In recent years I haven't shot as much as I used to and am out of touch on ammo brands. My son is shooting an AR as much as he can afford to. There is a lot of cheap foreign ammo available, Wolfe, Tula, Brown Bear. Do you shoot that in your gas operated ARs? All I'm concerned with is crud in a gas tube. Other that that, if it cycles and shoots he can clean the gun.

I don't care if the case is brass, steel, or whatever. I only reload pistol ammo.

All ammo will collect blowback in the gas tube, it needs cleaning just as the rest of the rifle, maybe just not as often. If he is not shooting that much it's not a problem.

I just watched a short Youtube video where a guy only cleaned the gas tube that is attached to the bolt carrier. Without watching hours of Youtube videos, what about between the point where the gas enters near the end of the barrel and back from there? How do y'all clean that?

I'm just guessing that this cheap Russian ammo might be dirty. It can't be any dirtier than Remington promo loads just before dove season. You better be wearing goggles if you shoot that crap into the wind.

I shoot the cheapest stuff I can get.

I clean the the gas tube in my AR the same intervals as the muffler on my car.

Truth!

I clean the gas tube when I replace the spark plugs on my diesel.

With the gas pressures being between 17,000-25,000psi, depending upon barrel length and length of gas tube, those pressures should be more than adequate to keep the gas tube clean of debris. I've never seen one clog up

If he plans to eventually shoot a lot (like 2K-3k rounds) be aware of accelerated barrel erosion because of the harder alloys used in cheap steel cased ammo.

But if you are shooting a base level gun, you can still come out ahead. In general, by the time you shoot enough to wear out the barrel, you have paid for a new barrel with ammo savings. With a typical $0.10 to $0.15 per round difference in ammo cost between brass and steel cased ammo, he would save $100 to $150 for every 1000 rounds.

Many people will never shoot that many rounds in their lifetime. For others, it doesn't take long at all to get there.

Marc

The only steel cased ammo I have bought was actually on accident with one particular purchase. I have always bought some cheaper, but name brand, ball ammo in brass cases. Being a college student he is still a long way from being a high volume shooter.

I'm glad to know the gas tube isn't an issue. I know I've never cleaned one.

The only failure issue I have ever had with an AR was over twenty years ago with a Colt SP1. The bolt got dirty and I guess didn't rotate within the bolt carrier. It was a single shot until I cleaned it. After that no more problems.

I have a large extended family, so the adults and kids easily blow through 10-15 mags over a weekend visit.

I have lost track of how many rounds of Federal ammo down the pipe on my S&W MP15 Sport that they all shoot - since 2012. The gun never hiccup's, probably because I scrub up and lube the BCG every 500-1000 rounds or so. Never touched the gas tube - only at the bolt. Generally I buy brass cased ammo in 1K boxes when I find it on sale, mostly Federal 5.56 62gr. because the 1:8 twist likes it.

shoot the cheap stuff and don't worry about that tube, if he gets serious about targets, then get better ammo

My theory: Life's too short to shoot cheap ammo!

Beware of cheap ammo, wine and women. But sometimes two out of three ain't bad.

well said