[dave_in_delaware]

OK, I'm planning on breaking in my new AR soon. I want to properly prep it for its first time to the range, and clean it after shooting. But I have a few questions (yes, I'm an AR noob)....

Should I field strip, clean, and lube my AR right out-of-the-box? Or can I give it a once-over lube and hit the range?

Do I need any tools to field strip an AR? I see the illustrations in my manual, but they're generic and don't mention any tools.

My manual says "after firing, clean your weapon for 3 consecutive days with RBC. Wipe dry and lube according to lubrication instructions." Does that mean I need to clean it once per day for 3 days every time I shoot it? Huh? That seems a bit excessive.

Ammo question: is using steel-cased ammo "rougher" on the rifle than brass-cased? Or there's no real difference?

Thanks in advance for your insight and experience.

[phlydude]

I always give my new weapons a light cleaning before I take them out for the 1st time.

With the AR, separate the upper from the lower (remove the charging handle and bolt 1st) and then run a couple swaps down the barrel and dry it with clean patches. Wipe down the feed ramp as well.

Take a patch with a little bit of CLP (or use your fingers) and lightly wipe over the bolt. Wipe it down with a clean patch. It should be pretty dry with just a light coating of oil to let it cycle smoothly. DO NOT get any oil in the gas tube.

That is all you need to do. The gas system will not need to be cleaned for a while. Go shoot it and clean it when you are done like you would a pistol.

[phlydude]

Field stripping is done mostly by hand. If you want to disassemble the bolt, you need a bullet. It is a very "tool less" weapon once it is assembled.

[phlydude]

People say steel is rougher...the varnish/lacquer on the casings can melt and require some work to clean up. If you get it cheap and want to plink away, go for it. You most likely will not hurt anything by using it.

[myopicvisionary]

Steel cased ammo has two issues. With some imported stuff the case has a coating on it. This can coat the chamber and cause extraction problems. Olympic's warranty expressly states that lacquer in the chamber voids the warranty. Second, steel and brass contract at different rates after firing. Steel is not tougher on the chamber, rather the extractor.

[dave_in_delaware]

What about "zinc plated steel case" ammo?

[SasquatchAF]

If you want the best lube that money can buy, I have a suggestion.

Your new AR will love you forever. It is made by Mil-Comm. The lube is called TW25B.

It is a white, synthetic formula, and is the only approved lubricant for a very intense weapons system currently used by Uncle Sam. It will not freeze during extreme cold or break down under extreme heat, and will actually penetrate the metal after continued use. I clean and oil my barrels like I always have, but any moving parts recieve this grease now and they all function much better. The most prevelant changes I have noticed were with my AR, my AK's, and my 1911.

Although not the cheapest thing in the world, you do get what you pay for. If you do end up wanting to use this grease, let me know and I can give you some pointers on how to let it work its magic on that AR of yours. (any pistol frame to slide interface areas will also benefit very much from this!)

[Frank]

I second a synthetic oil or lube. For cleaning, push out the rear pin, open the gun, clean the barrel as any other gun, remove the charging handle and bolt,clean the bolt, wipe down,clean and lube the rest as you would any other gun. Midway sells an AR cleaning station for $50-60, I use one and it works very well making cleaning much easier. Complete field stripping and gas tube cleaning, are only needed occasionally, depending on the number of rounds run through the AR. After a year and a half, and over 1000 rounds, I ran a gas tube cleaner (like a long pipe cleaner) through mine, and it came out nearly clean. I would also invest in an AR cleaning rod guide, remove the charging handle and bolt, insert the guide and clean the barrel from the chamber end, Cleaning from the barrel end can damage the barrel crown, effecting accuracy. One more thought, get an Ar chamber cleaning brush and clean the chamber before inserting the rod guide. With a chrome lined barrel, you can go 200 rounds or so without barrel cleaning (according to one manufactor's instructions) same for break in. Target barrels sans chrome linings, require more frequent cleaning.

[WPCatfish]

Aren't some of these steel cased rounds somewhat 'dirtier' as far as residue etc?

[Delta2Echo]

Aren't some of these steel cased rounds somewhat 'dirtier' as far as residue etc?

Depends. Like Myopic said, the laquer finish has been known for causing problems. I don't mess with that stuff. The steel case stuff I normally grab doesn't have that, sometimes it has a polymer coating. I've never had an issue. I'm in well over 600-800 rounds since my last cleaning without so much as a hiccup running gas piston. The powder typically doesn't burn as clean, but it doesn't cause any problems for me or my brother.


Dave, I think I'm with most people when I say I tear down any pistol or rifle I get as soon I can and lube with my choice of product. With AR, cycle the action a few times before you do, then field.strip it. Since you aren't familiar with the contact points, this should make them obvious to you. You'll see where there was metal on metal. I just wipe it all down, lube with Tetra Gun grease which is my personal choice.

I haven't seen the TW25B that sasquatch speaks of, I'll have to check it out.

I don't remember what type of AR you ended up grabbing. If you have a higher end barrel, there is a prolonged break-in process most recommend, and they even make special bullets for it, but if you went standard milspec, I wouldn't worry about it.

That's my .02