Every once in a while I read a thread where somebody recommends something regarding ARs that I did not know that I think is good advice to pass on. I thought it would be good to start a thread where you all can chime in and let us know your “tricks” for keeping your gun running. Besides the obvious like “do not use your gun as a pry-bar” kind of tips, here are a few that I have picked up to get it started:
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When you remove your upper receiver push the take down pins in so if you drop the lower it will not ruin it if it landed on a pin. The pin would have an enormous amount of leverage on the thin aluminum area and would probably break.
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Clean your barrel in the same direction as the bullet travels. Some barrel’s grooves have an edge that does not like to be stressed in the opposite direction. (I can’t remember where I saw this…Maybe from Noveske?)
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Do not dry fire your gun with the upper receiver removed because the hammer can crack your lower receiver. Dry firing with the gun assembled is fine.
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Do not try to remove your barrel nut by constraining the lower receiver. The take down pin holes won’t support the load.
3 & 4 are probably pretty obvious to most people on here, but I thought I would include in case a new AR owner comes across this.