I recently picked up my 15-22 MOE, and have yet to get cleaning supplies for it.

I was reading some reviews on the Hoppe's Viper Boresnake... Anybody here use this on their 15-22?

And also, since I am new to guns and this is my first purchase, I am kind of in the dark as to what all it takes to get this thing nice and clean. Any info and/or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-Justin

just about everyone has a different opinion on cleaning supplies and procedures. do some searching on here, there are a ton of threads with good info.

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od: xd9 3"&4", 15-22, 1911 .22

i do the Bore Snake with CLP on it

And CLP and Tetra Lube on the BCG, take BCG apart (not necessarily Firing pin each time) and clean it good.. and Remington Wipes inside the Lower....

I clean mine after every trip out since I usually lob 575rds per trip

Thats what i do....

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--Stav--

First of all, welcome to the firearms enthusiast community. Congrats on buying your first firearm!

The important parts to clean are the bore, the bolt carrier group, the upper receiver (the portion of the firearm in which the bolt carrier reciprocates).

The subject of cleaning & lubricating is controversial. Most firearms enthusiasts develop a cleaning method that works best for them.

This is what works for me. Your mileage may vary.

For the barrel bore, I like to use a Boresnake.



All you need to do is moisten the section of the Boresnake before the integrated brush with solvent. I'll pull it through three times. When the Boresnake gets dirty, I just hand wash it in the sink.



Since I like to save time, I like to use a product that cleans & lubricates at the same time. Breakfree CLP works for me.



I'll take a cotton rag lmoistened with Breakfree CLP and wipe down the entire bolt carrier group, cleaning & lubing in the same process. I make sure to wipe down the rails on either side of the bolt. I prefer to keep a very light film of lube on my bolt carrier group because over lubricating attracts dirt and fouling.

To clean the bolt face, breech face, and feed ramp I use a Q-Tip moistened with Hoppes No.9 solvent. I do this because these are the areas that get some stubborn carbon/powder fouling.





I'll use a CLP moistened rag & wipe out the upper receiver. I'll then just eyeball the lower receiver. The lower doesn't get very dirty. I'll just wipe off whatever surface residue is there.

So far, this is all I've had to do to keep my 15-22 in tip-top shape.

I have another piece of kit for other rifles that can be used on my 15-22. It's an Otis flexible rod cleaning kit.



I can put different tips on the end of the flexible rod, and pull it through the bore. So instead of performing all the steps that a Boresnake does in a single pull, I can do the three steps separately.

• Pull through solvent patch & let sit to remove stubborn fouling.
• Pull through dry patches until clean.
• Pull through patch lightly moistened with lubricant.

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-John

You might want to search the forum to confirm or deny this, but I have a vague recollection of someone saying that the Viper version of the BoreSnake is prone to tearing. Or maybe it was in an Amazon review. The one I have is called simply a BoreSnake, and I love it.
I always insert it through the ejection port now instead of from the rear of the upper. Seems like no matter how careful I am the loop at the trailing end always wants to snag on the ejector when inserted straight in from the back.
Welcome to the 15-22 family!

That is generally solved by not letting the BS trailing end loop. Hold it straight out as the snake is pulled through.

I must be missing something. When it's pulled straight, my BS has a loop at the end. Since I lack a third hand to guide the loop away from the ejector while pulling, it often gets caught, and really tight. Then I have to grab the end of the loop with pliers to free it.
Going in through the port seems to keep the loop away from the ejector, although it does require watching for the BS's brush segment as it approaches so I can tuck it inside the chamber and get it started straight into the bore.

I've read that the best and cheapest lubricating oil is the half oil/half synthetic motor oil, that you buy at auto parts stores. The "professional " pressurized brake cleaners work fine for cleaning metal parts; but not for plastic. I would not recommend using WD 40, or Rem Oil --- for they have been known to gum up parts in cold weather.

Besides a Bore Snake... I like a .17 cleaning rod, and Q-Tips --- to swab out the chamber with a little oil, after each shooting session; and a small jeweler's screwdriver for tiny nooks and crannies.

Never had the problem, the loop getting caught on anything. As for the three hands, I have a clamp the holds the barrel in my bench vice so both hands are free for the cleaning. As far as I can see, the key to not catching the loop on anything is to pay attention to what the loop is doing as it gets close to the chamber. If nothing else, put a piece of aquarium tubing about four inches long over the ejector to keep the BS away from it.

Thats a really good Idear as I do watch it and some times it still gets hung up

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M&P15-22’s Tupperware for Guys

Post your cleaning/ammo consumption ratio here!

This is a thread I started in order to get an idea exactly like you.

The Brownells website has nothing but negative reviews for the Viper.

KBK

I have the Viper Boresnake in .38, and it works fine. But I have to say, I wouldn't want one that is harder to pull through my 15-22 than the standard Boresnake.

i use the bore snake on both mine and my wifes 15-22 and like it.

How hard is it to pull through?

I hve Hoppe's boresnake and it is pretty pretty hard in .22, I have to wrap the boresnake around my hand several times and pull rather hard. Be sure to align it so it goes in straight in the barrel.

It is a little bit easier in .223. Today we cleaned my friend's AR-15 using the same boresnake today and it was a bit easier to pull. It was also easier to wiggle the leading string into the barrel first.

I would say pretty darned hard. I haven't used any other sizes, but I suspect that larger calibers would be easier. Every time I use it I expect it to tear, but so far so good. I too wrap a few turns around my hand to get a good grip. Once the brushes are through it gets a little easier.

I've found the .22 quite hard. A friend suggested holding the end of the boresnake on the ground with his foot/feet, and pulling up on the gun. I guess my floor/feet are too slippery, as that didn't work for me. I find that it goes through pretty well until the last "knot" of the boresnake is entering the barrel. It seems to, well, knot up a bit sometimes, so I take a small screwdriver, pull it out a bit and try to straighten it out. It usually then comes through okay, but it's still hard.

Maybe it's me; I bought an Outers .22 cleaning kit, and just pushing through a patch in the slotted took broke the rod the first time it was used. Bought a long steel rod, and have to hammer it with my palm to get it though. Went back to the boresnake.

[QUOTE=rraisley;136580302]I've found the .22 quite hard.[QUOTE]

It gets easier with continued use. The brushes take a set and wear down. Actually, I discard my boresnakes when they get TOO easy to pull through, on the theory that the tighter it fits, the more thoroughly it cleans the bore.

One no-no: never reverse a recalcitrant boresnake to pull it out. The brushes will dig in and and make removal dang near impossible.

Keep in mind that the diameters of .22 LR and .223/5.56 are not the same, hence the bore diameters are not the same. .22 LR is slightly smaller than .223/5.56. The nominal diameter of .22 LR is .222 but can be as small as .220.

This is the same reason that .22 LR BCG conversions for AR15s are not as accurate as dedicated .22 LR barrels.

I don't doubt it will get easier. But in my experience, it isn't the brushes that are tight; they go though quite easily. It's the ball/knot/thicker bulk at the back of the snake, which is basically a loop. But it seems if that isn't laying just right, it just stops RIGHT THERE!

Edit: I've actually considering cutting off the last 2" of the boresnake, as I don't hang them up anyhow.

I actually purchased some Hoppe's number 9 solvent and one of the viper bore snakes. I am experiencing the same issue with the bore snake, it is rather difficult to pull through. I have found that if I keep some tension on the loop end of it (with my third hand), it will come on through.

I still need to pick up some lube. It totally slipped my mind when I was there. I guess I will check out some of that breakfree clp stuff.

Oh and on a side note. I ran about 250 rounds through the thing this past weekend and it worked perfect every single round. Great gun!

Thanks for all the input guys!
-Justin

So that's what the loop is for!

Once you go Otis, you never go back.
My boresnakes are collecting dust now.


You can't get it stuck in the barrel

You can't accidentally hook the ejecter

You can't screw up the crown (pulls breach to muzzle)

One size patch fits all

The whole kit is just bigger than a hockey puck

I like the looks of that (I assume it's like the pic above by JaPes). I may have to try that. I certainly like pulling better than pushing, which is one reason the boresnake works for me.

The only problem with a .17 cleaning rod, is that when you push the jag past the muzzle, you have to help the jag in order so that it does not hit the muzzle crown when you retract it. Like I said... I've read that the semi-synthetic motor oil works pretty good in gun actions.

As for the Otis... I would never use steel core brushes in my guns --- always bronze core brushes.