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.

[darr3239]

I'm waiting for Gunz to weigh in. I agree with him, and his take is amusing since it plays with people's minds.

I think Mark has changed his opinion a little over time.

[Wake27]

I don’t usually clean mine, but at about 3,500 rounds, the groups on my Noveske opened up significantly. I have a thread on it here.


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[snackgunner]

I don’t usually clean mine, but at about 3,500 rounds, the groups on my Noveske opened up significantly. I have a thread on it here.


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link bruh

[heavygunner8]

I don’t usually clean mine, but at about 3,500 rounds, the groups on my Noveske opened up significantly. I have a thread on it here.


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which noveske barrel? 3500 sounds ridiculously low to have accuracy problems.

[Wake27]

link bruh

I don’t have it saved so I’d have to search for it just like you.


which noveske barrel? 3500 sounds ridiculously low to have accuracy problems.

I don’t remember the profile, it’s either their light or skinny. It was mostly shit UMC ammo that I’d been shooting. As soon as I ran some bore cleaner and a snake through it, it was fine.



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[heavygunner8]

I don’t have it saved so I’d have to search for it just like you.



I don’t remember the profile, it’s either their light or skinny. It was mostly shit UMC ammo that I’d been shooting. As soon as I ran some bore cleaner and a snake through it, it was fine.



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I thought you meant a 3500 round count wore the barrel down to the point of inaccuracy. That makes more sense now.

[Biggy]

Pat Rodgers final speech has a lot of his wisdom in it about the AR15.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ej-xCW_YQs&t=3118s

[hobojoe]

I only clean my AR when I get dirty touching it.

[heavygunner8]

I clean my AR every time I shoot. I know it's unnecessary, but I find it fun, I'm OCD about putting it back in the safe dirty.

[Mr McSimon]

I clean my AR every time I shoot. I know it's unnecessary, but I find it fun, I'm OCD about putting it back in the safe dirty.

I'm with you man, for all my guns. The habit came as a kid from my dad, then re-enforced by the Army. I hated it back then, but now I too find it enjoyable (and a little ocd fulfillment). Cotton swab clean and lightly oiled. I kinda look at it like you'd wash and brush a fine race horse after training, or a competition.

[MistWolf]

OCD is for amateurs.

Professionals know it's CDO.

[Iraqgunz]

Quick wipe down, look for weird shit. Small bit of lube and back together it goes. I quit obsessing about Obergruppenführer methods of cleaning a long time ago.


I'm waiting for Gunz to weigh in. I agree with him, and his take is amusing since it plays with people's minds.

I think Mark has changed his opinion a little over time.

[ace4059]

I was going to post a quick video of cleaning a gun but can’t figure out hosting sites. Damn Photobucket. I clean every few thousand rounds whether they need it or not.
Usually it’s just a wipe down but this one had a more through cleaning
This one was cleaned with brake cleaner and a water hose then sprayed with oil. The only person that’s more abusive to a firearm is eurodriver.

https://imgur.com/gallery/abYgn

[TomMcC]

I make sure the chamber is really clean, even after only a few rounds. Had some filth in the leade cause a huge malfunction. Other than that, wipe off the carbon relube and wipe down the outside. I like to keep my optics pretty clean. Once or twice a year I do a tear down and clean everything thoroughly, looking for any probs.

[markm]

I think Mark has changed his opinion a little over time.

I definitely have. I still clean my house gun thoroughly, but that's it.

[kirkland]

I probably got about 2500-3000 rounds through my main recreational shooting AR since the last cleaning. Mostly steel case. I lube it plenty though. Runs 100% It's getting pretty gunky, maybe not quite as gunky as filthy 14, but it's getting there.

[TheKoop]

I grew up a Marine. Guns get put to bed cleaned and lubed. Period.

[bp7178]

I agree when it comes to the bolt carrier/lower. I don't go full white glove retard though. Wipe everything off, look for anything that may be odd, lube and reassemble.

I think this thread was really intended to be about bore cleaning through. I don't see the value in scrubbing the bore until you get clean patches. I find my rifle is much more consistent between my last shot and my next cold bore shot if I do nothing more than a swipe with a boresnake.

[Vegas]

I have 1300 on a BCM SS410 barrel. Still shoots sub moa with my loads. I keeping thinking the next range visit will be the time that the accuracy starts to go...

[AndyLate]

Deleted due to low knowledge base.

[snackgunner]

I have 1300 on a BCM SS410 barrel. Still shoots sub moa with my loads. I keeping thinking the next range visit will be the time that the accuracy starts to go...

Because of not cleaning it or do you think the bore will be shot out after 1300 rounds?

[Eurodriver]

Because of not cleaning it or do you think the bore will be shot out after 1300 rounds?

Vegas is a smart guy.

I think he means cleaning it will affect accuracy, not the bore being toast.

[squid8286]

I clean my AR every time I shoot. I know it's unnecessary, but I find it fun, I'm OCD about putting it back in the safe dirty.

I don't find it fun, but I AM OCD about it going into the safe without being spotless, so I do the same. It's probably like changing your oil at 500 miles, but what the hell.

[Vegas]

Vegas is a smart guy.

I think he means cleaning it will affect accuracy, not the bore being toast.I have my moments but not frequent enough!

Yeah, was referring to exactly what Euro said. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Once known ammo under reasonable conditions opens up, time to clean.

ETA: for anyone who cleans their rifle everytime they get home from the range, you are doing it wrong. That 15-30 minutes could have been spent shooting. What is more fun I ask?

[markm]

Nothing wrong with cleaning a gun thoroughly each time. I used to do that. Don't have the time anymore though. I may end up only shooting 20 rounds through my AR with all the other range projects going on... so no way am I cleaning up a practice gun for that limited round count.

[Vegas]

I suppose everyone has an interval they are comfortable with. I think it's over thought mostly and would rather spend time shooting or loading.

[NOTANASSHOLE]

I didn't clean either of my 2 ARs in all of 2017 over exactly 3,808 rounds of 556 fired. I shot in 100 degree humid summer heat, in subzero snowstorms, and in pouring rain. Also took one 500 round class in dusty conditions. The only downside to not cleaning your rifles is that they get everything they touch filthy.

[seb5]

Between Thanksgiving and New Years I clean my shooters. Precision rifles get more attention but nothing crazy. I had one AR that reached 4000 rounds and it still ran fine. That's too long but it was a training rifle only. I've seen too many shiney M-4's because of cleaning too much during my deployments.

[user]

Clean often? not so much. Inspect for cracks, loose fittings, failures etc. Every couple outings. Operational readiness is important to me.