M1 Carbine Cleaning Tips

[Pedantic_Potato]

Hello everyone,

After reading Larry Ruth's Owner's Guide on the rifle, I have a couple questions regarding cleaning an M1 Carbine (Inland Div. '45).

1) I am thinking about going with a nylon-coated, copper-eliminator .30 cal one-piece cleaning rod from J Dewey (I currently have a muzzle guide and one of their nylon pull-thrus, but I have found rods easier to use with other rifles). Any tips on which this choice/others?

2) I know this is a topic that can be hotly contested, but any suggestions regarding bore cleaner, degreasing solvent, and gun oil? I am essentially rebuilding my cleaning kit, so I am very open to suggestions from others.

And just on a random add-on, the rear sight (adjustable, not flip) wobbles quite a bit in the rear sight receiver dovetail whilst dry-firing. Any recommendations other than having it staked in place by a gunsmith (I've seen on the CMP forums to use small brass shims or loctite)?

Thanks in advance!

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[W5USMC]

Welcome to the forum. As far as your questions go there are many ways to skin a cat, no right answer just personal preferences. I tossed my cleaning rods many years ago and now only use the OTIS cleaning kits that were issued to me in the Marine Corps, it is a pull through cable with various attachments, allows cleaning from breech to bore. For solvents I use Butch's Bore Shine, Wilson Combat Optima Lube Universal oil, Wilson Combat grease and I always have CLP on hand for scrubbing gunked up parts. For your loose rear sight I have heard that both methods that you mentioned work, never tried either myself.

[jond41403]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I'm no expert but I've been shooting for a long time and good old hoppe's number 9 gun solvent and REM oil have always done good for me. On my carbine for lubrication I use high temp bearing Grease only because I do a lot of shooting with AK's and AR's as well and the grease stays put.you could use any gun grease but the stuff you can get in a tub at Walmart in the automotive section has always worked just fine for me. Put a little on the rails & any bearing surface. I would consider getting a bolt tool so you can break your bolt down every six or seven hundred rounds or so and clean it, especially under the extractor, and pay special attention to the chamber on your carbine and keep it clean.I bought a cheap L-shaped brush tool off of eBay that gets in my carbines chamber relatively easy. I have no idea about the rear sight issue, others will chime in. Your one piece carbon coated rod will work just fine. Otis cleaning kits are great using the cable because a lot of people like cleaning from breech to muzzle direction.hth

[Singer B]

Bore cleaner depends on how bad the bore is. When I first obtain a new milsurp that has obviously not been maintained, I use Sweets or Butchs Bore Shine. Both contain ammonia that removes the copper forced into the rifling (it will come out of the barrel as a blue fluid). After that, I just use Hoppes #9 for cleanings and Hoppes Bore cleaner (also contains ammonia but not as much as Sweets or Butchs) once in awhile to clear out any copper building up. I like one-piece rods and as mentioned above, it, like the cleaners you use, are just a personal choice so you really can't go wrong.

[painter777]

And Welcome to Milsurps !!

[Pedantic_Potato]

Thank you very much for the greetings and tips. I'll keep the ammonia-based stuff in mind as that matches the results in Ruth's book and other comments I've read. Noted on the bearing grease as I can grab some of that fairly easily. I was fortunate enough to have found a bolt tool on eBay for a very good deal and snagged that with a couple other M1 Carbine tools, but the round count you give Jon is a number I'll keep in mind as I head to the range over the summer.

I'm happy to have finally taken the advice of many on the forums and elsewhere to make an account and reach out on the site. I appreciate the warm welcome.

[mrclark303]

Welcome to Milsurps...

As has been said, a million different ways to clean a rifle...

I use German Brunox spray (good blast down the bore) and leave to soak for 10 mins.

While that's soaking I clean the bolt face and mag well with Brunox and a tooth brush.

Parker Hale rod and .30 bronze phosphor brush (rod inserted, brush screwed on in receiver) pulled through to muzzle.

Then patches until clean. Then the bore get flooded with Parker Hale gun oil, working parts and metalwork lightly oiled, drip out the excess, into a silicon treated gun sock and back in the safe....

I was slightly taken back by this very question on another (mainly hunting) forum recently, were the general consensus was that 'You clean it when it stops working'!

Some folks just use Firearms as a tool and give them absolutely zero thought...

[usabaker]

And just on a random add-on, the rear sight (adjustable, not flip) wobbles quite a bit in the rear sight receiver dovetail whilst dry-firing. Any recommendations other than having it staked in place by a gunsmith (I've seen on the CMP forums to use small brass shims or loctite)?

I was wrong, I was thinking about typical hunting rifles. I did not know that there was a staking fixture for this rifle. comments delegated...

https://books.google.com/books?id=r2FIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA65&lpg=PA65&dq=staking+sight+base&source=bl&ots=Vj6QKg8WNB&sig=ACfU3U2NoxlY1JgDqzuo19ROM7aSBknWDw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi2nb6Ek4nqAhX7JDQIHe7bBH8Q6AEwAXoECAoQA Q#v=onepage&q=staking%20sight%20base&f=false

[USGI]

They are not staked in place

Huh? Time to do more research on the subject. - Bob

[usabaker]

Huh? Time to do more research on the subject. - Bob

Obviously you did not see the "Last edited by usabaker; Today at 08:24 AM". before you posted where I ADMITTED I was wrong and removed my comment. I even posted a link to where I found the info. Thank you for your quick kindness.