An Ultimate AR-15 Cleaning Guide

Did you know that there are around 20 million AR-15s in circulation across the United States of America?  

Chances are, you’re among the new owners who have taken your AR-15 to the range, but found, after a day of fun, it’s time for a good cleaning. The task may seem daunting, but it’s incredibly important. But it’s not as challenging as it may seem. 

This ultimate guide has everything you need to know about cleaning an AR-15. Once you’ve gone through the process, you’ll be disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling your AR-15 like a pro. 

Get the Right Tools 

Before getting into cleaning your AR-15, you need to have the right tools. If you already own one for another gun or rifle, you already have almost everything for the task ahead.

The only extra thing you require is a bore brush fit for your AR-15. Luckily, bore brushes aren’t expensive and very easy to come by. 

However, if you don’t own a cleaning kit, you’ll need to buy one. 

You have two choices when it comes to AR-15 cleaning kits. You can either buy a pre-made kit or build your own. 

Pre-Made Gun Cleaning Kits 

Buying a pre-made kit is sometimes an easier option. Many don’t have the time or energy to build a large kit. Pre-made kits are also great for infrequent shooters or those who don’t necessarily find the process of cleaning weapons therapeutic. 

Whichever camp you fall into, pre-made kits are a great way to easily get the right tools you need. However, the only downside to this option is the need to ensure the tools are perfect for your AR-15. Chances are, these kits come with a variety of brushes and other tools to fit a wide range of guns. 

As beneficial as this may be to a gun collector, you still have to ensure the bore snakes and brushes included are the right sizes for your specific AR-15. 

Making Your Own AR-15 Cleaning Kit

While pre-made kits are perfect for new owners, building your own AR-15 cleaning kit is the better choice for most. Building a cleaning kit allows you to personalize your tools in a way that pre-made kits don’t allow. 

When building your own kit, remember to keep in mind the caliber of your AR-15. The right size brushes and snake rods will allow you to clean your gun correctly. 

For your kit, you’ll need: 

• A case or box for your tools 
• A cleaning mat 
• The right size brushes, bore snakes, and punches 
• Cleaning Solvents and lubricants 

Alternatively, you can buy a wide range of pre-made kits. This way you can create a large, master cleaning kit for your AR-15 and the rest of your gun collection. 

When you’re building your kit, always do the necessary research to ensure you’re getting the right tools for your needs.

Cleaning AR-15: The Ultimate Guide

Once you’ve got your tools, it’s time to clean your AR-15. 

Before getting down and dirty with your AR-15, though, you need to prepare. Lay down your cleaning mat and pop on a pair of gloves. The solvents and lubricants used during the cleaning process are packed with toxic chemicals.

Next, clear and render your AR-15 safe. This ensures there are no rounds in the chamber and your gun won’t accidentally fire. For good measure, you should remove any ammunition from the area in which you’re working.  

When rendering the AR-15 safe, follow these steps: 

• Point the rifle away from you or anyone else in the room 
• Remove the magazine
• Ensure the AR-15 is on “safe”
• Lock the bolt to the rear 
• Check the chamber, removing any ammunition that wasn’t ejected 
• Release the bolt
• Ensure, again, the AR-15 is on “safe” 

Once your AR-15 has been rendered safe, and your area is prepped, you can go ahead and begin the cleaning process. 

Disassemble Your AR-15 

1. Separate Both the Upper and Lower Receivers 

The first step in disassembling and cleaning your AR-15 is separating the upper and lower receivers.

To separate them, push out the take-down pins and pull the two halves apart. You can usually do this by hand, however, sometimes you’ll need some extra help. A punch is a great tool for tough, stubborn take-down pins.

Whatever you use to separate the receivers, be careful not to scratch your finish. A nylon punch is often a better choice for most, as it won’t damage or scratch your AR-15.

2. Remove the Charging Handle and Bolt Carrier Group 

When the upper and lower receivers have been separated, this next step is rather simple. Remove the bolt carrier group and charging handle by sliding them back and out of the upper receiver.

The bolt carrier group will also need to be disassembled once removed from the upper receiver. Push back the bolt to the rear of the carrier group. Next, remove the firing pin retaining pin using the pick in your kit.

Then, remove the firing pin from the retaining pin and set it aside. Now, rotate the cam pin, about 90 degrees, and remove it. The bolt should easily slide out.

When the bolt is out, you’ll need to disassemble it to remove the extractor. 

Using a punch and mallet, remove the extractor pin, followed by the extractor. Set them both aside. It’s best to keep a bowl or tray nearby for your extractor pin. They tend to roll around easily, often rolling off your worktop and disappearing.

3. Remove the Buffer and Buffer Spring from the Buffer Tube

The next step is to remove both the buffer and buffer spring from the buffer tube. You can use your hands but it’s sometimes easier to use the punch in the AR-15 cleaning kit.

To remove them from the buffer tube, press down on the buffer retainer using your fingers or punch. The buffer retainer is under pressure, and the only projectile of concern once all the ammunition has been removed.

Because it’s under pressure, the buffer retainer can fly off the gun. It’s best to be firm and not let the pin slip from your fingers. Hence why using the punch is sometimes the safer and easier option.

Clean Your AR-15

Once you’ve disassembled your AR-15 and its parts, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty. 

1. Clean the Chamber and Barrel

The first things you’re going to clean are the barrel and chamber of the AR-15. Many have their own methods for cleaning the chamber and barrel, and as time goes on, you’ll develop a method that works best for you too. 

However, no matter what method you use, there are always a few important things to remember. The most important being to always clean the chamber and barrel from rear to front. Essentially, you clean along the same path bullets take when being fired.

This way any debris is pushed out the front of the barrel and aids in keeping the rifling intact. You should also never clean from the muzzle into the chamber.

Cleaning the chamber and barrel can take some finessing and time to perfect. Over time though, you’ll figure out what works best for you.

Whatever you do, however, it’s a good idea to add some bore cleaner to your brushes. It helps get rid of any dirt in the chamber and barrel, leaving them spotless.

The barrel and chamber should be clean after running a few patches from your cleaning kit through them. Once the patches come out clean, you can move on to the next step.

2. Clean the Bolt Carrier Group

Cleaning the bolt carrier group is much easier than cleaning the chamber and barrel. Mainly because you can see everything that needs to be clean as you’ve disassembled the bolt carrier group.

When cleaning, pay special attention to any carbon buildup. There will more than likely be heavy buildup on the rear of the firing pin. Your AR-15 cleaning kit should have come with specific brushes for cleaning the bolt carrier group. However, if not and you’re desperate, a hard or stiff toothbrush is perfect for the job.

Pay special attention to the extractor as well.

When cleaning the bolt carrier group, it’s a good idea to have several clean, microfiber rags on hand. You can use them as inspection rags to ensure all parts of your AR-15 are cleaned properly with no remaining debris or oil.

Keep these rags pearly white by washing them after every gun clean with some bleach.

As easy as the bolt carrier group is to clean, the bolt tail is often stubborn. A lot of carbon buildup sits on the bolt tail, making it a challenge to clean.

Luckily, our M4 tool makes this very easy. This stainless-steel tool is designed to form perfectly around the curve of the bolt tail, cleaning it easily and thoroughly. 

When the bolt carrier group is spick and span, reassemble it in the exact opposite order of disassembly. Ensure the bolt is fully to the front so it can be properly reinserted in the upper. 

3. Clean the Buffer Assembly

This is another easy and simple step.

Grab a clean rag and pop some lubricant on it. Then wipe down the buffer and buffer spring. You can clean the buffer tube, but it’s not essential to do this every time.

If your AR-15 has a collapsible stock, now is the time to clean it. Remove the stock, and wipe it down, along with the outside of the buffer. While necessary over time, it’s not essential for every cleaning cycle.

4. Clean Upper Receiver and Charging Handle

The upper receiver and charging handle don’t require as thorough cleaning as the bolt carrier group. Like the buffer assembly, they only need a wipe down with some oil.

You’ll know they’re clean enough when you wipe them down with an inspection rag and it stays white. Again, processes and methods may vary from person to person. But the goal is to ensure all aspects of the weapon are free from carbon buildup. 

If the charging handle is cleaned properly, once reassembled, it will move easily within the upper receiver. 

5. Clean Lower Receiver and Fire Control Group

Cleaning the lower receiver and fire control group (FCG) takes some oil, a decent brush, and plenty of patience. We recommend using Lucas Oil’s gun cleaning solvents. 

While these parts don’t tend to get very dirty, cleaning them properly allows you to inspect them. Take a close look at the FCG, ensuring there are no cracks on the hammer. The lower receiver can also show some wear, so it’ll need to be inspected properly too.

Use your brushes to get into the hard-to-reach areas when doing this step. 

6. Reassemble your AR-15

Once all the parts of your AR-15 are clean – using your inspection rags to make 100% sure there’s no leftover carbon buildup – it’s time to put everything back together.

When reassembling your AR-15, work backward from the takedown. Start by putting the buffer and buffer spring back into the buffer tube. Working backward, until you put the upper and lower receivers back together.

This can take some time and a while to get used to. However, after a few cleanings, disassembling, and reassembling your AR-15 will become second nature.

7. Lubricate your AR-15

While reassembling your gun may seem like the final step, it’s not.

All the major moving parts within your AR-15 received a dash of lubricant during the cleaning process. The ‘outside’ moving parts and buttons should be the same.

The safety selector, FCG, mag release button, and bolt release button should get one or two drops of lubricant. You may need to work the lube in there, but take your time, ensuring that all moving parts can now move a little better.

8. Ensure Everything is Working

Once that’s done, you need to make sure your AR-15 is functioning properly. Before doing a function test, perform a safety test. Even if you did one before this entire cleaning process. Gun safety is always of utmost importance.

Once you’ve checked the chamber is clear, perform a function check:

1. Point the AR-15 away from you and anyone else
2. Pull the bolt to the rear and release it forward
3. Place the gun on safe
4. Squeeze the trigger
5. If the hammer doesn’t drop, move on to the next step
6. Place the rifle on fire and pull the trigger
7. The hammer should fall

If the hammer falls, then your AR-15 is functioning correctly, congratulations!

Maintaining your AR-15

Every rifle has its own maintenance schedule. You can ask your manufacturer but as a rule, you should inspect your AR-15 every 1,000 rounds. After about 5,000 rounds, however, it’s best to inspect your gun every 500 rounds.

The first signs of wear on an AR-15 usually appear in the various springs and O-rings of the bolt carrier group. When cleaning, inspect the O-rings and springs. If there is wear, frays, or cracks, it’s time to swap them out for new ones. 

Maintaining a rigorous AR-15 cleaning schedule, and cleaning the gun after every use, will reduce the chances of failure. It also extends the life of your AR-15.

Cleaning AR-15: The Ultimate Guide

Once you know how to, cleaning an AR-15 is as easy as pie. 

And now that you can properly maintain your rifle, why not check out some gear you can upgrade your gun with.

Justin Trump

Justin Trump is the managing editor and owner of CAT Outdoors. The son of a Vietnam veteran, he’s an avid gun enthusiast and 2A advocate. He holds two firearm patents for the CAT M4 and Talon tools. When not managing CAT Outdoors, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, rooting for Michigan sports teams, and serving his church.