AR Firearm Maintenance

Course Length: 3 hours classroom instruction

Skill Level: Beginner / New Gun Owner

Maximum Class Size: 8

Range Requirement: No

Course Description:

The AR maintenance course is designed to provide hands-on training to all common maintenance tasks for AR-15 and AR-10 derived firearms.  This class does not assume any prior experience with maintaining a firearm and is ideally suited to the new gun owner who recently purchased their first AR.  However, even seasoned shooters will find value in the depth offered by the class.

Students will learn how to perform all basic procedures for cleaning and inspecting their firearm.  The course covers inspection of the firearm for important artifacts of wear that should be monitored for the lifetime of the firearm.

This class is focused on the maintenance of a firearm used for defensive purposes.  It does not cover specialty procedures focused on competition or long-range maintenance.

The AR maintenance course covers the following:

• Firearm safety rules review
• Safe handling of all firearms for maintenance procedures
• Handling concerns for lead and mercury
• Handling common firearms materials (steel, aluminum, polymer, etc.)
• The AR-15 internal gas piston impingement (“DI”), short-stroke gas piston (“piston”), and direct blowback (“PCC”) operating cycles
• Solvents, greases, and oils
• Common performance and failure diagnostics and mitigations
• Routine magazine maintenance
• Field stripping the AR-15 for expedited servicing
• Detailed takedown for cleaning and inspection
• Basic optics and accessories mounting

Required Items:

• An AR-15 or AR-10/LR-308 pattern rifle in a rifle bag or case
• Basic takedown and cleaning tools:
  • Lightweight common gun oil (Hoppe’s No. 9, Remington Oil, CLP, Slip 2000 EWL, etc.)
  • A small set of cleaning brushes or even a toothbrush
  • A bore snake OR a cleaning rod with proper caliber jag and patches
  • 20x cloth cleaning patches (flannel preferred, but any will work) OR a relatively clean designated cleaning/oiling rag
  • A small flashlight
• The owner’s manual for your firearm (if applicable)
• The owner’s manual for your optic (if applicable)
• Notebook and pen

Additional Information:

• There is NO live ammunition allowed in the classroom.  CCWs will be cleared in the classroom with magazines and ammunition secured by the instructor until the end of the class.
• Upon arrival, students may bring all firearms and supplies into the classroom, but firearms will remain in their containers until instructed.
• The rifle must be an AR-15/AR-10 variant.  Caliber is not important.  However, derivative firearms are not covered due to fundamentally different operating systems.  Please contact us before signing up if you have questions about your firearm.
• Note: This is NOT an AR-15 building class.  We will not discuss changing parts beyond common maintenance solutions.  We will not be making any changes/adjustments to fastened components such as gas blocks, barrels, or buffer extensions.