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Posted: 9/17/2011 7:54:25 AM EDT
| Hey guys Im obviously new here with all these questions and you all have been very helpful, thank you. I want you guys to tell me what i need to make a good cleaning kit for my first AR15, I do not need anything compact i will only be using it at home. I have patches, a 1 piece coated rod and a boresnake. What kind of brushes, and cleaner do i need? Nylon brass or steel brushes? I really dont know that is why I am asking around here. Thank you for all the help also could you guys name a site or two where i could get the stuff from cause my closest shop has pretty much nothing when it comes to rifle cleaning |
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Top of page 1... http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_7/203978_AR15_CLEANING_KITS_AND_SUPPLIERS.html thank you :) ETA:kinda helps but not really |
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Well, you have patches and a rod. You'll want a .22/.223/5.56mm caliber bronze bore brush and a chamber brush. Nylon brushes are too soft imo (unless you're using a bore cleaner with a powerful copper solvent, then you'll want to use a nylon bore brush to avoid damaging your bronze brush) and stainless too hard (the exception being the wider part of the chamber brush designed to clean the locking lug area, those are usually steel bristles iirc).
I like to have at least 2 Nylon GP brushes (similar to the type in GI kits, about toothbrush width on one end and narrower on the opposite end). I use one for "dirty" tasks and the other for "cleaner" tasks. AS far as solvents/lubes etc. I think Breakfree CLP does a pretty decent job for everything, without breaking the bank. I've heard good things about Slip2000 EWL, and may make the switch to that, but it's a little expensive and I hear the solvent in it isnt as good at cleaning as Breakfree. I also use some Tetra grease in areas I deem appropriate. If firing jacketed bullets, barrel leading, etc. shouldn't be too much of a problem, but if you're worried you could always get a bore cleaner that works as a copper/lead/plastic solvent. Some of these are pretty powerful, or may react with bore linings, so be sure to read and follow the directions on the bottle. Some long wooden QTips can be handy, but if you dont want the expensive wooden kind common brands sold at drug stores work well. Also pipe cleaners for cleaning the gas tube. I use the Otis system for a lot of cleaning on my firearms, I like how their multi caliber patches can be made to get a really tight fit. My cleaning regimen varies from weapon to weapon, but almost all of them get a pass from the otis cable and brush/patches. If you're concerned about carbon build up some scrapers can be used. I typically use a set of non-marring plastic scrapers, but for really stubborn stuff I also have some TiN coated stainless steel dental picks. Thats pretty much it for a basic kit. A GI kit covers the basics pretty well, is relatively cheap and can be kept in your gun case for use at any time. Yoy can accomplish a lot given a GI kit, Breakfree CLP, and plenty of elbow grease. |
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I'd add this:
For faster, better cleaning you're better to use an actual bore solvent. Unlike CLP, bore solvents will remove copper bore fouling, and do a much faster job of removing carbon and powder fouling from parts. CLP will work for powder and carbon, but it takes much more time to do it. To remove the hard caked-on carbon fouling from the tail of the bolt and the inside of the bolt carrier you can use chemical or mechanical cleaners. For chemicals Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter is great. Shake the jar really well and soak the parts for about 15 minutes. This will remove almost all the carbon and other fouling. This also removes all lubricant so you have to apply CLP to all areas to prevent rust. The bolt tail may require another soak or even two to get all the hard carbon off. For mechanical methods, Brownell's sell several types of carbon scraping tools for the AR. One cleans only the inside of the bolt carrier, others also cut off the hard deposits on the bolt tail. Some of these are expensive, but they're FAST and you'll actually save on chemicals in the long run: This one does it all: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=38917/ttver=2/Product/AR_15_M16_AR_STYLE__308_CARBON_REMOVAL_TOOL Bolt Carrier only: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=19646/ttver=2/Product/AR_15_M16_BOLT_CARRIER_CARBON_SCRAPER Bolt carrier only.....223 version at the bottom of the page: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1851/sku=133-100-016/ttver=2/Product/AR_15_M16_AR_STYLE__308_CARRIER_CARBON_SCRAPER Last, I'd recommend a receiver bore guide. This is a plastic tube that fits into the receiver and guides the cleaning rod. Most important, the guide keeps solvent out of the receiver. If you check Brownell's for Accu-Bore bore solvent, they also sell small plastic pipettes for applying solvent. This prevents contaminating the solvent by dipping patches and brushes into the bottle. Many AR receiver bore guides have a solvent port that allows applying solvent after the rod is in the chamber. Again, this keeps solvent out of the receiver. |
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