Good AR "maintenance" books?

[Rick the Librarian]

Bought a S&W M&P15 (hasn't arrived yet) and, as I'm new to ARs, would like a "how to" book, as far as disassembly/assembly, maintenance, etc. Don't really need the "history & development" type.

How about one of the following - either Scott Duff's AR book (Vol. 1) or the North Cape book? I admit to being a little suspicious of North Cape's books after what I see on the M1903 book.

Looking for more of a "handbook", rather than a 800 page "tomb".

TIA!

RtL

Information

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[JBS]

It's old but good for a start. TM9-1005-319-10 below is a pdf you can save or print.

http://www.ar15.com/content/manuals/TM9-1005-319-10.pdf

[jmoore]

All you really need to know is how to strip and assemble the bolt carrier assembly.

FCG parts (the junk in the lower half) rarely (and I mean RARELY!) need disassembly. In fact, the issue FMs do not allow the soldier to service these parts. You can remove the bolt extention (buffer) and spring easily enough, but unless you've been playing in the sand box, there's no real point.

If you expect to actually use the weapon in the "real world", then, by all means, clean and inspect it often! Still, keep it well lubed. That's the secret (besides mags) to reliability.

Oil stuff until its nice and "sloppy". - I did this to a rifle I built back in the early eighties, and shot it w/o cleaning- just adding oil- for over 4000 rounds. Again, without cleaning it at all! Finally, it got so nasty that I got dirty every time I used it, so it got cleaned. Weapon never once gave any trouble! Still using it after all these years, but it's a rifle rather than a carbine set-up, so it's a bit "easier" on high wear parts. Still shoots 1 1/2 to 2 MOA even after 10,000 rds+. (I did replace the bolt carrier assembly recently- only because I don't like the unshrouded firing pin that old Colt bolt carriers had. The old one shows lots of milage, but no functional dramas.)

In carbines, as the operating cycle is much more "vigorous" than in rifles, extractors and extractor springs are the usual weak links. Get a spare or two of those parts and make sure you get the little "elastomer" insert that increases extractor spring tension- most springs come w/ 'em now. Maybe a cam pin as well, and some of the firing pin retainers (cotter pins) as well, just in case you lose one. If you shoot only a few hundred rounds a year, then all the above is likely to be completely unnecessary!

[Bob Womack]

I've found that the big screw at the top of the butt that holds the stock tight on my carbine seems to work itself loose about every trip to the range. I'm not comfortable with just wailin' down on the screw with a huge screwdriver, but do tighten it as far as I am comfortable. I wonder if it is fairly normal for that screw to loosen?

Bob

[Rick the Librarian]

I'm not wanting to break it down into all the attendant pieces, just field-stripping.

[jmoore]

I've found that the big screw at the top of the butt that holds the stock tight on my carbine seems to work itself loose about every trip to the range. I'm not comfortable with just wailin' down on the screw with a huge screwdriver, but do tighten it as far as I am comfortable. I wonder if it is fairly normal for that screw to loosen?

Bob

Not sure which screw that would be... Is this a fixed stock carbine or a collapsing stock? There's nothing on "top", it's either at the front (around the tube) or at the rear (passing through the butt plate).

[jmoore]

I'm not wanting to break it down into all the attendant pieces, just field-stripping.

USGI FM will do. Even the manual that comes w/it ought to do. It's REALLY easy, once you've done it a couple of times.

"Drunk monkeys" can put 'em together from scratch. No worse than detail stripping an '03 bolt assembly; probably easier, as there's no springs to fight.

[Bob Womack]

Not sure which screw that would be... Is this a fixed stock carbine or a collapsing stock? There's nothing on "top", it's either at the front (around the tube) or at the rear (passing through the butt plate).

It's a fixed stock carbine and the screw passes from the butt plate to the receiver through the top of the stock as opposed to the bottom with the sling eye.

Bob

[jmoore]

Ummm, I think, If it's the upper buttplate screw, then if it doesn't have the little nylon insert in the screw side, use a little Loc-tite, just not one of the permanent grades. Or buy either the short a1 style or long a2 style w/ the insert, which is what I would do. (Don't use the wrong screw- one won't work at all, the other will crash the "buffer" during cycling.)

I've never had one loosen of it's own accord... but I use a big honkin' screw driver!

[Bob Womack]

Yeah, I've been a little reticent to lean into the thing with the screwdriver because the receiver is aluminum. Go ahead and lean?

Bob