General cleaning question

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  • Goodcitizen

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    I have a psa ar15 pistol and I wanna strip it down to clean it, but I have every little knowledge on breakdown. Was thinking of the breakdown cleaning mats but my question is does it matter on what brand ar the mat represents or not. I would think the receiver is the same across the board. But as i said i have every little knowledge and I would love to learn this as my ocd is tempting to just do it..
     

    Goodcitizen

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    Yeah been looking at some videos and I haven't heard any mention if all receivers are the same and I don't wanna assume, I don't know about the dishwasher, my wife might lose it if I make her wash it..
     

    pete repete

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    U tube and google is your friend.

    Or just put the whole thing in the dish washer....

    :)
    as a young squad leader i got screwed over by having my Marines pulled early from a field exercise and thrown on battalion guard duty, with it's meticulous weapons inspections. i was angry, indignant and self righteous. i took all their rifles to my home on base housing and ran them thru the dishwasher. worked great too, except one stock inexplicably lost all its color. turned white! we painted it with something and passed the inspection.
     

    Daezee

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    Did your PSA pistol come with instructions on taking it apart for cleaning? If yes, follow them. Otherwise, use YouTube and/or Google it. Alternate idea: Know anybody close by that can show you? Piece of cake once shown and then you do it a couple of times.

    Regarding the receivers, other than removing the buffer and buffer spring to wipe them down, apply a thin coat of lube and put them back in the receiver, no normal need to take the receiver apart. For cleaning in the receiver (trigger group), I put a little solvent on q-tips and clean out any seen gunk down in the mechanism. Wipe off any other gunk with a paper towel with a little solvent. After that, a q-tip with a touch of lube on top of hammer where the bolt carrier rubs against it and on any trigger/hammer group parts where they contact each other.

    The real important gunk to get off will be in the upper receiver, bolt carrier group, and locking lugs at the rear of the barrel. Your hands will get black from that upper receiver cleaning (unless you wear gloves). That's where you need a video or instructions.

    Note: I only take and clean the buffer spring and buffer about once every 500-1000 rounds...they don't get real dirty.
     

    kendive

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    Did your PSA pistol come with instructions on taking it apart for cleaning? If yes, follow them. Otherwise, use YouTube and/or Google it. Alternate idea: Know anybody close by that can show you? Piece of cake once shown and then you do it a couple of times.

    Regarding the receivers, other than removing the buffer and buffer spring to wipe them down, apply a thin coat of lube and put them back in the receiver, no normal need to take the receiver apart. For cleaning in the receiver (trigger group), I put a little solvent on q-tips and clean out any seen gunk down in the mechanism. Wipe off any other gunk with a paper towel with a little solvent. After that, a q-tip with a touch of lube on top of hammer where the bolt carrier rubs against it and on any trigger/hammer group parts where they contact each other.

    The real important gunk to get off will be in the upper receiver, bolt carrier group, and locking lugs at the rear of the barrel. Your hands will get black from that upper receiver cleaning (unless you wear gloves). That's where you need a video or instructions.

    Note: I only take and clean the buffer spring and buffer about once every 500-1000 rounds...they don't get real dirty.
    I remember you and I just took apart a friends AR-9 from PSA on the fly at my range. It had three screws holding the lower on and after re-assy and a little lube (WD40) all we had it functioned alot better.
     

    Goodcitizen

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    Did your PSA pistol come with instructions on taking it apart for cleaning? If yes, follow them. Otherwise, use YouTube and/or Google it. Alternate idea: Know anybody close by that can show you? Piece of cake once shown and then you do it a couple of times.

    Regarding the receivers, other than removing the buffer and buffer spring to wipe them down, apply a thin coat of lube and put them back in the receiver, no normal need to take the receiver apart. For cleaning in the receiver (trigger group), I put a little solvent on q-tips and clean out any seen gunk down in the mechanism. Wipe off any other gunk with a paper towel with a little solvent. After that, a q-tip with a touch of lube on top of hammer where the bolt carrier rubs against it and on any trigger/hammer group parts where they contact each other.

    The real important gunk to get off will be in the upper receiver, bolt carrier group, and locking lugs at the rear of the barrel. Your hands will get black from that upper receiver cleaning (unless you wear gloves). That's where you need a video or instructions.

    Note: I only take and clean the buffer spring and buffer about once every 500-1000 rounds...they don't get real dirty.
    No it didn't come with any instructions, but thanks for answering my question about the receivers and the extra info.
     

    rviray

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    The break down for an AR is the same regardless of manufacturer. So, it doesn't matter what cleaning mat you get. Just slight differences on quality of parts. I'm assuming that the AR is direct impingement and not piston. Even direct impingement and piston types of ARs breakdown, relatively the same...just some minor differences.
     

    Baddog 0302

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    as a young squad leader i got screwed over by having my Marines pulled early from a field exercise and thrown on battalion guard duty, with it's meticulous weapons inspections. i was angry, indignant and self righteous. i took all their rifles to my home on base housing and ran them thru the dishwasher. worked great too, except one stock inexplicably lost all its color. turned white! we painted it with something and passed the inspection.
    Dish Washers, 100% USMC approved
     

    Goodcitizen

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    The break down for an AR is the same regardless of manufacturer. So, it doesn't matter what cleaning mat you get. Just slight differences on quality of parts. I'm assuming that the AR is direct impingement and not piston. Even direct impingement and piston types of ARs breakdown, relatively the same...just some minor differences.
    Airplanes over head!!! I don't even know if it's direct impingement or piston.. how do I tell? Or if I put a picture of it could you tell.
     

    zdiver99

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    Do NOT use an ultrasonic cleaner. Had a young Cpl use an ultrasonic cleaner in prep for an IG. He got hungry and went to chow. When he returned, he had the nicest aluminum colored rifle I have ever see. Got a cold bluing kit from the exchange and "fixed" the problem. Next time he went to draw his weapon for cleaning, it had been sent to Albany for re-bluing.
     

    rviray

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    Airplanes over head!!! I don't even know if it's direct impingement or piston.. how do I tell? Or if I put a picture of it could you tell.

    Airplanes over head!!! I don't even know if it's direct impingement or piston.. how do I tell? Or if I put a picture of it could you tell.
    Here's a good site describing the difference.


    Long story short....with direct impingement, the gas tube is one continuous tube, with a piston, the gas tube has a spring attached.
     

    Goodcitizen

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    Here's a good site describing the difference.


    Long story short....with direct impingement, the gas tube is one continuous tube, with a piston, the gas tube has a spring attached.
    Thanks a bunch
     

    Goodcitizen

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    Duckyou

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    Did your PSA pistol come with instructions on taking it apart for cleaning? If yes, follow them. Otherwise, use YouTube and/or Google it. Alternate idea: Know anybody close by that can show you? Piece of cake once shown and then you do it a couple of times.

    Regarding the receivers, other than removing the buffer and buffer spring to wipe them down, apply a thin coat of lube and put them back in the receiver, no normal need to take the receiver apart. For cleaning in the receiver (trigger group), I put a little solvent on q-tips and clean out any seen gunk down in the mechanism. Wipe off any other gunk with a paper towel with a little solvent. After that, a q-tip with a touch of lube on top of hammer where the bolt carrier rubs against it and on any trigger/hammer group parts where they contact each other.

    The real important gunk to get off will be in the upper receiver, bolt carrier group, and locking lugs at the rear of the barrel. Your hands will get black from that upper receiver cleaning (unless you wear gloves). That's where you need a video or instructions.

    Note: I only take and clean the buffer spring and buffer about once every 500-1000 rounds...they don't get real dirty.


    If you take it all apart, including the small pieces then you will lose a few retainer pins and screws, put it back together and it won’t work.

    Order a PSA lower parts kit, so you have extra parts and dig in.

    Once you do it then you can do it all the way once then you can do it 100 times.

    FYI- a spring and pin held in by the handle was the first one I lost. I had to wait 2 weeks for the replacement…
     

    rviray

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    Instead of a full lower parts kit, look for an "Oops Kit" (different companies will call it differently, but its all the same)....you will just get springs and pins, it won't be as expensive as an LPK. An Oops kit is the crap that will eventually get lost if you start taking small things apart . With that said, if your just looking to clean after a range trip, I would just

    1) split the upper and lower
    2) Take out the bolt carrier group (BCG)

    Get yourself a good CLP to clean the surface carbon build up from the upper, lower, BCG and charging handle. Everyone has different opinions about a good CLP, Oil, and cleaning solvent so I suggest you figure out what you like the best, and if you have a wife like mine, figure out what doesn't make the house stink...my wife hates Hoppes, she can stand Rem Oil and Frog Lube....so whatever doesn't make your wife wish she married someone else is what I would suggest. Go to Academy to get a bore snake or cleaning rod and some patches...clean and oil everything and call it a day.
     

    Goodcitizen

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    Sounds like I got everything I needed all Lucas brand cleaners and oils but I got that when I bought everything. Probably shot 1000 rounds and it's not dirty but wanted some info and got some really good help advice. Thanks a bunch so far this forum is true help.
     
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