Bore cleaning on ar

[Gungirl]

I recently purchased a bushmaster ar15 model xm15-e2s

I was finally able to get it sighted int today and put about 20 bullets through it. So I am trying to clean it tonight and I have a universal gun cleaning kit. What bore brush size do I use? .270br or .22br? I don't want damage it by using the wrong brush. I also have a .17br but that seems too small.

Thanks for the help!

[JSThane]

A .22 caliber bore brush is the right size. Anything larger than that probably would get stuck, and you'd have a terrible time getting it back out again.

Edited to add: make sure you're using a bore guide, or if you don't have one, that you're cleaning from the breech end, not from the muzzle; the cleaning rod rattling back and forth can damage the rifling, given time and "enthusiasm." Personally, I don't mess with cleaning the barrel very often, as the residue from modern ammunition isn't corrosive, and won't actually damage the gun. I just clean the moving parts in the action to prevent dirt and residue buildup which could jam the gun, with the occasional swab through the bore just to say I did.

[Excaliber]

A Boresnake in the right size is really handy for that task.

I run a wet patch through the bore, scrub with a wet bore brush, push out the loosened deposits with another wet patch followed by a dry patch and then run the Boresnake through 10 or 12 times. It polishes the bore to a mirror finish before I run the final FrogLube patch through and I'm done in a jiffy.

[Gungirl]

I do not have a bore guide, did not come with my kit and was not listed in instructions listed in the book that came with my rifle. Should I quit (have only run rags through at this point until I have one? I realize it is not that dirty but I find regular cleaning gets me more intimate and comfortable with my rifle and is a good habit to get into. Would have shot a lot more if the ammo wasn't so so dang expensive!

[Gungirl]

I love my bore snake for my 45 but they were out for my ar size

[mrvmax]

I do not have a bore guide, did not come with my kit and was not listed in instructions listed in the book that came with my rifle. Should I quit (have only run rags through at this point until I have one? I realize it is not that dirty but I find regular cleaning gets me more intimate and comfortable with my rifle and is a good habit to get into. Would have shot a lot more if the ammo wasn't so so dang expensive!

Check out some videos to get more familiar with cleaning before proceeding:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WRO17sk_dI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwK3j615734

[JSThane]

If there's a little plastic piece on your cleaning rod that keeps falling down the rod and getting in the way, it's likely the bore guide.

Most of the one-piece cleaning rods I've seen these days, and many of the sectional ones, have a bore guide. It's a little tapered round piece of plastic, normally up near the handle, that is meant to be slid down the rod toward the gun and held at the muzzle while the rod is worked. All it does is center the cleaning rod and prevent the rod from "flexing" around the rifling at the muzzle.

What tears up the rifling isn't the brush, or rags, etc, but the rod itself as it flexes and rattles against the rifling. This is usually -much- easier to do accidentally near the muzzle; for example, many military surplus Russian rifles are "counterbored" at the muzzle to remove rifling damaged by overzealous cleaning. A bore guide, centering the rod in the muzzle, prevents this from being necessary.

The Boresnake is another good option. Being cloth, not steel, it cannot damage the rifling, and so works great from either direction.

[JSThane]

I love my bore snake for my 45 but they were out for my ar size

I just use a .22 caliber bore snake. The difference in diameter between .22 and .225/55.6 is negligible for cleaning purposes.

[cajunautoxer]

you don't need to clean barrel until you start seeing accuracy problems. Using bore brush to much can account for more barrel wear than shooting

[ghostrider]

AR-15 bore guide:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/912202 ... delrin-tip" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AR-15 cleaning steps:
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=35490" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cleanin ... /?ALLSTEPS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Gungirl]

Thanks everyone! Now I just need to remember to wear long sleeves next time and everything will be great! Got burns all up and down my arm from the brass is there a owie smiley?

[Pawpaw]

Thanks everyone! Now I just need to remember to wear long sleeves next time and everything will be great! Got burns all up and down my arm from the brass is there a owie smiley?

I use a mesh bag type brass catcher at the range. It has a velcro strap that wraps around the handguard & keeps the bag opening over the ejection port. I wouldn't take one into battle, but it works great on the bench at the range.

I got mine from ebay, but you can get them from Midway too.

Oh, and I vote for the boresnake too. I put Eezox on the tail end of the snake and start pulling it through from breach to muzzle.

[carlson1]

A Boresnake in the right size is really handy for that task.

I run a wet patch through the bore, scrub with a wet bore brush, push out the loosened deposits with another wet patch followed by a dry patch and then run the Boresnake through 10 or 12 times. It polishes the bore to a mirror finish before I run the final FrogLube patch through and I'm done in a jiffy.

Only way to go. Pick up a Boresnake at Academy.

[Wes]

If there's a little plastic piece on your cleaning rod that keeps falling down the rod and getting in the way, it's likely the bore guide.

Wow, I have cleaned what seems like every caliber of rifle and never used this thing. Never even thought to question what that stupid round thing was sitting in the box! Lol, learn something new everyday! I do agree though, my borsesnake is the best thing to happen for cleaning rifles.

[MechAg94]

The Otis cleaning kits have plastic jacketed cable to pull the brush or patch through. They work pretty good. Just make sure you don't use too thick a patch or fold it wrong.

Two other helpful items:
1. Get an AR chamber brush. If the chamber gets dirty, it can make extraction harder. Steel case ammo will dirty up the chamber faster than brass cases. One of those lessons learned with my first AR.
2. This tool is very useful for cleaning up the bolt, firing pin, and carrier. Really helps get off the caked on stuff.
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools ... 31857.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
3. Spare parts like spring/pin kits and spare bolt with extractor are relatively cheap if you have a few extra bucks.