Cleaning Ar Internals With 2 Cycle Engine Oil

[redwoods]

I have a friend who told me that if you take apart your AR15 and soak the parts in 2 cycle engine oil, it will take all the carbon off it. I ride motocross with a 4 stroke bike, so have never used the 2 cycle engine oil for anything, but I think that is where the person came up with the idea. The guy also told me I could drip some in the gas tube and leave it in there for a couple of days. Does anyone have any experience with this (soaking the gun parts, bolt assembly, in 2 cycle oil)?

Redwoods

[George]

I have been using synthetic detergent motor oil in my AR's and gas operated shotguns for quite a few years now and it works fine at keeping the gun clean while it runs. No need for soaking the bolt in 2 cycle oil, just run the upper receiver and bolt/bolt carrier lubed with detergent motor oil and it cleans up with a wipe nicely everywhere except for the tail of the bolt. I always scrape this area clean with my Kershaw knife anyway (kinda' like whittlin').

The tail of the bolt is the only place I get any carbonization anyway, especially when I lube the bolt carrier up with detergent motor oil. Carbon on the bolt tail only bothers anything if it builds up real heavily and jams the bolt. This takes a real long time so I see no need for cleaning this area down to bare metal every time you clean it.

[outerlimits]

I have been using synthetic detergent motor oil in my AR's and gas operated shotguns for quite a few years now and it works fine at keeping the gun clean while it runs. No need for soaking the bolt in 2 cycle oil, just run the upper receiver and bolt/bolt carrier lubed with detergent motor oil and it cleans up with a wipe nicely everywhere except for the tail of the bolt. I always scrape this area clean with my Kershaw knife anyway (kinda' like whittlin').

The tail of the bolt is the only place I get any carbonization anyway, especially when I lube the bolt carrier up with detergent motor oil. Carbon on the bolt tail only bothers anything if it builds up real heavily and jams the bolt. This takes a real long time so I see no need for cleaning this area down to bare metal every time you clean it.

+1...i use 5/20 castrol

[Larry White]

+2, except 10w 30 Mobil 1.----------Larry

[Stumpnav]

I took a Jim Owens High Power class in OKC a couple years back. There was a member from the Navy team there and he told me the same thing. I gave it a try. It worked. Not any better or worse than anything else I've tried over the years.

Carbon doesn't react with much, so there is no easy answer to swab something on and let it eat at the carbon. You either have to mechanically scrape it off (a patch soaked with Hoppes is a form of scraping) or let a penetrating oil soak. The oil gets in between the bits of carbon and 'loosens' it allowing it to be more easily removed. So the two cycle engine oil would and does work just fine for this.

[RiggerJJ]

An ultra-sonic cleaner works great for the bolt & carrier... When assembling after cleaning I coat the entire bolt and carrier with break-free, seems to make cleaning a bit easier even when cleaning by hand.

jj

[Ken Mays]

A fired .45 ACP case works well for scraping the carbon off the back of the bolt. Slip it on the end and roll it around.

I've also used the SLIP 2000 carbon dissolving jar'o'stuff, and it works, albeit slowly.

[Les Snyder]

I think KurtM suggested using a 308 case to scrape the carbon... but for lube I've been using Mercury (outboard)Quicksilver 2stroke racing oil for several years now... it is formulated to disperse carbon... I use Wolff in my 223 and after switching back to a 3 ring from the continuous McFarland style have had no problems with gummy bolt...don't know the answer to your original question, but would be worth a try

I used a watersoluble carbon cutter from SLIP1000 (I think that was the name... it's in the garage) and it worked well

regards

Les

[Rockchucker]

Kind of funny how we go outside of the firearms industry for solvents and lubricants......I have been using Mercury Outboard Quicksilver Carborater Cleaner as the first step in cleaning rifle bores for years. Read about it in "Precision Shooting" magazine and gave it a try. Cleaning with this product supposedly got the carbon out first and exposed the copper fouling to the copper solvents that came next. Funny thing was that after I read the article, I looked all over for the stuff and ended up finding it at an Evinrude dealer

[deltafred]

beleive it or not, i have used shaving cream a number of times. i have also used Simple Green and Gunk. all have worked well. i have neve rused motor oil, maybe i will venture down that road in the near future.

[stubbicatt]

Ditto on Slip 2000 Carbon Killer. Their lube is pretty decent too. The carbon killer gets that stubborn crud off the gas pistons of my AKs, which does tend to get quite encrusted.

[GentlemanJim]

MMMM some new tricks to add to the goodie bag

Thanks Jim