cleaning" is worse than not cleaning? I never knew there was such a thing as "too clean".

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I have learned that no gun needs to be spotless. If I kept my guns spotless, I would spend more time cleaning then I do shooting. My guns are clean, but I do not go overboard either. I have ran just under 1,000 rounds through my M4, and still have not cleaned it, besides the barrel.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

I had to learn that there absolutely is too much lubrication, and that using less lube inside meant it stays cleaner longer. But I'm still not convinced that too clean is bad, just time consuming lol.

 

[T.Lex]

...the Army sergeant in me felt a little guilty...

Why? Where did you put him?

(TWSS.)

 

[dross]

So, are you now in the "run it dry" camp, or the "run it wet" camp?

I used to believe in running it dry - which, btw, I never had trouble with. I'm now sold on run it wet.

Where has it been said that "over cleaning" is worse than not cleaning? I never knew there was such a thing as "too clean".

I don't think it's that it is clean, it's the damage you do trying to make it too clean.

Why? Where did you put him?

(TWSS.)

He's always in me. Like he's a part of me. Sometimes he touches me....you know....down there.

 

[teddy12b]

LOL, I try to keep my rifles clean enough to pass inspection myself, but I also know that there are some better tools to the trade on the outside. Back in the day I'd scrub all day long with the little brass brushes, but no more! Now, I'm a lazy SOB and I just use some kind of carbon removing spray shortly after shooting and it all comes right off. There's always that last little bit of crud to get out the old fasioned way, but the sprays are worth just to save some time. Usually I've used a regular carbon spray type from an autozone, but last time I used the Remington bore clean and it did a pretty good job and I felt a lot better about using something that was intended to be used on guns.

I'm also on the run them wet side of things. Tried running it dry in the sand box and wasn't pleased with the results.

 

[thompal]

I used to believe in running it dry - which, btw, I never had trouble with. I'm now sold on run it wet.

If you never had trouble running it dry, why did you change to running it wet?

 

[223 Gunner]

1st off, run them wet = less friction, less wear, I use shooters choice FP-10 on my BCG.
2nd being a former Marine myself, I have learned as a civilian you can over clean, it makes sence the more you take something apart and scrub it the more it's going to wear.
3rd the military has an unlimited budget so when an M16 becomes unserviceable it is no big deal to them, to us it is a lot of money to replace our weapons.
Dross like yourself the first few times I did this I felt a little guilty, like I was half-assing it, but you don't have to stand inspection anymore.
The M16A2 I had in the Corps you could hold it up and see light between the upper and lower, it was loose and rattled if I remember correctly, it's been a lot of years ago.

 

[dross]

If you never had trouble running it dry, why did you change to running it wet?

Because my personal experience is a drop in the bucket compared to the millions of rounds put through them by combined numbers of all the other people who have used them. The consensus has emerged that if they are run wet, they don't malfunction.

A common human mistake is to give our own personal experience more weight than it deserves.

 

[bluepkp]

Just dont run it to wet

 

[thompal]

Because my personal experience is a drop in the bucket compared to the millions of rounds put through them by combined numbers of all the other people who have used them. The consensus has emerged that if they are run wet, they don't malfunction.

A common human mistake is to give our own personal experience more weight than it deserves.

True. But it's also difficult to think to oneself "What I have been doing has worked perfectly, therefore I shall change it and try something else."

I tend to run everything fairly wet, because that is how my dad taught me.

 

[indyjohn]

The M16A2 I had in the Corps you could hold it up and see light between the upper and lower, it was loose and rattled if I remember correctly, it's been a lot of years ago.

My competition rifle has the same thing. To remedy that, I use this:
Creedmoor*Sports**::*Parts...

I run mine somewhere in the moist category. I lube mine where the black has worn off the moving parts... I use this:
Gun Grease, Tetra, 1 oz.

 

[revsaxon]

My competition rifle has the same thing. To remedy that, I use this:
Creedmoor*Sports**::*Parts...

Ive been told not to use those, as they lead to more stress on the pins and leads to damage to the pinholes.

I tend to run mine in the dry configuration as I usually have a supressor on it and when wet it tends to gum up due to the back-gas.

 

[indyjohn]

Ive been told not to use those, as they lead to more stress on the pins and leads to damage to the pinholes.

Hmm. Not heard that opinion. I don't have any engineering science to argue it.

Highpower Rifle guys use them to eliminate a variable (upper-lower movement) to improve shot to shot consistency. I've not run enough through mine yet to even shoot out the barrel and don't have any signs of damage.

 

[vxtip]

I can imagine if the steel cleaning rod is contacting other parts it would cause more wear than not, also scrubbing things too aggressively to the point of wearing down finishes. Some people clean in really aggressive ways

 

[revsaxon]

Hmm. Not heard that opinion. I don't have any engineering science to argue it.

Highpower Rifle guys use them to eliminate a variable (upper-lower movement) to improve shot to shot consistency. I've not run enough through mine yet to even shoot out the barrel and don't have any signs of damage.

Donno if its true or not, just what i have always heard. If it works for you i say run one