A dumb question-

HollyM · 06-03-2011, 05:27 PM

I have heard there is no such thing as a dumb question, but I think I have one... I had a customer in my store earlier and the conversation turned to cleaning AR-15s. I own a few, and love shooting them, but I am not really a gun cleaner (Awful, I know...). After a few thousand rounds I break them down and clean the bore, the chamber, and break the bolt apart and clean it. My customer informed me that I also need to be cleaning out the gas tube and port. I was always under the impression that the gas tube was essentially self-cleaning with the heat and pressure every time you fire a round. So, tell me guys, do you clean your AR-15s gas tube? If so, how do you do it (please tell me I don't have to take my handguards/gas blocks off)?

DevilDoc · 06-03-2011, 06:37 PM

Standard fore grips are held in place by a spring loaded ring on the reciever end of the fore end. That big metal ring pushing into the back of your fore end.. Stand it on it's but plate and use one hand to pull the ring down, then pull the fore end off one piece at a time. But you shouldn't need to do that to clean your gas tube. I clean mine every time I clean my rifles, which is every time I shoot. You can pick these up at any gun show for cheap..

DPMS Pipe Cleaners for AR-15 Gas Tube Package of 20 - MidwayUSA

I dip an inch or 2 of the pipe cleaner in Hoppes or some type of bore cleaner, then run it down the gas tube from the inside of the reciever a few times. Doesn't have to be spotless, but I like to keep it clean. My ARs were both over $1000, and it seems silly not to care for them the best i'm able. I will add that you never want to put anything that will leave residue in your gas tube. No oil based cleaner/lubes like CLP or WD40. If you leave a "lube" in there, it's going to just burn up and leave carbon buildup in there. Does that answer your question?

FatFugg · 06-03-2011, 06:42 PM

Meh, never cleaned a gas tube & never had a failure from not doing it.

Nutty4Guns · 06-03-2011, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatFugg

Meh, never cleaned a gas tube & never had a failure from not doing it.

Ditto. Five years in the Army and never once cleaned a gas tube.

DevilDoc · 06-03-2011, 07:57 PM

Is it possible for the gas port to get clogged?

FatFugg · 06-03-2011, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevilDoc

Is it possible for the gas port to get clogged?

Nope! It's unclogable!

HollyM · 06-03-2011, 09:41 PM

Awesome! That definitely answers my question... The customer is rarely right! :)

DevilDoc · 06-03-2011, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatFugg

Nope! It's unclogable!

Thats different from what I was taught when I was in the military..

Quote:

Originally Posted by HollyM

Awesome! That definitely answers my question... The customer is rarely right! :)

Looks like you wanted confirmation of what you thought, not an answer to a question. Being that you don't know how to pull the hand guards off an AR, maybe you don't have as firm a grasp on maintaining the AR as you think? But what do I know..? What shop do you work at?

Nutty4Guns · 06-03-2011, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevilDoc

Thats different from what I was taught when I was in the military..

Looks like you wanted confirmation of what you thought, not an answer to a question. Being that you don't know how to pull the hand guards off an AR, maybe you don't have as firm a grasp on maintaining the AR as you think? But what do I know..? What shop do you work at?

Read her statement again. She never said she didn't know how to take the hand guards off.

DevilDoc · 06-03-2011, 10:50 PM

I read that wrong, my bad. Thanks for pointing that out.

Nutty4Guns · 06-03-2011, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevilDoc

I read that wrong, my bad. Thanks for pointing that out.

No prob. Were you really taught in the military to clean the gas tube? I was enlisted from 93-98 and really don't remember ever cleaning any of my M16s gas tubes. Just curious, maybe some units stressed it but not others?

FatFugg · 06-04-2011, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevilDoc

Thats different from what I was taught when I was in the military..

I was just being an ass! I'm sure it can clog, I just haven't had an issue with it probably due to modern clean burning ammo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevilDoc

Looks like you wanted confirmation of what you thought, not an answer to a question. Being that you don't know how to pull the hand guards off an AR, maybe you don't have as firm a grasp on maintaining the AR as you think? But what do I know..? What shop do you work at?

Um, I don't think it's that she doesn't know how to remove the hand guards she just would rather not if she doesn't need to.

As for shop, she & her dad own the best little shop over here in the Dri-Shitties!

DevilDoc · 06-04-2011, 08:45 AM

I was a Navy combat medic from 96-01, and every Marine unit I was with required a clean gas tube every time you turned in your weapon to the armory. It's just a habit i've always had. I will say that in looking around online, i've seen a lot of people saying that the high psi in the gas tube "self cleans" the tube. Meh.. Every time I clean mine, I get a little carbon out. Maybe the gas tube is easy to replace, but i've always been anal about cleaning my weapons. I send a quick spritz of carb cleaner down the gas tube, let it sit for a second, then hit it with a pipe cleaner. Easy to do and keeps my OCD in check.

Nutty4Guns · 06-04-2011, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevilDoc

I was a Navy combat medic from 96-01, and every Marine unit I was with required a clean gas tube every time you turned in your weapon to the armory. It's just a habit i've always had. I will say that in looking around online, i've seen a lot of people saying that the high psi in the gas tube "self cleans" the tube. Meh.. Every time I clean mine, I get a little carbon out. Maybe the gas tube is easy to replace, but i've always been anal about cleaning my weapons. I send a quick spritz of carb cleaner down the gas tube, let it sit for a second, then hit it with a pipe cleaner. Easy to do and keeps my OCD in check.

I guess the Marines are tougher on that stuff. I'm sure it's like plaque in arteries though, you won't have a problem for years and all of a sudden you will have a heart attack. Or, in the case of a weapon; a slightly less dangerous problem of not cycling correctly.

bigggbbruce · 06-04-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevilDoc

Standard fore grips are held in place by a spring loaded ring on the reciever end of the fore end. That big metal ring pushing into the back of your fore end.. Stand it on it's but plate and use one hand to pull the ring down, then pull the fore end off one piece at a time. But you shouldn't need to do that to clean your gas tube. I clean mine every time I clean my rifles, which is every time I shoot. You can pick these up at any gun show for cheap..

DPMS Pipe Cleaners for AR-15 Gas Tube Package of 20 - MidwayUSA

I dip an inch or 2 of the pipe cleaner in Hoppes or some type of bore cleaner, then run it down the gas tube from the inside of the reciever a few times. Doesn't have to be spotless, but I like to keep it clean. My ARs were both over $1000, and it seems silly not to care for them the best i'm able. I will add that you never want to put anything that will leave residue in your gas tube. No oil based cleaner/lubes like CLP or WD40. If you leave a "lube" in there, it's going to just burn up and leave carbon buildup in there. Does that answer your question?

No need to remove foregrip. Mine has never clogged. But what I do, is when the bolt is out I take my can of gun scrubber and stick the little tube in the gas tube and spray a little down the tube. I get some out the gas block and out the barrel... all good

06-03-2011, 05:27 PM	#1
HollyM Gunslinger Joined: Mar 2011 From: Richland, WA Posts: 16	A dumb question- I have heard there is no such thing as a dumb question, but I think I have one... I had a customer in my store earlier and the conversation turned to cleaning AR-15s. I own a few, and love shooting them, but I am not really a gun cleaner (Awful, I know...). After a few thousand rounds I break them down and clean the bore, the chamber, and break the bolt apart and clean it. My customer informed me that I also need to be cleaning out the gas tube and port. I was always under the impression that the gas tube was essentially self-cleaning with the heat and pressure every time you fire a round. So, tell me guys, do you clean your AR-15s gas tube? If so, how do you do it (please tell me I don't have to take my handguards/gas blocks off)?

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06-03-2011, 06:37 PM	#2
DevilDoc Rifleman Joined: Nov 2009 From: Kirkland, Wa Posts: 202	Standard fore grips are held in place by a spring loaded ring on the reciever end of the fore end. That big metal ring pushing into the back of your fore end.. Stand it on it's but plate and use one hand to pull the ring down, then pull the fore end off one piece at a time. But you shouldn't need to do that to clean your gas tube. I clean mine every time I clean my rifles, which is every time I shoot. You can pick these up at any gun show for cheap.. DPMS Pipe Cleaners for AR-15 Gas Tube Package of 20 - MidwayUSA I dip an inch or 2 of the pipe cleaner in Hoppes or some type of bore cleaner, then run it down the gas tube from the inside of the reciever a few times. Doesn't have to be spotless, but I like to keep it clean. My ARs were both over $1000, and it seems silly not to care for them the best i'm able. I will add that you never want to put anything that will leave residue in your gas tube. No oil based cleaner/lubes like CLP or WD40. If you leave a "lube" in there, it's going to just burn up and leave carbon buildup in there. Does that answer your question?

06-03-2011, 06:42 PM	#3
FatFugg Sharpshooter Joined: Jan 2009 From: Dri-Shities Posts: 680	Meh, never cleaned a gas tube & never had a failure from not doing it.

06-03-2011, 07:57 PM	#5
DevilDoc Rifleman Joined: Nov 2009 From: Kirkland, Wa Posts: 202	Is it possible for the gas port to get clogged?

06-03-2011, 09:41 PM	#7
HollyM Gunslinger Joined: Mar 2011 From: Richland, WA Posts: 16	Awesome! That definitely answers my question... The customer is rarely right! :)

06-03-2011, 10:50 PM	#10
DevilDoc Rifleman Joined: Nov 2009 From: Kirkland, Wa Posts: 202	I read that wrong, my bad. Thanks for pointing that out.

06-04-2011, 08:45 AM	#13
DevilDoc Rifleman Joined: Nov 2009 From: Kirkland, Wa Posts: 202	I was a Navy combat medic from 96-01, and every Marine unit I was with required a clean gas tube every time you turned in your weapon to the armory. It's just a habit i've always had. I will say that in looking around online, i've seen a lot of people saying that the high psi in the gas tube "self cleans" the tube. Meh.. Every time I clean mine, I get a little carbon out. Maybe the gas tube is easy to replace, but i've always been anal about cleaning my weapons. I send a quick spritz of carb cleaner down the gas tube, let it sit for a second, then hit it with a pipe cleaner. Easy to do and keeps my OCD in check.