Cleaning the AR Gas Tube
- Thread starter savage112
- Start date
no need to return it, use it for some quality time with your kids.It looks like I will be returning the package of tube cleaners that I bought. It's a good thing I didn't open it.
What the military does is generally the opposite of what should be done. You can have your opinion but it doesn't make it right.
Totally agree. If the CF does it (anything for that matter) take that with a grain of salt. I just been doing it as taught since we ditched the FN's and SMG's and adopted the C7/C8. I Never said I was right. I just been doing as taught all this time and have no recollection in all that time of any negative effect with work rifles or the 10 or so AR's I owned over the years.
Cheers
Moe
BattleRife
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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It's nowhere near that high. This article says pressure at the gas port is 10,000 psi in a rifle system and 17,000 in a carbine system. Along the tube it's going to be less than that.
Your source is a little off. Try these ones.
http://ar15barrels.com/prod/operation.shtml
https://www.at3tactical.com/blogs/n...-barrel-length-gas-systems-and-rifling-part-2
https://www.guntweaks.com/mid-length-vs-carbine-gas-systems.html
https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/Short_barrel_with_pinned_welded_muzzle_device_/118-621872/
The only positive effects I recollect is I do remove carbon as the pipe cleaner comes out with some carbon on it and I never had to replace a gas tube (even back when we had normal capacity mags which definitely tested it). Yes I use standard store bought pipe cleaners and I prefer white. I pull off any loose fibers on the end and put a little CLP on the end. Then use some needle nose pliers (or Gerber at work) to work it in about 3/4" at a time. Once bottomed out in the gas block I rip it out and I'm done. Just a minute of my time in what is already a lengthy cleaning process for the entire rifle.
Cheers
Moe
Cameron SS
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Ground Zero
It looks like I will be returning the package of tube cleaners that I bought. It's a good thing I didn't open it.
Don't return it. Plenty of other good uses for them.
I've only served in one unit for 17 years, but was tasked out to maybe half a dozen different units for various periods. Can't say I've ever heard or seen anyone indicating a requirement to clean a gas tube.
I would suggest that anecdotally 98% of all damage done to CF weapon systems is done during cleaning.
For 15 bucks and the 60 seconds it takes to swap a gas tube, if you ever think your gas tube is the problem, just replace it.
If you want to have a better appreciation for how pointless cleaning a gas tube is, just go ahead and take yours out. Once you see how generous the gas port and tube diameter is, you realize quite quickly how utterly pointless cleaning a gas tube is.
I hit 20k rounds in my main AR before I started getting under gassing/short stroke stoppages. On the advice of the manufacturer I conducted a long overdue "gas system maintenance" and replaced the gas rings on the bolt and the gas tube. I didn't need to do the tube, but it was flat rate shipping and I was curious about it as I had never actually fiddled much with the tubes. I suspect new gas rings alone would have solved my problem.
When I got the old one out and compared it to the new I noticed that the end of the tube that docks with the gas key looked narrow, and realized it was about 15" narrower than the new tube, for about the last 1/2" or so. Just do to repeated contact with the BCG the tube had warn away until it was undersized. Otherwise the tube was just as bright and shiny as the day I received the gun new, no observable accumulation of debris could be seen inside the tube.
On the other hand, the barrel was totally cooked.
GunsNotPuns
CGN frequent flyer
So today's CF believes in cleaning gas tubes and (from another thread on CGN) installing Acu-Wedges? I shouldn't be surprised though -- same outfit felt that a FN's gas piston head with even a trace of carbon in the grooves would detonate in a rifleman's hands.
Anyway, not to dog pile along with everyone else but as others have essentially said, the gas tube is essentially self cleaning. Don't get me started on the "I need to scrape the tail of my bolt absolutely spotless or it will fail!!!1!" line.
Where in doctrine does it instruct to clean the gas tube? I have never heard of such a thing before.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw0oIqxndySrJkZZxW3Q9dk9&cshid=1549506344733
Even the manual says the pipe cleaners in the cleaning kit aren't meant for the gas tube.
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I picked up a lightly used A2 slabside 20" last year and as soon as I received it, I changed the BCG to a new V-Seven Titanium unit and the buffer tube spring to a JP Silent Capture spring. Went to the range and got about 40 rounds of 62Gr Hornady through it, with not one stoppage or issue. After those rounds, I suddenly experienced complete FTE, with every round requiring manual ejection via the charging handle. I changed the spring strength to the weakest and tried again. No difference. I then proceeded to have the entire upper, barrel and gas block ultrasonic cleaned and had the gas tube changed for a new Colt Competition unit (and had the barrel nut swapped out for a V-Seven Titanium one while I was at it).
Next trip to the range was absolutely perfect. I put about 200 rounds through it with no hint of any further issue. Smooth as silk. I don't know what ammo the previous owner had put through the rifle, but considering the fact that the rifle is 35 years old, the ammo variety likely was quite large. Gas system blockages (partial or complete) CAN happen, although they rarely do.
Next trip to the range was absolutely perfect. I put about 200 rounds through it with no hint of any further issue. Smooth as silk. I don't know what ammo the previous owner had put through the rifle, but considering the fact that the rifle is 35 years old, the ammo variety likely was quite large. Gas system blockages (partial or complete) CAN happen, although they rarely do.
Never cleaned it when I was in. So I would argue that it is not doctrine. However, they had us scraping so much carbon off the guns the finish was coming off. From that experience, I would guess that there's absolutely no point in cleaning the gas tube.
