Cleaning .22s. How? I'm paranoid about scratching the bore

P

Pond James Pond

New member
I have a .22 rifle. I also have a one piece cleaning pole thingy that I can screw attachments to.

I attach the cotton attachment to it, soaked in Hoppe's and run it down the bore. No problem. I leave it 10 mins then run the copper brush down there a few times. Let's say 6: 3 up and 3 down again. Not loads, anyway.

Then I try to wipe the bore clean of solvent.

I have cotton swabs that I use to clean/dry my bores. Normally, I feed one through the little eyelet attachment, but on the .22, the bore being so narrow, I have to tear a swab in half and feed that through and even that is a tight fit.

It hasn't been metal on metal yet but I really have to bush hard and I fear the thread will snap or something and score the bore.

How do you rid your bore of lead and solvent residue without risk??
 
James, I like to use a few strokes of a bore snake for my .22 rifles, and then clean inside the receiver with Q-tips and Hoppes. I normally shoot copper washed ammo and they are left relatively clean anyway.
 
I used a coated rod along with a 22 cal jag to pierce the patch. Soak with a little solvent and down the bore. Then followed by a few patches.
I no longer use a metallic brush on 22lr bore. There is no copper fouling like on a centerfire. I've never had 22lr lead up the bore.
 
One thing I'd watch out for and that is the way the twisted, wire "shank" of the brush is made. Most come with a rounded (bent end forming a loop) top but I still see some where the top of the brush has a split end, that is, the metal, twisted shank is cut at the top, leaving two sharp points that could cause damage if care isn't taken on the down stroke of the rod.
Though I admit to being a compulsive cleaner of center-fire bores, I don't worry much about rim-fire bores past the point of just running a lightly lubricated patch through them as an aid in preventing rust (and that's only if I don't plan on shooting them again for a long while).
 
If you are really concerned about scratching the bore especialy the crown . I would suggest a bore snake . When it comes to my rifles I only use the cleaning rod for soaking the bore and to oil the bore if Im not planning on shooting that particular gun any time soon . All other bore cleaning is done with a bore snake . They always come out squeaky clean .
 
The Otis kits use a pulling motion using a flexible cable to get the brush and patch through the barrel. Not much chance of it scratching the bore.

I have an Otis kit, and I love it.
 
.22

Cleaning a .22.
When I do clean my .22 rifles, I use a bore snake. One pull through and I am done. I will check the bolt and breech face for residues and wipe them clean if there is a need. I will, from time to time, polish the stocks with some paste wax.
.22s don't need much attention. I call your attention to the old comment that more .22s have been worn out by cleaning than by shooting.
Pete
 
Don't over-think the process. :)

About the only part of a barrel that gets hurt in cleaning is when there is carelessness at the muzzle: Some sort of wear on the crown. The brass cone-shaped dealies through which the cleaning rod can freely move make for the best protection.

The wax on most .22 rimfire ammo pretty well protects the bore against rust. Many and many a .22 rifle gets cleaned about once every blue moon, and other than for precision target shooting, does just fine.

After whatever cleaning I do--rimfire, centerfire, whatever--I run a clean patch through as a check. I'll then spray a little gun oil on the patch and run it through as a rust preventer before storing.
 
22. caliber barrels are a pain to clean. First I run a patch with CLP or Rem Oil through. Then I use use a Boresnake. A few pulls and its good. Then I run a patch with CLP through the barrel again. I also stay away from lead bullets in all my 22 calibers. Messy.

The Reciever I just use patches and rags with CLP or Rem Oil to clean. Then a drop or 2 of Hoppes gun oil around the bolt. Badda-boom

On my AR's I only use CLP/Rem Oil. No gun oil.
 
Pond, try to get your hands on a smaller patch jag, and some smaller patches. Stick with brass, if at all possible. The plastic tools never last long.
And, don't worry about the rod touching the lands in the bore during normal cleaning. It won't hurt anything, unless the contact is being made by a sharp edge.
As Art said - it's the crown and the chamber face that are damaged by poor cleaning methods.

For fussy .22s, I use a plastic muzzle protector/bore guide on a 17 caliber t-handle cleaning rod.

For most .22s... I just use a .22 caliber Gunslick stainless steel cleaning rod. It rides .22 bores very nicely, and I don't need to use its brass muzzle protector/bore guide.
If a patch is too large, it simply will not fit in the bore. It's not a matter of being incredibly tight; it just will not fit, if it's too large.




In my opinion....
Using a boresnake for regular "cleaning" is about as effective as "changing the oil" in your vehicle by doing nothing more than replacing the filter and running the oil through some cheese cloth. You feel like you accomplished something but all the crap that matters is still in your bore/engine.

I've been using boresnakes since '98 or '99. I have never found them to be a suitable substitute for proper cleaning tools.
One in good conditions is great for getting powder residue out at the range, or to remove bore debris while hunting; but they don't clean as well as traditional methods.

Plus... cleaning chemicals and crud from the firearms' bores will cause deterioration of the boresnake, over time. Eventually you'll find yourself following the lead of other 'dedicated' boresnake users, trying to figure out how to get a broken snake out of the bore.

Worst of all... 22 caliber bore snakes seem to be the most prone to breakage, and the hardest to remove.
 
Ahhh...another gun cleaning thread...
J/K...

If you really want proof that there is ZERO consensus on what to do-or NOT do- when it comes to barrel cleaning, just read this article...

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/barrel-cleaning-debate/

Use bronze brushes...
Don't use bronze brushes...
Run the brush both ways through the bore...
Don't run the brush both ways through the bore...it'll scratch the crown.
Use nylon, not bronze brushes...
Don't use nylon, they're useless...
Jags and patches only...
Brush, then jag...
Clean every twenty shots...
Clean only when accuracy drops off...
Never clean the damn thing...
Remove copper every cleaning....
Remove copper partially...
Don't remove copper 'till it drips outta the end of the barrel...

Even among the world's best shooters- and barrel makers- there is no consensus.

Well, I gotta admit... barrel makers do have some skin in the game, right? :rolleyes:

What Art said.

It's a whole 'nother ballgame dealing with benchrest match rifles that are "good" for only a few hundred rounds (that are still more accurate than most of us could shoot for several thousand more...).

Just be careful of the muzzle/crown. That's where the rubber hits the road.
The jag/brush, whatever, shouldn't be so tight that you and up bending the cleaning rod and rubbing it against the inside of the bore when cleaning.

Sounds like you're using the wrong kind of jag. Get a solid brass jag like this, and the proper size patch. Make sure you get one with the correct threads for the rod you have.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/356987/tipton-rifle-cleaning-jag-22-caliber-8-x-32-thread-brass
 
what.

Cleaning a .22 rimfire barrel.....what, exactly, needs to be cleaned that could be harmful? There's no copper fouling. There is no leading. The bore is protected by the lube on the bullets. Residues from firing get pushed out on the next shot. Clean the residue out....take one shot and the barrel is just as "dirty" as it was before.
Even with high quality target rifles, of which I have two, the barrel is the part that needs the least attention.
Pete
 
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q tips mate!!!
I used like 10 q tips lubed with your oil of choice, shoved them down my rifle barrel and came out in the reciver. Just keep pushing them down the barrel one at a time, pushing on the other one, then use a stick to finish them out. :D

I have been using brass brushes in all my barrels, I notice nothing in the 3 years I been shooting. I recommend you just keep an eye out for it, bore light to check. What type of 22 rifle? if it's a cheap $150< rifle I wouldn't care much. But if it's a Ruger 10/22 or something better yes I would.
 
Save your time and money and quit cleaning your .22 barrels. Clean your chamber and action. Done. I have .22's with 10,000 rounds down the tube that have never felt the touch of a swab. All group the same as they did after 100 rnds.

Same goes for center-fires - almost. Let accuracy be your guide. But, I can tell you I rarely clean a CF bore anymore either. I usually change the barrel for worn throats before I can get around to cleaning it.

P.S. The cleaning supply vendors and barrel manufacturers do not want you to know this!
 
Thanks for all the replies!!

That said there is, as predicted by some, the full spectrum of responses from deep cleaning techniques to "why bother?"!! :D

Why am I even surprised?

The main thing for me is to keep the rifle in good condition and shooting well. If that can be acheived with minimal input, then great!! I suppose that after cleaning a revolver for ages, it seems like cheating to wave a q-tip in a rifle's direction and call it clean.... But, horses for courses!!

Save your time and money and quit cleaning your .22 barrels.
Click to expand...

Given your signature line, I ought to feel privileged that one of those posts was to my question!! ;)
I have joined the ranks of a select few!! :cool:
 
I never use the loop attachment, the jag attachment is all you need for cleaning.

As mentioned, a decent rimfire barrel combined with decent quality ammo should make for long intervals between required cleaning.
 
I don't clean the bore of my .22's anymore. They shoot better that way.
Click to expand...

All the old timers at my range feel the same way ... they all stick to rare cleaning of their .22's. the only time a cleaning is necessary is when accuracy starts to go south, many have found that when they do clean their .22's, it takes time to get it shooting well again.

Same goes for running in a .22 ... I just shot a comp with my brand new CZ and then just ran a few dry patches through to get the powder out and that's it. With .22's a policy of little and not very often seems to work best.

Tiki.
 
Mr Pond, My curiosities are about to worry me silly. What brands of ammo, scope(s), other such shooting accessories are you using? I used to scour European sporting sites just to see what's out there and not available to us there in the States.

Anyway, just curious.
 
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