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Looking for an easy way to clean your AR-15?
You’ve come to the right place…
Cleaning an AR-15 doesn’t have to be a complex and time-consuming process…
The truth is, it’s a relatively simple thing to do, and it can be done relatively quickly.
In fact, in this article, I’m going to explain how you can clean your AR-15 and lubricate it in 5 easy steps.
So let’s jump into it!
Before Cleaning…
Before you field strip or clean your AR-15, it’s extremely important that you clear the weapon.
That means you need to make sure it is completely unloaded, and to do that follow these 3 simple steps:
- Remove the magazine.
- Pull back the bolt.
- Make sure the chamber is empty.
Firearm safety is critical for new gun owners, and if you need to learn more about it…
…I recommend you check out my article on the 4 firearms safety rules.
That said, once you’ve checked the rifle and know that it is completely clear, you can begin field-stripping your AR-15.
Since this article will focus on cleaning an AR-15, I’m not going to go into detail about how to field strip one.
However, if you need a detailed explanation of how to field strip your AR-15 I recommend you click here before moving on to Step 1.
Step 1: Clean The Bolt And Bolt Carrier…
When you clean your rifle, you’re going to need a cleaner and a lubricant.
Luckily there are cleaning products known as CLP which stands for “cleaner, lubricant, and protectant”.
I prefer using CLP when cleaning my guns because it simplifies the whole process.
Instead of needing two different solutions, I have my cleaner and lubricant in one.
That being said, the first thing to do is spray CLP on the following parts:
- bolt
- bolt carrier
- cam pin
- firing pin
- firing pin retaining pin
Once the cleaner is on all of these parts, brush them down with a gun cleaning brush or an old toothbrush.
After that, take an old t-shirt or rag and simply wipe them down.
The last thing you want to do at this point is, check underneath the extractor on your bolt and make sure it’s completely clear of debris.
Step 2: Clean The Barrel…
The next thing you need to do is clean your barrel.
There are a lot of tools people use to clean their rifle barrels including steel cleaning rods…
…but over the years, I’ve discovered that, for me, the simplest way to clean my barrels is to use a bore snake.
A bore snake is a rope-like instrument that you pull through the barrel to clean it.
And what you need to do is first coat the bore of your rifle with CLP. Personally I just spray it down the barrel and let it sit for a few minutes.
After that, I spray the bottom of my bore snake (the part that has a brush on it) with cleaner as well.
Then I dropped the bore snake into the chamber of my rifle and pull it through all the way out the end of the barrel.
It’s always best to clean your barrel from the chamber to the end of the barrel following the same path that a bullet does as it leaves your gun.
This is more important when you’re using a steel rod to clean your barrel rather than a bore snake…
But it was drilled into my head to clean barrels this way a long time ago, and it’s something I’ll continue to do regardless of the tool I’m using.
I recommend running the bore snake through your barrel two to three times, and at the end looking down the barrel to make sure it’s clean.
If your AR-15 has a chrome-lined barrel it will appear shiny when clean.
Step 3: Clean The Chamber And Upper Receiver…
The next part of the process is to clean your rifle’s chamber and upper receiver.
This can be a bit of a pain because it’s difficult to reach the small areas in the chamber and upper receiver.
That being said it’s important to remember that a quality AR-15 will work 100% reliably without having every nook and cranny clean.
And the truth is lubrication is much more important than cleaning when it comes to AR-15s.
In addition to that, I’ve found it very helpful to use plastic picks that look like dental picks to get into the small areas of my rifle and clean them.
Simply take a rag with a little bit of CLP on it and use the plastic picks to clean the inside of the chamber and then clean the inside of the upper receiver.
Afterward, go over these areas with a dry rag because you don’t want a bunch of CLP leftover in your chamber or the upper receiver.
Step 4: Clean the Lower Receiver And Charging Handle…
The next thing to do is clean your lower receiver.
This is a very easy part to clean because it typically doesn’t take much work.
All you need to do is take a dry rag and wipe down any parts that seem dirty.
Be sure to wipe down your Magwell with that dry rag and then check to make sure that all trigger components are covered with dirt or carbon.
You can pull the trigger on the lower to check that it’s functioning correctly…
…but never allow the hammer to slam forward while your lower receiver is disconnected from the upper.
Just guide it down with your hand, and you’ll avoid potentially cracking or damaging your lower receiver.
After that wipe down your charging handle with a little bit of CLP.
Here I recommend leaving a little of the lubricant on the long part of your charging handle because it will make pulling back your bolt much slicker.
Step 5: Lubricate The Moving Parts…
The last part of the process is to lubricate your rifle.
Some people prefer using oil to lubricate and others prefer using grease.
Even though I like to clean using CLP, I generally prefer using grease on my AR 15s.
It just stays exactly where you put it, and it doesn’t dry up as quickly as oil or CLP.
Here are the parts you want to apply grease to:
- A thin layer around the center of the bolt.
- A layer around the cam pin.
- A glob on each of the four rails of the bolt carrier (that slide into the upper receiver).
After you’ve lubed up those parts, reassemble your rifle and check to make sure that it’s functioning properly.
You can do this by:
- pulling the trigger
- holding it down
- pulling back the charging handle
- and checking that the trigger resets when you release it
After that, you’re done and you’ve successfully cleaned and lubricated your AR-15.
AR-15 Cleaning And Lubrication – Conclusions…
So as you can see cleaning an AR-15 is an easy process if you follow these five steps.
Remember, your AR doesn’t have to be spotlessly clean like you’re a recruit in boot camp to function 100% reliably.
The AR-15 is a tough rifle, and it will keep on chugging with a little bit of cleaning and proper lubrication.
And now that you know how to clean your AR-15, it’s important to make sure that your shooting fundamentals are squared away…
So if you need help improving your shooting…
I have a FREE guide that’ll show you how to improve your shooting without leaving your home or spending a dime…
It’s 100% FREE, and you can get it right now by clicking the button below👇
Farewell, and have fun on the range!