Breaking in Your New AR15 - Cleaning After Every Shot? Really?

[October]

I was told the other day that it is recommended, to break in your AR15, you should clean your gun/barrel after each round fired and that that is what our military does.

Is this true? Is it PROVEN to be effective? What could it possibly accomplish? Or is it a case of common AR owner OCD? Thanks.

[Mute]

Ignore whoever told you that and just shoot your rifle and enjoy.

[bender152]

I double up the cleanings.
1st shot - 2 cleans
2nd shot - 4 cleans
etc...

[October]

I double up the cleanings.
1st shot - 2 cleans
2nd shot - 4 cleans
etc...

it took me, seriously, ten seconds to realize you were joking. I had a big WTF ready to reply with

[Ak707]

bah...after 600 or so rounds thru my rifle i cleaned the barrel, 2nd swab was clean.

[Crowesnest]

If that's the way our Army was taught to shoot, then we're all in lots of trouble. No need to get OCD over a dirty rifle. For me, I separate my upper and lower after a long day of shooting, floss the barrel with my bore snake, clean/oil my BCG, Charging Handle, and interior chamber of the rifle and call it a day. As more grime and dirt are allowed to build up, it just gets that much more difficult to clean off.

[Omega13device]

The benefit of break-in has not been proven.

Cleaning ARs is also overdone. I haven't cleaned mine in over 1100 rounds. Runs great.

Here's Pat Rogers' article about "Filthy #14", which now has over 40,000 rounds on it and I don't think the barrel has ever been cleaned: http://www.bravocompanymfg.com/v/vsp...hy14_oct10.pdf

Here's another with some good perspective on cleaning and lubrication: http://www.ar15.com/content/swat/keepitrunning.pdf

[RawImpact]

Depends on the barrel i suppose, but i clean mine right after a shoot.

[Gio]

This video also applies to most "standard uppers"

[jak77]

Break in? ROFL

Just shoot the **** out of it and it will be fine. Congrats on the rifle btw.

[Lower86]

+1 for nonsense. I've broken in 2 ARs in the Army by doing what jak77 said, shooting the **** out of it. We do clean the **** out of them after every day that we shoot, but that's about as OCD as you should ever get with it.

[Jake71]

What ^ said.

Anything else is just rubbish.

[sigfan91]

I clean my guns after every shot.

I brush my teeth after every bite too.

I also wash my hands after touching anything that's not soap.

[AAShooter]

I clean my guns after every shot.

I brush my teeth after every bite too.

I also wash my hands after touching anything that's not soap.

You have a long tedious day!

[feeesh]

I clean my guns after every shot.
I brush my teeth after every bite too.
I also wash my hands after touching anything that's not soap.

wait...that makes two of us