AR sights and chamber

[Sgt Steve]

Well I know we usually are into the Enfields, Krags, 03's, Garands, M14's so I thought I'd throw in an AR 15 post!

AR15, Colt, preban, HBAR, 223 (not 5.56). I shoot this rifle about 1/2 of the CMP shoots and the other half is the Garand or the M1A.
There's 2 issues for which I"d appreciate some input.
1) I'm using about 7 clicks left windage on my AR. To me this is something I'd like to approach differently, too much rear sight movement. Unless I can't see what I"m doing there has to be another way to rough in some windage before using the rear sight. Don't want to grind the front sight post.
2) Sure, I use the AR chamber brush on the AR but here too - there has to be a better way - to clean out the area between the lugs and the actual mouth of the chamber. Anyone out there have a little secret?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[ColdMan]

Hey Sgt Steve,

I'm not 100% what your rifle has for a front sight base/gas block. But is it held in place with taper pins or set screws? If the FSB is canted a little you can see some windage issues appear. With the set screws it is an easy fix. With Taper pins it is a real pain to do much to it. So I would give that a good looking at.

Everyone hates cleaning that area of the AR rifles. I'll soak it with hoppes#9 or spray some non-chlorine type brake part cleaner to loosen things up in there before brushing. That direct gas blow back of the AR's seems to me like they clean much better when I have then sopping wet with solvent.

[Sgt Steve]

Thanks coldman, I've take a good look at that front sight base. I know what you mean about being a pain. I did not stop to look at the fastening method used on the Colt but memory serves that it is a tapered pin.

I did entertain setting it up here at work and sweeping it up and down to see if there was any angle...maybe I should have pursued it!

[Sgt Steve]

OK, checked out and my HBAR has the tapered pins! Damn! Well, it's not like I can't live with it the way it is but if I ever need a whole bunch of windage - and I've already eaten up 6 or 8 clicks I could have a problem. The world will still turn though.

Hey, on the other hand what do youse' guyz' use on that chamber other than a chamber brush and an olde' chamber brush with a patch on it?

[tslex]

I don't think it's all that unusual to have to apply a lot of windage clicks to get an AR zeroed in. I've had several and it always seemed to be required. [Not sure why, just guessing the tolerance aren't as tight as might be vis-a-vis installation of front and rear sights.]

The A2 sights on the removable handle on my current favorite Bushy M4gery took 8 or 9 clicks left to zero. Once zeroed, though, it has been a very accurate gun.

I can imagine I might run out of clicks in a strong breeze at 1000 yards. But it hasn't been an issue for me since I don't shoot Camp Perry type stuff. I can safely state I have never adjusted the windage setting "in the field."

As for chamber, most cleanings, all you need is some CLP (I like Breakfree) and the chamber brush. When a chamber brush becomes easy to turn in the chamber, I get a new brush. I typically need a pliers on the shaft of the brush to turn it. Be aggressive -- the brush soft is brass, the chamber is chromed. You won't hurt the chamber and you want all the fouling out from behind the lugs.

I like following with a patch around the brush, just to see it come out clean.

I find Hoppes No. 9 (LOVE that smell) manages any regular amount of copper fouling. Certainly seems to lift all the nasty greenish/blue gunk. I have, but have never had to use, Hoppes Bench Rest copper solvent if things build up.

[Sgt Steve]

Hey tslex thanks for the input. I've received verbals from other shooters that this is the same story on the windage. Duh, after you mentioned it I thought "...why do I bother returning the windage to "0" each time when I'm done shooting"? I should just set it, nick the position with a little white site paint or a file nick and leave it! Guess that's just the way it is.

The chamber. As I read your post you gave me an idea: I also use a chamber brush and also a patch on a used brush for the BRONZE section but I don't put a patch around the stainless portion of the brush...the part that cleans out the lugs and the area between the lugs and the mouth of the chamber. There's the answer: duh, a patch around the stainless portion of the chamber brush as well. For a handle I use the section of a old cleaning rod that has the handle attached on a swivel like ball. I "close" the handle so that it engages the two flats on the cleaning rod section; then I put the chamber brush on the "shortened" cleaning rod handle and it works pretty good. I can't explain it succinctly enough to make sense...sorry.

[AZ-Boog]

You can go 12 clicks either side of "zero" and still be "in spec" on the rear A2 sight. Anything more then that, then the front sight base should be drifted.

As far as cleaning the lug area I use Q tips and a hemostat. What I do is break the end of the Q tip leaving a piece only about 1/2 to 3/8 in length. You'll end up with the cotton end and a piece of the stick (about 1/4 inch). I'll then grab that piece with the hemostat so that the Q tip is perpendicular to the hemostat and use that to wipe down the interior lug area, and behind the lugs.

Makes a nice little "right angle cleaner" for that troublesome area.

[tslex]

Ya know, people fuss about how much trouble it is to clean an AR, and how dirty direct das impingement is.

And I guess they're right.

But gosh I love cleaning them, and all the little details and techniques. (Hemostats. Cool.)

That said, I've kept ARs and their cousins running in some nasty conditions with a lot gunk and crud in the action. Just keep the CLP flowing and you can cover a multitude of sins.