Wipe out and gas guns?

wisconsinteacher · Jan 7, 2015

I plan on cleaning an AR15 and M1 in the near future. Can I use Wipe Out Foam Cleaner on gas guns or will it cause issues with the gas tube and gas system?

Guy Miner · Jan 7, 2015

Never tried Wipe Out on an AR-15 or M-16/M-4... Interesting question. I don't know why it wouldn't work... But... Ask the manufacturer as well perhaps?

Guy

kraky · Jan 8, 2015

The website says it will not corrode and it will not "gum up" actions. That said I've been watching for some real life testimonials. I use it in my bar 308 and have not had any trouble. But I haven't used it a ton...just after hunting season. I'm not sure how the gas ports work so as a little extra insurance I put the gun in my cradle upside down just to avoid "draining"....whether I'm accoplishing anything....damned if I know....just seemed like a good idea.

velvetant · Jan 8, 2015

I have used it on my AR's.
All I did was to blow out the gas tube with some canned air used for computers.
Mostly I use CLP on my AR's.
IMO..On AR's Powder fowling is more a concern then copper fouling.

greenheadcaller · Jan 8, 2015

wisconsinteacher":4hmhuj7r said:
I plan on cleaning an AR15 and M1 in the near future. Can I use Wipe Out Foam Cleaner on gas guns or will it cause issues with the gas tube and gas system?

Regarding the AR ....(assuming it is a straight gas fired and not a piston driven system)

I am not familiar with Wipe Out, but I have used foaming copper and bore cleaners/removers in my gas driven AR's from time to time for a long time....supposed to or not, I don't know...but I haven't had any trouble.

In fact, after I get the barrel full of foam I put my finger over the barrel hole (upper removed from lower) and squirt some more in there and it will shoot out the gas tube...just to make sure I am getting it clean too.

To remove from gas tube, they make gas tube cleaners (basically extra long pipe cleaners) you can run up the tube....this is probably the thing to do.

But what I do is...after letting the foam do it's work, I get most of it removed from the barrel, then block the hole in the chamber and blow a little low pressure air down the barrel...... if you block the hold in the chamber, the air will forced back out through the gas tube carrying most of the remaining gunk with it. I don't worry about a little moisture in the air source...as I am not done swabbing/cleaning when I do this anyway. This seems to work ....and you can follow with the long pipe cleaners/store bought tube cleaners behind if ya want to. (I usually just set the upper vertically (barrel up) on a shop towel when all through with the rest of the cleaning project and let whatever residual left in there after the blow drain overnight and call it good).

Recommended...I don't know...but that's what I do and haven't had any trouble doing it.

http://www.amazon.com/Gas-Tube-Cleaner- ... e+cleaners

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-c ... d1544.aspx

If your AR is a gas/piston driven AR, I can't offer you real life cleaning experience on that one.