AR cleaning

[UNM1136]

Could you expound on this a bit?

Sure. My first couple of carbine courses emphasized Boresnake and non-chloronated brake (or carburator) cleaner. When I bought my own rifle as opposed to running an agency rifle I wanted the best cleaning setup possible. So I bought the Otis Universal kit. I then quickly became the head of firearms training, and was responible for inspecting and repairing a couple of dozen guns that weren't mine. The first time I got one of the proprietary patches stuck in the barrel throat was irritating. So I took extra care on setting up the patch on the loop fitting, and still out of every 20-30 patches got one stuck in the throat. Curved hemostats were almost helpful until the patch began to shred. The best way to get a stuck patch out was to work the cable until the loop unscrewed, and then use a regular rod to tap it back out through the chamber.

I honestly think the Universal patches are still too large to work well in a .22 bore. They require a lot of focus to properly pinch and pull to knot through the loop to get the patch to be snug enough but not too tight. I prefer a rod and bore guide, but a Boresnake is easier, faster, and more portable. When I teach I have a rod nearby, because I have had plenty of rims ripped off of cases on training, and Otis claims the cable will work with small taps, but the rod is just quicker. I find the Otis kit to be an 80% solution, a Boresnake is about a 95% solution, and the dedicated rod is the gold standard. If I use my Otis setup for cleaning I find it much easier too wrap the patch around a bore brush, or maybe to push the threads of the bore brush through the cuts in the patch and then attach the brush to the cable.

The problems with the Otis kit may well be operator error. I can pull a Boresnake through the gun 5 or 6 times in the time it takes me run 2 clean patches through the gun with the Otis setup, and in that amount of passes the Boresnake is done. Otis usually isn't. The Otis will likely get the gun cleaner, with an investment of more time. I don't believe either will get a benchrester' barrel sparkling clean. I just want a gun clean enough to function, maintain accuracy, and pass inspection. Boresnake and brake cleaner routine does that with less effort and time.

If you like your guns to pass a white glove inspection every time you clean it, a Boresnake will likely leave you dissatisfied. A 20 year+ habit of mine is to clean my guns at the range when I can so that I can test fire them after reassembly. So I want it "clean enough" as quickly as possible.

pat

[LittleLebowski]

We are kinda diverging from OP, but I can fix that if we keep going on what is indeed a good topic for Medusa to learn in her new quest to compete with a rifle.

Personally, I don't like punching the bore a lot; Uncle Pat always said that more guns have been damaged by cleaning than shooting, and I agree.

I'd recommend simply yanking the upper, pulling the BCG, and soaking the bore (you can easily plug it at the muzzle using several different ways), and letting foaming bore cleaner work its magic, even for a couple of hours. Afterwards, punch the bore maybe a couple times with a light coat of any oil, then punch the bore dry with one-two patches. This only needs to be done every few hundred rounds.

[OlongJohnson]

foaming bore cleaner

I'd be careful to hose out the gas tube with brake cleaner (from inside the upper receiver, obviously), using the infernal red straw, if I did that.

[LittleLebowski]

I'd be careful to hose out the gas tube with brake cleaner (from inside the upper receiver, obviously), using the infernal red straw, if I did that.

I use the "blast out the gas tube with hot gases" technique

[OlongJohnson]

Only problem with that is it blasts the stuff into the BCG. I don't know that to be a problem, but I'd rather not find out.

[LittleLebowski]

Only problem with that is it blasts the stuff into the BCG. I don't know that to be a problem, but I'd rather not find out.

I've found out many, many times. No issues.

[Wake27]

I don’t really clean aside from the occasional wipe down, but the times that I have, I’ve been pleased with Bore Tech products.


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[GyroF-16]

Sure. My first couple of carbine courses emphasized Boresnake and non-chloronated brake (or carburator) cleaner. When I bought my own rifle as opposed to running an agency rifle I wanted the best cleaning setup possible. So I bought the Otis Universal kit. I then quickly became the head of firearms training, and was responible for inspecting and repairing a couple of dozen guns that weren't mine. The first time I got one of the proprietary patches stuck in the barrel throat was irritating. So I took extra care on setting up the patch on the loop fitting, and still out of every 20-30 patches got one stuck in the throat. Curved hemostats were almost helpful until the patch began to shred. The best way to get a stuck patch out was to work the cable until the loop unscrewed, and then use a regular rod to tap it back out through the chamber.

I honestly think the Universal patches are still too large to work well in a .22 bore. They require a lot of focus to properly pinch and pull to knot through the loop to get the patch to be snug enough but not too tight. I prefer a rod and bore guide, but a Boresnake is easier, faster, and more portable. When I teach I have a rod nearby, because I have had plenty of rims ripped off of cases on training, and Otis claims the cable will work with small taps, but the rod is just quicker. I find the Otis kit to be an 80% solution, a Boresnake is about a 95% solution, and the dedicated rod is the gold standard. If I use my Otis setup for cleaning I find it much easier too wrap the patch around a bore brush, or maybe to push the threads of the bore brush through the cuts in the patch and then attach the brush to the cable.

The problems with the Otis kit may well be operator error. I can pull a Boresnake through the gun 5 or 6 times in the time it takes me run 2 clean patches through the gun with the Otis setup, and in that amount of passes the Boresnake is done. Otis usually isn't. The Otis will likely get the gun cleaner, with an investment of more time. I don't believe either will get a benchrester' barrel sparkling clean. I just want a gun clean enough to function, maintain accuracy, and pass inspection. Boresnake and brake cleaner routine does that with less effort and time.

If you like your guns to pass a white glove inspection every time you clean it, a Boresnake will likely leave you dissatisfied. A 20 year+ habit of mine is to clean my guns at the range when I can so that I can test fire them after reassembly. So I want it "clean enough" as quickly as possible.

pat

When you mention “ proprietary patches ” do you mean the round ones that are about 3.5” in diameter, or the patches that Otis offers specifically for .22/.223 that are closer to 2” in diameter?

I only ask because I’ve been an Otis user for handguns for a long time (using the larger patches), and have cleaned my new AR once using the smaller patches without issue. You obviously have a much larger sample size with ARs, so I’m wondering if the smaller patches will likely give me a problem eventually. Or maybe Otis now offers the smaller ones because the larger “universal” patches caused the issue you described?

[OlongJohnson]

I use the Otis with my rimfires and have never had the problem described. It's pretty easy to manage how tight it will be in the bore by varying the angle of the patch in the jag before folding it up. Consistent procedure yields consistent results for me.

[WobblyPossum]

I’m also a big fan of the bore snake. A few passes through the bore, and a toothbrush and rag for everything else get an AR clean enough for anything I use one for. Very rarely, I’ll soak the bolt tail in Hoppe’s to break up the caked on carbon but that’s mostly a preference thing. I haven’t found the carbon to negatively impact function.