rifle cleaning

[snackgunner]

will not cleaning an ar15 bore/barrel after a certain amount of time effect the accuracy of the rifle or slowly ware the barrel down?

if so what time frame we looking at? 1 or 2 years or carbon build up in the barrel w/o cleaning?

[Inkslinger]

It depends on the number of bullets through it, not the days that pass by it. With that said, copper fouling is more of and issue than carbon.

[snackgunner]

It depends on the number of bullets through it, not the days that pass by it.

are you saying after shooting 100 rounds or 2,000 rounds through it and then not cleaning it for years wont effect accuracy or durability in the rifle?

only actually shooting a high number of rounds through the rifle can effect wear on the bore and accuracy?

[CPM]

No offense, but if you are asking this question you will definitely not be wearing the barrel out. There’s lots of articles on it, and after the Army I had a lot of misconceptions about cleaning. I now shoot more than I ever did in the army as a Scout and I clean on my birthday in July and New Years. No malfunctions related to cleanliness and no accuracy degradation. Keep it well lubricated and every now and then run a bore snake through it. It’ll be fine.

[Inkslinger]

are you saying after shooting 100 rounds or 2,000 rounds through it and then not cleaning it for years wont effect accuracy or durability in the rifle?

only actually shooting a high number of rounds through the rifle can effect wear on the bore and accuracy?

No, I’m saying the 2000 is more likely to effect accuracy than 100 if the time frame of cleaning is the same for both numbers. The volume and rate of fire is what wears the barrel and/or effects accuracy.

[markm]

I can't remember how to clean a rifle. My gun cleaning tool box has cob webs and dust on it.

[odugrad]

I remember reading that Filthy 14 went 40,000+ rounds and the guys ay EAG never cleaned the barrel, bore, or chamber.

[26 Inf]

I remember reading that Filthy 14 went 40,000+ rounds and the guys ay EAG never cleaned the barrel, bore, or chamber.

I'm sure there are vehicles that have gone 30-40 miles without an oil change because their owners don't know enough to have it changed. Sure it is a testament to the reliability of the vehicle, but probably not best.

Filthy 14 was a torture test to prove that the DI system would run almost indefinitely as long as it was lubed. I think that somehow people forgot that with all the publicity of the round count.

Keep it lubed and clean it when you want to. I'd be thinking you were nucking futs if you were to carry a weapon into harms way that hadn't been cleaned in 10,000 rounds, but obsessive cleaning is not necessary.

I run a bore snake every now and again, and when I think 'hmm, that looks bad' I'll do a complete clean.

Many guys that shoot a lot are not obsessive cleaners. I have a friend who was in the top five at the Bianchi Cup a couple years ago, essentially he cleans his pistol when it gets sluggish, otherwise he pretty much just tilts muzzle down and puts some oil - Hoppes - on the back of each slide rail and lets it run through with a couple of cycles. He is a sponsored shooter and I'd be willing to bet he puts more through his pistol each year than almost anyone of this forum.

We can overthink it.

[markm]

I'd be thinking you were nucking futs if you were to carry a weapon into harms way that hadn't been cleaned in 10,000 rounds, but obsessive cleaning is not necessary.

My house AR is always clean... but that leads me to never shooting it because I don't want to have to clean it. I run my recreational ARs and just add lube.

[AKDoug]

I'm not much of a cleaner either. I haven't seen any degradation in accuracy on my main rifle from round 0 to round 8000... I run a red dot, it hits plates at 300.. When it stops doing that I will put a new barrel on it. (just for reference.. DD CHF barrel). I'm not positive this rifle has seen a bore brush in it's life. I do blow out the upper, lower and BCG with brakleen periodically and lube every trip to the range.