cleaning the AR15

[hossb7]

How often do you guys clean out your gas tubes?

I have had several instances where I had to clean my gas tube. Again maybe it's because I shoot more. In fact I can feel when a gun is restricted by not enough gas. Then I know it's time to yank that tube out and scape it out then soak in solvent. then swab.

You guys not cleaning the gas tubes probably have over gassed guns. The tube builds up with carbon and then you feel the gun is actually running betters because it is no longer over gassed. That is until it is constricted enough that it is under gassed and you get short stroking, or failures to cycle.

[spr1]

ummmm. Never.
I would look elsewhere.

[hossb7]

ummmm. Never.
I would look elsewhere.

I'm sure you've seen how much carbon is on the inside of a bolt carrier. How do you think that carbon gets there. It goes though the gas tube. I'm sure if you bothered to do it and scraped out your gas tube you would be surprized how much crud you have in there. For people that shoot a lot the gas tube needs to cleaned. I do not clean mine all the time, maybe once or twice a year, but it is a part that needs to be serviced.

[Heavy Metal]

Funny, you are the first person on this forum to feel that way.

Also, the military does not scrape the inside of the gas tube.

Carbon in the gas tube is self-limiting. If the gas pressure can erode the steel in the gas port, what chance does a bit of carbon have?

[Blankwaffe]

I clean the gas tube everytime I pull the trigger.Otherwise I learned the hard way not to mess with it.
I tried the brake cleaner and pipe cleaner thing years ago and ended up with a plugged gas tube.So not recommended.
Check the -23 for information on what to in the case of a plugged or worn gas tube.Otherwise its a non maintenance item.

[Quib]

At the operator -10 level there are no prescribed “routine” cleaning requirements for the gas tube.

The -23 though does have a routine for cleaning the gas tube.

[hossb7]

Funny, you are the first person on this forum to feel that way.

Also, the military does not scrape the inside of the gas tube.

Carbon in the gas tube is self-limiting. If the gas pressure can erode the steel in the gas port, what chance does a bit of carbon have?

the military is an inefficient institution, and just because they don't do something doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done

[Quib]

the military is an inefficient institution, and just because they don't do something doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done

It’s simply not economical to sit around trying to clean the gas tube when it’s easily replaced. Like the -23 reference states....if the carbon can not be removed, discard the gas tube.

[hossb7]

It’s simply not economical to sit around trying to clean the gas tube when it’s easily replaced. Like the -23 reference states....if the carbon can not be removed, discard the gas tube.

a can of carbon cutter costs less than a gas tube, and you can clean many gas tubes with one can, sounds pretty economical to me

[Captains1911]

I've heard way more instances of gas tubes being ruined from people sticking things in them in an attempt to clean them than instances of them becoming so dirty they no longer function properly.

I don't shoot enough to have to worry about replacing my gas tubes, but for you guys that do, approximately how many rounds before you find the need to replace, if ever?