Don't need to clean the bore on a .22?

C

chupps

New member
I bought a Marlin model 60 and was surprised to read this in the manual -

"Since modern ammunition burns very cleanly,
with normal use it is not necessary to
clean the bore of your rifle. However, if it gets
wet, or if any foreign material gets into the
action or barrel, cleaning as described below
is recommended."

Am I crazy to think that I should clean the bore occasionally?
 
Marlin is correct, for the most part you do not really need to clean the bore of a .22 rimfire. I have seen more damage done by improper cleaning than by not cleaning barrels at all.

Still, old habits die hard and I at least run a few hoppes soaked patches through my .22 barrels on occasion. Bore snakes are a nice quick alternative too.
 
I have seen more damage done by improper cleaning than by not cleaning barrels at all.
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I agree, but I do like to wipe some of the gunk out of the chambers occassionally. Some waxy lubricants accumulate and hinder function.
 
I have always cleaned mine over the decades - even a bore snake, IMO, is better than nothing - but then I also clean the action and wipe it all down with Remoil
 
Never say Never, but close !!

Am I crazy to think that I should clean the bore occasionally?
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Not completely but I clean mine rarely and lightly. One the other end of the spectrum, there are folks who clean to often and in some cases, it leads to premature wear. I always say to let the gun talk to you and it will let you know what it needs and when. I guess the point, is not to be too eager to clean. But I have seen some pretty crappy bulk ammo that is pretty dirty. .. ;)

Recently did a trigger job on a Ruger 10/22 target model and the guy shoots competively. Could not believe how dirty the action had gotten but the barrel was not all that bad. Commented to the guy about how dirty the gun was and he said that he had never cleaned it since he got it. .... :confused:

Be Safe !!!
 
I don't clean my Marlin 60 hardly ever. In 20 years and probably 3000 rds, I've taken it apart 3x.

First time I cleaned it like I would any other rifle and it was not worth it.. no change in function or accuracy, on top of the fact that it took a long time and I ended up leaving too much lubricant in the action and it got so gunked up it wouldn't cycle. So, took it apart, wiped the gunk off, put it back together dry and basically left it alone since then. Third time, I got a little sand or something gritty in there so I took it apart and wiped that.

But that's all I've done, and it works flawlessly.
 
That's why I love boresnakes for .22's. A couple of passes and it's done. I put some extra CLP on the tip of the tail for the last pass to leave a rust blocking coating on the last pass. Wipe down the outside good with CLP to get rid of all finger oils and salt from my hands and it's ready to go back in the safe.
 
My S&W 617 (revolver) cleaned after 100 Remington Golden Bullets :eek:

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I used to clean my rifles fanatically....Then i finally realized it wasn't neccessary.... I still clean the actions regular like
 
I don't know anything about Marlins but I certainly know *my* .22's and I also have to agree- IMPROPER cleaning can surely hurt guns. No doubt... But to say never, that's just not responsible.

Cleaning your guns helps it, I really feel it does. Maybe you don't want to take out the Hoppe's Kits with the 3 piece assembled rod and brushes and start jamming em up and down the barrel etc. but, spraying some cleaner and running a boresnake a few times once a month can't hurt IMHO.

I like to keep mine nice and clean, nice and lubed, nice and ready to go JUST IN CASE... you never know.
 
All depends on how you clean, I clean all mine after using they look and shoot new, very few tools work better dirty.;)
 
In 20 years and probably 3000 rds, I've taken it apart 3x.
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I guess I subjected mine to "abnormal use" afew years back: I put 3K rounds through my Marlin 60 in a single summer, what with 3 weekend trips to a prairie dog town and going shooting with the kids....... on the first two trips, I had to clean the thing after a brick of ammo, because it wasn't cycling anymore......
 
I used to clean my 22s frequently. After neglecting them for a few range trips and seeing no decrease in accuracy, I've stopped. I clean the action on my Marlin 60 and Ruger Mk2.5, but I usually don't even need to do that on my CZ 452. I figure I'll clean the barrel once a year to make sure they don't rust - a few Hoppes patches and then a light coat of ATF - but I'll always take a few shots before I put them away so I don't have "first round syndrome"
 
My 10/22 target will basically stop cycling if the action isn't cleaned and lubed fairly often. Whether bore cleaning helps or hurts is hard to say but I patch out the powder residue and oil it before putting it away.

You really shouldn't need to clean the bore of a .22LR as long as you shoot lubed lead bullets because the MV is low enough it shouldn't wipe lead into the lands. Plated bullets may be another issue altogether. T-22 Winchester are known to be pretty accurate then go sour all at once from barrel fouling. Not sure whether other plated brands react similarly or not.
 
I do it more to clean the chamber than anything else. I shoot a wide variety of ammo because its what I have and some of it is old and cruddy and some just burns dirty. The rifles not as often as the pistols or revolvers but they all get it because if I don't I won't clean the action. Do one I do the other.
 
I've never run a boresnake through any of my 22's. They're still accurate. I don't even know how to take apart my marlin 22 mag. I assume there's nuts and bolts involved, but in the years of owning it I have only taken it apart once. That was to lighten the trigger. Never had a problem with any of them.
 
I think it depends on what type of gun, how much you shoot and what level of accuracy you demand. I have a Remington 40X that gets 1/10th inch groups at 50 yards wth match ammo and I run patches down the bore after every use. I shoot other 22's that are not in that class and are lucky if they get a good cleaning once a year. I think the idea here is that you can carry any cleaning schedule to the extreme. For example, I recently inherited some guns from a relative who, aparently, did not believe in cleaning.. One was an old Remington Model 12 that you could hardly see any rifling. With a good cleaning about a cup full of gray "jello" came out the muzzle. The bore now looks very good -shiny and sharp rifling- and shoots good groups-especially for a nearly 100 year old rifle.
 
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