5 Ways To Keep Your AR And AK Running

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

Do you constantly have malfunctions when you’re shooting your rifles at the range? Are you worried about the reliability of your weapons if you’re ever in a situation where you need it? Whether you have an AR-15, an AK-47, or both, keeping them running smoothly is a major concern for most rifle owners. To do that, you first need to know a few things.

The AK-47 has a pretty simple design. It only breaks down into 6 parts, which makes it easier to maintain. The AK is piston driven, which helps keep all the powder residue out of the chamber when firing. This is one of the main reasons the AK is so reliable.

The AR-15 uses a direct impingement system, where the gases from the cartridge are redirected back into the chamber to cycle the bolt carrier. This means that all the gun powder residue finds its way back into the chamber, which is why it needs a little more loving care than the AK.

Now that you have a little background on the two, let’s talk about what you can do to keep these weapons in top condition.

Clean it!

This first step is pretty obvious. You need to keep your weapons clean — including your firearm upgrades like optics. Even a quick wipe down with an oiled rag is better than nothing. Although the AK can run caked with dirt, that doesn’t mean it should. It doesn’t need to be cleaned as often as the AR, but a good cleaning after a few trips out is probably a good idea. You’ll also need to clean the chamber of the AK after every trip if you’re using steel cased ammunition. The AR should be cleaned after every use. It’s not going to malfunction if you don’t, but the accuracy will definitely slip if it’s dirty. If you don’t know how to clean your rifles properly, do a quick search on YouTube. You’ll find plenty of videos that can walk you through it.

Lubrication

The recurring trend here is that the AR needs more love than the AK. Generally, you should lubricate during the cleaning process, which means the AR needs it after each use and the AK after a few. As for where, you’ll want to use it on the high impact areas. Namely the bolt carrier. Again, a quick search on the internet can supply you with tutorials. Keep in mind that if you’re shooting the AR a lot at one time, it might not be a bad idea to use a little on the bolt while you’re at the range too.

Maintenance

You’ll want to inspect your rifles periodically to make sure it’s in good condition. The most common parts that you’ll want to inspect are the springs, extractor, and the firing pins. Look for chips, dents, or cracks in the smaller parts. If you see any, replace the part. It’s a good idea to keep a few of these parts on hand for quick replacement if you spot a problem. Follow the recommended replacement intervals for each part as well. This way, you’ll never have to experience those embarrassing malfunctions at the range.

Magazines

Oddly enough, the magazines are the number one cause of malfunctions. Buying higher quality mags will mostly solve that problem, but you can also take the bottom off and inspect the interior of your mags. Wipe down the inside to keep them functioning properly. User error is another issue. Save yourself the hassle and learn how to seat your magazines properly to prevent damage to the feed lip and malfunctions.

Ammunition

This one is the easiest and the hardest problem to solve. If you’re taking your rifles to the range often, you’ll tend to want to spend less on ammo. However, the cheaper the ammo, the higher the risk of problems because lower quality ammo will leave more debris behind. You can use cheap ammunition at the range when shooting for fun, just keep in mind that this can cause those pesky malfunctions and that you’ll definitely need to clean your rifles more often. It’s a good idea to buy higher quality ammo though, at least for self defense purposes, when you don’t want to risk that your rifle won’t fire.

All in all, the AR-15 and the AK-47 are both pretty easy to care for and maintain. Following these five basic steps will go a long way towards keeping your rifles in great condition, so they are always up and running when you need them.

Author Bio:

Richard Douglas is a long time shooter, outdoor enthusiast and technologist. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at the National Interest, Cheaper Than Dirt, Daily Caller and other publications.