View Full Version : Cleaning Tips and Tricks
Favorite Rifle / Pistol Cleaning Tips:
Share any tips you’ve tried over the years that work for you. There is no right or wrong way to clean a gun.
Let’s try not to talk oils please or it won’t end well.
- I like the CAT M4 tool for AR Bolt cleanup. I've not found anything that works as well as this to clean the carbon buildup inside the BC. Just put a patch on the end with solvent and start cranking.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211118/56353a7ff7c4559ecf5236eb08fad8ae.jpg
- I use a small ultrasonic for small Rifle / Pistol parts, including mags.
- I cut off the end of a toothbrush at a sharp angle to reach into tight places with a patch or rag on the end, including around the gas tube in the receiver.
- I use charcoal laced toothbrushes for cleaning the front of a revolver cylinder as well as the top strap near the forcing cone.
- I use mild white scotch pads on highly carbonized areas where there is no danger of ruining a finish.
ViniVidivici
11-17-21, 20:07
Q tips.
Pipe cleaners.
Green pads.
Shaving brushes.
And....one of those fluffy "dash duster" elongated dust mops from an auto parts store, to quickly clean the dust out of Kydex holsters.
Kerosene, and an air compressor.
Non-chlorinated brake cleaner in an aerosol can works well to clean those hard to reach places.
ViniVidivici
11-18-21, 00:50
Be advised, it also makes metal devoid of oil/lubricant/preservative, and strips paint with a quickness.
Be advised, it also makes metal devoid of oil/lubricant/preservative, and strips paint with a quickness.
Add; melts FO Rod and plastics. It has a valid place in "cleaning bag o tricks", but knowledge before use is prudent.
triggerjerk
11-18-21, 06:37
For me, brake cleaner is for cleaning your bore brush between brushings so you don't reintroduce crud to bore. Wet brush (with bore cleaner) bore, wipe crud off of rod, spray crud off brush, dry patch bore, wet patch bore. Repeat until wet patch emerges acceptably clean. Then a few dry patches. Then go shoothing or run a preservative patch thru bore before storing. Be sure to remove preservative (Couple of wet patches then several dry patches) before shooting. Don't blast brush with brake cleaner. It is wasteful. Barely push button for a dribble out of the attached straw with brush down so you can observe runoff.
I look forward to hearing other ways....
Favorite Rifle / Pistol Cleaning Tips:
Share any tips you’ve tried over the years that work for you. There is no right or wrong way to clean a gun.
Let’s try not to talk oils please or it won’t end well.
- I like the CAT M4 tool for AR Bolt cleanup. I've not found anything that works as well as this to clean the carbon buildup inside the BC. Just put a patch on the end with solvent and start cranking.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211118/56353a7ff7c4559ecf5236eb08fad8ae.jpg
- I use a small ultrasonic for small Rifle / Pistol parts, including mags.
- I cut off the end of a toothbrush at a sharp angle to reach into tight places with a patch or rag on the end, including around the gas tube in the receiver.
- I use charcoal laced toothbrushes for cleaning the front of a revolver cylinder as well as the top strap near the forcing cone.
- I use mild white scotch pads on highly carbonized areas where there is no danger of ruining a finish.
That cat tool is legit, I use for both AR15 and I have one for an AR10.
PB
That cat tool is legit, I use for both AR15 and I have one for an AR10.
PB
Can I ask where you found the AR10 version?
Be advised, it also makes metal devoid of oil/lubricant/preservative, and strips paint with a quickness.
I want it to remove the oil from the metal when it removes the crud from the barrel extension and barrel. I haven't had any issues with non-chlorinated brake cleaner stripping paint or melting plastic. On the other hand, chlorinated brake cleaner will strip paint right off the upper receiver.
I don't clean rifles until accuracy drops off, so my rifles don't get cleaned nearly as often as most people clean.
Jerry Miculek uses Lucas contact cleaner. Is that safer to use than brake cleaner? https://youtu.be/ZMuWlomfnf4?t=774
Anyone use Mil-Comm MC25? I have used it followed by a water rinse and re-lube for a Glock. It is expensive but convenient. I don't know if it can handle the fouling in an AR.
(SNIP) my rifles don't get cleaned nearly as often as most people clean.
This is a great tip for cleaning.
Don’t clean your rifles to death trying to scrape that last micron of black stuff off your bolt. Thats the phosphate.
Some folks are leery about using ammonia-based cleaners on chrome-lined bores. Haven't heard or read about any really detrimental results.
RamRodz - they don’t shed like regular Q-tips. They can attach to a cleaning rod. I got the large assortment and spare packs of the ones that get used most. The new wedge shaped tips are also handy.
https://ramrodz.com/product/range-kit-for-rifles/
Trick #1 is to have someone else do it for you. Nieces, nephews, your children etc.. The weapon doesn't have to be spotless, any cleaning is a good cleaning, especially as none of us are in boot camp turning them in for first inspection.
RamRodz - they don’t shed like regular Q-tips. They can attach to a cleaning rod. I got the large assortment and spare packs of the ones that get used most. The new wedge shaped tips are also handy.
https://ramrodz.com/product/range-kit-for-rifles/
Yes, those are cool as hell. I too have the multi-pack, flip-top box of them.
This is a great tip for cleaning.
Don’t clean your rifles to death trying to scrape that last micron of black stuff off your bolt. Thats the phosphate.
On a hard-chromed bolt?
:cool: ;)
My trick is... I don't shoot my house gun. Shoot my range guns and don't clean them. If I shoot my home D gun, then I have to inspect and clean it. :cool:
I have qTips , CAT M4 tool. I bought some pipe cleaners at a drug store years but now the drug don’t sell pipe cleaners. I bought one package from Michael’s craft store the will last a lifetime for me. Amazon sells them as well.
https://www.michaels.com/chenille-pipe-cleaners-value-pack-by-creatology/10314421.html
I also tear up my old t-shirts and use them as well to clean my guns. For my cleaning rods and other cleaning tools I keep a spray bottle of denatured alcohol clean all of the gunk off.
On a hard-chromed bolt?
:cool: ;)
There’s a story for this. NG “Armorer” (not a real one) told a Joe Snuffy that the black stuff on his bolt was carbon and wouldn’t take the rifle back. Joe goes back to the area where his squad is cleaning. 5 or 6 of them take scratchy things to their bolts until shiny. SL sees them and rightly loses his $#!+. These guns were brand new FN M4A1s, right after their inaugural range trip, like 100 rounds on them.
I’ve also seen a pair of older 240 receivers get the same treatment.
Whatever LMT coats their e-bolts with is fantastic. 30 seconds with a wet GI toothbrush, and 15 seconds with a t-shirt. Done. Lube it.
I'm not suppressed so it's not as bad as it could be. I keep my guns wet and they can go for a long time, carbine gas systems can handle a lot. I'm honestly not burning it up like I was just a few years ago. After one magazine they're look like they did before anyway, and I trust them like that.
I'm not suppressed so it's not as bad as it could be.
I shot my house gun (11.5 Sionics Reduced gas port) two weeks in a row... also no can. So I had to dust off the cleaning kit. I couldn't believe how clean the gun was.
Can I ask where you found the AR10 version?
Its years old, so I have no idea.
Best of luck.
PB
Whatever LMT coats their e-bolts with is fantastic. 30 seconds with a wet GI toothbrush, and 15 seconds with a t-shirt. Done. Lube it.
How does it compare to nitride for cleaning?
How does it compare to nitride for cleaning?
Not sure. Nitride seems to be dependent on polish before the process for surface texture. I’ve got two guns with nitride bolts, but they’re low-volume. I will say that I have a JP nitride carrier and it wipes off very easily.
Can I ask where you found the AR10 version?
https://catoutdoors.com/gear/
There’s a story for this. NG “Armorer” (not a real one) told a Joe Snuffy that the black stuff on his bolt was carbon and wouldn’t take the rifle back. Joe goes back to the area where his squad is cleaning. 5 or 6 of them take scratchy things to their bolts until shiny. SL sees them and rightly loses his $#!+. These guns were brand new FN M4A1s, right after their inaugural range trip, like 100 rounds on them.
I’ve also seen a pair of older 240 receivers get the same treatment.
Whatever LMT coats their e-bolts with is fantastic. 30 seconds with a wet GI toothbrush, and 15 seconds with a t-shirt. Done. Lube it.
Jeez, not sure who the moron is......"armorer" who put things in motion or Snuffy and his buddies who took it to mean removal of the brand-new phosphate? I'm at a loss here.
Guess maybe Snuffy and his buds weren't "gun guys" and realized that these were brand-freaking-new weapons. This story makes tears well in my eyes!
https://catoutdoors.com/gear/
Thanks, just ordered one.
I want it to remove the oil from the metal when it removes the crud from the barrel extension and barrel. I haven't had any issues with non-chlorinated brake cleaner stripping paint or melting plastic. On the other hand, chlorinated brake cleaner will strip paint right off the upper receiver.
I don't clean rifles until accuracy drops off, so my rifles don't get cleaned nearly as often as most people clean.
me neither over decades of use and countless cleanings. This is internet lore at it's finest.
hit the bolt, extension area, hit with hoppes 9 after and then clean accordingly.
tip #1, don't over clean, they don't need to be cleaned after each range trip
tip #1, don't over clean, they don't need to be cleaned after each range trip
I agree. Overcleaning will do a considerable amount of damage to a rifle or handgun. My serious match rifles get cleaned at the end of the year at the end of shooting season if accuracy doesn't drop off before then.
I agree. Overcleaning will do a considerable amount of damage to a rifle or handgun.
Aggressive bore cleaning or more generally?
Aggressive bore cleaning or more generally?
All of it. Moderation in all things, as my alcoholic grandpa told me while chain smoking and pounding Crown.
But the technique and tools are important as well. Dudes use dental picks, green scratch pads, various exotic solvents, shaving cream, various scraping tools, etc to get their guns clean to some sort of imaginary standard. And use terribly harsh cleaning rods with more wildass solvents everytime they shoot. Ouch; too harsh.
Be more gentle. Don’t do it more than necessary to prevent wear, corrosion, or stoppages. Don’t use tools that are likely to slowly damage the gun. Nothing harder than necessary. Other than the bore, CLP is all that is necessary. Bore solvents aren’t needed particularly often*, either.
I use CLP, a boresnake, and t-shirt pieces (or paper towels), a GI toothbrush, with like 5 q-tips. Occasionally I will chip chunks of carbon off with the brass screwdriver-looking thing that comes in an Otis cleaning kit, but its honestly not commonly needed. I’ve also been know to use hot water and the same GI toothbrush and then immediately dry it and relube.
*I’m not a benchrest dude. If thats your thing, learn from someone better.
I usually clean if I am not going to shoot the gun in awhile, but I use wet patches, Slip 2000, field strip and that is about it. Most guns are then put away wet or damp with lube.
Rifles usually cleaned via a field strip every 500 rounds or so. I really don't use a nylon brush unless it is really cruddy and dirty. I keep the BCG pretty wet just in case any crud builds up.
Aggressive bore cleaning or more generally?
Aggressive bore cleaning is a major factor, but aggressive cleaning of all parts to some extent.
When I was in the military, I probably inflicted more damage on my M-14 by aggressively cleaning the barrel with a steel cleaning rod than firing the weapon.
I've had to recut the barrel crown on a few low round count rifles I purchased over the past ten years, because the crown was damaged by overzealous cleaning. The rifles were for sale, because the owner(s) shot horrible groups with them. When the owner gives you a multi-piece steel cleaning rod with the rifle, that's a big clue.
Aggressive bore cleaning is a major factor, but aggressive cleaning of all parts to some extent.
When I was in the military, I probably inflicted more damage on my M-14 by aggressively cleaning the barrel with a steel cleaning rod than firing the weapon.
I've had to recut the barrel crown on a few low round count rifles I purchased over the past ten years, because the crown was damaged by overzealous cleaning. The rifles were for sale, because the owner(s) shot horrible groups with them. When the owner gives you a multi-piece steel cleaning rod with the rifle, that's a big clue.
yes sir
nothing I put down one end comes back the same way for instance a brass brush etc.. ARs don't need to be cleaned after each range trip but you should inspect prior to shooting. I clean every 2k rounds or so
I only use bronze or plastic brushes when cleaning the bore, usually bronze.
Neither of these materials will harm steel.
I only use bronze or plastic brushes when cleaning the bore, usually bronze.
Neither of these materials will harm steel.
I purchased a used M1A from someone I know who used it to shoot High Power matches. The rifle had a round count of roughly 2,000. He used a one piece plastic Dewey cleaning rod and plastic brushes to clean the bore without using a cleaning rod guide. Accuracy dropped way off due to uneven wear on the muzzle crown.
I chucked up the barrel in a lathe, cleaned up the muzzle crown with a center drill, then shot the rifle in matches for an additional 4,000 rounds with good accuracy.
He used a one piece plastic Dewey cleaning rod and plastic brushes to clean the bore without using a cleaning rod guide. Accuracy dropped way off due to uneven wear on the muzzle crown.
The cleaning rod guide I have fits on the chamber end of the barrel. Is there another?
Pull, don't push.
With a rod, or using a filament?
I was always taught and then subscribed to the philosophy that gun cleaning is more about inspection than cleaning to bare metal. CLP patch barrel, let sit while CLPing and wiping down everything else while inspecting parts, patch barrel, lube. Function test to ensure I put it all together correctly, look for additional parts laying around and then call it done.
With a rod, or using a filament?
I'm guessing snake or Otis.
I have become a big fan of the bore snakes over the past few years. Quick couple of passes with the bore snake/few drops of CLP after a range visit and wipe down/put the gun away. Same with my shotguns.
Pretty rare that I run a rod down the bore of any of my rifles, with the exception of bolt action guns firing solid copper hunting bullets which foul pretty fast. I think we hunted 3 seasons with a Tikka T3 in 6.5 Creedmore without cleaning it. Accuracy was fantastic.
M-Pro-7, the water based cleaner, is amazingly good at cutting carbon deposits that solvents won't move (or that move marginally with solvent). Stuff amazes me. Way less scrubbing required. Squirt a little on there and let it sit a bit and it will loosen the carbon right up for easy removal. Use this stuff a lot on my semi-autos (rifle/pistol/gas operated shotguns).
Also the bore foam "Wipe out" works as advertised and greatly reduces or dang near eliminates scrubbing with brushes, patches, etc. Great for copper deposits.
Kind of expensive/wasteful but when cleaning a dirty upper out, especially in a surpassed gun. I like to take a can of something good, like brake clean or a gods gun cleaner. I put the little hose attachment on and go outside and spray that upper and barrel extension. I use a combo of the cleaning power and the pressure of it coming out to clean it out. Only down side is typically use at least half a can of whatever.
I also spray the life out of the bolt and carrier too
This may have already been posted but I buy the wooden cotton tips that have one round end and one pointed end for getting in tight places. Kinda nice.
Also this is probably second nature to most of you, but I'll say it for the noob who reads this some day.
Wipe up as much oily/carbon crap as you can before using solvent (I'm not talking about the bore here - just the action and fire control system of the gun). Use a rag or paper towel. I like the blue shop paper towels.
If you introduce solvent from the beginning, you just make a big mess with solvent loosened carbon schmoo redepositing itself in new places.
The cleaning rod guide I have fits on the chamber end of the barrel. Is there another?
For a semi-automatic, such as a M1 Garand or M1A, the cleaning rod guide fits on the muzzle end. The M1A guide fits snug inside the flash hider and the M1 Garand guide fits over the muzzle.
As Lysander pointed out...pull, don't push the cleaning rod. The rod goes into the muzzle on a M1 Garand or M1A, you screw on the brush, then you pull the brush from chamber to muzzle. It takes a bit longer than leaving the brush on the rod and pushing/pulling through the barrel, but you will reduce the chances of inducing wear that causes accuracy issues.
I also highly recommend wiping off the cleaning rod with a clean cloth frequently.
Some folks are leery about using ammonia-based cleaners on chrome-lined bores. Haven't heard or read about any really detrimental results.
There is no issue. The fear of it is born from a false correlation of decoritive chrome, and the copper strike to hard chrine directly on steel.
Kind of expensive/wasteful but when cleaning a dirty upper out, especially in a surpassed gun. I like to take a can of something good, like brake clean or a gods gun cleaner. I put the little hose attachment on and go outside and spray that upper and barrel extension. I use a combo of the cleaning power and the pressure of it coming out to clean it out. Only down side is typically use at least half a can of whatever.
I also spray the life out of the bolt and carrier too
Which is why I use kerosene. A single gallon will easily clean a hundred AR rifles (or more).
Soak parts in the can of kerosene, After soaking for a bit brush clean while submerged, Slowly lift parts out allowing the crud to fall back into the can.
When finished if you set that can of kerosene off to the side and let it sit for a day or so pretty much all of the crud / carbon will fall to the bottom and leave you with clean kerosene on top which can be poured off into a different container long enough for you to then wipe the sediment / gunk out of the can you did your cleaning in with nothing more than a few paper towels. Pour kerosene back into the 'cleaning can' and you are ready to go for the next time with very, very little wasted / lost.
There are no parts on a mil-spec AR type rifle that can be damaged from soaking in kerosene. The longer one soaks the parts the easier it is to remove the carbon / fouling.
Kerosene is a very LOW flash point solvent. (meaning - NOT very easy to ignite)
M-Pro-7, the water based cleaner, is amazingly good at cutting carbon deposits that solvents won't move (or that move marginally with solvent). Stuff amazes me. Way less scrubbing required. Squirt a little on there and let it sit a bit and it will loosen the carbon right up for easy removal.
It looks like that is less expensive than Mil-Comm MC25 though still not cheap. Have you compared them?
Sorry Disciple, haven't compared them. Stuff works so well I've not been motivated to try anything else.
Which is why I use kerosene. A single gallon will easily clean a hundred AR rifles (or more).
Soak parts in the can of kerosene, After soaking for a bit brush clean while submerged, Slowly lift parts out allowing the crud to fall back into the can.
When finished if you set that can of kerosene off to the side and let it sit for a day or so pretty much all of the crud / carbon will fall to the bottom and leave you with clean kerosene on top which can be poured off into a different container long enough for you to then wipe the sediment / gunk out of the can you did your cleaning in with nothing more than a few paper towels. Pour kerosene back into the 'cleaning can' and you are ready to go for the next time with very, very little wasted / lost.
Kerosene is a very LOW flash point solvent. (meaning - NOT very easy to ignite)
I am going to try this method. I use it to clean my dirt bike chains and it does an extremely good job at that task.
I also use M-Pro 7 as my do all CLP.
Pull, don't push.
Pulling a patch in a slotted tip is a good way to wipe the bore. I'll use a smaller patch and push a wet patch thru though.
I will push and pull with a chamber brush or patch. If it's done through the muzzle end (like an M14, M1 Garand, or Carbine) I use a guide and advance it carefully until the entire brush or slotted tip is into the barrel before I apply any significant forward pressure. I use Dewey carbon fiber cleaning rods, so once the brush/tip assembly is clear of the crown I push 'er on through. I'm not as concerned with the motion of pulling it back out as I am pushing it back in.
On my AR's I use a big white plastic bore/chamber guide (Sinclair?) that has "teeth" on the front like the bolt does and actually locks into the barrel extension.
ThirdWatcher
11-24-21, 23:29
I’m Old School, I remember using a stripper clip wrapped with a .45 pistol cleaning patch to clean the inside of the bolt carrier on my M16A1.
I am going to try this method. I use it to clean my dirt bike chains and it does an extremely good job at that task.
I also use M-Pro 7 as my do all CLP.
I use old ammo cans and like having the lids. Really easy to drop a BCG or parts down in there, close the lid and walk away for a while. Not much of a smell just sitting there open but the lid makes for no smell in your shop when closed and just soaking parts.
If you have no old ammo cans to spare you can find new gallon paint cans with lids for cheap at most any paint store. Think it was right around a dollar each last time I bought some.
The kerosene lasting forever thing works the same for firearms as lacquer thinner in designated cans does for me cleaning spray guns at work. I keep 3 gallon cans for cleaning spray guns. The first can full of thinner for the initial cleaning, the second can full of very clean thinner for rinsing after parts are mostly clean and the third can is empty. When finished I stick the lids back on them and set them to the side. By the next day pretty much all the paint gunk has settled to the bottom of that first cleaning can and there is clear lacquer thinner floating on the top which is then poured off into the empty 3rd can so I can wipe / dump the paint crud out of first can. A few gallons of thinner will last a long, long time and clean multiple spray guns many times each before needing to add more.
If you want to save even more on your kerosene avoid big box stores like the plague. Yesterday at Tractor Supply Co. they had 5 gal cans of K1 Kero for about 45 bucks each. That is insanely high... I can go right down the street and buy the same kerosene at the pump at a local service station for closer to 3 bucks per gallon.
Best of luck to you sir. :)
This may raise a few hackles. If I see a lot of lubricant and crud build up in areas I cannot reach with a pick or cotton swab after cleaning the barrel, I use an old school method to reach those areas. I remove the handguards, hang the upper, muzzle down, and pour boiling hot water into the inside of the upper receiver. I also have a metal tube I turned on a lathe that will fit snugly inside the barrel extension for pouring water directly through the chamber and barrel. The hot water evaporates quickly and leaves everything dry. Use compressed air to blow water out of the gas tube and make sure you apply clean lubricant as appropriate.
If you have a solvent tank, you probably won't need to try this. If you don't want to do this because it's not what the mainstream firearms community does, I understand. I've been using boiling hot water, after allowing oils and solvents to do their jobs, to clean the metal on really filthy firearms for decades.
When I was stationed in Panama and we came back from the field and had been firing blanks (which are way worse for crud than live rounds) we'd take the lowers upstairs to the latrine. There were two large utility sinks in there and that water ran HOT, like burn-your-skin-off hot! We'd let them run until steamy and while holding the buttstock stick the lower underneath the scalding water. The heat and force of the water gushing out did a pretty good job of cleaning out every nook and cranny in the lower and it dried almost instantly once removed from the flow of water (you could actually watch it evaporate). The latrines were open-air so that warm tropical air helped with the evaporation. Then we'd take 'em back downstairs and oil them up real good.
None of the above was technically allowed, and we'd kind of sneak up there to do it! Nonetheless, it made cleaning the lower really quick and easy, and remember these were Q-tip arms room inspections they had to pass.
With a rod, or using a filament?
With anything.
Pushing a rod will cause it to bow, and the metal end, be it steel, aluminum or brass, will rub on the bore.
Pulling keeps everything centered.
glockycharms
11-28-21, 19:54
Soak in Simple Green Pro Hd use toothbrush if needed, flush with garden hose in yard and then let it sit in sun and then oil.
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