Because it's a pain in the butt, that's why! But I had to do it today, because I was having problems (Federal blue box Champion ammo didn't help either).

1. You have to disassemble the action from the stock.

2. It takes tools to strip:

Barrel vise jaws
Shop vise
Pin punch
Hammer
Screwdriver

2. Then you have to take out the 2 trigger assembly pins, usually not hard.

3. Then you have to pound out the big third pin in the back of the receiver. Much tougher.

4. Then you have to pull the bolt back with one hand, and with the other, try -- try -- to lift up the bolt, against the pressure of the action spring rod. At this point I have the barrel chucked up in barrel vise jaws, in a shop vise on the workbench.

5. Having accomplished all this, you now can't clean the bore (or, more importantly, scrub the chamber) from the breech end.

6. Reassembly is even tougher. With the barrel again chucked into the vise, you have to place the spring guide rod just so, and hold it back with a screwdriver, while trying to drop the bolt down in the right spot.

7. Then pound the big pin back into place.

8. And what's your scope saying when all this pounding and gyrating are going on?

9. Then put the 2 trigger pins in and reassemble the trigger group.

10. Hold the safety just right, in the middle, against spring tension (no detent for this position) and put the action back in the stock.

11. More screws to tighten to hold the action in the stock.

What a pain in the arse.

I used to generously lubricate the bolt and the action spring rod, like you're supposed to do with semi-auto firearms. No more. The action collects a lot of crud, and excess lube just makes a nasty paste.

Now, how is anybody supposed to accomplish this in the field?

The pins in mine just about fall out by themselves but the bolt is a pain to work with and like you, I always am concerned about banging the scope around. They need to work on the take down on that gun.

I just soaked my friends 10-22 (that has had a jillion rounds downrange and was misbehaving badly) in some diesel fuel for several days, scrubbed what I could and then blew it out with my air compressor, re-lubed and it is running like a 10-22 is famous for.

Randy

OVERKILL? If that's how YOU do it, I wouldn't clean it either.

I just use a vinyl coated cable, to pull a patch from chamber
to muzzle.

I could almost do everything you described with a blindfold on. Just because I can, does not mean that I do. I generally pull the stock---(just one screw if you have a decent stock on it) then hose the entire barrel and action down with about 1/3 of a can of gun scrubber. Put it all back in the stock and it is ready to kill things again. Oh ya, I usually just grab another and keep shooting if/when the first or second or third give me troubles. It is always better to do the cleaning at home while sipping a cocktail after a long day of killing is just a memory.


Not my video, but this will give you the idea of what I am referring to. On a decent day a guy will shoot 1,000 to 2,000 rounds, and if you are doing it correctly your kill ratio will be about 1 to 3 depending on what distance you are comfortable with. Sage rat season starts about now and is pretty much over by mid May. Do you really think we waste time in the field cleaning guns.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

This is how I clean my marlin model 60.

We don't.... a bore snake and some spray lube keeps a 10-22 going a LONG time!!

Randy

If I had to do that every time on my 10/22, it would never get cleaned. I use a Patchworm (string trimmer) line & patches for most cleaning. But I didn't experience any real effort in removing the action from the stock, trigger group from the action (when I sent it to Brimstone for a Tier 3 trigger job), the bolt assembly from the receiver (tricky the first time but straightforward after that), and the bolt stop pin at the rear of the receiver simply fell out. And the only reason I went through all that was to send the trigger group in and just to see how it went together. I can clean it still assembled, with the bolt locked back.

I do think Ruger could have added a hole at the back of the receiver so you could use a real cleaning rod if you want.

I take mine out of the stock, soak it in Ed's Red solution, flush it out with Gumout or equal, blow it out with a compressor, oil it and it's good as new. No reason to completely strip the gun down unless it needs gun smithing.

One thing I'm doing is cutting way back on the CLP. I used to use it generously on the 10/22, same as I do on a 1911 or an AR-15. But the action on the 10/22 collects too much powder dust, and lots of oil just makes it stick and form a sludge.

So what I'll try now is just one drop on the recoil spring guide rod and leave it at that.

I think a 10/22 is one of easiest guns to strip. A screw driver for the one screw in stock and a small brass punch to push out the pins. There is really no need to completely strip them. I clean my bore after shooting and only strip in down once a year. I have worked on dozens of them installing aftermarket parts and have never needed any vice or hammer.
Getting bolt back in can be a pain if you haven't done it for awhile. Same as old Ruger auto pistol. If you are use to doing it it's no big deal. To. Most it's a pain.

I would buy a new one before I would go through all that nonsense. And frequently to boot!!!

A screwdriver, a small punch, and two hands is all I need.

You might want to watch a few take down videos.

I'm scratching my head right now... My Ruger 10/22 is one of the easiest guns to take apart. I actually bought a 10/22 takedown empty receiver and built it up piece by piece. Took a spare trigger assembly totally apart and put mostly Volquartzen bits in it. Bought an X-22 Magpul Backpacker stock and a Tactical Solutions barrel... And Viola! It came out pretty dang sweet!

Substitute Kroil for diesel and that's how I do mine.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I got my 10/22 in 1971 when I was 12 years old. I put at least 200,000 rounds through it by the year 2000, when it started to jam. I took the action out of the stock, blasted it with Gun Scrubber, got what gunk I could see with some Q-Tips, lubed it, and put it back together. I’ve put another 10,000 though it since then with no problems. It shoots as good as ever.

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Rule of law, not a man.

Brass pin punches/hammer are about all I use. Mine has a buffer rear pin vs. steel and those can be tough to remove.

If you want real fun, disassemble a 10rnd rotary magazine for cleaning, then try and put it back together...

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Psalm 27:2

I took one apart. It took trouble to get it back together. How do they assemble them in the factory? Now I spray ' em out with brake cleaner and blast with compressed air.

Ruger does not make things easy. Except the Mark iv.

I can't echo the sentiment in this thread. Sure 10/22's aren't AK simple but they're not the Hellraiser puzzle or anything. They come apart and go back together pretty easily on my bench.

How is anyone supposed to accomplish this in the field? They're not. It's an economy semi-automatic .22, not a military rifle.

Any blow back rimfire will do the same.

They're not too bad, with a diagram. I built a wood insert in
one of mine to let it feed CCI CB Shorts. Won't cycle the action,
but feed fine.

I have two suggestions for cleaning this rifle. The first is to remove the action and bbl from the stock and spray the action with Disc Break cleaner. Wear rubber gloves when you do this. After it has soaked in for 10 or 15 minutes blow everything off or out with an air hose. Lube everything and the gun will work like new.
My second suggestion is to remove the action from the stock and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner on high for about 20 minutes. It will be perfectly clean, take it out and blow it off and lube it. It will work great, no action disassembly required!
I bought one of those cleaners a few years ago. Cost less than $400 and they work great of handguns and 22 cal rifles. Use then once every year or so, when my guns get really dirty.

I shoot mine suppressed, and that's the way I clean mine too.

As long as I use CCI subs or SV.

Got a boat load of Remington sub sonic 22's...dirtiest stuff I've ever shot.

As with any gun I have ever took apart, if force is required you are most likely doing it wrong. Exception is springs, they can be troublesome. At the
factory they have assembly jigs that make things a snap.

Do you live near a gun store that offers gun cleaning services? Because if they do find out how much they charge and have them.

Do it for you because the process you just described sounds absolutely dreadful and horrible.

Sounds like OCD to me.....

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

When I was in business I was astounded by the number of customers that brought their guns in to be cleaned. Same with fishing reels. The demand was such that I bought a big industrial cleaner for small parts. The after market parts for 10/22s was also surprising that customers wanted them
installed.

Yeah, I've got to admit it never seemed too hard to me.

But then again I STILL don't understand all the hoopla about how "hard" a Ruger semi auto .22 pistol is to take apart and re assemble. Never seemed to be an issue. And I'm no rocket surgeon...

I have seen aftermarket receivers that had a hole in the back so that you could clean from the breech. Seems like I saw a Ruger factory model that came with the same hole in it for cleaning.

I have to wonder though ... now there is a hole in the back of the receiver for rain to enter and any other debris that you might encounter while out in the open with your gun. Not sure if it is a solution or a new problem.

Took the 10/22 to the range today. It was clean, but this time around I hardly used any CLP at all, just a drop on the spring guide rod.

MUCH less poo poo built up; and I was firing dirty Federal Champion stuff.

That's the new formula for the 10/22 for me. Treat it the opposite of the AR-15.

.



Put a cork in it???

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

ruger.com has some good how-to videos on most of their current firearms, including the 10/22.


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It's not that bad. Over time, all the pins start falling out (even those you don't want) and the bolt handle manipulation becomes second nature.

You want a hassle, try an Ithaca 37. It's a bit more than a screw or two.

I guess it boils down to "a man's got to know his limitations." If I take a gun apart I've never done before. I sketch as it comes apart and have parts laid out in order and numbered to sketch. Those drawings in parts sheets don't show you how one part is in relation to another. I do a good bit of looking before I start taking them apart.The stuff you see every day
like 10/22s, 870s ect become second nature.

Gosh...I must've gotten a few "unusual" 10/22's because all of them have been a snap to breakdown, take apart, clean, and reassemble. Never had to use a vise. Bolt has never been hard to take out and put back...and I'm the kind of guy that has trouble putting batteries in a flashlight and expecting it to work.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

My 10/22 is a takedown, so the barrel is easy. But not being able to do much now because of arthritis, cleaning the receiver is a real bear. I spent several hours getting it reassembled the first time.

And no, I can't get a MarkIII back together either without way too much cussing and swearing.

I've sold guns lately because the cleaning has gotten more difficult than I can manage.

I used to rebuild/repair mechanical camera shutters. I found that pictures with a cell camera or anything with a macro lens taken as each layer of parts came out was a big help when putting thing back together.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I bought my first 10/22 from my barber for 37 dollars I made mowing lawns when I was about 11 years old in 1970. Didn't have any manuals or Youtube just took it all apart and cleaned it with some Hoppes and used WD-40 to blow the crud out of the tight spots. I didn't think it was hard at all, but I think some people are getting really spoiled with some of the new guns that can be broken down in two seconds.

AgreeSent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk