22's... To clean or not to clean, that is the question.

[Rifleman200-10X]

Ok, I know I'm going to tip over the can and let the worms loose, but looking for opinions on cleaning 22 rimfires. I typically don't clean the bore every time, but do clean the gunk out of the reciever, or cylinder after each range session, and lube parts as necessary. Same process be it handgun or rifle. An old Korean war Vet I knew was a phenomenal Smallbore rifle competitor, with hundreds of trophies and medals to prove it. He only cleaned the bore of his Winchester 52C Bull Barrel once a year, stating that "It takes a hundred rounds to get her shooting again." He did clean the receiver, bolt, and etc. regularly.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My father gave me a 1970 Ruger Standard for graduation. I never stripped it and only occasionally swabbed the bore. I did pretty much as you did and It ran fine until it was stolen 8 years ago. It is probably still running fine.

I also have dad's 1973 Glenfield Model 60 that I have treated the same way.

It behaves properly.☺

 

[GB]

You do it the way I have always done it. More 22s have been ruined by over cleaning than almost anything else. In my youth, I made a tidey profit buying "parts" guns because they didn't work (mostly Rem. 66s and Marlin 60s) when all they needed was a good action clean out. So for me, it has always been clean the action ( now much easier with the advent of spray cleanners) A brush out of the chamber and nothing to the bore unless it got fouled by water or crud.

 

[walkin jack]

I agree. Keep the action clean and lubed and leave the bore alone.

 

[rockquarry]

The requirements for maintaining a consistent accuracy level with a highly accurate competition gun are perhaps more stringent than they are for the guns most of us shoot.

I shoot a dozen or so good quality .22 rifles and handguns and clean them (including bores) after each use. I usually just swab the bores with Hoppe's #9 followed with two or three dry patches. A brush is seldom used. Often, the first shot from a clean cold barrel is outside the rest of the group, but not by much. With the second shot, everything is fine.

I've had all my .22s for quite a while and my simple cleaning method has worked well for me. Again, target guns may require a very different routine but I'd test and verify the non-cleaning practice before accepting it as fact. Guns are different.

 

[MRB1]

Regardless of caliber, I clean everything after use - action, bore, and even rub down the stock. Hard to believe, but they did, at one time, make stocks with wood !I have time on my hands, and enjoy cleaning, so it's not a issue with me.

 

[Rifleman200-10X]

I have my Grandfather's 1903 Savage octagon barrel pump, pistol grip stock, crescent butt, complete with it's period Marbles tang sight, and a dime size brass compass inlet into the side of the buttstock. He stated he never cleaned the bore, never had a cleaning rod. It still shot fine, although the chamber was a bit rough, and occasionally an empty case would stick in the chamber. I relined the barrel a few years ago, it now runs like a Swiss watch. Feeds shorts, longs, long rifle from the clip without a hitch. (Never ever lose the clip for one of these, same price per ounce as gold.)

 

[Faulkner]

I clean all my .22's after each use. Usually just run a bore snake down the barrel, though.

 

[mtgianni]

Clean it when accuracy has degraded. Then give it a deep clean.

 

[BB57]

I own a lot of guns, enough that while I short a lot, I may not shoot a particular gun for a couple years. That includes my rimfires.

As such I clean most of my rimfires after I shoot them, including cleaning the bore and leaving a coat of oil in the barrel.

The exception to this are the precision rimfires and match rifles that I both shoot on a regular basis and want to get optimum accuracy from. I don't clean them until I see the accuracy start to fall off. That varies a bit by rifle and ammo but it's generally north of 1000 rounds.

After you clean the bore of a precision rimfire rifle it can take 50-100 rounds to re-season the bore for maximum accuracy and consistency.

It can also take 5-10 rounds to get maximum accuracy at the start of a new shooting day or after switching brands of ammunition, given the differences in lubricants.

 

[Walter Rego]

I may not clean the bores of my .22's every time, but like others I try and at least wipe or swab out the action. Particular attention is paid to the breech face, feed ramp, extractor slot and bolt face on rifles and autoloading pistols. For revolvers I'll run a couple wet & dry patches through the chambers. Some brands of .22 ammo are just filthy and waxy so I like to get that junk out of the action.

 

[M29since14]

…He only cleaned the bore of his Winchester 52C Bull Barrel once a year, stating that "It takes a hundred rounds to get her shooting again." He did clean the receiver, bolt, and etc. regularly.

That is what I have done all my life with my field-grade rifles and pistols. Lately I have thought to do a little testing of that very subject.

The best .22 rifle I have is an old Savage-Anschutz Model 54 Sporter. I have a spare high-powered scope lying around. I'm not sure the rifle is sufficiently accurate to tell much but I think I will give it a try. The problem with testing .22s seems to be separating rifle test-results from ammo test-results, from weather reports. Wind seems to be an intimidating problem. I've got no place to shoot indoors.

 

[paplinker]

I always clean the cylinder but as far as the bore I swab it but no brush.

I did have a M 63 that would lead a lot but since doing away with Remington ammo and staying with CCI exclusively I haven't had any more problems,and my guns are much cleaner shooting.

 

[2ffat]

I clean every gun every time I shot.

 

[LittleCooner]

I usually never put over 300-400 rounds thru the rimfires before they get the full treatment, all the lead is removed. I bought one of the cheap borescopes which has been one of the best accessories I have every purchased. yes, you have to reseason the bore after a deep clean, but mine come back in 10-25 rounds. I have read way to much about the carbon ring build up ( it is easy to remove) and belive that lead in the barrel is not condusive to the best accuracy.

 

[H Richard]

It depends on the ammo you are shooting. There are a few brands out there that are so dirty a semi auto may fail to function in as little as 25-30 rounds. (You know what brands to watch out for).

A home made "pull through" (Plastic weed whip with one end melted to a ball that just fits through the bore). One patch on the pull through with just a couple drops of favorite cleaner, to clean the chamber and bore, and protect bore. Clean the action parts about every 100-200 rounds.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I clean the actions/cylinders after shooting.......I never touch the barrel unless it gets wet.

 

[Greyman50]

Usually clean cylinder and frame of revolvers, bore maybe 2 times a year but semi autos get full treatment as slide and face of barrel seem to get really nasty. Given up on win. .22, seem super nasty and way to many failure to fires.

 

[diyj98]

An old Korean war Vet I knew was a phenomenal Smallbore rifle competitor, with hundreds of trophies and medals to prove it. He only cleaned the bore of his Winchester 52C Bull Barrel once a year, stating that "It takes a hundred rounds to get her shooting again." He did clean the receiver, bolt, and etc. regularly.

We're all "experts" on cleaning, but I'd go along with your friend. I only brush my 22LR bores at most, once a year. Some 22's that only get shot a couple boxes a season, haven't seen a brush in several years. I'll pull a dry rag through the bore before and after every shooting session, then store the rifle with a light coat of oil in the barrel, but I don't like sliding even high quality rods and brushes down the bore anymore than I have to.

 

[OLDSTER]

My Rugers are shot a lot. I don't keep track, but I run a patch through the bores probably every 1000 rounds. And field strip to clean approx. every 3000 rounds. They are "garbage eaters", and I don't ever remember having to do any cleaning due to performance issues regardless of the number of rounds fired..