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CAT M-4 Cleaning Tool

I think that $36 plus shipping could be used elsewhere. I do not have any experience with this tool, just what I see in your posted link.
 
I thought it was a little pricey too. It is a PITA to try and scrape the carbon off the bolt sometimes, but I guess nothing a flat head or knife couldn't do. Just wondering if anyone has bought one and used it.
 
You can easily do more harm than good with something like that. In fact, a quick wipe of parts to check for breakage or premature wear is all I do to any of my AR's. Relube copiously and shoot the piss out of it. A well-made gun with properly dimensioned components out of proper materials, lubed correctly should never need that type of maintenance. There's lots of evidence that over cleaning guns, and especially using tools such as that, are far more likely to induce malfunctions and cause premature wear and breakage than never cleaning that crap off it at all.
 
I bought one just to give it a try. I use it to clean the carbon off my bolt and it does a great job of that. However, I rarely clean my ARs so it sees very little use.
 
I have one and use it on my rifles that I shoot suppressed. It works very well and doesn't damage your bolt. I would buy it from Brownells though, it is (or was) cheaper there.
 
I have one and the reason I spent the $40 bucks on it is because it's a specific tool. Yes I know Pat Rogers has run a bazillion rounds out of his rifle without cleaning it but he has the back stock of spare rifles to do so and is given his instead of spending hard earned money on it like it did. The purpose I use mine for is field cleaning. It is not intended to be used for presentation grade cleaning. It does not remove every last bit of carbon and crud from the bold. What it does do though, and quite well I might add, is allow you to rapidly get the majority of crap off your bolt. As stated above it doesn't get close enough to scrape to bare surface. With this tool I can field clean my bolt fast and re lube it and it takes up next to no space on my kit and weighs next to nothing. Again, I'm sure an ultrasonic cleaner would do much better than this as would pics and carbon scrapers and whatever nifty gizmo you use to get all the junk off your bold when you're home. If you're out all day shooting a thousand or so rounds it's nice during a break just to give it a quick once over. If you choose to use it for it's intended purposes you won't be disappointed. If you're expecting spotless afterwards you will. Just my 2 cents.
 
The hole in the charging handle that goes over the gas tube will do the same thing. Not necessarily the entirety of the bolt, but it will hit the neck with a couple spins.
 
Expensive but worth it in time saved. No damage to report. The use of this tool and SLIP 725 have cut my cleaning time by 2/3.
 
CAT M4 and 7.62 are great for their intended purpose. If you enjoy useful tools snag one or both.
 
I got one....I would spend my money on a harbor fright ultrasonic cleaner instead.

With hornady one shot US cleaner solution. I clean my bolts with a paper towel.

And I shoot suppressed all the time
 
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For use in the field it is in my bag. I have both 556 and 762. They were bought for the range bag not for at home cleaning.
 
They work great. If you do a lot of shooting in one session you are going to have carbon build up that gets cooked on your bolt that doesnt wipe off, it has to be scraped off. They are pricey though.