how often do you guys clean your AR?

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I know opinions differ, but I've heard everything from a complete tear down after every use to only every 500 rounds etc. Was wondering if there was any general rule of thumb.
 
I do barrel, bolt and general clean after every shoot.
I haven't put enough rounds through mine yet for a complete tear down clean, but I usually do all my guns atleast once a year.
Like spring cleaning!
 
After every range trip I do my best to clean the; upper, gas tube area, pull the BCG apart, and barrel. I'm a little OCD about it and don't like crap to get caked on, especially the bolt area. I prefer to have my rifles wet and ready to go in the safe, should something arise.

It all depends on you. You can have thousands of rounds through it and as long as you lube it, then it will be fine.
 
Toss the magazines and BCG into the ultrasonic cleaner (wipe & oil afterwards), quick snake of the barrel, wipe down with oil. GTG.

this is relevant to my interests--handguns, too.

where'd you get your cleaner and how much did it run you if you don't mind sharing with the class.
 
I clean my barrel, my BCG, and a good cleaning every time I shoot it. I like my guns looking brand new.

Not just my AR's, I clean all of my guns and kiss them every time I touch them.
 
this is relevant to my interests--handguns, too.

where'd you get your cleaner and how much did it run you if you don't mind sharing with the class.

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Reloading :: Metallic Reloading :: Tools & Gauges :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™ and Accessories :: Lock-N-Load® Magnum Sonic Cleaner™ 110 Volt

It was about $250 on Amazon (less now) about 6 months ago. About $25 for the jug of "Gun Parts" formula. It's made cleaning a breeze. Barrels, slides, magazines, anything I can fit in it, I toss in. It liquifies all of the carbon build up in those tight spots that take forever to both break down and brush out with q-tips and brushes. After a run through the cleaner, everything wipes off and for the tight spots, I hit it with some compressed air and presto, clean. After wipe down and drying, a coat of oil on all the parts. I'd loved to get one of the larger units and toss my rifle barrels in it but they are pretty pricey. The more transducers, the more money.
 
The real answer really depends on you, and your intended use. If it is your "go to" SHTF, or HD gun, then wouldn't you want it to be in prime condition at all times? That's how I look at it (even though I'm a bit OCD with keeping all of my tools perfectly clean). It's the same with my EDC, even if I only run a single mag through it, it gets torn down and cleaned/lubed because it NEEDS to be as mechanically flawless as possible if it is ever called upon. The reality with ARs, though, is that lubrication is the most important piece, because even a dirty AR will continue to run if it's kept lubed. At least that's what I've read, I personally never let them get dirty enough to find out.[laugh]
 
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Reloading :: Metallic Reloading :: Tools & Gauges :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™ and Accessories :: Lock-N-Load® Magnum Sonic Cleaner™ 110 Volt

It was about $250 on Amazon (less now) about 6 months ago. About $25 for the jug of "Gun Parts" formula. It's made cleaning a breeze. Barrels, slides, magazines, anything I can fit in it, I toss in. It liquifies all of the carbon build up in those tight spots that take forever to both break down and brush out with q-tips and brushes. After a run through the cleaner, everything wipes off and for the tight spots, I hit it with some compressed air and presto, clean. After wipe down and drying, a coat of oil on all the parts. I'd loved to get one of the larger units and toss my rifle barrels in it but they are pretty pricey. The more transducers, the more money.

reps. thank you. i was looking at a far more expensive one. i figure these guns are pretty much the nicest things i own and i treat them like SHIT. i one day would like to give them to a son so i should TRY to take care of them. acme cleaned my glock 26 for me just for fun at the old shop and i was amazed at how clean it was when it came out of the kroil bath.
 
Rarely. If they get wet, I usually give them a pretty thorough once-over. Or, if I know other people will be eye-balling them, like at a shoot. Other than that, I just keep them functional. I don't clean my hammer every time I drive a nail.
 
reps. thank you. i was looking at a far more expensive one. i figure these guns are pretty much the nicest things i own and i treat them like SHIT. i one day would like to give them to a son so i should TRY to take care of them. acme cleaned my glock 26 for me just for fun at the old shop and i was amazed at how clean it was when it came out of the kroil bath.

For the most part, they all operate on the same premise, varied number of transducers, varying range of ultrasonic freq 20~400kHz. The "higher-end" models, $1,000+ are generally bigger (accomodate long barrels, foregrips, etc), 3-4 transducers, and more powerful, will probably agitate the dust off the moon.

That said, if your gear is caked on dirty, it may take 2 cycles versus that of the 1 cycle of the bigger more expensive units. I've yet to have to run more then one cycle for any of the parts.
 
I put 20 rounds thru my AR on Monday to get my zero at 25 yards. It was so cold I had to pack it up. I did not bother cleaning it. A normal day would have been around 80 rounds and then I would have cleaned it.
 
Per the following article, quality AR's can go long periods of time without cleaning and still operate. In this case, 20,000+ rounds.
http://www.slip2000.com/blog/s-w-a-t-magazine-filthy-14/

The reality of maintaining a functioning AR is that cleaning is not really as much an issue as replacing worn buffer springs, extractor/extractor springs, and other bolt-related parts for reliable operation. Some CLP and the above parts are in order and you're good to go.

Now, having said that, I was taught the Army way, which means clean the thing anytime it's shot or dirty. The reality is I probably clean it every few hundred rounds or every few trips to the range. As for my AK, I just cleaned it for maybe the second time since I've owned it and I've put thousands of rounds through it with no issue.
 
i run a bore snake and clean and oil the bcg after every use, pretty much with all of my guns not a complete tear down but clean and oil main componants. I never know how long it will be till i get to schoot again and i hate the idea of any of them sitting in the safe dirty
 
I normally clean after each range trip. In the past, I have gone 3 range trips or so and not cleaned my ARs (only lubed) to see if they performed up to par (which they did). I don't worry about my Zastava at all. I have left that stick dirty for months and never has hiccuped.
 
My wife can't tolerate the smell of the cleaners. Gives her a headache. Perhaps she's just found a way to get me to maintain her stuff. I reserve gun cleaning for the days I can't tolerate her. So, it's not based on shooting
 
My wife can't tolerate the smell of the cleaners. Gives her a headache. Perhaps she's just found a way to get me to maintain her stuff. I reserve gun cleaning for the days I can't tolerate her. So, it's not based on shooting

Ultrasonic cleaner eliminated this issue for me. Set it and forget it for 30 mins.
 
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