Tips for cleaning AR trigger area and chamber!

Mik123

Mik123

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Super GunNutz
Rating - 100%
281   0   0
Location
Lower Mainland, BC
Hoping I can get a few tips from more knowledgeable members about the above. Currently, I clean the trigger area with a bit of CLP and cotton swabs. The chamber gets cleaned with the same plus a few passes with chamber brush. Is there an easier way to do this? During my last cleaning I was a but too generous with the CLP and things got a bit too lubricated (not a plus in this situation).

Cheers,

Mik
 
Following Geissele's recommendations for trigger cleaning, is using lighter fluid/naptha as degreaser, blow dry with compressed air, lightly oil with clp and blow off excess. If you don't have air compressor, air duster works too. I personally kept my lower well clp'd, all grit wipes off really easily.

Not sure about chamber, as I just use a chamber brush and patches.
 
Plus one on the soap and hot water. Most of the AR15 is aluminum, jet that thing with hot soapy water and scrub with a toothbrush. What isn't aluminum usually dries quick with a boiling hot water rinse and a light coat of CLP (or whatever oil floats your boat).
 
You're supposed to clean 'em? JK. Yesh, can't recall the last time I cleaned out my AR's triggers. I usually just brush them in place with a toothbrush, wipe the loosened carbon etc off with a paper towel or gun cloth then apply a little bit of oil with a q-tip.
 
Triggers come out very easily. So I pull them if they look too gungy and wipe them with an oily rag and reassemble with well greased searing surfaces.

Of course this is every few thousand rounds or when someone points out that my guns are getting overly filthy. Cleaning is also the first step to inspecting parts for unacceptable wear or cracking.
 
Gunnerlove said:
Triggers come out very easily. So I pull them if they look too gungy and wipe them with an oily rag and reassemble with well greased searing surfaces.

Of course this is every few thousand rounds or when someone points out that my guns are getting overly filthy. Cleaning is also the first step to inspecting parts for unacceptable wear or cracking.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree with you. I am not pulling out a trigger mech with steel pins in an aluminum frame just to wipe it down.

Enough rounds down range will cause wear on the holes in the lower. I'm not going to add to the wear to wipe off some crud that can be removed by flooding with a bit of oil and wiping it out with a pipe cleaner or Q-Tip or using compressed air as mentioned. There's a reason why the troops are not allowed to remove the trigger group on their issue weapons (other than the putting it back together wrong).

As for someone "pointing out to me" that my guns are filthy. That person could go f**k themselves, mind their own business, and add more rails to their tacticool 10/22.
 
recce said:
I have to disagree with you. I am not pulling out a trigger mech with steel pins in an aluminum frame just to wipe it down.

Enough rounds down range will cause wear on the holes in the lower. I'm not going to add to the wear to wipe off some crud that can be removed by flooding with a bit of oil and wiping it out with a pipe cleaner or Q-Tip or using compressed air as mentioned. There's a reason why the troops are not allowed to remove the trigger group on their issue weapons (other than the putting it back together wrong).

As for someone "pointing out to me" that my guns are filthy. That person could go f**k themselves, mind their own business, and add more rails to their tacticool 10/22.
Click to expand...

I had a friend on basic text me asking how to remove the delta nut on his C7 because there was sand. Told him not to remove anything, also do not have the required tools. Also its a chargeable offense.. If you want to clean tooth brush, oil and hot water is your friend. Amazing what people will do to clean a rifle.
 
Dewey Rifle Lug Recess Chamber Cleaning Kit is what I use to clean the lug and chamber area. Works great.

163348.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 163348.jpg
    163348.jpg
    18.7 KB · Views: 190
recce said:
I have to disagree with you. I am not pulling out a trigger mech with steel pins in an aluminum frame just to wipe it down.

Enough rounds down range will cause wear on the holes in the lower. I'm not going to add to the wear to wipe off some crud that can be removed by flooding with a bit of oil and wiping it out with a pipe cleaner or Q-Tip or using compressed air as mentioned. There's a reason why the troops are not allowed to remove the trigger group on their issue weapons (other than the putting it back together wrong).

As for someone "pointing out to me" that my guns are filthy. That person could go f**k themselves, mind their own business, and add more rails to their tacticool 10/22.
Click to expand...

If pulling and installing pins caused a huge amount of wear they would be bronze bushed to begin with. I have killed triggers so care about what they look like. For a number of years troops were not trained or allowed to remove the extractor from the bolt......................... but now they can so the minimum level of skill and training demanded and provided to troops is hardly a stable and legitimate handrail for maintenance.
I have friends I respect. We are mean and supportive to each other at the same time because we like and respect each other. So if they say I am getting fat I probably am, and when a gun looks neglected it probably is.
 
recce said:
I have to disagree with you. I am not pulling out a trigger mech with steel pins in an aluminum frame just to wipe it down.

Enough rounds down range will cause wear on the holes in the lower. I'm not going to add to the wear to wipe off some crud that can be removed by flooding with a bit of oil and wiping it out with a pipe cleaner or Q-Tip or using compressed air as mentioned. There's a reason why the troops are not allowed to remove the trigger group on their issue weapons (other than the putting it back together wrong).
Click to expand...

If we've been using the same C7 lower receivers for thirty years removing and reinserting the trigger mechanism pins over and over to clean them and replace parts at the weapons tech's shop, you shouldn't have to worry about your civvie AR.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm not a clean freak I just try to clean my ARs thoroughly about twice a year. I didn't think about removing the trigger lol. I'll give it a try next time I clean. Cheers!
 
Gunnerlove said:
If pulling and installing pins caused a huge amount of wear they would be bronze bushed to begin with. I have killed triggers so care about what they look like. For a number of years troops were not trained or allowed to remove the extractor from the bolt......................... but now they can so the minimum level of skill and training demanded and provided to troops is hardly a stable and legitimate handrail for maintenance.
I have friends I respect. We are mean and supportive to each other at the same time because we like and respect each other. So if they say I am getting fat I probably am, and when a gun looks neglected it probably is.
Click to expand...


The trigger mech in an M16 was originally intended for the user to remove and clean. Over time a couple of things became apparent;

1. The trigger did not need to be cleaned. There is a lot of clearance, and with a small amount of oil you can avoid corrosion and dirt moves away from critical surfaces;
and
2. Repeated removal of the trigger pins at the user level greatly increases wear and causes a condition known as doubling. This can happen quickly if tools such as hammers are used to remove or install steel hammer and trigger pins into an aluminum hole. Firing wear is negligable and will not cause an issue in the lifetime of nearly any properly assembled AR.

There are no militaries today that allow or advocate stripping the trigger mech for users. I would advocate cleaning with hot water if necessary and then displace water with a good gun oil. Compressed air is good as well. I would never strip a trigger to clean it.
 
A lot of compressed air for the lower. I will try to avoid flushing the lower with liquid unless it is absolutely necessary ( or it is not my gun), and I have time for it to dry out and reapply CLP. Putting excessive gun oil ( other than a film of oil ) back into the lower creates a vicious cycle. Excessive oil attracts dirt, you end up making it necessary to flush the lower again because you put too much oil in the last cleaning, combined with the oil dripping off and splashing down from the upper.

There is no reason to use a steel brush and all that stuff unless the chamber and extension are caked up with hard stuff, and this means almost never for a range gun. For range use, I use the plastic glock cleaning rod to clean the chamber because it can flex sideways. Q-tips are also useful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom