[Jaywalker]

I don't normally clean my .22 rimfire firearms with a cleaning rod for fear of damaging the muzzle crown. (I understand that the rimfire manufacturers typically make softer barrels than centerfires in order to keep the tooling working longer.) When I do, I use a rod guide.

How can I know whether the crown is damaged by examing it? I have a couple that have never had a rod in them. I have another that I bought used, that might have been rod-cleaned. Is there some way I can tell with a small magnifying glass, maybe, whether it needs to be re-crowned?

If I do need a re-crowining, is this a difficult/expensive thing?

Does it take much of the barrel off? The used piece is a Beretta Model 87BB handgun, and can't stand much stock removal.

Thanks.

Jaywalker

[mete]

I wouldn't worry about it. Damage to just the crown usually involves striking the muzzle against something hard. That's usually visible especially with a magnifier.This is corrected by recrowning not a big job. The damage from cleaning rods involves wearing away the rifling as the rod rubs against it. This is why barrel cleaning should be done from the chamber and if that's not possible using a guide. The wear may extend some distance in to the barrel and require considerable amount to be removed. On a Beretta 87 I doubt you'll have a problem.

[4v50 Gary]

If you have a gun like the M-14, M-1 Garand, M-1 Carbine or a revolver that must be cleaned (absent a pull through cleaning unit) from the muzzle end, buy yourself an Ox-Yoke bore protector. It's a brass cone that slips right into the bore and the center of the "cone" is drilled out to admit the cleaning rod. You slip it onto the rod, screw in the brush, admit the brush into the bore, push the muzzle protector down until it touches the muzzle, then push the rod down. Easy as that.

[Jaywalker]

4v50 Gary,
That sounds like the rod guide I have. It does seem to work okay.

mete,
That's interesting, and not what I expected. I assumed the damage was the rod sliding against and damaging the crown itself, not the rifling. Any idea how much a recrowing might cost at a gunsmith, if I need it? $20? $50?

Jaywalker

[Traveler]

Brownells offers a nice little kit that would allow you to recrown your .22's. I find that it works well and is handy for times when removing the barrel is not a viable option. I have modified mine to work with a drill and a long pilot and get very good results.

You can look at your crown with a magnifying glass, but I found that a jewlers loup works best. They are fairly cheap. A tool and die man's headset is even better.

[owen]

Jaywalker,

The part of the crown that counts IS the rifling. The purpose of the crown is to ensure that the whole bullet leaves the barrel at the exact same instant. Nicks on the muzzle that don't get into the bore don't matter. To check on your crown, just get a magnifying glass and look at the crown/bore interface. Is everything concentric? Are there any gouges going into the bore?

Oh yeah, with modern ammo, you probably don't have to clean the bore on your .22RF guns.

owen

[Jaywalker]

No, there're no noticable gouges, and the rifling appears square at the crown, at least with the magnifying glass I have. There is a noticable bright area extending up the crown that could have been an aluminum (rod) scraping, but, if so, the previous owner didn't manage to really screw it up. I think it's okay. Thanks.

Jaywalker