cleaning a 22 rifle

dchristian

I have an old Remington Model 512 bolt action which I enjoy shooting. I was always told you should try to clean the barrel with a wire brush, bore cleaner, and finish up with cloth patches with gun oil every time you shot it. Recently, I was told there was no need to clean more than once a year because the wax coating on the 22 long rifle bullets lubricated the barrel and prevented rust and I waa actually damaging the rifling in the barrel by cleaning it so often.
I would appreciate hearing the truth from someone who knows what they are taling about.
Thanks,
David

1022man

I've never heard of cleaning to often. The way you clean your gun sounds Ok, make sure you use a brass brush, and you should only need to make a couple passes with it. Depending on how much you shoot, is how often you should clean. I clean every gun after I shoot, some I clean once or twice when shooting them. Many of the 22's now aren't wax covered anyways.

He Dog

I agree with 1022. I rarely use brass brushes, but do use JB's Bore Paste and Butches Bore Shine. I clean after every shooting session, though not always the same day. Be sure to use a bore guide to keep the solvents etc. out of the trigger mechanism.

MIKE WISKEY

depends on what your game is, bench rest/small groups clean every time you go out, make sure you use a bore guide. tin cans at 50 feet once a decade is more than enought. more rifle bores have been ruined by improper over cleaning that have been shot out. case in point, the m-1 garands brought in from korea about 10 years ago. they had been cleaned so much that the rifling was worn out of the muzzel end for 1 to 2 inches.

CS8161

My favorite method of cleaning a 22 rifle is to pull a bore snake thru it a few times after a shooting session. I was skeptical about the bore snakes until I tried one and now I have one for every caliber rifle. They are quick and work great!

Chris8161
Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!

jonk

Dad has a Winchester he's had since he was a boy and he always cleans it thoroughly; it shoots as well today as ever.

"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf

king999

More 22 bbls are ruined by cleaning than by rust! Do not clean unless there is so much residue that it causes malfunction. The lube or wax in the 22 cart will preserve the bbl better than your cleaning. These remarks refer to plinkers and hunters. SERIOUS target shooters are another question and I am not referring to that specific area.
Have fun, be carefil!
Morty

idsman75

How are they ruined by cleaning?

SSG idsman75, U.S. ARMY

martzkj@msn.com

I'm no expert, however when I was in high school on the shooting team, the guns were cleaned and bolts greased evertime they were used. We never used a wire bush. We used a wooden dowel cleaning solution and oil.

ATF

Clean the action & the chamber.Cleaning the barrel is a waste of time.One of the TOP shooters in a club I once belonged to fired over 40,000 rounds thru a Hi-Standard and never cleaned the barrel.And never wore it out either.

ATF

He Dog

King 999, I would sure like to see some data to support your statement. If you clean properly you will NOT damage your bore by cleaning.

n/a

Do whatever makes you happy. Regular cleaning will not harm a rifle bore unless you use a SS brush. On the other hand not scrubbing the sh*t out of a .22 bore with a bore brush won't harm it either. Keep the mechanism clean and free of debris and run a soaked patch thru the bore when fired and you will only need to brush occasionally.

"We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*

**Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"