Disassembling the Pistons for Cleaning?

[ClackClackBAM]

So from everything I have read, I've learned that it's almost never necessary to completely pull the gun apart for routine cleaning. 
Any idea when it would be necessary to do something like this?

[Evolution]

Hey CCB, I take mine down as shown in the video every time I clean the gun which, sometimes ends up being after a few shooting sessions. Sometimes after every one, if I know that it's going to be a while till I shoot the gun again.

With one exception;

If I know that I'll be hitting it again soon, I don't do much in the way of cleaning except getting the grit and unburnt powder out of the breach area and adding back lube.

One thing I don't do is use the bolt handle for removing the gas plugs or pushing out the trigger housing pin. I use an appropriate sized steel punch for those two things.

[ClackClackBAM]

Good to know, thank you! Have you found any problems with your gun should it not be cleaned that often?

[Evolution]

Hey, no I have never had a problem functioning even when the round count has been 350 or so before I cleaned it. Probably not much compared to most people.

Mine is an older Robar plated H2O model which is supposed to take more dirt and fouling and still function.

[jimbo45]

I generally just bore snake mine and will clean it around 500 rounds or so. I do use the charging handle to remove the pistons it works just fine. I'd imagine that cleaning isnt really necessary until you hit a 1000 rounds or more.

[StrangerDanger]

The pistons are designed to be self cleaning. This is why it has those cuts around the pistons. As it cycles, the pistons scrape off the carbon build up and deposit it on the inside of the handguards. I went for 2000 rounds over the course of about 18 months without cleaning the M4. This particular M4 had nickle boron plated pistons. At the end of my little test, it was still functioning just fine. I just got bored and wanted to clean it.

Almost no one ever disassembles the ARGO plugs either. There are spring loaded cups inside of there that deal with the same carbon build up. You can't really clean them assembled. Even soaking in an ultrasonic tank does little and usually just leaves solvent inside the plugs.

[ClackClackBAM]

1 hour ago, StrangerDanger said:

The pistons are designed to be self cleaning. This is why it has those cuts around the pistons. As it cycles, the pistons scrape off the carbon build up and deposit it on the inside of the handguards. I went for 2000 rounds over the course of about 18 months without cleaning the M4. This particular M4 had nickle boron plated pistons. At the end of my little test, it was still functioning just fine. I just got bored and wanted to clean it.

Almost no one ever disassembles the ARGO plugs either. There are spring loaded cups inside of there that deal with the same carbon build up. You can't really clean them assembled. Even soaking in an ultrasonic tank does little and usually just leaves solvent inside the plugs.

That's what I was originally thinking. I didn't want to pull my system completely apart.
Since my M4 doesn't have a fancy coating, should I clean it more often?

[StrangerDanger]

If you’re going to clean the shotgun; might as well pull the pistons and wipe them off. I run a bore snake down the channels the pistons sit in to brush out the crud. 
 

Even without fancy coatings, yours should function for thousands of rounds before it needs attention. Now you will need to squirt more oil into the bolt carrier every 500 rounds or so.