Should you clean the barrel of a 22?

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If it's a semi-auto, you should at least clean the chamber regularly, with an over-sized brush. Depending upon the design of the gun, and how well the feed mechanism is tuned, you will always be getting not just powder fouling and bullet lube buildup in the chamber, but possibly lead shavings as well. If the feed lips of the magazine aren't configured properly, the cartridge may feed well enough for the gun to function, but not without shaving lube and lead because the bullet is off-center and hits the edge of the chamber. Enough of this and you will start having failures to close, failures to extract, or both.
 
1 wet patch, then 1 dry patch, then one with VERY light amount of oil--never use a brush----every 400-500 rounds. Usually about the time the action gets "dirty". It then takes 30-40 rounds for it to shoot good again.
 
OK - I'll be the dumb one here. Why WOULDN'T you clean your .22 regularly? What is different about a rimfire .22 in regards to cleaning vice a centerfire rifle or pistol, say a .223 or a .45?

I actually don't own a .22 yet (!) but will eventually. Educate me!
 
Just breakfree followed by a patch. No brush. Well, except when I used the Remington polymer (Thunder Bolt?) coated ones. That thing leaded the barrel like hell! :cuss:
 
mmike87,
Most .22 bullets are coated in wax, or a waxy/oily substance, so they kinda leave behind a lubricated surface. I've been using Wolf Match Target, and they actually feel like they've been dipped in light oil.
 
From a post on Benchrest Central (Rimfire section):

"It seems that for a gun to be at its potential, every shot must be consistent with regards to ammo, barrel cleanliness, and recoil movement.

I have found that the barrel must be the "same" for each shot and almost always this is not with the barrel totally clean. It has been my experience that the barrel must have a number of shots through it to build up a optimum amount of fouling (where the fouling stops building up) and then a good barrel will stay at that optimum level for quite a while. I believe that the bullet pushes a fair amount of fouling out as it passes through the barrel. At some point, the fouling will begin to build with each shot - I believe this is due to carbon buildup - and will require cleaning. This point is reached at differing number of shots depending on the barrel and the ammo shot."



Right out of the Anschutz manual:
"Clean after first 500 rounds then clean every 10,000 thereafter!"

If you are shooting top brand ammo like Eley they are lead bullets with a wax coating on them. The wax lube builds up the barrel. When I clean mine it takes a while for the lube to build up and the groups to shrink back down.
 
From a post on Benchrest Central (Rimfire section):

"It seems that for a gun to be at its potential, every shot must be consistent with regards to ammo, barrel cleanliness, and recoil movement.

I have found that the barrel must be the "same" for each shot and almost always this is not with the barrel totally clean. It has been my experience that the barrel must have a number of shots through it to build up a optimum amount of fouling (where the fouling stops building up) and then a good barrel will stay at that optimum level for quite a while. I believe that the bullet pushes a fair amount of fouling out as it passes through the barrel. At some point, the fouling will begin to build with each shot - I believe this is due to carbon buildup - and will require cleaning. This point is reached at differing number of shots depending on the barrel and the ammo shot."

Why WOULDN'T you clean your .22 regularly? What is different about a rimfire .22 in regards to cleaning vice a centerfire rifle or pistol, say a .223 or a .45?
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Right out of the Anschutz manual: right out of the Anschultz manual.

"Clean after first 500 rounds then clean every 10,000 thereafter!"

If you are shooting top brand ammo, like Eley, they are lead bullets with a wax coating on them. The wax lube builds up in the bore. When I clean mine it takes a while for the lube to build up and the groups to shrink back down. When you are shooting centerfire rifles and pistols the bullet is usually uncoated and copper clad. Big difference.
 
I only clean the bores of my .22s infrequently, and limit it to a couple of passes with a BoreSnake. It isn't necessary IMO and can cause extra wear and tear. I do clean the actions so that the guns function properly. Also, I will wet a Q-Tip with solvent and swab out the chamber so that I don't get extraction problems.
 
My jacketed .22s are coated in wax? I wasn't aware of that.
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Are they really jacketed? I don't think I've ever seen a true jacketed .22. I'm not doubting you -- just curious. The .22's I buy are either lead, or "copper-washed" or plated or some such nonsense, but I don't recall ever seeing true jacketed .22's.

In general, my understanding is that all lead (non-jacketed) .22LR cartridges are coated or dipped in wax or some similar lubricant. As I'm sure y'all know, you generally need lube on lead bullets to keep them from leaving excessive lead deposits in your barrel. Centerfire cartridges with lead bullets have the lub (a wax-based substance, typically) contained in "lube grooves" that you can't see because they are inside the cartridge case. The .22 rimfire, however, is the last "heeled" bullet in common use. That means that the bullet itself is the same diameter at the cartridge case, and the portion of the bullet that is inside the case is smaller than bore size. As a result, it would do no good to put lube down there, because it wouldn't contact the bore.

So all lead .22 bullets have the lube on the portion of the bullet that is exposed, i.e., not inside the case. Since the bullets are so small, lube grooves are not used (at least not in my experience). Instead, the bullets are simply coated in lube. If you run them in your fingers, you can feel the waxy, sometimes tacky substance.

I don't know about plated or copper-washed bullets. It may be that the plating or other surface treatment eliminates the need for lube.

Incidentally, heel-based bullets used to be the norm in the earliest days of metallic cartridges, because it is much easier and quicker to bore chambers for cartridges used heeled bullets -- it's a simply cylinder. They were abandoned for centerfire cartridges because of the tendency of the exposed lubricant to collect dirt. The .22LR is the only cartridge in common use today that retains the original heel-based design.
 
I use .22s only now and then. I have a real problem with putting away a dirty gun. Maybe that goes back to the days when it was said powder residue or other stuff will draw moisture, etc on and on. I don't use a brush each time. I use Hoppes and then oil. If I want to keep the outside oiled why would I not want to keep the inside (action and barrel) oiled. That and being careful with the rod makes 'em last for ever. They are always ready to take on a man eating rabbit or a ferocious squirrel.
 
I seem to recall hearing the claim about excessive cleaning destroying more .22 barrels that shooting, but I think the explanation was that the damage tended to be from the cleaning rods. Using the wrong or a dirty rod, especially without a guide, can scratch the bore or destroy the crown.
 
The .22's I buy are either lead, or "copper-washed" or plated or some such nonsense, but I don't recall ever seeing true jacketed .22's.
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Maybe that's it - copper washed or plated. I always assumed it was jacketed, but you're probably right. Anyways, are these bullets wax coated too? These are the bullets I use.
 
.22 rifles believe it or not are pretty hardy little guns. I have an old Marlin/Glenfield Model 25 bolt action .22 that my father bought when I was 10. (I'm now 32) I'm fairly certain that rifle is coming up on the 100,000 round mark. I've lost track of the times he would sit me and my brother down with our .22s, hand us each two bricks of ammo, and let us plink away all day long.

He was also a stickler for clean guns so they got cleaned every trip too. My cleaning regimen hasn't changed. Run a brass brush down the barrel a few times, wrap the brush in a patch and run it down, then follow with a few dry patches, then end with a patch w/ light oil.

This past weekend, I dug up that old .22, blew off the dust, changed out the scope and headed to the range. Shot like the day I took it out of the box. This weekend that .22 finds a new home in front of the shoulder of my daughter. The shooting and cleaning habits my father passed to me will be passed to her. And that rifle will handle it.

Clean those .22s. It's not going to hurt them.
 
Yep stainless steel brush and cordless drill. Thing shoots like a smooth bore now. :) Just kidding. I do clean it maybe 3x a year. Wipe it down more often/remove bolt/wipe down/lube. (bolt action) use toothpick on bolt.
 
I found some info on the subject which kind of backs up what I said about brushing a .22 barrel:

http://www.riflebarrels.com/support/rimfire_maintenance.htm

They suggest using a "loose (worn out) 22 caliber bronze brush in the leade area with short strokes and withdrawn from the chamber end. "

I think the leade should read leaded and refers to the chamber area where the most lead build up can occur.

These are suggestions for match barrels. They only suggest a full-barrel scrub if there is still lead present in the barrel after putting a patch through.

I personally thing they are cleaning too frequently (after 100 rounds) with a patch.
 
Cleaning 22's

Good thread. I clean mine {Springfield Scout .410/22LR} every time -- guess I'm in the minority on this one.


p.s. I'm looking for work in the Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine area -- will move there as soon as I find it. Any help?? Thanks in advance
Rory:
[email protected]
619-807-5382
 
I clean sporadically, but you definantly need to. I use a bronze brush on a brass rod. Clean with hoppes 9 and then run patches.
 
I haven't read all the replies, but the first 20 or so didn't answer it how I am going to....

I believe the quotes in the original post were refering to more barrels being ruined from improper cleaning more so than suggesting you shoudn't clean your barrel.
 
As has been proven here, a .22 barrel can go for a long time with little or no cleaning. I personally believe that more .22 barrels are ruined by CARELESS cleaning than by shooting. I have seen guys use more delicacy digging post holes or unclogging a toilet than they do cleaning a gun barrel.
Still, I carefully run 2 or 3 CLP wet patches down my .22 barrels followed by 1 dry patch, from the breech, each time I shoot. I've never seen the need for a bronze brush down a .22 barrel.
Marty
 
Tell that to my friend who's gun wouldn't shoot strait because her barrel was clogged full of lead. It does come off you know...
 
I still want to know how bronze is supposed to damage steel.

If I can cut steel with bronze, then I can cut down this here tree with a Herring.
 
Cleaning

Personally I just use a can of spray solvent and thoroughly blow out the barrell most of the time and rarelly use a ram rod.
 
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