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

Of the nine .22LR firearms that I own (4 handguns and 5 rifles) only one has had a brush down it’s bore. The only reason I had to do that one was because of a squib load that stuck a bullet half way down the bore, and like an idiot I did a follow up shot. Needless to say, the bore was a mess with lead fouling. Normally all I do is run a patch wet with Hoppe’s down the bore using weed whacker string to push it. Some of these .22’s have over 10k rounds, and are just as accurate as the day I bought them.

By the way, the pistol with the stuck bullet, after cleaning the lead out of the bore, it shoots just like it did when new, which is more accurate then the nut squeezing the trigger.
 
I guess I subjected mine to "abnormal use" afew years back
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My round count is probably on the lower side. Those 20 years had long stretches of not shooting at all, sometimes 3 or 4 years at a time. And I don't enjoy the .22 as much as others do. I'd rather shoot my .30-06 10x and call it quits than spend all afternoon on the .22. That's just me..
 
Its been a subject for debate for a long time now, but one thing seems clear, cleaning the bore of a .22 rimfire is seldom needed. Some guns even lose accuracy after having the bore cleaned (and yes, done properly), and don't get it back until a few hundred rounds have been fired (without bore cleaning)

Cleaning the action, and even the chambers should be done, the powder residue will gunk things up. But many .22s seem fairly impervious to this as well.

I deliberatley did not clean my 10/22 for over a decade. Only wiping out what I could reach through the open action once in a while. After a decade, and somewhere over 10K rounds, with the gun still running and shooting like it always did, I broke it down and detail cleaned it.

There was powder buildup 1/4" thick or more inside the action, except where the bolt moved. The rifle was not sluggish or in any way abnormal. But I cleaned it all out anyway. Result? No change, other than a cleaner rifle, and probably a ounce or two lighter without all that gunk.:D

Other guns are much more finicky. I clean my .22 pistols regularly, and do the bore on them. Doesn't seem to hurt anything.
 
I keep the action on my .22lr's fairly clean, but I only run a bore snake through the barrel every few months.

I use Royal Purple ATF as my lube and it keeps the action cycling just fine on my Buckmark Target Rifle, even after several range sessions sans cleaning.

I used to do a lot of high-volume shooting with a 10/22, meaning 1k+ rounds a week. I'd squirt a bit of R/P ATF in the action when it started feeling sluggish, and I'd clean the action out once a month.

It is really all a matter of personal preferance.
 
All depends on how you clean, I clean all mine after using they look and shoot new, very few tools work better dirty.
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There's a reason for not cleaning the bore.... since most factory barrels are far from perfect, the copper and fouling that accumulate are actually GOOD because they fill in the small imperfections and smooth out the bore.
 
Can you get away with not cleaning your .22lr very often? Yes, personally though, if I shoot it, it gets cleaned and oiled.
 
I clean my .22's like I do all my firearms. When I get back from shooting they get cleaned inside and out. Leave it to marlin to tell you not to clean your gun. I have seen some pretty hinky chambers after a couple hundred rounds of crappy ammo like remington. There is no way Im leaving that crap in my rifle.
 
I compete in NRA smallbore prone matches at my club.
I posed this same question to 4 separate shooters, three of them Masters and one Expert, one of the masters was the womens national champion. All of them clean their target rifle barrels regularly, some between matches. (40 rds). I note with my rifle, that accuracy falls off after about 300 rds & returns immediately after a cleaning (It takes about 5 ~ 8 rds for the barrel to foul up & yield best accuracy.)
Clearly, if the very best accuracy is desired, then clean barrels are a neccessity.

Roger
 
Velocette, there is a much higher level of ' minimum acceptable ' accuracy from competitors, than from casual owners of marlin model 60s. And, a benchrest shooter typically shoots much more ammo, more often, and is willing to accept that they can wear out a barrel - some of the wear being from their rigorous cleaning procedures. They are among the rare breed of rimfire shooters that can actually wear out a rimfire barrel from use.

For the average casual .22 rimfire rifle owner there is no need to fanatically clean the barrel after every use. I do strongly suggest that you do remove the gunk from the chamber, remove crud from the bolt face and oil it, and run a wet patch down the barrel on occasion. But, running a brush down the barrel after every 40 shots on a $100 rifle for a casual shooter plinking cans on a saturday afternoon at the range is complete overkill, and the 4 competitors that you surveyed will concur.
 
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i have a 60 and i usually dont worry about the barrel to much. once in a while ill run the cleaning rod through it. i worry more about the action. i tends to get dirty after a few hundred rounds.
 
I compete in NRA smallbore prone matches at my club.
I posed this same question to 4 separate shooters, three of them Masters and one Expert, one of the masters was the womens national champion. All of them clean their target rifle barrels regularly, some between matches. (40 rds). I note with my rifle, that accuracy falls off after about 300 rds & returns immediately after a cleaning (It takes about 5 ~ 8 rds for the barrel to foul up & yield best accuracy.)
Clearly, if the very best accuracy is desired, then clean barrels are a neccessity.

Roger
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Note that your advice does NOT apply to MOST people. You asked them if they clean their target rifles, and if you have one of those then yes you might need to to maintain accuracy. Every barrel is different... many times aftermarket barrels or more expensive quality 22's might need cleaning to maintain accuracy. BUT on most 22's, as I said in my prior post the factory barrels are far from smooth and the fouling is actually a benefit. Accuracy improves from having a fouled barrel instead of a clean one.

Some people need 50+ rounds through their cleaned 22 till accuracy becomes at its best.
 
I can see the bore staying pretty clean, but the action in .22s get pretty damn gunked up, i try to clean my 10/22 chamber/receiver/action every 500 or so rounds and when i do i will usually clean the barrel, not sure if it needs it or not, but it is good practice i think...
 
My Mom recently gave me my Dad's old Marlin which sat in the back of her closet for the last 30 years. The bore was pretty dirty so I ran a bore brush and some Hoppe's through it then swabbed it out with a few tight patches. After all that time without cleaning the bore was still mirror bright and flawless.
 
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