Cleaning & Maintenance Guide
Recommended cleaning kits, solvents, lubricants and maintenance intervals for AR-15s, Glocks and handguns.
Maintenance Intervals
| Interval | Task |
|---|
| After every range session | Wipe rails, re-lubricate bolt and carrier, inspect chamber |
| Every 500 rounds | Full BCG cleaning, bore brush, patch through barrel |
| Every 2,000–3,000 rounds | Detail strip, inspect all springs, clean gas tube |
| After any weather exposure | Full cleaning regardless of round count |
| Annually | Replace recoil spring (AR-15), RSA (Glock) |
Essential Cleaning Kit Components
- Bore brush — caliber-specific bronze or nylon brush for the barrel
- Chamber brush — star-pattern brush for the chamber and feed ramps
- Cleaning patches — cotton patches for applying solvent and wiping
- Cleaning rod or bore snake — rod for patch pushing; bore snake for quick field cleaning
- CLP (Cleaner-Lubricant-Protectant) — all-in-one product for most maintenance needs
- Carbon scraper — for the bolt carrier group and gas key
- Nylon utility brush — for scrubbing carbon from the upper receiver
Recommended Products
| Product | Type | Best For | Price |
|---|
| Real Avid AR-15 Cleaning Kit | Complete kit | AR-15 specific, caliber brushes included | ~$30 |
| Otis Technology Elite Range Box | Complete kit | Multi-caliber, pull-through system | ~$45 |
| Hoppe's No. 9 Solvent | Solvent | Carbon fouling removal, industry standard | ~$8 |
| Slip 2000 EWL | Lubricant | Extreme wear lubricant, competition shooters | ~$12 |
| Breakthrough Clean Battle Born HP Pro | CLP | All-in-one for general maintenance | ~$15 |
| Ballistol | CLP | Safe on wood stocks, all-purpose | ~$10 |
💡 For most shooters, a quality CLP like Slip 2000 or Breakthrough Clean handles 95% of maintenance needs. Dedicated solvent + dedicated lubricant is only necessary for high-round-count competition use.
Where to Buy Cleaning Supplies
