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Thread: Cleaning my AR

  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arctic1 View Post
    I agree with and acknowledge that the AR FOW does not need to be spotless to work.

    And I also know that the white glove/q-tip level of inspection is stupid and causes excessive wear.
    What also causes excessive wear are retarded cleaning methods, like the one mentioned above with inserting a cleaning rod into a drill and using it on the bore, using steel wool, cleaning the weapon with hot water etc. Stunts commonly used by Private Schmuckatelli.

    Like you say, a reasonable cleaning regimen is a preferred method.

    I am not a fan of the round count interval though, and will clean my rifle regardless of having shot 200 rds or 1000 rds.
    IN the '70s I shot with the ROTC guys on campus. We fired Vietnam veteran M16A1. They had a million miles on them. We'd check the rifles out of the locker and they'd be white glove clean. We were never given anything with which to lube them and so we fired them bone dry. Both semi and full auto. After a morning of this we'd spend 3 hours cleaning to white glove standard, and check them back into the locker. Never did we put a drop of lube on them. It must have been a military thing. (I don't remember any stoppages, but it must have worn the hell out of those already-worn guns.)

    Now my personal ARs get a generous lubing of Breakfree LP on the bolt and carrier, and I seldom bother to clean. Complete reversal.

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by Littlelebowski View Post
    Nothing wrong with that. I've got an AR with over 20k rounds that gets rinsed with water after each time I shoot it. Lots of folks here have seen it. It's my 5.45. Pics on the blog.
    Well, I do not recommend it.

    If you use very hot water you will remove the protective coating some CLP solutions provide, that has seeped in to to pores of certain surfaces, in addition to all the lube you have previously applied to the weapon. Leaving the weapon totally unprotected. In addition, on some weapon systems you can get water into places it shouldn't be, and the weapon can start to rust where you do not see it.

    You have to be very careful when relubing the rifle, to make sure you are thorough, and you should reapply a second layer of lube after a while, to replace the lube that has been absorbed by the weapon.

    Not saying that some people can't pull it off, but Pvt. Schmuckatelli is poised and ready to screw things up at short notice.

    Compressed air on a can, or a proper air compressor is the way to go, especially in sandy areas. I was also intrigued by one product Paul Howe used in his video to rinse out his gun. Can't remember the name......

    @F2S:

    Yeah, we have the Schmuckatellis here as well, in great numbers it seems sometimes......
    Last edited by Arctic1; 02-07-12 at 21:32.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arctic1 View Post
    Well, I do not recommend it.

    If you use very hot water you will remove the protective coating some CLP solutions provide, that has seeped in to to pores of certain surfaces, in addition to all the lube you have previously applied to the weapon. Leaving the weapon totally unprotected. In addition, on some weapon systems you can get water into places it shouldn't be, and the weapon can start to rust where you do not see it.

    You have to be very careful when relubing the rifle, to make sure you are thorough, and you should reapply a second layer of lube after a while, to replace the lube that has been absorbed by the weapon.

    Not saying that some people can't pull it off, but Pvt. Schmuckatelli is poised and ready to screw things up....
    I and many others I served with in the Corps did this with regularity for bullshit inspections. Now I do it only when shooting my corrosive 5.45 ammo. I have never had to worry about being so meticulous and worrisome about relubing like you say. When we did it in the Corps, it was to get sand/dust out of nooks and crannies. I respectfully do not agree with you about lube absorption. Relube where the contact points are, rock on. If the FSB is rusting, hit it with a light coat. I regularly strip ALL of the lube off of my rifle using non chlorinated brake cleaner with no ill effects. I relube quickly without worrying about it and my rifles look great. I also live in a humid climate.

  4. #54
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    Just stating my opinion.....and I have seen issues with weapons rusting after being washed in water and soap. Although that was on the G3. Have only seen one guy wash his 416 so far.

    And lube does get absorbed by weapons, in my experience.

    But hey, we'll just agree to disagree on this, no worries!

    Btw, I've read on here about corrosive ammo. Not something I am familiar with, is there a good thread on this?

  5. #55
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    Ok, I think this has been hashed about enough. Keep it informative--if there's anything else--
    GET IN YOUR BUBBLE!

  6. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arctic1 View Post
    Just stating my opinion.....and I have seen issues with weapons rusting after being washed in water and soap. Although that was on the G3. Have only seen one guy wash his 416 so far.

    And lube does get absorbed by weapons, in my experience.

    But hey, we'll just agree to disagree on this, no worries!

    Btw, I've read on here about corrosive ammo. Not something I am familiar with, is there a good thread on this?
    Try mixing Ballistol with the hot water (1 part Ballistol, 10 parts water). It emulsifies in the water and will adhere to the gun metal. Basically lubing while cleaning so parts won't rust. A lot of folks use it specifically when shooting corrosive ammo, mainly 5.45 uppers, with great effect (No corrosion). Use compressed air and hose it out with ballistol afterwards if it makes you sleep better. If you are using water without relubing, you're doing it wrong.
    Last edited by RogerinTPA; 02-07-12 at 22:36. Reason: spelling
    For God and the soldier we adore, In time of danger, not before! The danger passed, and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted." - Rudyard Kipling

  7. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by RogerinTPA View Post
    Try mixing Ballistol with the hot water (1 part Ballistol, 10 parts water). It emulsifies in the water and will adhere to the gun metal. Basically lubing while cleaning so parts won't rust. A lot of folks use it specifically when shooting corrosive ammo, mainly 5.45 uppers, with great effect (No corrosion). Use compressed air and hose it out with ballistol afterwards if it makes you sleep better. If you are using water without relubing, you're doing it wrong.
    That sounds very interesting. I shoot a ton of corrosive ammo in my AK but just throw it in some boiling water with some dish soap. Then re-lube and oil. I like the Ballistol tho. Innovation my friend!

  8. #58
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    I used to shoot 100 -125 year old cap & ball rifle with my uncle in PA with real black powder. We would clean the guns with boiling hot water and soap to get rid of the corrosive salts. By the time the gun cooled; the water would be evaporated, so we lubed them. He never had a rust problem.

    Just a note, a lot of people think metal "absorbs" oil...not possible.
    I think evaporation is mistaken for absorption in that there may be less oil than what you put on the gun a few days before. If you put a layer of oil (especially BF CLP) and come back a week later, some of the oil, solvents, etc. will evaporate but they aren't absorbed. There might be a remaining (protective or not) film but it hasn't "soaked" into the metal.
    Metal isn't porous.

    But maybe it's just me...

    .

  9. #59
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    Does anybody have a cast iron frying pan and care for it properly?

    One of the worst thing you can do is to over clean it, like putting it in the dish washer.

    Strips out the protective oil and exposes the metal to immediate rusting.

    If you do that, you need to re season with oil in the oven.

    The best method to clean is a wipe off any food with some paper towel and perhaps water, followed by a quick re-lube with some olive oil.

    Harshly stripping down to the bare metal is not required for normal cleaning.


    My philosophy for broken in guns is about the same.

    Gently wipe out the loose gunk by punching a few patches with mild cleaner down the bore and follow up with a lightly oiled patch.

    BGC, the same. Disassemble, wipe down with mild cleaner, re-assemble and re-lube.

    The mild cleaner can be as simple as a detergent oil or CLP.

    As long as the black stuff comes off the parts and shows up on the rag, it's working.
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  10. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by lmurtha1 View Post
    That sounds very interesting. I shoot a ton of corrosive ammo in my AK but just throw it in some boiling water with some dish soap. Then re-lube and oil. I like the Ballistol tho. Innovation my friend!
    Thanks, but the credit goes to the Ballistol/Firehawktech website itself.
    http://www.firehawktech.com/Ballistol/firearms.html
    They recommend a 1 in 10 ratio when using with water, as well as lots of other uses.
    For God and the soldier we adore, In time of danger, not before! The danger passed, and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted." - Rudyard Kipling

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