To clean or not to clean.....

Joined
Mar 3, 2013
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
That is the question. Hello everyone !! Just picked up a M&P 15-22 (Standard). Just wondering if i should clean it before i shoot it or am i good ?
 
Register to hide this ad
Welcome to the forum.

Always a good idea to clean it before shooting it for the first time.
 
Congratulations on your 15-22 purchase!

Refer to pages 26-27 of the instruction manual: "Before using your firearm for the first time it should be cleaned."
 
That is the question. Hello everyone !! Just picked up a M&P 15-22 (Standard). Just wondering if i should clean it before i shoot it or am i good ?

The first thing you should do is set the weapon aside and completely read the manual from front to back. Then you should do as the manual states about cleaning before shooting. Same for buying ammo,read the manual.

The next thing you should also do is enroll in a beginner Safety Course to learn about safely handling your new weapon and learning how to shoot it safely. So you or no one else gets hurt.
 
The first thing you should do is set the weapon aside and completely read the manual from front to back. Then you should do as the manual states about cleaning before shooting. Same for buying ammo,read the manual.

The next thing you should also do is enroll in a beginner Safety Course to learn about safely handling your new weapon and learning how to shoot it safely. So you or no one else gets hurt.

I'M a CCP holder/NRA Member/Hunter. I'm just trying to prove to a friend that he is wrong.
 
I'M a CCP holder/NRA Member/Hunter. I'm just trying to prove to a friend that he is wrong.

Wrong how? About not cleaning your rifle? Is your friend also a CCP holder/NRA member/hunter? If he's not as familiar with firearms as you are, and he's not taking your word for it, what makes you think he'd care what a bunch of anonymous internet people think? Show him the manual. It's there in black and white. If he still doesn't believe it, then he's a lost cause.
 
Yep, lube that sucker up like you're going to have sex with it.
NOT!! This is not an AR that you need to puts lots of lube on the bolt to keep it working well. It's a .22 where too much lube picks up lots of crud and stops it from working rather quickly. The less you lube a .22 the better and longer it will work.
 
NOT!! This is not an AR that you need to puts lots of lube on the bolt to keep it working well. It's a .22 where too much lube picks up lots of crud and stops it from working rather quickly. The less you lube a .22 the better and longer it will work.

The same goes for any AR... only a fine layer of lube, otherwise "crud" will gum up the works.
 
I guess im the opposite. While i make sure the gun is functional, and that the barrel is free from debris i dont clean it before going to the range.

I also toss the manuals into the fireplace. I find that online places like this are more informative if i have a concern. How often has a manual said that you cant shoot handloads or +p rounds when in reality both are perfectly fine. So it seems some of the manual is informative while parts are a CYA and its up to the user to figure out which is which and thats why you get arguments from people about shooting +p in their guns. "Oh gosh no! S&W told me never to shoot +p in my M&P 9".

There is more real life info on Youtube then there is in those manuals

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
 
Always a good idea to clean before shooting. Take the gun down familiarize yourself with it lube it up and enjoy. When you shot it you will know any malfunctions are not caused by the shopping goo.


Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2
 
Maybe I'm an oddball, but I enjoy taking the gun down & cleaning it... even when not "necessary". If I take the 15-22 or my AR out & only shoot 100 rounds, I'm still gonna clean it.

I'm not normally a fix it kinda guy. I'm just not a natural with tools & the like. However, to me, one of the attractions of the AR platform is the ability to rather easily break it down to its component parts... either for cleaning or to change out parts, such as triggers. So cleaning my guns often keeps me familiar with the parts & procedures.

So clean it well & often, but especially before you shoot for the 1st time. I don't subscribe to the school of thought that you want to lube it down like crazy... for either gun. I like a very light coating when I'm all done.
 
You should always clean a new weapon. The preservative they put on new guns is more like a grease than a functional lubricant. Cleaning the barrel is especially important in HP rifles, as that grease can bake into the barrel grooves and affect accuracy.

AR's can run wet, most people recommend that unless you are in a dusty environment. But that is what the dust cover is for anyway. I use CLP on my AR's and run them wet, and I use Eezox on most everything else. Eezox is a CLP, but it dries. I am always amazed at how clean my 15/22's are after a day of shooting. Usually just hit them with a little air and clean with Eezox every couple trips. Eezox, imo is the best lube for semi-auto 22, but hey it's your gun... If you want to run them out of the box, go for it... I will see you back here on the board with the FTF, FTL, ammo problems, etc posts.
 
AR's can run wet, most people recommend that unless you are in a dusty environment. But that is what the dust cover is for anyway.

90% of service members and veterans would disagree with you. Even in tropical humid environments, there's a lot of stuff that sticks and gums up. The dustcover is overrated, especially if you've actually been an operator. Dustcovers work well for range shooters and safe queens.
 
don't have to be an 'operator' any soldier who has been in the sand box or basically anywhere will tell you a light film. i used to keep a few eye dropper bottles full of motor oil and just hit the bolt with one drop prior to going out.
on a new gun, right out the box, i always check it over, obstructions can get in the barrel (i ordered a SG online, got it in perfect condition, looked down the bore and there was a black widow living in the barrel! No ****! must have been in storage for a little before being sold)

as for cleaning after every outing, no i don't clean my .22's rifles that much, just a squirt or two of non chlorinated brake cleaner, bore snake and wipe down. 5.56 AR's get just a little more in the bore area, but not much.
also a word about 'seasoning or breaking in barrels', McCormick of McCormick barrels did an article on breaking in barrels. he stated that he loved it when people fired a shot or two, then ran a brass brush down them, lather rinse repeat, then cleaned the **** out of it after each range session. reason: they damaged their barrel more and wore it out faster, so they had to buy a new one way prior to the life expectancy of the barrel. that was for bigger centerfires, not .22's but i go with the same principle. just always ensure your barrel is clear of any debris that could cause a malf.
 
Back
Top