a friend of mine bought an ar15 a few years ago and im pretty sure he never cleaned it well enought besides a basic cleaning. he shot a ton of 22 thru it with a conversion kit and lately the gun has been short strioking and he cant get it cycle just fire. i looked into the gas tube and i it was completely crudded up and took some picking to clean it up we tried to fire it again with a new gas tube as well as the claned old one and nothing worked still the same i looked into the gas port hole in the barrel and it looks as if it is completely crudded up so im guessing that no gas can pass thru is there any wayt to clean this safely other than just replacing the barrel the barrel that would just seem like a waste of money
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gas port clogged
- Thread starter fatboy914
- Start date
Dfariswheel
New member
There's no need to replace the barrel.
If worse comes to worse, the front sight assembly can be removed and the port cleared with a soft wire or the proper size drill bit, TURNED BY HAND.
As long as the new gas tube was properly installed and not dented or itself plugged on the front end, you can try using compressed air forced into the rear of the gas tube to try to blow it out.
While I've never had to try it, I suppose you could remove the gas tube and try compressed air directly into the tube hole in the front sight, or you might use a fine wire as a probe to push into the tube hole and down into the barrel through the port.
Usually, unless the obstruction is rust, simply shooting the rifle should clear the port.
The super heated incandescent gas under very high pressure should clean the port and tube.
If you have to remove the front sight assembly, the two pins are tapered and have to be driven out from left to right, as you'd sight down the barrel.
These pins are usually TIGHT and you have to be careful about distorting the pins and locking them even tighter.
Get the barrel and front sight in a well braced, no bounce-no move set up on hardwood blocks.
Cut a punch off to about a 1/2" working length to make a "starter punch" and use this to start the pins moving out. Finish removal with a standard punch.
Remove the sight assembly by using a hardwood block to gently tap the front sight assembly forward by tapping around the base of the sight close to the barrel, NOT up on the tower part.
If worse comes to worse, the front sight assembly can be removed and the port cleared with a soft wire or the proper size drill bit, TURNED BY HAND.
As long as the new gas tube was properly installed and not dented or itself plugged on the front end, you can try using compressed air forced into the rear of the gas tube to try to blow it out.
While I've never had to try it, I suppose you could remove the gas tube and try compressed air directly into the tube hole in the front sight, or you might use a fine wire as a probe to push into the tube hole and down into the barrel through the port.
Usually, unless the obstruction is rust, simply shooting the rifle should clear the port.
The super heated incandescent gas under very high pressure should clean the port and tube.
If you have to remove the front sight assembly, the two pins are tapered and have to be driven out from left to right, as you'd sight down the barrel.
These pins are usually TIGHT and you have to be careful about distorting the pins and locking them even tighter.
Get the barrel and front sight in a well braced, no bounce-no move set up on hardwood blocks.
Cut a punch off to about a 1/2" working length to make a "starter punch" and use this to start the pins moving out. Finish removal with a standard punch.
Remove the sight assembly by using a hardwood block to gently tap the front sight assembly forward by tapping around the base of the sight close to the barrel, NOT up on the tower part.
The fellow who does the gunsmithing report in Shotgun News says he took an AR that had been used only for .22LR for years, put the 5.56 bolt in it, and it worked fine.
Could it be corroded from shooting foreign surplus 5.56 with no cleaning?
Are you trying to get it to fire 5.56/.223 ammo, or more .22 LR ?
Did he fire any of the very early 5.56 from Viet Nam? That stuff had too much calcium in it, which clogged the gas tubes.
Could it be corroded from shooting foreign surplus 5.56 with no cleaning?
Are you trying to get it to fire 5.56/.223 ammo, or more .22 LR ?
Did he fire any of the very early 5.56 from Viet Nam? That stuff had too much calcium in it, which clogged the gas tubes.
A possibility, the gas port is crudded up with lead/bullet lube from firing lots of .22LR ammo. As mentioned, full power ammo usually blows this out, but with the long gas tube of the AR, it could have clogged in there.
There are lots of things to try, before removing the front sight assy, various cleaners, and as an extreme, (if the problem is lead) mercury solution. There are different drawbacks to each, but with proper care, all you will lose is a little time, if they don't happen to fix your problem.
I'd try filling the bore and gas system with a good solvent, and letting them stand (muzzle down) over night or maybe longer. Then some hydraulic pressure to see what is flushed out. That alone may be enough to get it shooting right again. Start with the least "drastic" and move up if it doesn't solve the trouble. I'd only take off the sight and clean the port mechanically as a last resort, just because of the work involved.
Here's a tip, if you do decide to go that route, order a set of the pins now. Done right those original pins will be reusable, BUT, sometimes things don't go right, despite our best intentions. If it turns out you don't need the replacement pins, you can sell/trade them to someone who does.
There are lots of things to try, before removing the front sight assy, various cleaners, and as an extreme, (if the problem is lead) mercury solution. There are different drawbacks to each, but with proper care, all you will lose is a little time, if they don't happen to fix your problem.
I'd try filling the bore and gas system with a good solvent, and letting them stand (muzzle down) over night or maybe longer. Then some hydraulic pressure to see what is flushed out. That alone may be enough to get it shooting right again. Start with the least "drastic" and move up if it doesn't solve the trouble. I'd only take off the sight and clean the port mechanically as a last resort, just because of the work involved.
Here's a tip, if you do decide to go that route, order a set of the pins now. Done right those original pins will be reusable, BUT, sometimes things don't go right, despite our best intentions. If it turns out you don't need the replacement pins, you can sell/trade them to someone who does.
That'll Do
New member
Are you 110% certain that it is a clogged gas port?
What kind of ammo is your friend using when the gun short strokes?
What kind/weight of buffer is in the gun? Any special spring in the receiver extension, or is it standard?
Does the gun have standard bolt carrier group?
Is the gas key on the bolt carrier tightly secured?
What kind of ammo is your friend using when the gun short strokes?
What kind/weight of buffer is in the gun? Any special spring in the receiver extension, or is it standard?
Does the gun have standard bolt carrier group?
Is the gas key on the bolt carrier tightly secured?
If he's using Remington .22 ammo, that could be half the problem alone.
Dirty dirty ammo...and also known to have short powder loads on a regular basis.
List of known possible issues with Remington Rimfire Ammo:
Short powder loads
no powder loads (squibs)
improper (spotty) priming
no primer present in case
odd-sized & malformed bullets
improper case size
That's all the stuff that REGULARLY happens with Remmy ammo...its the WORST ammo in the industry.
Try a different brand of ammo..CCI, Aguila, Winchester, Federal...might get better results.
Dirty dirty ammo...and also known to have short powder loads on a regular basis.
List of known possible issues with Remington Rimfire Ammo:
Short powder loads
no powder loads (squibs)
improper (spotty) priming
no primer present in case
odd-sized & malformed bullets
improper case size
That's all the stuff that REGULARLY happens with Remmy ammo...its the WORST ammo in the industry.
Try a different brand of ammo..CCI, Aguila, Winchester, Federal...might get better results.