Cleaning The Gas Tube On Your AR

[gfl216 226]

I was getting ready to clean my AR and I started thinking, I have never cleaned the gas tube, to tell you the truth I'm not 100% sure how. I would think that you would want to keep it as dry as possible. I looked on you tube and I can't find any thing specific to cleaning the gas tube. So my question is, how often should you clean your gas tube and what is the best method?

[mikeyjones 88]

I've used pipe cleaners, but usually I'll just take carburetor cleaner and just spray it down the tube.  It's just a metal tube after all... 

[bhunted 887]

Gun Scrubber. Use the thin straw, shove it in there and fire away. Just make sure you aim it at a paper towel or something or you have crap all over the place.

 

 

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[T Bill 649]

Spray some brake cleaner down it, Follow up with a pipe cleaner.  

https://www.amazon.com/Tube-Pipe-Cleaners-16-inches-Long/dp/B00AIPOJO0

[GRIZ 3,369]

I've been shooting M16s, ARs, and M4s for nearly 50 years. Never cleaned a gas tube. It takes care of itself. Don't worry about it.

[GRIZ 3,369]

You're in more danger of getting something stuck in the gas tube trying to clean it. I was told at Ft Benning in 1968 not to stick anything (solid or liquid) in the gad tube.

[gfl216 226]

You're in more danger of getting something stuck in the gas tube trying to clean it.

That's kind of what I was thinking. I didn't want to stick anything in there and risk blocking the tube. I also thought if I spray anything down the tube the moisture may cause carbon build up.

[bhunted 887]

I've been shooting M16s, ARs, and M4s for nearly 50 years. Never cleaned a gas tube. It takes care of itself. Don't worry about it.

Never went out of the way to clean mine except if I had to break down the whole rifle to do mods or something. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

 

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[Rob0115 1,105]

If I had a problem with my gas tube to where it had to be cleaned I would remedy it with 12 dollars to buy a new tube and a roll pin punch.

[High Exposure 5,662]

If I had a problem with my gas tube to where it had to be cleaned I would remedy it with 12 dollars to buy a new tube and a roll pin punch.

This ^^^^

 

The gas tube is a wear item. Replace it at regular intervals to prevent issues down the line.

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

Not needed, don't bother.  ~20,000 PSI of gas pressure has a tendency to keep carbon out of the tube (and blow it into your upper).

[Schrödinger's cat 87]

To repeat what everyone else is saying, don't do it, it doesn't need it and you risk messing something up.

[Vlad G 345]

There is like 20k PSI worth of burning gasses trying to blast everything out of that tube whenever you press the trigger.  Adding a pipe cleaner to the equation is not going to do anything good and only likely to do bad things.

 

Like everyone else says, take it out of your mind, and maybe get a new one ever 20k rounds or so.

[Eric. 9]

Spray some brake cleaner down it, Follow up with a pipe cleaner.  

https://www.amazon.com/Tube-Pipe-Cleaners-16-inches-Long/dp/B00AIPOJO0

 

Just a clarification-

 

Brake cleaner doesn't cut carbon.  You need carb cleaner or throttle body cleaner.

[Rob0115 1,105]

More importantly don't clean your gas tube, toss it.