Best Cleaning Setup

[Stickman]

For quick cleaning, I use a bore snake, but I understand that it isn't a very good long term cleaning tool. However, it does get the bulk of the junk out. For actually cleaning, an aluminum rod is always preferable to a steel one, and a coated rod is even better.

After the cleaning rod, a good chamber brush is as important as a good brush and patches.

[Red*Lion]

Dewey coated rods and a bore guide. Work well for me.

Same with me.

[556BlackRifle]

Same with me.

For my match grade, add my name to that list.

For everything else, I don't clean that often.

[ABNAK]

Just an FYI, since you seem pretty OCD in your other thread, unless you have a precision setup you don't need to keep your AR spotless. You probably risk more damage from cleaning than shooting. I only clean my ARs every thousand rounds or so, and even then it's a quick wipe down and a couple patches run through the barrel. I'll wipe down the BCG a little more often when using a suppressor, since it's much dirtier. I do regularly lube my rifles so I never have any issues.

Perfect example of why I'll never buy a used gun off of someone, especially an AR.

[Tony617]

I use the cleaning swabs most of the time and I do not clean my ARs with a brush after each range trip either. For my first AR I did clean it throughly after my range trips. But after I got my second AR I realized that I was over cleaning them. I only use my nylon chamber brush after firing 750 rounds now.

[Coal Dragger]

Dewey rod or a Boretech rod depending on caliber and the rods I have. I really prefer to avoid bronze brushes, so I use nylon if possible. I also use cotton patches with a brass jag, all an eyelet is good for us getting solvent in the bore. That’s only for deep cleaning which doesn’t have to happen very often, a good barrel just doesn’t seem to pick up enough copper to not shoot well for a lot of rounds.

My normal cleaning, if possible, while the barrel is still hot or freshly shot at the range and I can safely do it is to shotgun the upper, pull the BCG and liberally put CLP (or some sort of oil) in the chamber and let it run down the bore. Then douse the BCG in CLP, brush it off, wipe the grime off and re-lube. Then pull a bore snake with CLP on it down the barrel. Seems like if you do this immediately while everything is still warm the fouling is very “soft” and is easily removed.

[matemike]

I keep a bore snake in my grip storage for sweeping the barrel when it is still warm. When I get home all I do is wipe the BCG and internals clean and I might brush the chamber depending on how it looks. I then scrub the snot out of the muzzle device with a brush and some solvent, especially the suppressor mount types to get all the carbon off. Spritz some solvent into the barrel, sweep the barrel again a couple more times, relube everything and reassemble.

If you are using a rod either push the brush and wipes from the chamber end towards the muzzle and unscrew the brush after it passes the muzzle in order to remove the rod easily...or...insert the rod only into the muzzle end and when the tip of the rod gets past the chamber end you can screw on your brush or wipe and pull it towards the muzzle from the muzzle end. Do not ever force anything into the muzzle end and push or pull it towards the chamber end.

[matemike]

I keep a bore snake in my grip storage for sweeping the barrel when it is still warm. When I get home all I do is wipe the BCG and internals clean and I might brush the chamber depending on how it looks. I then scrub the snot out of the muzzle device with a brush and some solvent, especially the suppressor mount types to get all the carbon off. Spritz some solvent into the barrel, sweep the barrel again a couple more times, relube everything and reassemble.

If you are using a rod either push the brush and wipes from the chamber end towards the muzzle and unscrew the brush after it passes the muzzle in order to remove the rod easily...or...insert the rod only into the muzzle end and when the tip of the rod gets past the chamber end you can screw on your brush or wipe and pull it towards the muzzle from the muzzle end. Do not ever force anything into the muzzle end and push or pull it towards the chamber end.

[markm]

Dewey rod here too. I don't mess with the bore guide. If I have to run a tight patch, I pull it through to avoid barrel abuse.

I actually cleaned 3 ARs yesterday for the first time in years. The heat here will make you do crazy shit.

[EEMonty]

I have been using this for awhile:
http://www.patchworm.com/

It is great for a quick wipe out of the barrel with minimal effort. It is good for quick cleans and for the AR15, that seems to be enough.
You can use the patches from the company, but I just use my regular patches and poke the end through the material. Seems to work and has no metal parts to scratch anything.