S&W 17-5 revolver

[AOMHfx]

I'm a newbie to posting this forum. Before the Canadian legal interdiction to any transfer of handguns, my son gave me a beautiful S&W .22 revolver. I took it to the range, and it was a great shooter. But when I went home and started cleaning it, it was one of the dirtiest cleaning jobs I ever had to do--my usual shooters are 9mm. What makes .22 rimfires such a cleanup job?

 

[sophie]

I don’t seem to notice much difference in cleaning my guns after a range trip.
It could be the brand of .22 ammo you are shooting.
Just my .02 cents.

 

[AOMHfx]

You may be right, Sophie. I'll try various manufacturers and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for the reply and hello from the Great White North.

 

[sophie]

You may be right, Sophie. I'll try various manufacturers and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for the reply and hello from the Great White North.

Hello and welcome from the Texas Panhandle.
You’re welcome. Some .22 ammo is a lot dirtier than others. It’s worth a try.
Nova Scotia, man you are from the Great White North. I bet it’s pretty cold up there right now.

 

[John in Yuma]

A lot of the extra .22 dirt is from bullet lube. Most of your 9mm bullets are probably jacketed, with no lube. You will find that cast lead bullets in a centerfire revolver leave much the same lube mess as .22. Just part of the price of admission. Have fun with your model 17. They're about the best there is.

 

[AOMHfx]

Thanks for the welcome and the reply about the lube, John in Yuma. Makes sense. And thanks to Sophie in Texas for the follow up. Temp in Nova Scotia: 10°C, but with the common NW winds can drop to 6°. We've adapted ;-)

 

[bobsguns]

.22 ammo is notoriously dirty. As mentioned, lube & lead are major contributors to the filth. But the biggest by-far (IMO) is the dirty ammo. Ammo mfgrs are constantly looking for a cheaper powder that will be close to what they now use. They could care less about shooting dirty as long as it's somewhat consistent in ignition & velocity.

Winchester white box .22 is considered among the dirtier brands. That's why they're cheap.

Some shooters keep a spray can of gun cleaner in their range bags to "loosen-up" a rimfire pistol. Even cylinders catch crud between it & the barrel forcing cone. Semi's speak for themselves when they're very dirty. A quick blast of brake cleaner & some lube, and one is back to shooting in a jiffy.

Dress warmly.........................

 

[AOMHfx]

Thanks, bobsguns. No one's light parka has been put away yet . So, now I know from all: lube, lead and powder. I have been using boxes of Winchester lead ammo. I'll try other manufacturers. This is a great forum, and thanks to everyone for making this a great first post.

 

[AOMHfx]

Thanks, bobsguns. No one's light parka has been put away yet . So, now I know from all: lube, lead and powder. I have been using boxes of Winchester lead ammo. I'll try other manufacturers. This is a great forum, and thanks to everyone for making this a great first post.

...and thanks for the tip about the spray can of gun cleaner...

 

[S&WshooterFIN]

I reloaded a 9mm with lead bullets a long time ago. The shooting was as messy as a .38 spl or .22 LR

Disgusting to hear that changing gun ownership is even more difficult somewhere than in Finland.
In Finland, you have to prove to the police that you are a shooting sports enthusiast, this applies to every new gun purchase. Proof requires 10 shooting sports in the previous 2 years. With handguns, you also have to prove every five years that your hobby is continuous.
Fortunately, buying a new handgun postpones the proof of continuing your hobby by five years. I myself have never had to prove continuing, because I prefer to buy a new gun
You have to apply for a permit from the police for each individual gun purchase, the permit application costs EUR 150.

My 17-5, great and fun shooter