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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
There were at least two cases on ARFCOM a few years ago, where I helped a member troubleshoot a short stroking weapon. After going through the normal list of corrective actions, I recommended carb cleaner and compressed air on the gas tube. This cleared the blockage and corrected the problem.
This was two cases in about 8 years, and I believe the cause was dirty ammo.
I will clean the outside of the gas tube (the portion of the tube over the barrel and the portion inside the upper receiver). I have never cleaned the inside of the tube, nor was ever instructed to do so in the Marines.
Was not taught in the Army to mess with the gas tube ,always was told it is was a "self-cleaning part"in that the Hot gases and pressure will keep it clear if not,Replace as needed
Here it is in laymans terms. Though there is a method of cleaning in the TM, almost no one does this because of the time and the cost invloved in the cleaning compound. It is much cheaper to replace a gas tube which costs about 7.00 in FEDLOG.
If you want to disassemble your weapon, remove the tube and TRY and clean it, knock yourself out.
I suspect (no data, just suposition) that the tech manual may have cleaning information on the gas tube from the Vietnam era when the ammo initially provided had a powder with a formulation that did excessively foul weapons.
As to why clean the bolt and carrier and not the tube, I would offer the following -
When the gas flowing down the tube hits the larger volume of the interior of the bolt carrier assy, it expands, losing both velocity and temperature. A bunch of the formerly solid constituents of that gas will then deposit out on the cooler surfaces of the BC and bolt.
You could be correct. The info may be outdated or a carry over from the Vietnam era. But just a FYI, the reference I used above, was from the -23&P w/ Chg. 8 incorporated.
Even if the gas tube cleaning procedure was a carry over from the Vietnam era, it probably still has some warrant today. When you consider how dirty a weapon becomes from firing blanks, I can see perhaps the gas tube of a weapon in a training BDE becoming blocked with carbon.
This brings me to the following question addressed to our Ind. Professionals and Armorers, just out of curiosity;
Have you in your career, personally had to change out a carbon blocked gas tube? Or even witnessed a carbon blocked gas tube?
