Florida Shooters Network

I'm still learning the ins and outs of the AR. I pulled the bolt on my S&W and found the gas rings damaged. One was shattered, one was in two pieces and the last was deformed. I cleaned the bolt up (luckily I found no damage to the bolt or carrier) and installed new rings. I have two questions:

1) Should I lube the rings? (I use a thin coating of high temp lithium grease) - I never have before

2) Should a new set of rings provide some resistance when the bolt goes back into the carrier? (it doesn't seem as loose as it did before - maybe they need to "seat"?)

Thanks Guys

Don't lube 'em. With the bolt installed in the carrier, and the bolt pulled forward, you should be able to stand the whole thing upright on the bolt face without the bolt sliding back into the carrier. This is a good way to determine when to replace your gas rings. A little CLP on the inside of the carrier is all that's needed.

Each there own, I lube mine but not with grease. Metal to metal contact to me = lube.

Mobile One 0W40 (Euro blend) for lube.

I also noticed the gun wipes off carbon easier after I switched to Mobile One

Wulfmann

Oil em up! Won't hurt a damn thing.
If you want to add oil when assembled there are 2 holes in the right side of the bolt carrier you can see with the bolt forward and the dust port door open. Shoot a couple drops in there and work the charging handle a few times.
Then your good to go.
You wouldn't leave oil out of your car engine or the rings would melt, same with the gas rings.
Too many people are far too anal about cleaning and want to leave out the oil.
I've never had an AR action fail from too much lube, but I sure as hell have from one that was run dry.

I oil mine with CLP, just a swipe on em.

Many years ago (too damn many!) when I rebuilt an engine I always lubed new piston rings and bearings with STP so they wouldn't start dry. I kinda thought the gas rings needed some lube to help them seal and because that's where it seems the heaviest wear would normally be, but everyone has a different opinion. I don't want the rings to disintegrate again, so I'll lightly oil 'em. Thanks guys!

barkingspiders wrote:Don't lube 'em. With the bolt installed in the carrier, and the bolt pulled forward, you should be able to stand the whole thing upright on the bolt face without the bolt sliding back into the carrier. This is a good way to determine when to replace your gas rings. A little CLP on the inside of the carrier is all that's needed.

This is incorrect. If you read the -20 level manual it a actually states that if the bolt and bolt carrier are held vertically with the bolt facing downward, if the bolt slides out of the bolt carrier the gas rings need to be replaced. It is not a big deal if you want to replace your gas rings it won't hurt anything. The "field" test for the gas rings just has been mis quoted and propegated on sites like ARFCOM. I have actually printed out the parts of the manual that describe this test and given it to one armorer in specific. He was using a checklist from ARFCOM When I get home I will post a copy of the sections and a link to the manual.

edit: corrected orientation of bolt and carrier for test

A lot of people say that they don’t like ARs because they sh!t where they eat – indicating that it’s a bad design to have the exhaust gasses ported right into the same general area where the bullets are being fed into battery.

However, at least one very respected gunsmith said that this is a misnomer and that as long as you keep the bolt and action “wet” (indicating lubricated) the AR will continue to function flawlessly for many thousands of rounds continuously. Of course, depending on the ammo selected, after firing that many rounds the bolt and bolt carrier are going to look like they were dipped in tar, but they’ll continue to function.

Just to be double sure, I had my bolt and bolt carrier hard chrome plated.

Smith

From my time in the sandbox... "wet and dirty always runs better than dry and dirty." "Lube it up, keep it closed, and shoot the shit out of it."

Mr. Smith wrote:A lot of people say that they don’t like ARs because they sh!t where they eat – indicating that it’s a bad design to have the exhaust gasses ported right into the same general area where the bullets are being fed into battery.

However, at least one very respected gunsmith said that this is a misnomer and that as long as you keep the bolt and action “wet” (indicating lubricated) the AR will continue to function flawlessly for many thousands of rounds continuously. Of course, depending on the ammo selected, after firing that many rounds the bolt and bolt carrier are going to look like they were dipped in tar, but they’ll continue to function.

Add to that the hundreds of thousands of grunts over the past decades who learned this lesson all on their own. It's true. Keep the bolt and carrier lubed well and it will run for forever and a day (thousands of rounds). That light coat of oil business is for when you put your weapon up in an arms room or for an IG inspection.

Here are copies from the -10 and -20 level manuals which should add clarity to the questions that were raised. Like most eveyone has said lube is your friend with the AR, I use CLP and Slip200, but any quality oil will work. Also so there is no confusion the procedure to test the gas rings are in my post above and in the TM below.