First Sergeant Sends: Weapons Maintenance
From the MVT FORUM:
I saw more weapons go down this past CTT class than I have seen in a long time. We had popped primers, no lube, not enough lube, wrong lube (grease), carbon build up in the chamber that kept the weapon from going into battery and one case of a carbine buffer and spring in a rifle length AR (with an adjustable carbine stock) that caused it to short stroke. It essentially became a bolt action rifle. The buffer was unmarked and it had a coated buffer spring. All of these issues detracted from training time. You want to be able to get the most out of class, not have to worry about your gun going down.
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Read the rest on the MVT Forum: Forums The Armory – Gear and Equipment Weapons
I can’t agree more.
It’s amazing how many people buy a polymer 80% lower and a drill press and say “look ma, I made me a gun” and SHOCKER the piece of junk doesn’t work. Malfunctions happen. But they shouldn’t happen all the time. Buy a quality MILSPEC AR. You don’t need to spend $2000 on something. But you need to know whatever you buy that IT WILL WORK. So after you buy it run no fewer than 1000 rounds through it over the following month.
I like to keep things simple. For my personal rifles, I like the Colt 6920. As a simple knuckledragger: it’s closest I could do to being able to buy an M4. Modify with optics/accessories, job done. It never stops running.
I have had good results with Palmetto Armory rifles as the loaner rifles for class.
It’s amazing what goes wrong with students’ weapons at class. Ammunition failures due to crappy ammo, or parts falling off/malfunctions because they ‘built their AR in their Mom’s basement’ or modified it in a sub-par manner.
I’ve ran a Palmetto State Armory through two of your classes, many Appleseed and lots of other range/training time with ne’er a hiccup.
Except for one misfire on the CP raid due to – steel cased Russian ammo.
I’ve brought two rifles to the two CTT classes I’ve done, primary a Palmetto State Armory build and backup something else. Never needed the backup and actually have never had a malfunction that I didn’t cause somehow.
I got the Palmetto State Armory because they had parts kits but will gladly buy more, hearing more good things about them.
The Palmetto AR even made it through the better part of a case of Tula steel-case 223 the first CTT class.
Ok, I’m starting to get a couple of “get an AK it never breaks” comments.
Sorry, no, and also that is not what the post is about.
Be factual and helpful or go away.
My AR runs all day and all night. I’ve seen your AK break. This is about lack of knowledge of the weapon system, not the combat suitability of the AR.
That is all.
It was a joke, Max. I run both a PSA AR and an AKM.I carried an M-16A2 for eight years. I know the weapon. They all need maintainence.
The advice to testing and proving your weapons in all conditions CANNOT be over stated.. Whats more is understanding the effects of exposure on ones weapons that are separate from from dirt, debris and fouling caused by firing. The elements can deteriorate an untended weapon to the point of failure just as easily, or faster then the lack of proper mechanical maintenance since the elements do not relent.
My weapons are probably wet 50% or the time. Ive invested time in to using a penetrating oil of my own mix(Wd40 mixed with 3in1 oil)that gets into nooks and crannies where water (and moisture filled debris) will settle and eat my weapons. (Mostly Com-Bloc weapons)You will not always have time to clean a weapon in the field and this time adds up fast as does the effects of corrosion in many types of weapons if you let it. It can sneak up FAST. Preservation is as important as proper maintenance when the hammer drops. So far in 7 years, as near as i can tell, my Ak74 and the TT33 have remained 100% corrosion free in the places i worry about the most. These are places i have seen other weapons pitted, scored and showing signs of obvious iron-oxide coming from with irreversible and unnecessary damaged being inflicted.
The proving of the use of my m4 here in theses shit conditions is still in the proving stages. October will make one year since i went the road of the m4. So far so good.
Bergmann
If you can sort this stuff out at a good square range, before class, you’re money ahead. If not, then you can do it at MVT, although the quality of your training experience will go down. The more focus on keeping the weapon working, the less on situational awareness.
Bergman, that’s smart, at least having the M-4 pattern rifle in the inventory. You will see it again.
One comment on the WD-40 thing. I worked at the factory where this stuff was invented (AF Plant 19, San Diego, CA) It was originally made as a preservative for stainless steel propellant tanks for the Atlas ICBM’s. What they found was over time, it left a sticky residue, which had to be completely removed and recoated on a regular schedule. I know because I was one of the grunts who did the work. I would not trust this stuff long term, unless you completely strip it, and re-coat, say on a quarterly basis.
If it was me, I’d go with Marvel Mystery Oil. That’s what the old timers used up in Alaska, back in the day, for firearms in sub-zero weather. (I was at Elmemdorf AFB from ’59-61.)
Sadly Sub-0 temps are disappearing up here going on 4-5 years now. What use to be months worth of below 0 temps is now hit a miss a few days here and there throughout the winters. Appalachia saw more snow then me this past winter. I hope to see a turn around of that this year but i wont hold my breath.
Anyhow It generally gets reapplied with each cleaning..Thanks for the heads up on all that. And thnx for the heads up on the MMO; I’m all about old school methods..
The M4 doesn’t retain nearly as much earth or water as the AK does. Makes the constant of PM and kit maint that much less a PITA.. I have OPFOR in the wilderness every time i step off so my shit has to work.
Bergmann
Question-why rely on a boresnake to clean the barrel?
Boresnakes leave all kinds of stuff in the barrel,a cleaning rod,brass brush,powder solvent,and clean,dry cotton/flannel patches is the only way to get a barrel clean,other than using a good copper solvent if you’ve fired 1,000 rounds or more.
The best way I know of to clean really dirty barrels in to us a penetrating oil called Kroil,in combination with another product called JB Bore Compound-I’ve used that combination in hunting rifles for years,it gets stuff out that Hoppe’s #9 etc. won’t even touch.
Just wondered why no mention of the need for clean barrels to maintain accuracy.
This post was not intended to be an in depth look at weapons maintenance for accuracy purposes. It was a look at what can and does go wrong with weapons during class and how that corresponds to an actual SHTF situation.
On a patrol you will not have time to pull out the rods and the Kroil to do an in depth immaculate cleaning. You will have time to do basic maintenance to keep your gun running. Once you get back to wherever you are based out of is the time for an in depth cleaning, and even then that may not be necessary.
A lot of people have this urge that their guns must be made pristine every time they shoot it. If you have the time and that’s your thing, then by all means, have at it. I do that with my older guns(Garand, old Colt revolvers and 1911’s) because they spend most of their time in the safe. Unless you are shooting some pretty crappy ammo or are rolling around in the mud, you should only have to do a basic wipe down and inspection. We are talking about basic operational maintenance, not bench rest 1’000 yard shots where guys clean the barrel after every shot fired.
As to bore-snakes, I have used them on AR’s, issued and owned, exclusively for the past ten years. I have not noticed any drop off in accuracy. That includes qualifying with them and using them for the purpose for which they were issued.
Please advise on issues with using wheel-bearing grease on an AR.