As the others have noted, there's always been -and likely always will be- two 180-degrees-apart and completely opposing schools-of-thought where it comes to the break-in and cleaning/lubrication practices for the service-grade AR15.
I don't think that a break-in -or not- will really hurt or necessarily benefit the service-grade AR15 that's destined for either professional (duty) use/defensive use or for action-shooting competition. It's my personal belief that accuracy/precision will depend more on end-user skill and unique ammo -to- unique weapon considerations more than any break-in procedures,
in this specific context.
On the other hand, while I certainly wouldn't discourage the end-owner of service-grade AR15s from cleaning and lubricating their firearm, I am of the view that improper lubrication (typically under-lubrication or using the wrong type of lubricant for-conditions) can lead to unnecessary stoppages, and that even more importantly, improper cleaning can truly harm the weapon.
Not maintaining the barrel bore against oxidation or damaging the barrel crown are obviously problematic, but over-cleaning can also lead to problems, and one of the best examples is the bolt tail, where overly aggressive carbon removal (i.e. "scraping") can cause that critical dimension to become undersized over time (through repeated cleanings), leading to issues that arise from gas-inefficiency. In the latest SOTAR BCG "autopsy," as seen below, Chad Albrecht touches on this very concern:
He shows gauging of the bolt tail first, at around the 2:09 time-point, and then he gets back into it at around the 16:20 time-point in the video with an EDM-cut "demo" carrier, to show the "why" behind this "how."
With that in-mind:
Overall, my advice to new AR owners is to approach that AR's maintenance in the context of how they intend to use that rifle.
If your intended use is to hobby-plink frequently or to routinely engage in competition or training classes, cleaning the gun
only once a season - provided that it's well-lubricated and protected against corrosion in an appropriate manner between cleanings - would be far from abuse, and can well be considered both typical and sufficient. Look, for example, at the BCM "Filthy 14."
That kind of cleaning schedule (or lack thereof
) is actually not uncommon among shooters who take the rifle to weekend range sessions, competitions, or training classes on a frequent basis.
Overall, unless your AR is specifically set up as a precision gun, there's no need to treat it as such. Service-grade ARs are resilient and robust.
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