.22 lr, to clean or not to clean, that is the question???????

[brandnewcombineharvester]

hey all.

 

i have read a lot of contradicting info on this matter.

 

some say clean it,

others say no need as there is no corrosive deposits, well not enough to harm the barrel, and all it would do if one was to brush it out would take away all the nice lead and wax lining that the bullets have become accustomed to, and would make the rifle less accurate.

 

me myself, had having owned guns all my life, instinct leans me to want to clean it!

 

what say you guys?

 

 

 

[jay222]

I don't clean my .22 cz barrel at all and only clean the chamber, action and trigger group on my 10/22 so it doesn't jam

[marty]

If you change ammunition manuf from european to yank you should clean ..European priming compound doesn't contain ground glass whist yankee stuff does.The lubricant on Yank ammo is formulated to cope with the glass deposits in the barrel.European ammo is wax based because there is no glass in the priming compoundIf you are shooting ie. CCI ammo just try a bronze brush up it and watch as it exits ,you will see a whitish cloud come out of the barrel with the brush ,thats glass dust amongst other things.Shooting wax lubed ammo ie Eley after CCI for instance will result in cr_ppy groups until the bore is clean again and vice versa.

[rem700]

i did used to clean my .22lr

but grouping did open up ,now i havent cleaned the barrel for 8 years and at 60/70 yds she will shoot inside a 5 pence piece

[kent]

I clean periodically (well) but I stick to the same ammo (sk "lapua" subs) the lube protects the bore but once you clean you must do a good job and then fire a box through the gun to get it back on song "leaded in". At 50 yds you cannot tell when it needs a clean but you sure can at 100 yds things really open up when it needs a clean. Changing brands means a good clean also. I am fastidious about cleaning and oiling the bore on all my C/f rifles, but the RF often gets grabbed at short notice here- so cleaning oiling and patching out and leading in aint practical and SK is very waxy so I feel corrosion in storage is not an issue

[CZ Varminter]

I do ever y now and then but all it is is a pull thriughbwith a little oil. Pass it through a couple of times and hey presto. It's very rare tho. I always make sure bolt is clean tho.

[The Gun Pimp]

hey all.

 

i have read a lot of contradicting info on this matter.

 

some say clean it,

others say no need as there is no corrosive deposits, well not enough to harm the barrel, and all it would do if one was to brush it out would take away all the nice lead and wax lining that the bullets have become accustomed to, and would make the rifle less accurate.

 

me myself, had having owned guns all my life, instinct leans me to want to clean it!

 

what say you guys?

Cleaning/not cleaning rimfires always promotes debate - there is a bit about it in Brooksie's column in Target Shooter's March edition - out very soon.

[brandnewcombineharvester]

my conclusion is such....

 

clean all of the action, oil etc. and leave very smooth and free running.

and the barrel, just a really, REALLY light pull through with a dry one.

and when i say light, i mean a really loose pull through with no resistance.

 

this must be the best way.

[Andrew]

If you change ammunition manuf from european to yank you should clean ..European priming compound doesn't contain ground glass whist yankee stuff does.The lubricant on Yank ammo is formulated to cope with the glass deposits in the barrel.European ammo is wax based because there is no glass in the priming compoundIf you are shooting ie. CCI ammo just try a bronze brush up it and watch as it exits ,you will see a whitish cloud come out of the barrel with the brush ,thats glass dust amongst other things.Shooting wax lubed ammo ie Eley after CCI for instance will result in cr_ppy groups until the bore is clean again and vice versa.

 

Ground Glass!! That sounds terrible.(I'm surprised my .22's have any bore left in them. ) To think I thought it was fine fiberglass dust used as a binding agent in some priming compounds. I never put a brush of any kind in a .22 barrel. In fact, I seldom if ever clean a 22LR.

 

Some days I switch back and forth between Eley primed cases and various makes of "Yankee", Fiocci, RWS, SK and other non-Eley primed makes ammo several times in a range session. As with any change in make of rimfire ammo, it can take up to ten shots so to get the grouping to settle in.~Andrew

[gbal]

Ground Glass!! That sounds terrible.(I'm surprised my .22's have any bore left in them. ) To think I thought it was fine fiberglass dust used as a binding agent in some priming compounds. I never put a brush of any kind in a .22 barrel. In fact, I seldom if ever clean a 22LR.

 

Some days I switch back and forth between Eley primed cases and various makes of "Yankee", Fiocci, RWS, SK and other non-Eley primed makes ammo several times in a range session. As with any change in make of rimfire ammo, it can take up to ten shots so to get the grouping to settle in.~Andrew

Any serious abrasive in 22rf seems unlikely,given the many tens of thousand rounds some shoot.I wonder if any competition shooters have experience of cleaning/not-they would notice a very slight deterioration long before us plinkers/rabbiters would-or the 22 bench rest shooters-you might have enough in Montana,Andrew,for some info on this?

 

george

[kent]

Any serious abrasive in 22rf seems unlikely,given the many tens of thousand rounds some shoot.I wonder if any competition shooters have experience of cleaning/not-they would notice a very slight deterioration long before us plinkers/rabbiters would-or the 22 bench rest shooters-you might have enough in Montana,Andrew,for some info on this?

 

george

Someone I know was one of our top internationals with many medals, fastidious cleaner! actually cleaned on range then again back at base

[Gunsgobang88]

Hi,

 

.22 RF's only need the barrel cleaning once in a blue moon. The breech area and bolt face should be cleaned on a regular basis. Most important is stripping the bolt and cleaning the firing pin and it's recess within the bolt. Residue leaks back through the firing pin hole, gets compacted and eventually causes light strikes and missfires. Light strikes are a well known cause of inaccuracy,

 

Alan

[Andrew]

Hi,

 

.22 RF's only need the barrel cleaning once in a blue moon. The breech area and bolt face should be cleaned on a regular basis. Most important is stripping the bolt and cleaning the firing pin and it's recess within the bolt. Residue leaks back through the firing pin hole, gets compacted and eventually causes light strikes and missfires. Light strikes are a well known cause of inaccuracy,

 

Alan

I'm with you.

My Brno #5 hasn't been cleaned in two years except for the chamber, breech face and extractors and the bolt pulled apart to be cleaned and lubed. It shoots the right HV ammo into a 1" circle at 100M when the wind gods smile.

 

I shot NRA 100M metallic silhouette comps for years and never cleaned the bore unless it was a windy, dusty day and I think debris got into the barrel. Then it was a loose patch with a scant drop of oil followed by a pair of dry patches once I was home. I hated running any rod down my rifle barrels.~Andrew

[Gunsgobang88]

Hi Again,

 

A point I missed - sound moderators! Most sound moderators are cleaned infrequently, pick up and shake most rimfire mods. and you will hear loose residue rattling around inside. This residue has a gritty, almost ceramic consistency to it.

 

Scenario - you carry your rifle vertically muzzle up on a sling, particles fall down the bore from the mod. to be picked up by a lead lap (the bullet) and are dragged down your barrel, scratching your nice shiny bore as it goes,

 

Alan

[kent]

Hi Again,

 

A point I missed - sound moderators! Most sound moderators are cleaned infrequently, pick up and shake most rimfire mods. and you will hear loose residue rattling around inside. This residue has a gritty, almost ceramic consistency to it.

 

Scenario - you carry your rifle vertically muzzle up on a sling, particles fall down the bore from the mod. to be picked up by a lead lap (the bullet) and are dragged down your barrel, scratching your nice shiny bore as it goes,

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So carry them muzzle down perhaps?

[gaz6br]

Start of winter when rabbiting starts it gets zeroed in then it will get shot 2 or 3 times aweek shooting hundreds of rabbits, then at the end of winter when rabbiting stops it will get cleaned and put away through the summer ready to repeat next winter.

[Andrew]

Hi Again,

 

A point I missed - sound moderators! Most sound moderators are cleaned infrequently, pick up and shake most rimfire mods. and you will hear loose residue rattling around inside. This residue has a gritty, almost ceramic consistency to it.

 

Scenario - you carry your rifle vertically muzzle up on a sling, particles fall down the bore from the mod. to be picked up by a lead lap (the bullet) and are dragged down your barrel, scratching your nice shiny bore as it goes,

 

Alan

 

I think you worry too much. Clean the moderator. It's not the fault of the cartridge if the owner allows the opportunuty for carbon, lead and powder residue deposits to fall into the bore every time the rifle is tipped upward.~Andrew

[Gunsgobang88]

I think you worry too much. Clean the moderator. It's not the fault of the cartridge if the owner allows the opportunuty for carbon, lead and powder residue deposits to fall into the bore every time the rifle is tipped upward.~Andrew

Hi Andrew,

 

That's my point, a lot of people do not clean rimfire moderators. I would hope that most people on UKV are more educated about rifles and would do so. I agree that it is hardly the fault of the cartridge,

 

Alan

[gbal]

Start of winter when rabbiting starts it gets zeroed in then it will get shot 2 or 3 times aweek shooting hundreds of rabbits, then at the end of winter when rabbiting stops it will get cleaned and put away through the summer ready to repeat next winter.

Simples,and correct! I'd clean the moderator and unscrew it after each trip.

george

[gaz6br]

Simples,and correct! I'd clean the moderator and unscrew it after each trip.

george

 

Ive never cleaned a mod before, but they always get taken off the rifle before put away.

[gbal]

Ive never cleaned a mod before, but they always get taken off the rifle before put away.

 

I just mean a good both ends spray with WD40/similar and drain-it doesn't come out clear!!

g

[gaz6br]

I just mean a good both ends spray with WD40/similar and drain-it doesn't come out clear!!

g

 

I used to do that but found when i took it out agian it would take a few shoots to get it back on target.

 

Gaz

[minkstone]

I've had my CZ varmint .22lr for years and have shot thousands of rounds through it. It gets cleaned once a year, as for the mod that NEVER gets cleaned and the rifle still shoots sub 1/2" groups...as it always has.

 

As for cleaning centrefire mods and spraying oil inside and out, i never have done in over 15yrs and never will,....never had any problems with any of mine including the "non strippable" Jet"Z".

 

Regards.

[kent]

I have an old crudded up and totally seized up parker hale steel moddy on mine, its at least 20 yrs old and must have seen a million rounds or so in its time. Last year I soaked it for a few days in a meths bath. I shouldn't leave a c/f moddy in the same safe let alone on the gun but I leave it attached on my .22lr and don't think it makes a jot of difference the amount of lube on sk rounds must leave the bore nice and protected. the gun shoots silly groups of the type you wouldn't normally believe. I don't want to remove the moddy in storage as I often use it on very short notice around the grounds

[gbal]

I have an old crudded up and totally seized up parker hale steel moddy on mine, its at least 20 yrs old and must have seen a million rounds or so in its time. Last year I soaked it for a few days in a meths bath. I shouldn't leave a c/f moddy in the same safe let alone on the gun but I leave it attached on my .22lr and don't think it makes a jot of difference the amount of lube on sk rounds must leave the bore nice and protected. the gun shoots silly groups of the type you wouldn't normally believe. I don't want to remove the moddy in storage as I often use it on very short notice around the grounds

Fair enough-would 'totally seized up' be a factor in easy removal,anyhow?.If it's not broke,though,don't fix it.,at least until another million rounds,or the other kind of silly groups appear! 22 rfs and maybe old PH moderators do seem quite resilient-my PH is perhaps 40 years old,and trying a new state of the art one didn't make a huge difference.

george