Cleaning a 1950s 22/32 kit gun

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442js

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Now that I bought a really nice 22/32 kit gun, I want to make sure it stays that way after I use it. On my other guns I normally use a bore snake, and a cleaner that I just ran out. I try to clean my guns after each trip to the range. What do people recommend? Are bore snakes safe on a 56 year old revolver, and what cleaner/solvent should I use so I don't destroy the finish?

Thank you.
 
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442-For your first deep cleaning I would take the grips off, take the cylinder and crane off and remove the sideplate. After you remove the sideplate clean any dried oil/grease you see on the lockwork. You may not see any. Very very lightly oil the moving parts and replce the sideplate. I would then run a patch with some Hoppes #9 (or whatever solvent you like into the cavity where the crane goes to clean any dried lubricant and dirt out of there. Seem to be a place that can accumulate some crud. Use clean patches and solvent to clean the chambers of the cylinder. Lightly oil the crane where it goes into the frame and the cylinder on the crane that the guns cylinder goes into. Clean the barrel withe patches and the Hoppes. Reinstall the crane and cylinder and the grips and you are good to go. After shooting you will just need to clean the barrel and cylinder bores.
 
Good advice for a first cleaning.

My take on boresnakes is that they are convenient ways to swab out a barrel if you experience some fouling during a long range session, but they are not by themselves a serious cleaning solution. You still need to use a rod with bore brush, patches and mop to every time you shoot a gun to give it the cleaning it deserves.

Clean with standard tools and solvents. Touch up with a boresnake.
 
I'm not sure Boresnakes are all that...It seems all they do is drag nasty stuff through the barrel every time you use them. As far as washing them goes,it isn't worth my time. I always open up the side plate and give every gun a thorough cleaning before I shoot it the first time.

Cleaning barrels every time you use a gun increases the risk of damaging the crown. I clean only when accuracy drops off and then it's a good cleaning....mop,brass brush,and patches. I do wipe the piece down after handling,I would rather shoot than clean any day.
 
Great call on the initial cleaning of an old S&W when you are not sure of its cleaning and maintenance history. If you are unsure of the process of cracking open a S&W revolver there are plenty of knowledgeable folks here that will help you do it the right way. You might also want to get a .17 caliber cleaning rod, it makes cleaning .22s much easier.

After your initial cleaning, if you choose quality ammunition you should not have to clean the bore, just the cylinder and the outside. Far too many .22 barrels are ruined by over cleaning. High end target ammo like Eley, RWS and Lapua are very well lubricated with an oily wax, enough to actually protect the bore for short term storage, a year or less. These makers also make lower cost practice ammo with the same lube so you don't need the $19 a box match grade stuff. I only clean my target 22 bores at the end of the season, the actions get cleaned every time I shoot them, but I leave the bores alone.
 
What the said:
I'm not sure Boresnakes are all that...It seems all they do is drag nasty stuff through the barrel every time you use them. As far as washing them goes,it isn't worth my time. I always open up the side plate and give every gun a thorough cleaning before I shoot it the first time.

Cleaning barrels every time you use a gun increases the risk of damaging the crown. I clean only when accuracy drops off and then it's a good cleaning....mop,brass brush,and patches. I do wipe the piece down after handling,I would rather shoot than clean any day.
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I can understand that you don't want to over clean, but I also don't want to leave the gun a mess when I am done with it. This is my first .22, and everyone tells me that this is a dirty round. The gun is immaculate now, I don't want to shoot, and then leave it dirty. It would ruin such a beautiful gun. I would also rather shoot than clean, but I think of cleaning as something that needs to be done to make sure it keeps shooting without any problems. There must be a good balance.

Clean every 50 rounds? 100 rounds? 200 rounds?
 
Smith357 said:
Great call on the initial cleaning of an old S&W when you are not sure of its cleaning and maintenance history. If you are unsure of the process of cracking open a S&W revolver there are plenty of knowledgeable folks here that will help you do it the right way. You might also want to get a .17 caliber cleaning rod, it makes cleaning .22s much easier.

After your initial cleaning, if you choose quality ammunition you should not have to clean the bore, just the cylinder and the outside. Far too many .22 barrels are ruined by over cleaning. High end target ammo like Eley, RWS and Lapua are very well lubricated with an oily wax, enough to actually protect the bore for short term storage, a year or less. These makers also make lower cost practice ammo with the same lube so you don't need the $19 a box match grade stuff. I only clean my target 22 bores at the end of the season, the actions get cleaned every time I shoot them, but I leave the bores alone.
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I am not very mechanical so I would be worried about opening the gun because I might damage something or not be able to put it together. I don't want to ruin this gun.

The place I bought it seemed familiar with the person who sold who said he took excellent care of his guns. This gun was well kept, and it was not shot too many times. I probably should do the initial maintenance just to be safe.

I asked on the ammo forum about good ammo for this gun, and most people said it is best to experiment to because some guns do better with certain types of .22. I will look into the brands you mentioned. I gather I can't get a brick of them for $20. Know a good online store to get them?
 
If you are not comfortable removing the side plate then by all means don't do it. Many a gun has been buggered up but someone who was unsure of what they were doing. Some of that foaming gun cleaner that some folks use should work well for you though I have never used it a lot of the guys swear by it. Just hose it down inside the action and wipe it off.

As for the ammo, just stay away from the wally world bulk packs and don't just buy the cheapest stuff you can find. Stick with standard velocity pure lead bullets. You have a high quality firearm use quality ammunition. I buy my .22 ammunition from Champion Shooters Supply, but I'm just lucky to have one of the counrtys finest Anschutz and small bore target dealers close to me, and can go in and buy just one box of everything, then go back and buy bricks of what works.

Champion Shooters Supply LLC
 
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Smith357 said:
If you are not comfortable removing the side plate then by all means don't do it. Many a gun has been buggered up but someone who was unsure of what they were doing. Some of that foaming gun cleaner that some folks use should work well for you though I have never used it a lot of the guys swear by it. Just hose it down inside the action and wipe it off.

As for the ammo, just stay away from the wally world bulk packs and don't just buy the cheapest stuff you can find. Stick with standard velocity pure lead bullets. You have a high quality firearm use quality ammunition. I buy my .22 ammunition from Champion Shooters Supply, but I'm just lucky to have one of the counrtys finest Anschutz and small bore target dealers close to me, and can go in and buy just one box of everything, then go back and buy bricks of what works.

Champion Shooters Supply LLC
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Thanks for the information on ammo. I was looking at CCI, but will take a look at the website you referred me to later today. One of the main reasons to get a .22 is that the ammo is cheap, and I don't want to go crazy. On the other hand, I don't want to be really cheap and use something that isn't good.
 
cleaning your kit gun

I have owned only two since 1970. The first one I owned when I was in the cattle business and it was my constant companion. Ran a minimum of 50 rounds a day thru it and that one dispatched multiple 100's of armadillos, snakes, nutrias, and other vermin...even an occasional injuried cow. The ONLY problem encountered was a tendency of the hulls not wanting to eject cleanly after a hundred rounds or so. A brush thru the cylinder holes at night solved the problem and it was back to work the next morning. sold that one in a moment of divorce inspired insanity. Aquired another shortly thereafter and it will go to the grave with me(if one of the kids doesn't find it first)...Treat it like a good woman...keep it close, baby it when you can, used and even lightly abuse it when necessary....you do your part and it will not let you down
 
To clean match grade .22 barrels, I use a home made pull through made from a strand of plastic "Weed Whip" material. Cut to a length about 8 to 10" longer than the barrel, then one end melted to a glob and when cooled trimmed to the size of the bore or just slightly smaller. I skewer a patch lightly wet with Hoppe's or your choice of solvent, and pull through the barrel. A couple of these then a couple dry patch's and the barrel is good for another few hundred rounds of quality ammo. On the rare occasion I would want to put a brush down the barrel, I use a regular cleaning rod, but I have used electrical "shrink wrap" (plastic) to cover the rod so no metal touch's the crown. Also the brush I use is a nylon bristle, not a bronze one. I do use a bronze one on center-fire caliber barrels where I may have fired relatively hot lead bullet loads and there may be a touch of leading.
 
Smith357 said:
Great call on the initial cleaning of an old S&W when you are not sure of its cleaning and maintenance history. If you are unsure of the process of cracking open a S&W revolver there are plenty of knowledgeable folks here that will help you do it the right way. You might also want to get a .17 caliber cleaning rod, it makes cleaning .22s much easier.

After your initial cleaning, if you choose quality ammunition you should not have to clean the bore, just the cylinder and the outside. Far too many .22 barrels are ruined by over cleaning. High end target ammo like Eley, RWS and Lapua are very well lubricated with an oily wax, enough to actually protect the bore for short term storage, a year or less. These makers also make lower cost practice ammo with the same lube so you don't need the $19 a box match grade stuff. I only clean my target 22 bores at the end of the season, the actions get cleaned every time I shoot them, but I leave the bores alone.
Click to expand...

I am looking at Eley Sport .22LR which is Eley's entry ammo as well as RWS Target which is RWS' entry ammo. Which one do you recommend?
 
I have used both and either will do fine, they are both very good ammunition. Pick the one where the colors on the box best match your shirt. :)
 
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Smith357 said:
I have used both and either will do fine, they are both very good ammunition. Pick the one where the colors on the box best match your shirt. :)
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Is the same ammunition recommended for an AR15 type rifle? I haven't gotten an .22LR upper receiver yet, but I do plan on it.
 
442js said:
Is the same ammunition recommended for an AR15 type rifle? I haven't gotten an .22LR upper receiver yet, but I do plan on it.
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No it would be too expensive, for a semi automatic fun gun go ahead and use the bulk packs. The high velocity .22s have the extra power to help make the semi autos run better and you can clean those from the breech.
 
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