My experience with AR's goes back a while, to 1970 when they had us turn in the M14 Rifle for the M16. Since even before my army service I was a gun guy, I was interested in keeping my rifle clean and functional. In Vietnam, I was a support troop in the rear. But I pulled guard duty on the bunker line at night and escorted a prisoner once in a while so even then, I made sure my rifle was clean.
I liked my army M16 well enough that not long after I came home, I bought a Colt SP-1 which was the civilian version of the moment. At that time which was 1973, they were not common in civilian hands.
Anyway, as much as I like a clean rifle, I've never liked cleaning AR's. Through experience, I don't like to leave the bolt and carrier dirty. After every shooting session, when I get back I clean an AR. Cleaning out the bolt carrier drives me nuts. Getting all the carbon out of bolt chamber is a pain in the rear end. For years, I've used worn-out 20 gauge shotgun brushes and 50 cal. BMG patches. Usually, it takes several tries. Then I bought an Otis tool that is supposed to scrape it out; same tool is supposed to clean off the tail of the bolt. Hogwash, it works not well at all. To clean the carbon off the bolt, I use worn-out bronze rifle bore brushes. I pay attention to the locking lugs in the breech, dirt in there could lead to problems. I use one of those chamber brushes with two different diameter bristles.
When everything is cleaned up, including the flash suppressor, I'm ready to put the rifle back together. I use the old army LSA lube generously in and on the bolt components. I find that keeping this a little juicy reduces the amount of carbon that can get caked on some parts. It's easier to clean away dirty LSA than it is carbon. I was at a gun store a few years ago and I mentioned to the guy behind the counter that I use LSA lube on my AR's. The counterman said, "They haven't used LSA for over twenty years!!" I said, "Well, I've been out of the army longer than that so I wouldn't know. And the LSA still works fine." I have a quart can of it to use up, courtesy of the Bundeswehr who sold it off surplus some time ago.
I try not to wear out Colt products, so I have a couple of lesser models to burn up first. One is a DPMS, good enough rifle still with the handle on top which I prefer. After shooting it a few days ago, I came back and started the clean up. My least favorite part of shooting any firearm. I'm older and things have a way of slipping out of my hands more easily than in times past. I usually take the upper off the lower receiver for cleaning. I popped the rear pin out, then I was holding the rifle and trying to push out the hinge pin, pivot pin, whatever it's called. The rifle slipped out of my hands and landed on my anti-fatigue mat on the floor. I always work standing, so the anti-fatigue mats help, plus when you drop something, it's less apt to break. Not this time, the rifle hit on an angle on the side with the pivot pin protruding and broke it off. I've never broken one of those before. Fortunately, the little spring and detent were still there. Something I like less than a dirty firearm is a broken one. So I ordered one. Actually, ordered two to have a spare. I do keep some spare parts for AR's, but heretofore I haven't felt a need for the pivot pin.
Anybody know of a real good way/tool to clean out that bolt carrier cavity?
I liked my army M16 well enough that not long after I came home, I bought a Colt SP-1 which was the civilian version of the moment. At that time which was 1973, they were not common in civilian hands.
Anyway, as much as I like a clean rifle, I've never liked cleaning AR's. Through experience, I don't like to leave the bolt and carrier dirty. After every shooting session, when I get back I clean an AR. Cleaning out the bolt carrier drives me nuts. Getting all the carbon out of bolt chamber is a pain in the rear end. For years, I've used worn-out 20 gauge shotgun brushes and 50 cal. BMG patches. Usually, it takes several tries. Then I bought an Otis tool that is supposed to scrape it out; same tool is supposed to clean off the tail of the bolt. Hogwash, it works not well at all. To clean the carbon off the bolt, I use worn-out bronze rifle bore brushes. I pay attention to the locking lugs in the breech, dirt in there could lead to problems. I use one of those chamber brushes with two different diameter bristles.
When everything is cleaned up, including the flash suppressor, I'm ready to put the rifle back together. I use the old army LSA lube generously in and on the bolt components. I find that keeping this a little juicy reduces the amount of carbon that can get caked on some parts. It's easier to clean away dirty LSA than it is carbon. I was at a gun store a few years ago and I mentioned to the guy behind the counter that I use LSA lube on my AR's. The counterman said, "They haven't used LSA for over twenty years!!" I said, "Well, I've been out of the army longer than that so I wouldn't know. And the LSA still works fine." I have a quart can of it to use up, courtesy of the Bundeswehr who sold it off surplus some time ago.
I try not to wear out Colt products, so I have a couple of lesser models to burn up first. One is a DPMS, good enough rifle still with the handle on top which I prefer. After shooting it a few days ago, I came back and started the clean up. My least favorite part of shooting any firearm. I'm older and things have a way of slipping out of my hands more easily than in times past. I usually take the upper off the lower receiver for cleaning. I popped the rear pin out, then I was holding the rifle and trying to push out the hinge pin, pivot pin, whatever it's called. The rifle slipped out of my hands and landed on my anti-fatigue mat on the floor. I always work standing, so the anti-fatigue mats help, plus when you drop something, it's less apt to break. Not this time, the rifle hit on an angle on the side with the pivot pin protruding and broke it off. I've never broken one of those before. Fortunately, the little spring and detent were still there. Something I like less than a dirty firearm is a broken one. So I ordered one. Actually, ordered two to have a spare. I do keep some spare parts for AR's, but heretofore I haven't felt a need for the pivot pin.
Anybody know of a real good way/tool to clean out that bolt carrier cavity?