Need a little help cleaning my 10/22, any hints?

J

JMack

New member
OK, I have a new 10/22 and love this thing to death the only problem is I do not have the manual for it and was wondering the best way to affectively break this rifle down and clean it, just the basic field strip is all I am looking for.

How do you break it down, what parts need lube what doesnt, all stuff like that :)

Also, it did not jam once the first time I took it out but I have taen it out twice since and I have been getting allot of stovepipes and I do realise this is most likely due to the crap that had built up in it. Another thing I would like to know is whats the best way to clean the standard ten round magazine?

Thanks for any help in advance.
~Jason
 
To strip the 10/22 (which you can get the manual for from Ruger, BTW):

*: Clear the gun.
1: Remove the barrel band.
2: Remove the forend screw.
3: Place the safety halfway between Safe and Off.
4: Lift the barrelled action out of the stock.
5: Remove the two Allen screws holding the barrel to the receiver. Set the barrel aside.
6: Remove the bolt assembly out of the receiver.
7: Remove the recoil spring and bolt handle from the receiver.

Clean as normal. Lube points are where you see wear marks. Putting the receiver back together is... interesting. ;) Lining up the bolt handle correctly with the bolt takes some practice and, at first, a lot of swearing.

HTH. :)

OBTW: Magazines: I just wipe down the outside to get the crap off them.

[This message has been edited by Coinneach (edited September 06, 2000).]
 
Just two notes:

1. Ruger happily will mail you a manual if you call or write them for one. I have received manuals for two used Ruger guns I purchased just by making a phone call.

2. I would not remove the barrel for normal cleaning.
 
I'm paranoid about cleaning from the muzzle, so I remove the barrel on mine. Spoze I could just get a bore snake.
 
actually, was paging thru brownell's catalog and noticed a jig which (i believe mounts through the trigger group drift pin holes and) guides a drill bit to drill a hole in back of receiver, aligned with the barrel.

still would have to dismount the barreled action from the stock, and remove the bolt, but avoids taking out those two long screws which secure the barrel.

but it's a 10/22 for goodness sake. unless you have some accuracy parts on it, if it's a garden variety k-mart run 10/22 like mine, i'd just clean from the front end.
 
shu's right. Lot's of 10/22 owners drill a hole in line with the bore in the rear of the receiver. I found that it was easy to do with a good pointed bit and a little accurate measuring. I ran a cleaning rod down the bore and marked where it hit the receiver on the inside and then just measure and translate the location to the outside and drill the correct size hole (a little larger than .224"). The hole will be below the stock when the receiver is in place. No more removing the barrel to clean.
 
A can of Gun Scrubber goes a long way here even down the barrel! If you must put a rod down the barrel you can go from the front if you use a clean smooth rod and go slow and easy. Info included with a Volquartsen barrel suggested making a pull through using some line and a very small split shot!
I would take it out of the stock and hose it down with Gun Scrubber or the like and wipe it down with a lightly oiled cloth many a time before I would worry about pulling the barrel. Write Ruger and Get The Manual
This is the way I look after mine.
Hank
 
With my beater 10/22 (actually my favorite, the one I shoot the most and use as a platform for trying out new parts and accessories), I clean the barrel from the front using a vinyl coated cleaning rod. I go slowly when I push the brush in.

------------------
- Ron V.
 
A bore snake is really nice for cleaning a 10/22 barrel. I drop it in from the breach (right through the ejection port) and pull through half-dozen times or so as needed.

Anyboday aware of any wear concerns with this process?
 
I read hear on TFL several months back with the suggestion of using weed whip line to clean his 10/22. It said to use a lighter on one end to melt a small ball, this is to help hold a cleaning patch. Make a small hole in the patch, run it to the ball on the end of the string, and then pull it through the barrel using your cleaner. It works good for me! :)



------------------
Posigian
posigian@provide.net
I AM THE NRA
 
AWESOME IDEA! I'm going to have to use some weed-whacker line and check it out, it sounds like it work, and at a fraction of the price of a bore-snake :D
 
That weedwhacker idea sounds great!!!

There really is no need to remove the barrel.

Here's a little tip though on the recoil spring and bolt reassembly. The first time you try it, it will take you 2 hours. It took me about 3. I cussed and flipped my middle finger off at it. It takes me about 3 seconds now. Here's what I do:

I stick the spring back in, and I use a flat head screw driver to put it (via the bolt handle slot) all the way back. While holding the spring back with the screw driver, drop the bolt on top, and press, poof, you're done. Without the screw drive, it takes me hours, with the screw driver, it takes me 10 seconds.

The other advice is to get a buffer rod in the rear.
http://www.buffertech.com/1022.htm

This thing saves the life of the gun, and makes the 10/22 into a pellet gun in terms of recoil. Sometimes, when I shoot outdoors, I don't even know that the gun fired!! It's that quiet and recoil free.

Happy shooting.
Albert
 
Guys, my (customized) 10/22 is a one-hole tackdriver, which is why I don't like cleaning from the muzzle. Besides, it has a flash hider, er, um, I mean muzzle brake, so I can't readily see the rod.

Love the weed-whacker line idea. I really dislike drilling holes in my guns, so I'll pass on the jig.

Oh yeah: my BB gun recoils more than the 10/22 as it is. ;)

[This message has been edited by Coinneach (edited September 07, 2000).]
 
If this is a standard 10/22 then cleaning it is not a great concern. I only clean mine when it starts to misfeed, which means about every 5000. All I do is wiped down the outside with oil after shooting and leave the insides alone including the barrel. If you live in a more humid or salty environment, then the insides might need a coat of oil too, which would require regular cleaning. Here in Nebraska though, I haven't had any problems with rust on the inside.

I have heard that 22lr barrels do not need to be cleaned since there is no copper build up and the bullets are not moving fast enough to leave lead build up. In my experience the barrel rifleing is still quite crisp after fireing thousands of rounds without cleaning. Read an article where they shot 5000 rnds (if I remember correctly) through a .22 and only cleaned it at the beginning and end. Comparing groups, after 5000 rnds had been shot before and after cleaning, showed no discernable difference in accuracy.

As for lube, since I do not clean regularly, I use a dry lube so things do not get gummed up. Right now I am using hoppes dri-lube which is just powdered teflon suspended in a alcohol solution, so when you spray it on, the alcohol evaporates and leaves a film of teflon. Seems to work pretty good for me.

Cleaning the mag is another problem. The manual recommends that you do not take it apart. It is kind of hard to get it back together again and still make it work. After about 10000 rnds (give or take a couple of thousand), my 10 rnd mag started to have problems. I just sprayed the inside with a lot of degreaser, and shook out all the crud. Then sprayed the inside with the dri-lube. Works fine now.
 
For my "plain Jane" 10-22s, I use those little plastic boreguides that fit into the muzzle and a coated cleaning rod.

Sorry, I don't remember who makes these or where I got them. I want to say Butler Creek, but I'm not sure.

Regards! DaMan
 
If you have a tricked-out 10/22 with a .920 bull barrel, or muzzle brake, you can still clean from the muzzle end by using a bore guide like the one offered by Midway, Natchez, Cabela's, Brownell's, or other shooting accessory places. That way, you can still protect your crown and rifling near the crown. It's what I use for my .920 barrel FrankenRuger. I glass bedded both the barrel and trigger group, so I am hesitant to pop the action out and make use of a cleaning rod hole in the back of the receiver. But that weedwhacker line idea sounds promising, too.
darin22-1.JPG


[This message has been edited by Gewehr98 (edited September 07, 2000).]
 
Thanks a million guys!

Thats more replys than I was expecting to get. I am starting to think that everybody owns a 10/22, this rifle is as fun as they get in my opinion.

The mount screws on my rifle came a little loose so atleast I can look forward to zeroing that badboy in to make it once again,,,,a tack driver.

I plan on totally modifying this gun in the future, it just seems like the perfect rifle to do this on.

Any recomendations?
~Jason
 
I've been using the "dry" cleaning approach with my 10/22 and it has worked out well. I'll usually shoot at least 200 rounds before cleaning.

barrel: boresnake and your favorite bore cleaner

action: TetraGun Action Blaster (similar to Gun Scrubber) and a light coat of Birchwood Casey Moly Lube (dry lube)

magazine: same as action

Field stripping to clean does not need to be done frequently. I wouldn't do it unless you begin to experience malfunctions. Ditto with the magazines. I usually give the exterior metal surfaces a very light coating of a CLP-type product, then dry with a clean cloth.

Recommended upgrades: extended mag release, automatic bolt release, target hammer, recoil buffer. I recommend Volquartsen products. I'm using a Volq. THM Tension barrel (silver aluminum) with the compensator and a Hogue overmolded stock. For fun, try a red dot sight like the Bushnell Holosight. Most of all, shoot and enjoy your 10/22!
 
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