Just started looking into gun cleaning kits and parts. What’s your thoughts on buying a kit vs building one? What’s your thoughts on the best pre made kit/ Manufacture? Snake vs solid 36" rod? Bore guide thoughts? Best cleaner/oil? What are the must have parts needed for cleaning AR15 ( brass, nylon, cotton bore brush/mop , bore rod, chamber brush, bolt carrier brush, cleaning patches round/star/?, oil,) Thoughts about all in one oil vs cleaner and oil? I don’t see a good topic here for this so lets dive into it. Thanks for taking your time to reply.
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Buy a kit, then build upon it. There are some pieces that you won’t find in a kit. For example, I like using steel bore brushes for removing built up lead from my 22LRs. Kits only have brass brushes.
I like using bore snakes, but they aren’t always good to use, and the bristles wear out quickly. So instead of replacing a brush head, you have to replace the whole thing.
Always have a cleaning rod in addition to a bore snake. You never know when you’ll have an obstruction that needs to be removed and a snake wont do.
I have tried lots of different solvents and lubes, but find myself back at CLP every time.
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Yea I watched a video with the guy using CLP. I was just wondering since its a all in one how long its lasts. I would think a thicker lube oil would protect better and longer. I have my doubts about snakes since they get dirty right away then the next time your basically sending a dirty rag down the barrel. I bought the double chromed line barrel for my first build so I’m thinking I shouldn’t have a big issue on cleaning, but my next build probably wont have chrome lined. Was thinking about getting a star chamber brush and mop, a bore brush, long flex cable. long solid rod, bore guide, some round and star patches. May add to that but seems like those are the necessary starters.
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Snakes and Slip 2000. It helps that all my ARs are piston guns, so cleaning is easy and infrequent.
@SuperPredator, after about how many rounds of .22LR do you usually start to see lead build up? When I first got my M&P-22C, the sucker gummed up almost immediately (first range trip), like keyholing rounds at 12 yards, but that was apparently because the bore was somehow defectively small. It was so small in fact that I got the cleaning rod jammed in it trying to scrape it out and had to send it back to S&W like that. Since they fixed (I assume rebarreled) it, no issues at all, and no signs of buildup. And I haven’t brushed out my M&P15-22 in years. I’m putting more rounds through it lately (cheaper to feed than the higher caliber stuff) so I was wondering if I ought to more than snake it next cleaning.
@Thunderdan19 It depends a lot on the gun and the ammo, but I have seen lead buildup in as few as 200rds, and as many as 2200 rds. Admittedly, the 2200rds was a torture test and not only were the rounds key holing, some were not impacting the target at all within 10yds. It took a few days of scrubbing and dipping to get all of the lead out of that gun. The suppressor had something like 3 grams of lead caked up on the baffles after all being removed and weighed. It was insane.
I also recently came across a technique where you cut up a Chore Boy copper pot/pan scrubber and feed strands of it through your jag and run that through the barrel to scrape the lead off. It gets it off without marring the barrel. I have not yet tried it, but it makes sense.
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If you are going to build a cleaning kit then go ahead and invest in a good one piece cleaning rod. Try to stay away from steel cleaning rods unless they are coated. It really is hard to beat CLP. Luckily I still have some old Military CLP. I don’t think that a lot of the newer CLP is as effective as the older formula.
Got my hands on an ultrasonic cleaner. Any recommendations for the fluid/solvent I should use? Hopefully no more scrubbing!!
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What about foaming cleaners to start off with and then finish up with CLP?
Also, any recommendations on a CLP brand?