Cleaning Steyr Magazines

[imedic]

Just looking for some info on cleaning magazines (in particular the plastic steyr ones). You can take the bottom plate and spring out but they dont break down any more than that which makes them an arse to get into.

I generally just use hot soapy water and a bottle brush but I'm thinking baby oil or our issue insect repellent might work to get the carbon off a bit better.

Any good tips on this?

(I did some trawling/googling but came up fruitless)

[Oxley]

Baby wipes.

[Jippo]

With plastic mags I usually just let the sand, mud and rodents out & that's it. If I must do something more I use car wash detergent and water hose.

No oil fo plastic mags as the plastic has low friction, and the oil will only collect crud.

[velvet-cream]

I never bothered using anything more than soapy water.

You shouldn't have that much carbon inside them it if they are cleaned regularly. Most of the carbon build up barely goes beyond the feed lips, so a little elbow grease with a bit of forby should do the trick.

Have you been doing a lot of full auto shooting with blanks??

[Oxley]

velvet cream is right about that, just light oil with a bit of forby on the springs, get the toothbrush from your cleaning kit to loosen any caked on carbon from the feed lips, then just get your fingers in there like a highschool student on his first date.

[Jarhead]

For the dirt a brush works pretty well, also a old toothbrush.

[bruiserau]

if they are filthy just do what you are doing with warm soapy water & a bottle brush. anything that doesnt come off with that probably wont affect the operation of the mag anyway.

[BillySing]

J our issue insect repellent might work to get the carbon off a bit better.

Any good tips on this?

(I did some trawling/googling but came up fruitless)


Complete Equipment Schedule

Explain and demonstrate with the squad imitating: The following equipment is to be cleaned as follows:

a. Magazine: Wipe components clean, inside and out, with a dry cloth. Wipe the spring with a lightly oiled piece of service flannelette.

Also take note:

Magazines should only be stripped if they have been exposed to wet conditions or conditions likely to produce a build-up of mud or grit; and

care must be taken to ensure that the magazines do not come in contact with insect repellent as damage to the plastic may occur.

[bluffcove]

force an entire tea towel through them.

[imedic]

force an entire tea towel through them.

I know a chap who did that to his receiver, problem was it got stuck. After getting it out our sergeant made him "go touch the horizon and come back" so he wouldn't be tempted to try it again.

Thanks for the tips - I'll keep it simple and make sure I keep them clean in the future. Yeah, I have put quite a few blank rounds through them, dirty messy things that they are.

[astro]

I quadruple backup the soapy water and brush. How long has it been since you've cleaned it though? Sounds like it's been a while!

[gafkiwi]

What you have to be aware of is there is such a thing as "Over cleaning" and in our army there is a bad habit of this especially with weapons and there ancillery kit, I've stopped Pl comds/other ncos and had to take them a side and bring this up with them during weapon inspections. If you can't clean your mags with the ways pointed out they're either "Stained" or just getting old. Problems start when you get mags that have had crap put on them by some lazy c*** who was to lazy to clean them properly and they're all faded and peeling. It sucks when you have to swap mags during training/exercises and you lose you clean functioning mags and get back some skody f***ers back.

[gafkiwi]

As per billys post, there isn't much your supposed to do to clean steyr mags. There are a S*** load of bad drills due to laziness soldiers do. You'd be amazed of how many things are taught (by nco's who should know better or officers who don't) that are in breach of the NZP99/P100, Prime reference for small arms in the NZ army.

[antagonist22]

As per billys post, there isn't much your supposed to do to clean steyr mags. There are a S*** load of bad drills due to laziness soldiers do. You'd be amazed of how many things are taught (by nco's who should know better or officers who don't) that are in breach of the NZP99/P100, Prime reference for small arms in the NZ army.

Interesting....

[imedic]

As per billys post, there isn't much your supposed to do to clean steyr mags. There are a S*** load of bad drills due to laziness soldiers do. You'd be amazed of how many things are taught (by nco's who should know better or officers who don't) that are in breach of the NZP99/P100, Prime reference for small arms in the NZ army.

Adaway baaaad! We got nailed for that back on basic after one corporal had shown us the 'quick' way to clean our gas parts. Then another instructor spotted us and we were made to regret our lazy ways.

[Oxley]

As per billys post, there isn't much your supposed to do to clean steyr mags. There are a S*** load of bad drills due to laziness soldiers do. You'd be amazed of how many things are taught (by nco's who should know better or officers who don't) that are in breach of the NZP99/P100, Prime reference for small arms in the NZ army.

Same with the rest of the weapon, rubbing the gas plugs flat surface on a concrete floor to get rid of carbon, for example...

[gafkiwi]

Same with the rest of the weapon, rubbing the gas plugs flat surface on a concrete floor to get rid of carbon, for example...

Jamming tools, rods and polypads into the flash suppressor to clean the crown of the barrel
"Polishing" the bolt carrier with a poly pad and remove the Blueing
just to add a few more common ones I've seen.

[velvet-cream]

Jamming tools, rods and polypads into the flash suppressor to clean the crown of the barrel
"Polishing" the bolt carrier with a poly pad and remove the Blueing
just to add a few more common ones I've seen.

I can't believe people bother "polishing" the bolt carrier. It's one of the easiest parts to clean. A quick brush, and then a wipe down with an oiled flannelette and it's clean.

Just curious, how do you clean the crown of the barrel on the steyr?

[gafkiwi]

I put gun rag through and over the eyelet of a rod, so the god doesn't come into the crown of the barrel. Give it a bit of break free then use it to apply the oil to the crown of the barrel and give the crown a bit of a wipe, leave the break free in there for a while, then do the same with clean/dry cloth repeat until it comes out clean. If there is any built up crap the break free is removing I "Carefully" use a bore brush to give it it a scrub. If I have a fair bit of carbon build up I use some barrel solvent to disolve it.

[California Joe]

I would think that Murphy's Oil Soap in water would be good if you're using the soap/hot water method...

There is an all purpose cleaner/lubricant called Ballistol that I know a lot of shooters swear by. Even for Black Powder which is seriously corrosive and hygroscopic to metal...

[theholeinthedonut]

I would think that Murphy's Oil Soap in water would be good if you're using the soap/hot water method...

There is an all purpose cleaner/lubricant called Ballistol that I know a lot of shooters swear by. Even for Black Powder which is seriously corrosive and hygroscopic to metal...

This is quite funny....on this side of the pond Ballistol, a german product, has been around for ages, nearly a hundred years or so! Now it has been replaced in many a shooters' box by all the higspeed products from the new world, like Hoppe's, Kleenbore etc........if CJ carries on with his free publicity Ballistol will take it's revenge in the States.

[velvet-cream]

I put gun rag through and over the eyelet of a rod, so the god doesn't come into the crown of the barrel. Give it a bit of break free then use it to apply the oil to the crown of the barrel and give the crown a bit of a wipe, leave the break free in there for a while, then do the same with clean/dry cloth repeat until it comes out clean. If there is any built up crap the break free is removing I "Carefully" use a bore brush to give it it a scrub. If I have a fair bit of carbon build up I use some barrel solvent to disolve it.

Guess how I was "taught". Get a section of cleaning rod, and using the end with the internal thread, scrape the carbon off the crown.

I plead ignorance, I haven't been taught any other way!!

[kerfuffled]

, then just get your fingers in there like a highschool student on his first date.
LOLZ
Writing that one down...:lol:

[Daniel]

Complete Equipment Schedule

Explain and demonstrate with the squad imitating: The following equipment is to be cleaned as follows:

a. Magazine: Wipe components clean, inside and out, with a dry cloth. Wipe the spring with a lightly oiled piece of service flannelette.

Also take note:

Magazines should only be stripped if they have been exposed to wet conditions or conditions likely to produce a build-up of mud or grit; and

care must be taken to ensure that the magazines do not come in contact with insect repellent as damage to the plastic may occur.

As usual the PAM is **** and does'nt tell you the best way to do something.

[BillySing]

As usual the PAM is **** and does'nt tell you the best way to do something.

Such as what? Maybe you can suggest where they've gone wrong?

[gafkiwi]

As usual the PAM is **** and does'nt tell you the best way to do something.

I think our Pams are pretty much the same as the Aussy ones, (some are aussy ones) Then there is a form in the back for Idears, Improvements or corrections to the publication. Intstead of complaining you could submit your way.

[Bushranger]

like most have said if there regularly cleaned you shouldnt have to scrub the insides to death. soapie water & the old tooth brush worked for me.Got 1 on the shelve in the garage might have to dust it off. Id make sure the guts of your gas plug are clean, got me balls ripped of for that 1.

[ZULU9niner]

From the Steyr Mannlicher Ges.m.b.H User's Manual for the AUG

"Weapon Surfaces and metal parts"



Plastic parts and the trigger mechanism are cleaned with a wick or a soft rag. IF necessary water may be used for cleaning.


Water, some flanalette and physical movement of your fingers!

[Ubar]

I know a chap who did that to his receiver, problem was it got stuck. After getting it out our sergeant made him "go touch the horizon and come back" so he wouldn't be tempted to try it again.


Haha excellent, reminds me of a time a bloke who was training with us managed to ram home 2 peices of oiled flannelette inside the gas plug of his rifle, and obviously then couldnt get them back out. He had the bright idea of trying to burn them out... filling the transport full of oily smoke

[BillySing]

I think our Pams are pretty much the same as the Aussy ones, (some are aussy ones) Then there is a form in the back for Idears, Improvements or corrections to the publication. Intstead of complaining you could submit your way.

LWP-G 7-4-12,

5.56mm Austeyr Individual weapon family F88, F88c, F88SA1, F88T and 40mm Grenade Launcher Attachment, Volume 1.

Amended July 2007.

There's definitely nothing wrong with it. Tells you all you need to know 'bout the steyr.

[Fianjnoglach]

You shouldn't have that much carbon inside them it if they are cleaned regularly. Most of the carbon build up barely goes beyond the feed lips, so a little elbow grease with a bit of forby should do the trick.


This isn't strictly true. If you've put a lot of rounds down the carbon build up will be considerable and the mags will need to be stripped down and cleaned. As will the receiver body.
Warm soapy water and a toothbrush is all that is needed.

[gafkiwi]

[QUOTE=Fianjnoglach;2980315]This isn't strictly true. If you've put a lot of rounds down the carbon build up will be considerable and the mags will need to be stripped down and cleaned.

I was taking a corp training, and some of the mags the trainees brought down from basic training were shocking, I would've never believed so much carbon could build up in a mag if i hadn't seen it myself and most of the mags were unserviceable.

[velvet-cream]

I never bothered using anything more than soapy water.

You shouldn't have that much carbon inside them it if they are cleaned regularly. Most of the carbon build up barely goes beyond the feed lips, so a little elbow grease with a bit of forby should do the trick.

Have you been doing a lot of full auto shooting with blanks??

This isn't strictly true. If you've put a lot of rounds down the carbon build up will be considerable and the mags will need to be stripped down and cleaned. As will the receiver body.
Warm soapy water and a toothbrush is all that is needed.

Like I said, if they are cleaned regularly, there shouldn't be too much build up and would be a cinch to clean if they haven't been neglected before. How regular is "regularly"? Mags don't need to be cleaned everyday. I never bothered stripping and cleaning mags in the field. I would clean them after coming back from a training ex (max for me was 2 weeks in field conditions), or after a range shoot.

[kamarian]

do the mags react to the issue insect repellant? I've seen hootchies do all sorts of stuff, like alsmost melt, to fall apart when the repellant is on it. Does the repellant affect any other plastic?

[velvet-cream]

do the mags react to the issue insect repellant? I've seen hootchies do all sorts of stuff, like alsmost melt, to fall apart when the repellant is on it. Does the repellant affect any other plastic?

I've seen the repellant destroy the face of a plastic casio digital watch overnight. After that, I avoided putting that stuff on my skin. I just smeared it over my webbing and cams.

[XIE]

Big difference lets not forget between blank and live. After a blank firing ex the mags will need a good clean out and will need to be checked for cleanliness during the ex as well.

[ZULU9niner]

Big difference lets not forget between blank and live. After a blank firing ex the mags will need a good clean out and will need to be checked for cleanliness during the ex as well.

And after a live fire Ex they're going to be even worse p-)

[Hydro]

Best thing I ever made was a quarter of a hand towel with a hole through one corner with paracord through it. Strip a mag down, poke the paracord through it, and pull the whole towel through. Make sure the towel section isn't too big, or it may get stuck, but if it's the right size, it'll drag most crap out quite easily. Wipe round the feed lips after, and it's pretty effective.