Welcome back to the 10th installment of my blog, in which I don’t claim to be an expert, in fact the very opposite. I’m a new user to the AR platform and want to share my findings and experiences as I go through and build rifles as well as being the Operations Manager at Tyrant Designs.

 

Can we all agree the earth is flat? Wait what? Sorry, wrong blog. Can we all agree that our rifles should be reliable at all times? I believe that all the guns in your home should be ready to go at a moments notice. This includes your AR 15.

 

The obvious ones

 

1. Cleaning – Your rifle is a mechanical object with springs, a gas system, and is not immune to corrosive environmental elements. While I think it can be argued how often it needs to be cleaned, it’s important to make sure bolt carrier group is clear of carbon deposits. Scrub these parts with scrubbing tools and don’t forget to apply oil.

 

2. Lube – First make sure your weapon is clean before lubrication. Don’t use KY jelly. Make sure the bolt carrier group, bolt lugs, and firing pins get some lube love. Remember, heavy lube for low temperature environments and dry lube for dry environments.

 

Less obvious tips…

 

3. Gas. DRILL BABY DRILL. Make sure rifle isn’t being over gassed. When this happens, a live round tries to enter into the chamber before the prior round is ejected. Make sure you have a properly sized gas port. Also, gas rings can be replaced after over use.

 

4. Replace Springs – Think about this, the springs are what control the opposing reaction to when your rifle is fired, so it would make sense that they go through a lot of mechanical stress. Extractor and buffer springs take quite a beating over the course of a rifles operational use.

 

5. Magazines – When people are stock piling magazines I’ve seen in many cases people buying discounted pour quality ones. This is a big no no. Because of the nature of their poor quality, they become deformed and that leads to feeding issues. If you like top quality magazines at whole sale prices go to www.gunmagwarehouse.com they are a favorite of ours.

 

6. Ammo – Whether you shoot steel or brass, make sure the quality of it is good. There are many reputable companies that provide good ammo at decent prices, so don’t be cheap when it comes to home defense.

 

See, a reliable rifle is important! I knew we could agree on something. So for all the newbs out there take heed to this post. Experienced users, I know I can’t teach you anything because you are so super smart and tactical, but hopefully this serves as a reminder to update your cleaning schedule.

 

Until next week, Cory out.