Thread: AR15 Maintenance

What should I be doing on a regular/semi-regular basis to look after an AR15? Chuck a bit of lube on the BCG? What products are recommended? Cheers

I wouldn't get too fancy. Contact cleaner is pretty good for cleaning all the tricky to reach places. Normal CLP would be fine on the BCG, make sure you don't lube up the bolt face itself excessively. Also you want to make sure the buffer and spring has a light coat of grease on it.

I think the whole idea of the ar is that you don't need to do anything, Bit of lube never hurts for most applications. Probably need to take it apart and clean crap out every 5000 rounds or something

Originally Posted by 223nut

Bit of lube never hurts

sage advice @223nut

Couple dabs of CLP in the guts of the BCG every 500 rounds or so.

Dripping wet patch of CLP down the bore after shooting.

Detailed bore scrub every few years/few thousand rounds if you feel the need.

5w30 engine oil on the bolt. People get really carried away with fancy products, but I don't reckon it's necessary at all. As Beavis says, a sodden patch down the barrel, then a couple of passes of a cheap pull through before you shoot it next.

Get 2 or 3 of these, and have one in the stock or grip, one in your gun bag etc so you'll usually have one to hand

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...AbTest=ae803_5

Should I be doing anything with the gas system? Its a piston gun if that makes any difference

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Should I be doing anything with the gas system? Its a piston gun if that makes any difference

Maybe have a look after 10,000 rounds. You'll lose your marbles if you clean it routinely.

Shit thats gonna take me like.. 3 lifetimes haha

I asked these questions myself recently @Ryan_Songhurst... seems the answers could be generally put into three catagories:

1. Just shoot it.

2. Clean it??? Whats that??

3. If you're really fussy about having a clean gun, clean it every 1000 rounds.

Seems like a perfect man-gun really....

Great fun huh?

My second-favourite shooting forum is ar15.com from the USA.

These guys say the AR is designed to run wet and dirty

Wet means plenty of teflon based lube in the action and dirty means don't bother cleaning it after each outing

Works for me!

AR's are self cleaning, just shoot it.

Brake cleaner and lube afterwards for the BCG.
A brush down the barrel and the Kat tool is great for scraping off stubborn carbon.