Specialized Cleaning Tools for the M1 Garand, M1A, AR15/AR10
M1 Garand Springfield Armory July 1941 production. Facebook photo by Shinnosuke Tanaka.
This month at Camp Perry, competitors will be competing with the classic M1 Garand, and its more modern descendant, the M1A. Both the CMP Garand Match and M1A Springfield Match will be held at Perry on July 22, 2017. The Garand and M1A are fun to shoot, but they are NOT so easy to clean because it’s impractical to insert a cleaning rod from the breach. Just take a look at the above photo and you’ll see why. Accordingly, when using a cleaning rod with an M1 Garand or M1A, one normally works from the muzzle. That runs the risk of damage to the critical crown area. Solution? Use a muzzle protector like this….
To avoid undesired muzzle/crown wear when cleaning, Creedmoor Sports sells a special Delrin bushing that fits over the end of the barrel. Produced by Dewey (makers of Dewey rods), these Muzzle Guides feature a brass insert that supports the cleaning rod, and also protects the crown from dirty brushes. Creedmoor offers these Delrin Muzzle Guides for the M1 Garand ($10.95), M14/M1A ($9.95), and also AR15-platform rifles ($9.95). If you own a Garand or M1A you should definitely get one — the ten-dollar price is nothing compared to the cost of recrowning a worn or damaged barrel.
Here a lady competitor shoots in the Springfield M1A match at Camp Perry
Creedmoor also offers special Cleaning Kit for AR-platform rifles, both the AR15, and its bigger brother, the AR10. These deluxe cleaning packs include: 8/32 female threaded chamber cleaning rod, 8/32 male threaded lug recess cleaning head, Delrin sleeve, 50-pack cotton cleaning rolls, chamber brush, chamber mop and a double ended nylon cleaning brush. The price for the complete kit is $35.95. We think that’s reasonable for a system the allows you to clean those critical yet hard-to-reach areas of your AR. With the gas system dumping powder residue right back into the bolt, ARs tent to run dirty. You want to keep your chamber and lug recess area clean to ensure 100% reliablity.
