The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Tactical Rifle & Carbine => Topic started by: Paraguy on November 23, 2011, 10:05:13 AM
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I have enjoyed my first AR-15 (Bushmaster) and have about 2,000 rounds through it over the last 3 years and have had 0 problems with it and would like to keep it that way. What I was hoping for was to get some advice on when to replace items such as the bolt and carrier and firing pin as well as other parts that might impact safety adn reliability. Is it over time, is it over # of rounds shot or is it until it starts to give you trouble?
Any advice or suggestions to keep my baby operating at peak performance would be appreciated. And yes, it gets cleaned after each session or 100 rounds, whichever comes first.
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As a former unit armorer, I would say fix things as they give you problems.
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As a former unit armorer, I would say fix things as they give you problems.
Tom,
Can you give him a list of spare parts to keep on hand?
Tim (not an AR guy)...
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Brownell's and Midway both offer kits that contain pretty much everything you would want on hand.
Mostly, springs, firing pin, and the cotter key that retains the firing pin in the BC.
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If it ain't broke don't fix it.
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I shoot a couple of ARs quite a bit for practical rifle and 3 gun competition...at least two matches a month, and previously preparation for all of the Ft Benning matches, and prior to 9/11, 5 of the North Carolina Tactical matches
I have a couple of friends in the industry, and have one of their reliability kits in my bolt ( extractor "O" ring, and a high temp ejector spring)...they advised that if you do not see any cracking of the bolt locking lugs within the first 500 rounds, you should be good to go... I shoot Russian ammo, and had to replace the continuous gas ring with a traditional 3 ring setup to make it through a match
I got a bad lot of Win white box that was excessively hot and flame cut around the firing pin hole...I replaced that bolt with a chromed one
the only problems I've encountered were with a Colt non shrouded (firing pin) carrier that caused the hammer to peen the shoulder of the firing pin, and bolt cam wear... I replaced the carrier with a shrouded M16 carrier from BCM and a hardened chromed cam pin from Smiths
I clean the chamber with a "T" handled brush, and clean the carbon from the bolt each match... I use Mercury Outboard Quicksilver racing oil and run the bolt and carrier wet...will probably switch to the Slip EWL when I can get some...I degrease the chamber area with brake cleaner
the lowers are pretty much identical.. Rock River NM triggers, ambi safety, VietNam era A1 stocks... one is intermediate gas system...both have full float tubes with just bottom rail as I use a Knights forward grip for a monopod....1.5x16 and 4x32 ACOGS...
enjoy your AR and check out any practical rifle or 3 gun matches in your area
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Don't forget to clean your gas tube. Those long pipecleaners are great. Doesn't have to be done everytime, but for a full takedown cleaning it is on the list.
Also check out palmettostatearmory.com they can be very competitive on parts kits, which all AR owners should have.
(Unlike my AK, I can fix with a steel toe boot and pliers....) ::)
Militec Lube is also a good for guns that get hot. You already covered the o-rings, and "russian ammo",....well,....My AK loves it.. ;)
While building my first AR earlier this year, I got great advice from members here, and with some good research, has my Frankenstein in great shape.
As posted, unless it starts to mechanically become unreliable, I wouldn't change a thing. Sounds like your maint. routine will catch any visual problems before they occur.
Good shooting.
tw
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With only 2k rounds, it's just getting broken in. ;D I only clean the barrel and chamber now - everything else gets cleaned after about 5-600 rounds.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
What he^ said!
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Don't forget to check the pinhole in the screw that holds the stock on the buffer tube. I learned the hard way that if it gets clogged it can cause FTF.
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The best thing is to have is a complete spare bolt carrier group and charging handle in your range bag. That will solve 95% of any breakage problem you might encounter at the range, or in the field. I picked up these 2 from BCM. Their bolt carrier group and charge handle are rated as some of the best. They are not that expensive. If anything should break you can simply swap out the whole thing, then replace the broken parts in the original later. That way you're assured you won't have a bad day at the range over common parts breakage.
The other thing I've found out is to always take a bottle of oil to the range, and keep everything in the bolt carrier group, and the locking lugs in the barrel nice and wet with lubricant. It is all but impossible to over lubricate a AR-15 rifle. This is because the direct impingement gas system will blow a lot of the oil and lubricant out of the ejection port with the spent brass. If you keep adding more your gun will last longer, run better, and clean up a lot faster and easier. Much like a frying pan, burnt crap won't stick to oil.
(http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/billt460/Tru-Glo6-24XScope011.jpg)
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-GUNFIGHTER-Charging-Handle-GFH-Mod-3-p/bcm%20gfh%20mod%203%20556.htm
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One other thing I've found as far as the gas tube, is before you run an oily patch through the barrel, take a long pipe cleaner and soak it in Hoppes #9 before running it through the gas tube. Then just leave it. The stuff will soak in and loosen a lot of the crap that sticks to the wall of the gas tube. The next time you go to the range with the rifle, do it again the night before you go to the range if you can remember.
When you shoot a lot of the crap that was in the tube will blow right out the ejection port with your first couple of shots. This really works well if you do shoot a lot of rapid fire, and get the gas tube very hot. The Hoppe's #9 really helps over time to soften all of that crusty hard crap. Then, 55,000 PSI of gas pressure will really help get rid of it.
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Thanks everyone, this is very helpful! As for the gas tube, I did not think of that, how do you get to it in order to clean it? Does it involve removing the gas black and taking it completely off or is there are way to clean it in place with a pipecleaner?
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One other thing I've found as far as the gas tube, is before you run an oily patch through the barrel, take a long pipe cleaner and soak it in Hoppes #9 before running it through the gas tube. Then just leave it. The stuff will soak in and loosen a lot of the crap that sticks to the wall of the gas tube. The next time you go to the range with the rifle, do it again the night before you go to the range if you can remember.
When you shoot a lot of the crap that was in the tube will blow right out the ejection port with your first couple of shots. This really works well if you do shoot a lot of rapid fire, and get the gas tube very hot. The Hoppe's #9 really helps over time to soften all of that crusty hard crap. Then, 55,000 PSI of gas pressure will really help get rid of it.
This is the opposite of what I learned in the Marines and in Army schools, where we were taught to keep the gas tube desert dry to avoid building up "gunk".
However Bill has a point about the gas pressure, beats the crap out of blowing it out with an air gun.
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As for the gas tube, I did not think of that, how do you get to it in order to clean it? Does it involve removing the gas black and taking it completely off or is there are way to clean it in place with a pipecleaner?
The end is visible when you field strip the gun. Shiny aluminum tube above the chamber.
Brownell's has long pipe cleaners that you can feed into it with a hemostat or needle nose pliers.
I've never 'cleaned' one, I used to use the pipe cleaners for a plug when I used a foaming bore cleaner. Now I use Patch Out liquid and don't mess with it.
Like Tom, I leave it dry.
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Another thing I do is take a plastic hypo full of Hoppe's #9 and inject it directly into the gas tube with the muzzle of the upper pointed downward over a garbage can. When you see Hoppe's dripping out of the muzzle you've pretty much soaked it. I've heard of guys using Easy Off Oven Cleaner for this task, but that is a little drastic. Hoppe's # 9 left in the gas tube will really help in removing most of it.
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I think the actual pressure at the bolt key on a short M4 (14.5") is around 125psi, and a standard length M16 around 100psi.. the intermediate taps are about in the middle...not sure on a M4 Mk 18 with 10.3"
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As a former USAF SP Armorer, I would not get any oil in the gas tube. I would keep the pipe cleaners dry.
If you properly maintain, clean and lubricate your AR-15, it should last you forever. But I would keep a spring and pin replacement kit handy since they are easily lost and the springs wear down.