*Field Stripping the AR-15*
By: eXe
30 November 2005

This article will give you the basics on how to field strip an AR-15. It is not as hard as it looks in some of the manuals.

First you pull back on the charging handle, hold the bolt open and make sure its empty.

 



Next step once you are sure its empty, let the bolt go forward to you can take the rifle down, push lever in picture below and the bolt will close.

 



Next push in on the rear pin

 



The pull pin on the other side as far as it will go.

 



Now you can open the rifle.

 



Next step is to remove the bolt, I also take out the charging handle but you dont have to if you dont want to start. Just pull the bolt out.

 



Now the bolt is out of the rifle.

 



Ok next we want to take the bolt apart. Take a small punch of the tip of a .223 round and push out the cotter pin in the rear of the bolt.

 



Ok now you pull it out from the other side.

 



Tip the bolt on its back and the firing pin should come right out.

 



Next step you want to take out the pin that runs though the bolt, twist it a bit so it clears the gas tube on the bolt

 



It should come right out once you rotate it clear.

 



Now you can take the bolt out of the bolt carrier.

 



Also if you want you can totally separate the upper from the lower by taking out the other pin in the front.

 



Clean good in here,

 



And there you have it.. fully disassembled. See its not that hard.

 

(Cat not included lol )

Hope that helps.. Give it a try and see just how simple the design is. As for cleaning solvents I use break free CLP and some hoppes #9.  It helps to also have some Q-tips to clean where the bolt fits into the upper receiver and pipe cleaners for the gas tube as well.
eXe


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