Cleaning your AR - how many rounds before you do it?

[Pat_Rogers]

Cleaning for the sake of cleaning is a flat waste of time, and offers no advantages.
Generous lubrication is more important then cleaning. As posted earlier, i cleaned a Bravo Company (upper) for the second time in 8070 rds- the first was around 3000. The gun ran fine.
This is not unusual. My company guns are seldom cleaned. We rent/ loan them out to shooters whose hobby guns die in class. They always seem to work- but i have a maintenance plan that i follow, so that is not a surprise.

If being used operationally, i would do a field cleaning more often.
The AR does not need to be meticulously clean. It does need to be wet.

I wish i had the available time to sit around and clean guns like some apparently do- but i would use that spare time for something else

[QuickStrike]

Cleaning for the sake of cleaning is a flat waste of time, and offers no advantages.
Generous lubrication is more important then cleaning. As posted earlier, i cleaned a Bravo Company (upper) for the second time in 8070 rds- the first was around 3000. The gun ran fine.
This is not unusual. My company guns are seldom cleaned. We rent/ loan them out to shooters whose hobby guns die in class. They always seem to work- but i have a maintenance plan that i follow, so that is not a surprise.

If being used operationally, i would do a field cleaning more often.
The AR does not need to be meticulously clean. It does need to be wet.

I wish i had the available time to sit around and clean guns like some apparently do- but i would use that spare time for something else

Do you mind giving a link/copy paste of your maintenance plan?

Thanks!

[Jay Cunningham]

Reading Is Fundamental

Lubrication and Cleaning by Pat Rogers

[QuickStrike]

Reading Is Fundamental

Lubrication and Cleaning by Pat Rogers

No, I was thinking more of replacing worn out parts, should have stated it more clearly.


Already read that several times.

[HolyRoller]

Fun guns get cleaned when they stop working.

Why not before?

Precision guns get cleaned before and after shooting them.

Why?

Goto guns get cleaned after each use, and every few months.

Why?

[Gunfighter13]

******************** I know and you know that a quality made AR will not fail to function if it is dirty under most conditions and that LUBE is the most important factor in AR function. **************************** It may be OK for the guy who only shoots at a range but for anyone who goes into harms way it may cost them their life or some other person’s life.

I have seen first hand, weapons that failed from being dirty, while in combat in the military, while working as a civilian consultant in combat areas and during my LEO career. A weapon system that is maintained will serve you well. One that is neglected will let you down when you need it the most.

As far as time to clean a weapon goes, I make time, just like everything else that I need time for.

Edited by Va_Dinger.

Let's please be a bit more respectfull & polite to our IP's.

Please consider this a warning.

[Pat_Rogers]

Roger Canonshooter, and i too believe that Hoppes #9 is an aphrodisiac.

As with all things gun related, there has to be a balance and that balance is driven by the mission.

I run my guns hard at the range, and they function well because i know what to look for and when (and i don't buy hobby guns )

Operationally, where guns are carried more and shot less, a different protoclo would be applied.

You are a redleg??

[Canonshooter]

Pat, the sharing of your expertise/experience is much appreciated. I look forward to learning something new everyday, and I listen most carefully to those who have been there and done it (especially more than once).

Negative on being a redleg, mine are Canon cameras.

[Pat_Rogers]

I should have figured that out from the spelling...

I learn something new everyday, especially when i am shooting. It keeps life interesting!

[Matt Edwards]

Myself and R. Moran recently took a carbine class. We fired about 1300 rounds apeice. We made sure the "bolts were wet" at the begining of the training day. I had one of two carbines that had zero stoppages. I'll give you a guess who's carbine was the other.
This was the same approch I took when I was a "superviser" of meny. You had to make sure your guns "ran". We had VERY few issues with M4s.
I maintain all my guns the same. Sometimes I "punch" the barrels and wipe the chamber.(I said sometimes) I add lube.
I ONLY clean them when they NEED it. There is no standard round count for this.