How I clean my S&W 5.45 AR15

**RogerinTPA** · 10-06-11, 08:53

Originally Posted by crossgun

Holly shit! That chemistry leason made my head hurt. I just pull the trigger and hose it down with Ballistol.

I do know for a fact that if you do nothing at all it will not be too long and you will be very unhappy.

The water thing just seems like a pain.

A friend had a S&W 5.45 upper with about 10K rounds fired. He cleans his inside and out with hot water as well, but mixed with a few caps of Ballistol. Then sprays it down with Ballistol, with a wipe down.

**Boss Hogg** · 10-06-11, 09:31

Here's what I do. My main concern is getting the salts out of the gas block and gas tube.

- Before you pack up at the range, load 10 rounds of commercial 5.45 ammo. Wolf, Golden Tiger, etc
- spray Windex onto the BCG and down the barrel. (water and solvents)
- Shoot the 10 rounds fast. (heat)
- Boresnake it then or when you get home, and drop a quality lubricant on the tail end of the snake

**vicious_cb** · 10-06-11, 22:38

At around what round count did you burn out your first barrel? Im about to hit the 6.5k round mark.

**Littlelebowski** · 10-09-11, 11:03

Originally Posted by vicious_cb

At around what round count did you burn out your first barrel? Im about to hit the 6.5k round mark.

11k-ish.

**LightningFast** · 10-18-11, 23:03

I had never consider a 5.45 because of the corrosive ammo, but this has me reconsidering somewhat. Thanks for sharing with us!

Dumb question, but what qualifies as a burnt-out barrel? Just accuracy falls apart, or there is visible damage to it, or something entirely different?

**Suwannee Tim** · 11-11-11, 19:03

I have adopted Littlelebowski's method with one addition. I soak the stuff down with denatured alcohol immediately after the water wash. Denatured alcohol is a great dehydrating agent and will almost instantly remove all the water. Does anyone have any idea just how corrosive this ammo is? It doesn't seem as corrosive as the old US military ammo I used to shoot but those guns were just blued or Parkerized, not treated with advanced coatings as this upper.

**USAFR** · 12-04-11, 01:08

for CHEAPER shooting. Ive attempted to use three different brands, a take out of a case, $5.00 for 30 rounds, as well as wolf, and a supposed top brand o color coded wolf.
What im seeing, the rounds don,t go off, on all 3, of the sovcom brands Ive tried :wolf, box take out, and SilverBear.

SO

Im thinking all of these three have very hard primers, and nothing can be done.

More breaking in the upper,, now has less then 250 rnds and yes I know how to clean a ak or sks.

A high speed firingg pin.

so what say you. is their a real savings??

robber out

**Littlelebowski** · 12-04-11, 07:04

Install the extra power hammer spring and your primer problems will go away. Included with S&W uppers.

Originally Posted by USAFR

for CHEAPER shooting. Ive attempted to use three different brands, a take out of a case, $5.00 for 30 rounds, as well as wolf, and a supposed top brand o color coded wolf.
What im seeing, the rounds don,t go off, on all 3, of the sovcom brands Ive tried :wolf, box take out, and SilverBear.

SO

Im thinking all of these three have very hard primers, and nothing can be done.

More breaking in the upper,, now has less then 250 rnds and yes I know how to clean a ak or sks.

A high speed firingg pin.

so what say you. is their a real savings??

robber out