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Today I have a great guest post by my friend Justin from The Crooked Tree Farm. He was one of the many great folks that reached out to me after my TSP interview. While talking to him one day he mentioned just getting his Armorers cert and I knew that AR15 Maintenance is a subject you guy would love. So without further banter lets get down to the subject today. Take it away Justin
AR15
Firearms now and for the foreseeable future are an integral part of the self-reliance community. We rely on them to put food on the table, hone our skills, and defend ourselves from the predators of the world. One rifle that stands out is the AR-15. It is known for its ease of use, modularity and effectiveness. Unlike the military or law enforcement we do not have a staff of professionally trained armorers to keep our weapons running at peak performance, so generally we have to rely on ourselves. For the purpose of this article I’m going to use the generic term AR to cover the AR-15 and its whole family tree of variants.
Before we continue I must say that I feel like the AR has gotten a bad rap regarding reliability. This is from people spouting a lot of bull about it. People talk about guns a lot like they talk about the opposite sex. Simply put there is a lot of smoke and mirrors being passed on as ‘truth’ by guys that have little to no real experience.
Just like all machines, your AR has to be maintained and periodically parts will need to be changed out. No exact number of rounds fired can be attributed to a component’s failure. There are too many variables to consider, such as: ammo, quality of the weapons manufacture, exposure to the elements etc. What we need to be concerned about is assessing the condition of our
weapons and addressing any issues that arise.
Checking the Function of your Rifle
Now I’m going to get into a real basic down and dirty set of methods to ensure your rifle is ready for work. We can do this first by performing what is known as known as a ‘function test’. After ensuring your weapon is both clear and empty with the magazine out you should begin to check its general appearance. Does it have visible rust on any components? Do you see any cracks, bends, or deformities? With the rifle unloaded, point it in a safe direction. With the bolt forward, move the safety selector switch from safe to fire and squeeze the trigger. You should hear the hammer fall inside the rifle. Without releasing the tension on the trigger charge the bolt. Slowly release the trigger and you should hear and feel a “click”. This is the trigger resetting to the fire position. Once again squeeze the trigger and you should hear another “click”. This demonstrates that the cycle of the bolt is properly resetting the trigger mechanism. Now rotate the safety selector switch back to safe and pull the trigger. You should not be able to pull the trigger back while the safety is on. Feel free to reference any number of Youtube videos on the subject if you need clarification on any of the steps.
Comments on cleaning
Common sense goes a long way with cleaning your rifle. First things first make sure its unloaded. A lot of experienced shooters have shot themselves because they became complacent. Contrary to popular belief the bolt does not need to be sloppy wet. Shooting an AR with a dripping bolt will result splattering oil and smoke in your eyes. Every time I qualified in the Army with my A2 they would literally pump spray CLP into the action. I’d end up battling smoke and sputtering CLP half the qualification. Also you only need to lightly wipe down the outside of your rifle, remember oil attracts dirt and debris. Ultimately if you are that concerned about corrosion, consider upgrading the rifle’s coating. They are a lot of solvents, lubricants, protectants out there most of them work just fine. Do your research and pick your poison.
Common Problems
Many of the malfunctions involving the AR have nothing to do with the rifle itself but the magazine. Common magazine related malfunctions include the dreaded double feed and failure to feed malfunctions. Things to check on your magazine include; bent feed lips, bound followers, damaged magazine bodies. If you have identified a faulty magazine, make sure you mark it as bad so you don’t mix it up with your good ones. Under normal circumstances quality magazines are inexpensive, buy a couple of spares in the rare occurrence one goes wonky.
Another common problem with the AR is the charging handle. Most of them are made of aluminum or other light metal. Some people have the habit of going all Hulk style while charging the rifle and wrenching it back. This can cause cracking and or warping of the handle itself. If your charging handle is damaged just pitch it and get a new one for around twenty bucks. I wouldn’t recommend buying the extended handles as it accentuates the uneven pull of the handle, and tends to get caught on plate carriers potentially pulling the bolt out of battery.
The majority of your other problems are going to originate in one place which is the bolt of the rifle. Once source of problems is the bolt gas rings which if they are worn out will cause the weapon to short cycle. One simple test can determine if your rings are worn out. Place the bolt face down on a hard surface and see if it falls down under its weight. If the rings fail this test you can replace them easily and for a couple of bucks.
The other point of failure on the bolt is the extractor. This is the component that drags the casing from the chamber after the round is fired. If the extractor is incapable of gaining positive control of the shell casing you may experience malfunctions such as failures to eject. Symptoms of a worn extractor also include weak ejections. This is where casings will be ejected only foot or two away, normally they should be getting ejected around ten feet away. A worn extractor will be obvious in comparison to a serviceable one. For a cheap increased reliability, upgrade extractor kits are available for around five bucks. These kits contain stronger springs and inserts that increase the tension of the extractor. The increased tension helps to ensure that positive grip we need on the casing so your rifle is spitting hot brass not dribbling it. That reads dirtier every time I look at it.
I recommend you keep an extra bolt on hand in case your gun goes down and you don’t have time to replace small parts. They come complete for around $60 and can be easily stored in a pistol grip or range bag. I would also keep a couple of sets of gas rings and a spare charging handle as well. All of these things can be purchase together for less than a hundred bucks and the majority of your failure points will be covered.
I can’t urge you enough, get out there and shoot your rifle. Practice skills you’ve earned in classes or in the service. Pursue further education through additional training courses. Too many people buy an AR and let them sit in safes. Some believe that the capabilities of the rifle will pull them through an armed confrontation and or the skills learned decades ago suffice. Reality has a way of placing the good guy in the disadvantage. Our skills fade as do our odds when we neglect them. The AR is no safe queen, they are meant to be shot fast and used hard. Earn some scratches on the rifle’s finish, it will love you for it.
My professional life began when I was seventeen and shipped off to basic training in Ft. Benning Georgia.My experiences as an Army artilleryman included a tour in Korea as well as a deployment to Iraq.Two awesome things I got out of my service, was meeting my now lovely wife at a wedding and getting turned on to punk and hardcore music.After the army I moved to Denver and started my career in Law enforcement.I worked over six years in law enforcement, six of it being as a street cop in the city.In addition to my usual duties as a police officer I was a FBI Defensive Tactics Instructor and a ground fighting instructor.At the end I decided that the garbage of the city wasn’t for me anymore.I longed for a place where I could carve out a little piece of land and do my own thing.No close neighbors, no home owners associations, and no one stopping by just to tell me I can’t do this or that.After making the strenuous journey back to Michigan where I grew up, my wife and I bought an old farmhouse on 11 acres and established a homestead we call Crooked Tree Farm.There my wife and I along with our cadre of minions manage a small flock of chickens and a moderately sized herd of dairy goats.Along with the craziness I obtained a BA in Homeland Security.Currently I work as a tactical response team member at a Midwestern nuclear plant.On any typical day you’ll find me running drills on the range, shoveling manure, and slaying dragons.
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2 thoughts to “AR15 Weapon Maintenance”
As a former USAF Combat Arms instructor with way too many years since I was on the range every day, the information Justin presented was straight forward useful information any novice can understand and benefit from. I much prefer these short helpful pieces over the longer webcasts type although you usually have a couple useful items mixed in with the banter. Keep up the good work James.
Thanks for your feedback. I think one of the biggest challenges is determining what improvements truly make your rifle more effective.
As a former USAF Combat Arms instructor with way too many years since I was on the range every day, the information Justin presented was straight forward useful information any novice can understand and benefit from. I much prefer these short helpful pieces over the longer webcasts type although you usually have a couple useful items mixed in with the banter. Keep up the good work James.
Thanks for your feedback. I think one of the biggest challenges is determining what improvements truly make your rifle more effective.