Noob Question About Cleaning Bolt.

[ThePerfectExposure]

I disassembled the BCG to clean and used the picks and bore brushes to clean up the stubborn carbon deposits on the teeth and on the tail of the bolt. I noticed that even with the soft brass brush, it took off the black phosphate coating. Am I doing it wrong?

[Omega13device]

Yes - you're overdoing it.

Wipe it down with a rag and/or toothbrush and some carbon solvent and you're done. Nothing on an AR has to be spotless - it's going to be dirty after the first shot you take next time anyway. You don't have to get all the carbone off the bolt tail, it's not hurting anything. Just keep it lubed, spend more time shooting and less time cleaning.

[Army]

Don't mistake the phosphate coming off, with brass color being transferred from the brush. Yes, the finish will eventually come off the stem, lugs and bolt face. But new bolts will get a copper coloring from the brush scraping onto the phosphate.

[Mail Clerk]

I disassembled the BCG to clean and used the picks and bore brushes to clean up the stubborn carbon deposits on the teeth and on the tail of the bolt. I noticed that even with the soft brass brush, it took off the black phosphate coating. Am I doing it wrong?

ThePerfectExposure,

What it sounds like your scrubbing off the parkerizing from your bolt carrier. Don't use a brass/copper brush! Use a plastic tooth brush instead and use a light oil that has good clean properties like Remingtons "Rem Oil" or even Breakfree. That should be enough to keep the machine running well. Also consider a chrome bolt carrier group for super easy cleaning.

Mail Clerk

[ThePerfectExposure]

I think I took off the coating off the bolt

[Omega13device]

Yeah, you did. I wouldn't worry about it, just from now on make sure you keep it lubed, and don't clean so much.

There's a generally accepted myth that guns have to be spotlessly clean in order to function properly. This is far from the truth.

[gunnerstuff]

You haven't shot it enough.

[Vacaville]

An old toothbrush is your friend for cleaning bolts.

[ThePerfectExposure]

I think why I resorted to using the brass brush is that the cleaner I used is too weak. I used the waterbased ones. I see that many guys on here use brake cleaner. Now that seems a lot stronger and cheaper

[Merc1138]

No... you were scrubbing way too hard and using too stiff of a brush. You said you were cleaning off carbon deposits, they aren't diamonds or something. Did you let the cleaner sit and have a chance to actually work? Or were you spraying on whatever cleaner you used and immediately scrubbing?

[HK Dave]

Still looks pretty new to me.

But yah like everyone said, don't use metals to clean it.

And don't worry, it's perfectly fine... just lube it and go.

[ChaneRZ]

That's fine!

[pennys dad]

I take mine, tear it down, drop the parts into a plastic container full of Hope's #9. Leave it there while I clean the rest of the rifle then pull the pieces out wipe them, lube them and reassemble the rifle.

[darqhelmet]

Go piston. You won't have to worry about the bolt tail anymore.

I do the same thing as pennysdad. Works good.

[Omega13device]

Go piston. You won't have to worry about the bolt tail anymore.

You don't have to worry about the bolt tail on a DI rifle either. Carbon on the bolt tail isn't going to affect the function of the rifle. If it did, it wouldn't build up there in the first place.