Hey guys, I recently bought my first rifle, and it's a Colt M4 AR 15. I had previously bought a gun cleaning kit so I could clean my pistols with the knowledge that I would eventually get a rifle, so I got a kit that came with a metal detachable barrel rod. I sat down to clean my AR for the first time only to find out that the barrel rod I have won't fit even when I cut my patch down to a tiny size. It will fit with my .22 cal nylon bore brush, but not with a patch attachment. So anyway, after doing some research, I found out that I should get a barrel rod that is coated with nylon anyway so as to not damage the bore lining. And also the salesperson set me up with the wrong size chamber brush... I'm frustrated now with a barrel full of cleaner I can't get out til tomorrow and thought I would ask for some advice and product recommendations for cleaning an AR well. Do you guys know of a good plastic bore rod for an AR? Also if you know of any particular tools or brushes that get to the cracks and crevices I'd check em out, as it looks like I'll have to shop online for them. The stores around me don't sell nylon hand brushes as stand alone, they come as a kit with copper brushes that I don't seemingly need. Any other tips and tricks to doing a nice job would be welcome. Thanks.
Spez: Nice, thanks for the info everyone. I got a bore snake today sized for .22, but I've heard other people complain about just how tight an AR barrel can be. I've done some metalwork restoration before and know how easily you can wear into metal if you're aggressively cleaning, so I always lean towards nylon and not forcing things nowadays. Has anyone used a smaller bore snake or rod with any good results? Like a .17? wild_injun I'll have to check out the fiber glass rods you mention, I found a Dewey nylon coated rod at Brownells.com here: http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/cleaning-rods-amp-accessories/cleaning-rods/dewey-22c-40-sku234000047-5641-44039.aspx Don't know if y'all have any experience with those, seemed legit.
I'm definitely going to go with a rod guide and a plastic/nylon/fiberglass rod, so that should solve most of my problems.
Thanks for the other tips and info. Hickock45 had a pretty nice video going over his cleaning process, so that helps to see, just kinda going over what needs to be cleaned and what's not really necessary.
Thanks again and happy shooting
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[–] zaitcev 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Ironically, on AR one can get away with a cleaning rod made from iron. I had one of those GI kits for years until I managed to squish its brush holder with an ammo can. The reason it works is that on AR you stick the rod in from the breech side, thus preserving the crown. An iron rod damages the crown easily, but it does not wear the lining along the length of the barrel so much.
Russians continue cleaning their weapons from the muzzle even today, and they use iron rods just like we do. They do it by using a centering cap that prevents a contact of the rod with the crown.
That said, of course it's better to use a rod that is softer than the barrel. A plastic or aluminum rod works.
As you already found out, your patch holder has to be small enough.
Before you start dealing with crevice tools, remember that Armalite even had to circulate official warnings against excessive cleaning. They were concerned that cleaning with tools caused damage as people tried to remove carbon build-up. They told to leave alone all the areas where the gas tube meets the carrier. It is only needed to remove the carbon from friction areas, such as cam cutout. Unfortunately, I don't have a link handy, but IIRC it ended with a conclusion that all you need is a brush. Nylon brushes are essentially disposable nowadays.
[–] Shillhunt42 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
I got the Otis AR specific cleaning kit, comes with everything you need for maintaining and cleaning your rifle. Uses cables instead of rods and it comes with the B.O.N.E. tool for scraping and cleaning your BCG.
[–] zaitcev ago
I heard from people who had a head of the boresnake separate and become stuck inside. In addition sometimes in the field you need to pound out a stuck case. For these reasons, a sturdy rod is still necessary to keep around, although of course if you have a cable, use that in preference.
[–] wild_injun ago
i ise bore snakes on all my fire arms especially on my edc postols and field rifles. so add those to it. they are good for getting the everday grime out of the barrel and a quick swab after a 100 pistol rounds. get one! next are nylon brushes for the moderate cleaning, it is just less abrasive plus it helps season a barrel between load changes and heavy cleaning. the bronze brush are usually every 500 rouns or so or when i change loads in the hunting rifles.
cleaning rods, looking into the fiber glass or carbon fiber rods from tipton or gunslick. they run approx $50 and each rod size services a smaller number of calibers but they are worth it.
when it comes to regular "at the shop" cleaning i say use dedicated cleaner and lubes avoid CLPs. If you are just doing at the range swab-ups CLPs are fine (mpro-7 or, gunzilla or hoppes).
when it comes to my edc pistol i always use dedicated cleaners and lubes. CLPs tend to be found lacking for me.
[–] 6double5321 ago
Bore snakes are a nice addition to your cleaning tools. Hardware stores also sell air/paint gun brush sets that work well for odd places to reach.