Global Sports: How To Clean Your AR-15 Assault Rifle

Sunday, July 8, 2012

How To Clean Your AR-15 Assault Rifle

By Millie Andrews


For all of you very happy owners of an AR-15 out there, you may not be aware of how often your weapon needs a thorough cleaning. The AR-15 is one of the most popular weapons in production today because of its power and versatility. It can be used for home defense and hunting. Many owners do not clean their rifles nearly enough, and a dirty rifle can be a big problem.

First thing is first, and you're going to want to make sure everything is completely safe and ready to go. Somewhere between 500 and 1000 people die each year by accidental gun death. I'm sure a large number of those people were drunk at the time, so try not to be drunk when you're cleaning your AR-15. Also, make sure there are no magazines present and the chamber is completely empty before going one more step. A clean, uncluttered working surface will also aid in preventing accidents.

It's time to get your cleaning goods at hand, so make sure you have adequate eye protection, a solvent, a rod, and plenty of cleaning patches. It would also be a good idea to run through your safety precautions one more time. Don't complain, you whiner...just do it, already.

Pull the charging handle back and lock it into place, taking out the bolt carrier assembly and setting aside. Point the muzzle of the AR down so that any solvent drippings don't go into the lower parts of the receiver and the chamber. You now need to clean the chamber thoroughly with several patches that have been wetted with the solvent. Take not that the patches will never come out clean, so there's no need to waste them by applying them over and over. Just get it clean and finish it up with a dry patch rub down.

You now need to clean out the bore with several solvent-wet patches. Prevent damage to the crown by not shoving your patches all the way through the muzzle. Give the bore another few cleanings with fresh patches before letting it sit.

You now need to disassemble the bolt carrier group for cleaning. Be thorough and clean all of the crevices, but the carrier and the end of the bolt will have carbon buildup that will never come off completely, so once again...don't go nuts trying. It's time for a very thorough inspection. Checking the components of the bolt carrier group for chips, cracks, and warping. This will prevent a disastrous misfire later on by replacing these parts when necessary. When finished, lubricate all of the parts of the bolt carrier group and reassemble.

Now that the bore has soaked a while, the stubborn fouling is ready the be cleaned out. Use multiple wet patch passes to give the bore a smooth cleaning and finish it up with a couple of dry passes. Use a light to check for dark smudges and remaining fouling, as this means your AR-15 bore needs further cleaning. If everything passes your careful inspection, then it is time to put the weapon back together and do a complete functionality test. If you did everything carefully and completely, your AR-15 will be ready for the range!




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