You don't do the complete field stripping, you pop open the rear take down pin, remove the bolt group and charging handle and clean around it + punch the bore with CLP & brush, then reassemble. Repeat every 24hrs or if immediate/remedial action doesn't resolve a stoppage (or just pick a gun laying around and return fire).
Cleaning an M16 in the field
I just cleaned my brand spankin' new AR15 for the first time in preparation for my class this weekend. This was really the first time I have dealt with this platform. For those interested, here is the video series that helped me through it.
Cleaning the AR15 part 1
Cleaning the AR15 part 2
Cleaning the AR15 part 3
The question I have, especially for the military guys, is how the heck do you NOT lose those firing pin retaining pins and other small parts when you are disassembling it and cleaning it. I was reassembling the firing pin and lost the retaining pin. Eventually found it, but in the field, that must be a nightmare.
Cleaning the AR15 part 1
Cleaning the AR15 part 2
Cleaning the AR15 part 3
The question I have, especially for the military guys, is how the heck do you NOT lose those firing pin retaining pins and other small parts when you are disassembling it and cleaning it. I was reassembling the firing pin and lost the retaining pin. Eventually found it, but in the field, that must be a nightmare.
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Some people are of the mindset that you don't break down the bolt, but if we are setting in for the night or something, I do. Especially in training when we can shoot a few hundred rounds a day. The best way I have found to keep everything together, is taking off my boonie cover (read floppy hat for you civilians) and set it on the ground with the top of the hat down, disassemble the bolt right over top of it, and put all the pieces in the bowl that creates. And as soon as I am done with the bolt carrier group, it gets re-assembled ASAP.
I've seen many Marines spend hours painstakingly combing a small area of ground looking for that pin.
I've seen many Marines spend hours painstakingly combing a small area of ground looking for that pin.
We always carried a couple extras. Wait until you have to do it in the dark.
Carry extra's for sure, but I always used my cover to hold the little parts.
As suggested for the field.
At home, or the range. Lay out a towel and place small parts on it to keep them from getting moved around (dropped on the floor).
At home, or the range. Lay out a towel and place small parts on it to keep them from getting moved around (dropped on the floor).
Some people are of the mindset that you don't break down the bolt, but if we are setting in for the night or something, I do. Especially in training when we can shoot a few hundred rounds a day. The best way I have found to keep everything together, is taking off my boonie cover (read floppy hat for you civilians) and set it on the ground with the top of the hat down, disassemble the bolt right over top of it, and put all the pieces in the bowl that creates. And as soon as I am done with the bolt carrier group, it gets re-assembled ASAP.
I've seen many Marines spend hours painstakingly combing a small area of ground looking for that pin.
Ditto. Now that I don't wear hats that often, I find myself using a magnetic tool mat.Carry extra's for sure, but I always used my cover to hold the little parts.
If field conditions are real dusty, we carried rain ponchos expressly for breakdown and cleaning. We also brought along a can or two of spray carb cleaner.
You know......all of the small parts and stuff.....when I was in the Marines, out in the field and had to break it down completely.....I always kept those small parts in my mouth after they were cleaned of course. If that makes you feel squeamish in any way, just stick with the Army way.The question I have, especially for the military guys, is how the heck do you NOT lose those firing pin retaining pins and other small parts when you are disassembling it and cleaning it. I was reassembling the firing pin and lost the retaining pin. Eventually found it, but in the field, that must be a nightmare.
The firing pin retaining pin is too big to lose, now the extractor retaining pin is a different matter. I once spent a good 15 minutes of frantic searching for one that I dropped in some gravel. I also feel that the rubber part inside the extractor spring has got to be to one of the worst parts to go missing.
In the field for a "fast" clean:
Drop the magazine, clear the chamber, pull the trigger to make safe. Pop the rear pin only, shotgun the upper receiver open, pull the charging handle back without removing it so that the bolt carrier group slides out. Run a fast brush around the chamber area, exposed bolt face and extractor, and bolt carrier grooves. Pop hammer up and blow out any crud down in the lower receiver group. Wipe bolt carrier group on cleaning rag (T-shirt). One drop of CLP between bolt and carrier away from extractor (keep away from bolt face). Apply any extra CLP along grooves of bolt carrier (not forward assist grooves). Pull hammer back and reassemble. Work bolt carrier a couple of times to work in CLP.
In the field for a "fast" clean:
Drop the magazine, clear the chamber, pull the trigger to make safe. Pop the rear pin only, shotgun the upper receiver open, pull the charging handle back without removing it so that the bolt carrier group slides out. Run a fast brush around the chamber area, exposed bolt face and extractor, and bolt carrier grooves. Pop hammer up and blow out any crud down in the lower receiver group. Wipe bolt carrier group on cleaning rag (T-shirt). One drop of CLP between bolt and carrier away from extractor (keep away from bolt face). Apply any extra CLP along grooves of bolt carrier (not forward assist grooves). Pull hammer back and reassemble. Work bolt carrier a couple of times to work in CLP.
I suppose it could work, if you don't mind the taste of CLP and GSR.You know......all of the small parts and stuff.....when I was in the Marines, out in the field and had to break it down completely.....I always kept those small parts in my mouth after they were cleaned of course. If that makes you feel squeamish in any way, just stick with the Army way.
Might be hard on the tooth enamel, not to mention lead residue in the GSR.
i break it down clean thous parts first then hold them with my teeth but i agree i always break it down all the way
Thats great til your buddy slaps ya on the back and you swallow those parts and gotta wait for mother nature to call before you can "look" for themi break it down clean thous parts first then hold them with my teeth but i agree i always break it down all the way
I used a cravat to place the parts on it.
When I was just a cadet (before I got my commission) I had a real pain of a Drill Sergeant in summer camp. He used to make us all field strip and reassemble the M16 BLIND FOLDED. I still got to the point that my field strip took less and a minute and my reassemble/function check took about 2 minutes. One day he went around to every cadets pile of parts and sprinkled in the parts for a 1911A1 45. Took those of us who finally caught on to the trick almost 15 minutes to figure it out by feel and we cussed up a storm until he showed us the others who NEVER figured it out. That was a heck of an important lesson and I never forgot it. Don't count on being able to SEE to take it apart or put it back together. If you do use a light make sure it has a red lens so you don't blow your night vision. It'll take 30 minutes at least to recover that in total darkness while you won't be able to see much movement around you. Unless you've got night vision devices.
Ummmmm NOPE
In my experience, NOBODY ever slapped me on the back as the platoon leader. Not even my E-7 platoon sergeant or the Company First Sergeant. Holding the firing pin retainer pin in my teeth was a good way to keep it secure. PLUS I always carried a few others in a small plastic bag that sealed.:bier:Thats great til your buddy slaps ya on the back and you swallow those parts and gotta wait for mother nature to call before you can "look" for them
As you can tell I was joking,they should issue xtra small parts in the cleaning kit,When I served we had M16A1's that like the M4 had no trapdoor in the buttstock for a cleaning kit,that little pin can be hard to find even on a dark backgroundIn my experience, NOBODY ever slapped me on the back as the platoon leader. Not even my E-7 platoon sergeant or the Company First Sergeant. Holding the firing pin retainer pin in my teeth was a good way to keep it secure. PLUS I always carried a few others in a small plastic bag that sealed.:bier:
Troops....
So I piped up about my hopes for promotion:
"Gee I'd like to make captain in record time!" :hand5:
"Yeah RIGHT!" they howled. :rofl:
"Dunno why not .... I'm ALREADY a Lieutenant!" :king:
I never saw a single area of a BLEACHER empty so fast in all my life! :rofl: But we got along and my guys really saved my wet behind the ears newbie behind several times! Mostly because I knew my NCOs had tons more experience than I did and I wasn't embarrassed about asking for advice. In fact, I discovered my old college buddy was the S1 Personnel Officer over at the 2nd Ranger Battalion. I knew that the Rangers were always sent for about six months to the 9th ID to detune them for eventual discharge. So I arranged with the two S1's for me to get EVERY Ranger being discharged over the next year. Soon I had a real professional platoon of serious killers. All troops who knew the woods all over Fort Lewis like the back of their hands, blindfolded. My guys once left a note dangling in front of the nose of a snoozing major general still in his M151 quarter-ton "Jeep" which read: "You've just been RECONNED by the GHOSTS from 2nd Platoon. You're lucky we weren't after SCALPS!" Sheeeesh what a bunch of wild-men.
Yup, but it reminds me of a funny story. My first night with my first active duty unit, I did a night familiarization fire with the old 1st Gen starlight scopes (HUGE honking things) while wearing protective masks and other MOPP gear. So I'm waiting in the bleachers to shoot, haven't even really MET my platoon yet and yet they're all around me and nobody knows NOBODY in MOPP. No rank even visible even if it weren't dark as death. So I "inserted myself" into a conversation with the troops. They were cranky about training so I knew they were happy 'cause silent troops REALLY ARE angry troops! :duh: They were bragging about everything from female conquests to next promotions and speculating about senior ncos and officers. :image035:As you can tell I was joking,they should issue xtra small parts in the cleaning kit,When I served we had M16A1's that like the M4 had no trapdoor in the buttstock for a cleaning kit,that little pin can be hard to find even on a dark background
So I piped up about my hopes for promotion:
"Gee I'd like to make captain in record time!" :hand5:
"Yeah RIGHT!" they howled. :rofl:
"Dunno why not .... I'm ALREADY a Lieutenant!" :king:
I never saw a single area of a BLEACHER empty so fast in all my life! :rofl: But we got along and my guys really saved my wet behind the ears newbie behind several times! Mostly because I knew my NCOs had tons more experience than I did and I wasn't embarrassed about asking for advice. In fact, I discovered my old college buddy was the S1 Personnel Officer over at the 2nd Ranger Battalion. I knew that the Rangers were always sent for about six months to the 9th ID to detune them for eventual discharge. So I arranged with the two S1's for me to get EVERY Ranger being discharged over the next year. Soon I had a real professional platoon of serious killers. All troops who knew the woods all over Fort Lewis like the back of their hands, blindfolded. My guys once left a note dangling in front of the nose of a snoozing major general still in his M151 quarter-ton "Jeep" which read: "You've just been RECONNED by the GHOSTS from 2nd Platoon. You're lucky we weren't after SCALPS!" Sheeeesh what a bunch of wild-men.
OkaaaaaaayyyMy guys once left a note dangling in front of the nose of a snoozing major general still in his M151 quarter-ton "Jeep" which read: "You've just been RECONNED by the GHOSTS from 2nd Platoon. You're lucky we weren't after SCALPS!" Sheeeesh what a bunch of wild-men.
__________________
Getting a bit deep in here isn't it?
No bull
No bull, it really happened. Ask OPFOR if the Rangers aren't really capable of doing that stuff. This is an outfit that was BANNED from the European continent in the 1980s for STEALING live WAR PLANS from a HQ building thinking they had to have been part of an exercise because the OP was so easy. Every person in Delta force started as a Ranger. I myself didn't make it thru Ranger school because I was injured (busted a leg and had no time to recycle). There are plenty of Rangers on this forum. Are you an army vet?Okaaaaaaayyy
Getting a bit deep in here isn't it?
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