New and Impressed

[OldEagleEars]

TaylorJamison - You've made a good choice for a first firearm. The 15-22 is both fun and relatively economical to shoot and is easy to accessorize as your experience and interest grows. The fact that it is so similar to what are commonly referred to as "AR"-type rifles (the most popular long-arm in the nation) will allow you to familiarize yourself with a form of gun that is popular in both hunting and shooting sports. That it can also be an effective home-defense tool has also to be considered. A whole lot of little-bitty bullets can be as much of a deterrent to a criminal as one or two big ones if applied properly!
Keeping your rifle clean is vital to it's health. Twenty-two-caliber ammunition is by nature rather "dirty" and leaves a lot of deposits on and in your rifle. By taking the gun apart to clean and lubricate it you also familiarize yourself with the working parts and their relationships to each other which will make you better able to analyze the gun's performance and your own. Dirty guns don't shoot as accurately as clean ones and you might blame yourself for missing shots that were really the fault of a dirty bore or bolt.
As for the NRA; while it does lead the charge against insidious and tyrannical attempts to crush our rights as Free Citizens, only about 25% of it's budget is used for political efforts, the rest goes to youth and adult training, firearm safety education programs and sanctioning firearm sporting events all over the nation. I'm a member and while I sometimes don't agree with everything they do or say, the core of their mission is so important that I maintain my membership. The fact that they also establish the standards that my concealed-carry and advanced defense class instructors meet for certification also help with my decision to be a member.
Good luck with your 15-22; I know you will enjoy it!

 

[97catintenn]

Hey congrats on the 15-22! I also thought that the gun was good to go new from the store. Why would you clean a gun that had never been shot?? I still have my doubts, but the issue comes up every now and then with a new rifle that has problems. The owners then posts that he cleaned and oiled it, and now it shots everything and fast too.

Could just be break in thing as far as I know.

But yah, your gun should shoot as fast you can pull that trigger!

Welcome to the site!

 

[RedNeck Jim]

I also thought that the gun was good to go new from the store. Why would you clean a gun that had never been shot??

So that you KNOW your gun is safe. So that you KNOW there is no barrel obstruction. So that you KNOW the bolt operates freely & properly and that the rest of the gun is clean & lubed properly. After the cleaning do a safety check to verify the safety is functioning properly.

You NEVER assume anything with ANY firearm... but most assuredly a new one or one that has not been in your control.

As OldEagleEars wisely stated, taking the gun apart helps familiarize one with the intricacies of the weapon. That goes a long way toward a safe shooting experience... especially for someone like the OP who states this is his first firearm purchase.

 

[TaylorJamison]

So that you KNOW your gun is safe. So that you KNOW there is no barrel obstruction. So that you KNOW the bolt operates freely & properly and that the rest of the gun is clean & lubed properly. After the cleaning do a safety check to verify the safety is functioning properly.

You NEVER assume anything with ANY firearm... but most assuredly a new one or one that has not been in your control.

As OldEagleEars wisely stated, taking the gun apart helps familiarize one with the intricacies of the weapon. That goes a long way toward a safe shooting experience... especially for someone like the OP who states this is his first firearm purchase.

This is great, you are making me think about things I would have never thought about!

 

[97catintenn]

So that you KNOW your gun is safe. So that you KNOW there is no barrel obstruction. So that you KNOW the bolt operates freely & properly and that the rest of the gun is clean & lubed properly. After the cleaning do a safety check to verify the safety is functioning properly.

You NEVER assume anything with ANY firearm... but most assuredly a new one or one that has not been in your control.

As OldEagleEars wisely stated, taking the gun apart helps familiarize one with the intricacies of the weapon. That goes a long way toward a safe shooting experience... especially for someone like the OP who states this is his first firearm purchase.

I agree, and always take a new gun apart and check to see if everything is good inside. Every one has been clean, so I never saw the need to clean it. are you cleaning it to remove the lube that the factory used before shipping?

 

[TheMaineEvent]

Some factories coat the gun in a protective grease/film so it's protected. While it may not be obvious that it's present, like with cosmoline, it may indeed be there.
Aside from cleaning the firearm to remove any protective film it may have, you are also adding whatever product you will be using so that it's properly lubed/protected.
Of course, as has been mentioned, you are also ensuring the mechanics work properly, that it is safe to shoot, and you are also learning about how it works, too.

 

[RedNeck Jim]

Every one has been clean, so I never saw the need to clean it. are you cleaning it to remove the lube that the factory used before shipping?

Yes... and more. I just want to ensure everything is functioning properly before I tell the gun to go bang.

 

[Majorlk]

Hey congrats on the 15-22! I also thought that the gun was good to go new from the store. Why would you clean a gun that had never been shot?? I still have my doubts, but the issue comes up every now and then with a new rifle that has problems. The owners then posts that he cleaned and oiled it, and now it shots everything and fast too.

Could just be break in thing as far as I know.

But yah, your gun should shoot as fast you can pull that trigger!

Welcome to the site!

That's an invalid assumption. I can't count the number times I have cleaned machining chips and other manufacturing debris out of "clean and new" firearms. As for never being shot, that's also not true. Every firearm is function tested at the factory before being shipped. 99 percent of them are NOT cleaned before leaving the factory.

Also you do not know that it was properly lubricated before packaging and shipping.

You can have all the doubts you want, but that does not change reality.

 

[speedyquad]

you're in for a treat...

cleaning and lubing first has been covered so i won't add to that...

yes, it is an addiction...

NRA is a must(finances permitting) in my eyes for their training of future generations(youth programs etc)...and for the lobbying that they do in our favor is a plus...even though i don't agree 100% with everything they say...

and get one of these...i have one..."wirkz" well...Slick Loader by Skunkwirkz, LLC