Cleaning and Preventative Maintenance with Rifles Having One-Piece FF Rails

[Southern_Partisan]

How do you do it effectively??

With systems like the Vltor VIS, the lower portion of the rail is removable thus providing you with greater access to the barrel and around the gas block. With one-piece FF rails like DD Lite, LaRue, Troy, etc. you can't expose any portion of the barrel covered by the rail without first removing the rail.

What are some of your techniques for removing dirt and grime and keeping a light protective coat of oil on the barrel and interior surfaces of the rail itself??

[jsebens]

I'm not understanding you very well.

Why would you put oil on the inside of an aluminum rail? For that matter, is it necessary to put it on a parked barrel? I was close to having shot out my last barrel with no signs of rust.

[ForTehNguyen]

rails are anodized, barrels are phosphate surfaced, shouldnt have to worry about rust unless youre storing it long term. Oil will just burn off the barrel when you start firing it.

[rifleman2000]

How do you do it effectively??

With systems like the Vltor VIS, the lower portion of the rail is removable thus providing you with greater access to the barrel and around the gas block. With one-piece FF rails like DD Lite, LaRue, Troy, etc. you can't expose any portion of the barrel covered by the rail without first removing the rail.

What are some of your techniques for removing dirt and grime and keeping a light protective coat of oil on the barrel and interior surfaces of the rail itself??

When cleaning dirt under a KAC with the bottom rail removed, I would run a piece of 550 cord around the barrel to get the top and sides. Maybe you can adopt this technique? It may not work with a one piece, but may help.

[Skyyr]

If you must clean the outside of your barrel under the handguards, I've found that using a spray can of CLP (or similar cleaner) with the included small straw works well.

Turn the upper/rifle muzzle-down, and spray from the barrel nut, letting it puddle and drip down, covering the barrel from nut downward. Use Q-Tips to scrub any excess carbon or filth. Spray off any remaining dirt/carbon/etc. Set the gun, still muzzle down, vertically against a wall, and let the excess drip off. It's a good idea to have a towel under it to catch the excess cleaner/oil.

After a day or two, the majority of excess fluid will have travelled down the barrel and off the weapon, cleaning and lubricating/protecting it in the process (provided you use a cleaner like CLP). Take a can of compressed air and blow-dry any remaining cleaner off the barrel, again starting from the top of the handguards and working your way down. This will dislodge any cleaner that puddled in the recesses of the nuts/bolts/etc.

Set it to dry for another day and you should be good to go.

[Quib]

How do you do it effectively??

What are some of your techniques for removing dirt and grime and keeping a light protective coat of oil on the barrel and interior surfaces of the rail itself??

- Shop air to knock out the big stuff.
- Follow up with a small piece of rag dampened with CLP. Insert the rag into the space between the HG and barrel. Work the rag around as much as possible with a wooden dowel or section of cleaning rod.

[ST911]

I mostly ignore dirt and grime. When compelled to deal with it, small brush, patches or pieces of rag on a rod, spray cleaners, compressed air, all work for me.

Parkerized barrels do benefit from a light coat of oil here and there. Wet a piece of cloth and push it around.

[markm]

I mostly ignore dirt and grime. When compelled to deal with it, small brush, patches or pieces of rag on a rod, spray cleaners, compressed air, all work for me.

Parkerized barrels do benefit from a light coat of oil here and there. Wet a piece of cloth and push it around.

I agree. I can't think of any need to clean under a FF rail. If I got mud in there, I'd hose it out and maybe blow it out with compressed air.

[tr1kstanc3]

- Shop air to knock out the big stuff.
- Follow up with a small piece of rag dampened with CLP. Insert the rag into the space between the HG and barrel. Work the rag around as much as possible with a wooden dowel or section of cleaning rod.

Good advice here.

[spamsammich]

I agree. I can't think of any need to clean under a FF rail. If I got mud in there, I'd hose it out and maybe blow it out with compressed air.

You could follow that up with a couple of blasts of WD40 to make sure you've got the water out of all the hard to reach places.

[Southern_Partisan]

Thanks for all the replies, fellas!! Good advice - much appreciated.