Target Sports

Ar-15 Gas Tube Maintenance?

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  • grumper

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    You should take the gas tube off. Then warm it up by running it through your hand up and down rapidly and blow through it. Cleans it out everytime.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

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    candcallen

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    If one of ya has to you can spray gun scrubber thru it.

    But you shouldn't have to.

    I run a pipe cleaner thru them if I'm stripping one down otherwise I might squirt gun scrubber down it but it makes no real difference.
     

    wbblazer90

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    Nope. The gap is there to allow it to compress and form a seal with the the bore of the carrier. The ar can even run with only 1 gas ring

    Every manufacturer recommends staggering the gas rings.

    Examples

    see 14.2.4

    https://www.armalite.com/media/2017/08/M15-OwnersManual-08-2017.pdf

    Page 20 figure 61

    https://ty1gp1y141k12fk1dp5xpx1a-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/OpMan-8-2016.pdf

    Page 29 figures 84a and 84b

    https://www.smith-wesson.com/sites/default/files/owners-manuals/M&P15_CF_Rifle_Manual_10-20-15.pdf

    When the rings are in good shape it’s not as important. Once they start wearing depending on usage and quality of the rings it becomes more important. They should be replaced at that point, but who is to say there won’t be a time when parts like that are not available. Spend an extra 10 seconds to verify and stagger the rings after field stripping.
     
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    Darkpriest667

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    Glenn a lot of people will talk a lot, but in the last three years I put no less than 15000 rounds through one of my AR15s and I never had any gunk in the gas tube. That being said I would recommend taking the handguard off once a year and making sure the tube isn't rusting.
     

    zackmars

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    Every manufacturer recommends staggering the gas rings.

    Examples

    see 14.2.4

    https://www.armalite.com/media/2017/08/M15-OwnersManual-08-2017.pdf

    Page 20 figure 61

    https://ty1gp1y141k12fk1dp5xpx1a-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/OpMan-8-2016.pdf

    When the rings are in good shape it’s not as important. Once they start wearing depending on usage and quality of the rings it becomes more important. They should be replaced at that point, but who is to say there won’t be a time when parts like that are not available. Spend an extra 10 seconds to verify and stagger the rings after field stripping.

    Science experiment time, take your bolt out, make sure the gap is aligned, reassemble, and shoot a few rounds.

    Something amazing will happen. Not only will the gun work (even it you have only one gas ring) but in many cases the gas rings will stagger themselves

    Please don't spread falsehoods
     

    wbblazer90

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    Science experiment time, take your bolt out, make sure the gap is aligned, reassemble, and shoot a few rounds.

    Something amazing will happen. Not only will the gun work (even it you have only one gas ring) but in many cases the gas rings will stagger themselves

    Please don't spread falsehoods

    Believe what you want, it’s obvious you’re the kind of guy that thinks he is right no matter what. You can also drive your car for far longer without changing the oil per your car manufacturer’s recommendations. Most people don’t do that. I’ll leave it at that, I’m not going to waste time arguing against stupidity.

    OP you can believe some guy on the internet or go by what the manufacturer recommends.
     

    zackmars

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    Believe what you want, it’s obvious you’re the kind of guy that thinks he is right no matter what. You can also drive your car for far longer without changing the oil per your car manufacturer’s recommendations. Most people don’t do that. I’ll leave it at that, I’m not going to waste time arguing against stupidity.

    OP you can believe some guy on the internet or go by what the manufacturer recommends.


    I'm only right because i don't buy into fuddlore BS that some dude thought up back in 1986.

    Don't even bother trying to use cars as an example. Have you ever seen one? They are a bit more complicated than an AR15

    Stupidity is apparently your shtick, not mine.
     

    Glenn B

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    Science experiment time, take your bolt out, make sure the gap is aligned, reassemble, and shoot a few rounds.

    Something amazing will happen. Not only will the gun work (even it you have only one gas ring) but in many cases the gas rings will stagger themselves

    Please don't spread falsehoods
    What falsehood was wbblazer90 spreading? Besides the source he quoted about staggering the rings, my Stag Arms manual says to stagger the openings in the rings over 120 degrees.

    An AR may work just fine your way but I for one figure that a manufacturer recommends doing something, in their manual, one way rather than another for a good reason. I usually prefer to do it the way the manufacturer suggests. I've learned over many years of being on the range through hundreds of thousands rounds, while I had collateral duties as an instructor, guns were more likely to have a failure if someone did not follow the manufacturers maintenance recommendations and or instructions in the manuals or when someone fiddled with their firearms and put aftermarket parts on or in them.
     

    zackmars

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    What falsehood was wbblazer90 spreading? Besides the source he quoted about staggering the rings, my Stag Arms manual says to stagger the openings in the rings over 120 degrees.

    An AR may work just fine your way but I for one figure that a manufacturer recommends doing something, in their manual, one way rather than another for a good reason. I usually prefer to do it the way the manufacturer suggests. I've learned over many years of being on the range through hundreds of thousands rounds, while I had collateral duties as an instructor, guns were more likely to have a failure if someone did not follow the manufacturers maintenance recommendations and or instructions in the manuals or when someone fiddled with their firearms and put aftermarket parts on or in them.


    Ok then, how much gas does an AR loose if the rings are not staggered?

    Its not much, if any. Add in the fact damn near every ar15 barrel is overgassed, and you are just making a mountian out of a mole hill


    Having spent time around the everyday gun owner, i can explain why they have this nonsense written down

    People are convinced this is fact, and when they (the company) leaves it out, they get lots of people who complain about how THAT is what is causing some issue they are having, not the fact their gun has an actual problem.

    Also, as it turns out, the people who write the manuals are very seldom the engineers who make the gun.


    FN at one point said that you need to send in your pistol every 3000 rounds or so to be inspected


    Hi-point at one point said you should "shake your ammo" before shooting it.


    All sorts of manufacturers say stupid shit in their manuals. That doesn't mean its the word of god
     

    Glenn B

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    All sorts of manufacturers say stupid shit in their manuals. That doesn't mean its the word of god
    Why would I care whether or not it is the word of God? I thought we were talking about guns not religion. Anyway, the manufacturer made the gun, they recommended spacing the gaps in the rings, I followed it as best I could. When you manufacture a brand of firearms, I will follow your recommendations about them should I purchase one. Until that though, since I've gotten way too much bad advice over the years from all knowing gun gurus, I will take the manufacturer's advice until I learn better. So far that has not happened today.
     
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    zackmars

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    Why would I care whether or not it is the word of God? I thought we were talking about guns not religion. Anyway, the manufacturer made the gun, they recommended spacing the gaps in the rings, I followed it as best I could. When you manufacture a brand of firearms, I will follow your recommendations about them should I purchase one. Until the though, since I've gotten way too much bad advice over the years from all knowing gun gurus, I will take the manufacturer's advice until I learn better. So far that has not happened today.


    Lol. The ar has been around for over 60 years. There are no "secrets", and no one is some far out guru.

    Tell you what, if you don't bother spacing your gas rings, and you get a malfunction because of said gas rings not being spaced, I'll eat crow and admit I'm wrong. Hell I'll even start a new thread about it.

    But i wont have to, you know why? The gas rings will move whichever way they please when they cycle. Hell they will move around when you first insert them
     
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