AR 15 gas tube cleaning
Is there any good way to clean the gas tube of the Ar 15.
I lately got troulbe with the feeding and suspect insufficient gas flow .
Peter
I lately got troulbe with the feeding and suspect insufficient gas flow .
Peter
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I have about 1000 rounds through my RRA AR-15 and have never cleaned my gas tube. What's the best way to go about this? I have been using Moly coated bullets and am a bit concerned about possible build up in the tube. TIA....Joe
joe0 -
Don't know about the shops in your area, but there are long (super length) "pipe cleaners" available for that miserable job. If no one in your area stocks them, try checking at any gunshows in your area, and if that dosen't pay off look on the internet. 
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
Mine got a little gummed up, from using moly in my AR- I used Carb cleaner to remove all the big chunks. The tube wasn't bad, most of the gunk was in the block. Hope that helps.
NRA Life Endowment Member0 -
I usually only clean a litle way in with a pipe cleaner and Hoppies
# 9. When you know a malfunction is caused by the gas tube, just replace it. They are not prohibitively expensive. Also install a new
gas tube pin with it. It is not a difficult job to replace it. I have
used mine (with orig. gas tube) for over 15 years and fired several thousand rounds through it with no problems.0 -
Thanks guys! Sometimes it seems I stay up late at night thinking of things to worry about....Joe
joe0 -
I've shot lots of rounds through an AR-15, otherwise knbown as an M16 in the military. Seems like the military ammo is notorious for carboning up everything from one end of the rifle to the other. The best thing I found to clean up carbon is brake cleaner. It will cut through anything, including the plastic stocks, so you have to be careful, but it will take the carbon out of the gas tube. 0 -
i have bought some 18 inch pipe cleaners at a gun show that are just for the gas tube for an AR. i put hoppes on them and run um till they come out clean bout every 1000 rounds. 0 -
As an AR armorer in the military I found that using the ABRASIVE version pipe cleaners did the trick. You should be able to find them in any smoke shop or tobacco store. They look very different than regular pipe cleaners. In Desert Storm we coated the gas tube ever so lightly with lithium grease, kept the carbon build up to a minimum and it just wiped off. 0 -
As an AR armorer in the military I found that using the ABRASIVE version pipe cleaners did the trick. You should be able to find them in any smoke shop or tobacco store. They look very different than regular pipe cleaners. In Desert Storm we coated the gas tube ever so lightly with lithium grease, kept the carbon build up to a minimum and it just wiped off. I wouldn't use brake cleaner though...better yet use carburetor cleaner...won't hurt anything!!!!! 0 -
Go to a Hobby Lobby or other "hobby" shop for the pipe cleaners. Cheaper!!!
Regards,0 -
Don't insert anything into the tube unless you can pass it all the way through. Otherwise you're just pushing gunk from one area into another and forming a ring that's thicker/more restrictive than what you had to start with. You're also risking having a piece of your insert becoming dislodged and remaining inside the tube. Bad times there.
With moly bullets a strong liquid solvent can be helpful, but I was told by a Colt armorer that you should just replace the tube if it becomes a problem. This is no major operation.
They also say that with USGI spec ammo you shouldn't experience any buildup problems due to the high pressures within the tube. According to them, when using this ammo some buildup is normal but it won't increase to the point that it becomes too restrictive.0
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