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Posted: 1/26/2004 7:13:00 AM EDT
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Got to go shoot my AR for the first time yesterday, and I just wanted to see if my cleaning technique is okay...... -------------------------- First, I broke everything down and cleaned the bore. Next, I scrubbed everything down with CLP, used a tooth brush and nylon bore brush to clean out the receiver and bolt assemby/parts. Next, I flushed everything out with brake cleaner. Then I re-lubed everything with CLP, and ran a wet patch down the bore. Then used an oiled rag on the outside of the full gun. ------------------------ So, is using brake cleaner okay? Will I damage anything by doing so? Also, am I right in using a nylon brush/toothbrush on the inside of the receiver and bolt parts or do I need to use a brass brush? Please let me know what I do or don't need to do differently. Thanks. |
| Sounds pretty good.Stick with the nylon brush.I personally don't use Brake cleaner.But I would think on the bolt carrier it would be good, as far as speeding up cleaning.DON'T get it on your plastic. Some Brake cleaners and kill plastic's. I wouldn't spray it on your upper or lower just on your Bolt Carrier.Thats just me though. And just like to state that you DO NOT have to get your rifle cleaned spotless for it be reliable and run great.I to some times over clean,Im trying to break that habit.It's hard .. LOL Best of luck to ya WarDawg |
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Alright, I'll just use the brake cleaner on the bolt...sounds good. Yeah, I think I'm probably a little to anal about getting it spotless. Another question.... I just got back from shooting, and am using Winchester value pack .223. I know it's pretty dirty, but damn....is there a better way to clean the bore? I swear, I used at least 20 patches before I finally got it clean. CLP doesn't cut it for the bore, Hoppes 9 works a little better, but not good enough. What is a good bore cleaner that cuts through this gunk better? Also, how many times should I use a bore brush in a cleaning? I just used it twice. Should I make more passes with the brush? Thanks |
| Brake Cleaner: I am new to AR stuff but in rimfire we use Brake Cleaner allot. Key is [B]DO NOT USE CHOLRINATED CLEANERS![/B] Go to auto parts store and get the non cholrinated stuff and use it on everything but your wood stock, opps, forgot, we are in AR plastic land now! |
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On the Bore solvents. Breakfree is NOT aggressive when compared to dedicated solvents. Good old Hoppes is, as is Shooters choice, Butch's bore shine and some others. MPro-7 is a water based cleaner that isn't toxic and works as well as the others for cutting the carbon. On the chrome bore use a plain old Brass core Bronze bristle brush(Forget the el-cheapo aluminum core junk they cost more anyhow!) And just figure on 20 passes(In and out is one pass) no matter how many rounds fired. The brass will not harm the bore. Carbon builds to a certail level and stops accumulating as the next bullet down the tube keeps it from getting much thicker. Copper fouling however will build if allowed to. Usually just in front of the chamber and in the last couple of inches in the tube. In a Chrome bore it's not so much an issue. Every 1,000 rounds or so chase the crap out with Sweets or Butchs and NEVER let the stuff sit in the bore for more than 10 Min. When done with chasing copper, I run a patch or two of plain old Isopropyl alcohol to neutralize the Ammonia and then a couple dry patches so no chemical interaction worrys. "Patch out" on a new barrel usually takes more patches than on a seasoned or "Broken in" barrel. As the tube breaks in you will notice fewer patches needed to "Patch out". Figure on 250-400 rounds till break in on a chrome bore even if the std. rule is 200 rnds. Have seen them get sweet at 210(Our std. break in for acceptance to inventory) and have seen them act snotty till 400+ rounds. Just remember to run a couple of dry patches down the tube before the next range trip or you will extend the break in, and make cleaning a bit more difficult for longer. Non-Chlorinated Brake cleaner is the way to go. Used ta be that 1-1-1 Trichloethylene was the ticket, but some Green weenie went all Nazi over the supposed hole in the Ozone layer and Global warming and all that crap. Looking outside I know the whole warming thing is a farce! Anyhoo. Just make sure you have ventilation and no exposed flames when using the Brake cleaner. We need every right minded shooter in a healthy and un-singed condition, and their kids free from the defects seen on the "Other side". Be carefull with the Chemicals. They can bite you when you aren't looking. (Yeah I nag, and worry.... sue me!) Keep safe and have fun with the new rifle! S-28 |
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Quoted: The rule of thumb is one forward and backward pass with a brush for eack round fired. I'm not going to say your wrong. But, one pass with a BRUSH for each round fired? Huh? You seriously think it's going to take 200 passes with a brush to clean out a bore(I shoot about 200 rounds per session)? Maybe I misunderstood your post. |
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Quoted: On the Bore solvents. Breakfree is NOT aggressive when compared to dedicated solvents. Good old Hoppes is, as is Shooters choice, Butch's bore shine and some others. MPro-7 is a water based cleaner that isn't toxic and works as well as the others for cutting the carbon. On the chrome bore use a plain old Brass core Bronze bristle brush(Forget the el-cheapo aluminum core junk they cost more anyhow!) And just figure on 20 passes(In and out is one pass) no matter how many rounds fired. The brass will not harm the bore. Carbon builds to a certail level and stops accumulating as the next bullet down the tube keeps it from getting much thicker. Copper fouling however will build if allowed to. Usually just in front of the chamber and in the last couple of inches in the tube. In a Chrome bore it's not so much an issue. Every 1,000 rounds or so chase the crap out with Sweets or Butchs and NEVER let the stuff sit in the bore for more than 10 Min. When done with chasing copper, I run a patch or two of plain old Isopropyl alcohol to neutralize the Ammonia and then a couple dry patches so no chemical interaction worrys. "Patch out" on a new barrel usually takes more patches than on a seasoned or "Broken in" barrel. As the tube breaks in you will notice fewer patches needed to "Patch out". Figure on 250-400 rounds till break in on a chrome bore even if the std. rule is 200 rnds. Have seen them get sweet at 210(Our std. break in for acceptance to inventory) and have seen them act snotty till 400+ rounds. Just remember to run a couple of dry patches down the tube before the next range trip or you will extend the break in, and make cleaning a bit more difficult for longer. Non-Chlorinated Brake cleaner is the way to go. Used ta be that 1-1-1 Trichloethylene was the ticket, but some Green weenie went all Nazi over the supposed hole in the Ozone layer and Global warming and all that crap. Looking outside I know the whole warming thing is a farce! Anyhoo. Just make sure you have ventilation and no exposed flames when using the Brake cleaner. We need every right minded shooter in a healthy and un-singed condition, and their kids free from the defects seen on the "Other side". Be carefull with the Chemicals. They can bite you when you aren't looking. (Yeah I nag, and worry.... sue me!) Keep safe and have fun with the new rifle! S-28 Thanks for the good info. One question though. I've always been told to only pull through brushes the direction the bullet travels. Not in and out. Is this not correct? Also, I just have a chromoly bore, not chrome lined, if that makes a difference. |
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mindonmatter, I use a bore snake on my smaller caliber barrels and it works great. I saturate the part where you put solvent on with FP-10 CLP and then pull it through about 4 or 5 times. I can then run a clean, dry patch down the barrel and it comes out clean. If I were to use patches, I would run a Hoppe's No. 9 saturated patch down the barrel once or twice (it's ok to pull it back through as long as you are careful not to let the end catch on the crown - it can mess up the crown which is the last point the bullet makes contact with the barrel - accuracy) and then wet a bronze brush with Hoppe's No. 9 and run it through about 10 or 20 times. Next, wipe off the ends and start running clean patches through until one comes out clean and you are done. Make sure you use a brass or aluminum one piece rod designed for small caliber rifles and patches designed for the same. But honestly, the bore snake works just fine. |
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Personally I use the brush as little as possible, I prefer chemistry do my work for me. I normally shoot 2-300 rounds per outing, and clean with nothing but FP-10 (which is a CLP like Breakfree, but better IMHO), 'till I reach the end of the case (1k), then have a go with a copper solvent. I start by breaking the rifle down and putting 2 patches saturated in FP-10 down the tube.. The first knocks out the really easy stuff, and the second provides a good coat which I let work while I clean the rest of the rifle. You can let the stuff sit overnight as well. It will work out more crud, especially on non-chromed barrels (works GREAT on my older milsurps). Brake cleaner is probibly overkill in this case, and it's pretty toxic to boot. I used to use it exclusively to clean cosmoline and crud out of my "new" old guns, but was convinced of the error of my ways and now stick to mineral spirits, kerosene, or whatever's handy and hasn't been described to me as "cancer in a can" by those more in the know than I. Hope this helps, good luck and good shooting! |
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