Ok. how the heck do I clean my .22lr?

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Nightwing

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First time cleaning a rifle. I read up really good, but it's a semi auto so I'm having a hard time. I can't just push a brush down the barrel, cause I have to pull it back too. Once those bristles are stuck pushing one way it's almost impossible to get them to come back the other way.
For the time being I ended up just dragging and rubbing some cleaning cloth patched all over the barrel to clean out residue, and did the best I could to clean out the action, and the loading tube.
Don't want to damage my gun with using an overly aggressive brush inside of it, but it is the proper size brush.
I dunno.
Not a ton of gun cleaning experience so I need to learn. Have been using my guns for a while with little or no cleaning. Time to get em purty again!
 
Do you have the action open? You should be able to get the brush all the way through the chamber with the action open. It sounds like the brush is running into the bolt while part of it is still in the bore, making it difficult to reverse directions.
 
I can't just push a brush down the barrel, cause I have to pull it back too. Once those bristles are stuck pushing one way it's almost impossible to get them to come back the other way.
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AHHH! Stop it!

Never reverse in the bore, it can damage your rifiling. You did not say what kind of gun you have so this is one time I would suggest getting out the owner's manual and reading it. There will be a section on cleaning. If you need another copy get on the net and track one down and/or write the manufacturer. They will send you one for free.

Bore snakes are a good idea for .22s.
 
Yeah the action is open, and it still is in the bore. Brush is too long, but is the shortest I could find.
I'm worried that it's too abrasive too and i will destroy the inside of my barrel. But I guess it's metal... a wire brush shouldn't hurt it. just use a little oil?
 
AHHH! Stop it!

Never reverse in the bore, it can damage your rifiling. You did not say what kind of gun you have so this is one time I would suggest getting out the owner's manual and reading it. There will be a section on cleaning. If you need another copy get on the net and track one down and/or write the manufacturer. They will send you one for free.

Bore snakes are a good idea for .22s.
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that's what I mean! I don't wanna damage it! I don't want to have to get it stuck in there. did it once and will not try it again until the problem is solved.
I've read the instructions. Just can't get it all the way out of the bore!
It's a Marlin tube load.
 
A bronze or nylon gun brush should not hurt a steel barrel. A steel rod might, but brushes should not.

+1 on the boresnake. I rarely clean .22LR bores with anything more than a spray of CLP and two pulls of a boresnake. The action, feed ramp, slide, etc get cleaned with Hoppes #9 and CLP.
 
I just clean them like any other gun. an aluminum cleaning rod and a brass brush with some hoppes #9 on it won't hurt a thing. then the little .22 cal cleaning patches til they come out clean and then some breakfree clp to keep the rust at bay. Haven't messed up a .22 lr yet in 30 years. Then again i just shoot for min. of squirrel not benchrest accu.
 
Clean a 22? :confused:

Shoot some "Gunscrubber" in it (Make sure it's the type of gunscrubber that's safe for plastic parts. You never know where plastic will show up these days.) then use a Q-tip to clean out any "gunk" you can reach.

The barrel? Leave it alone. I haven't run a patch through a 22 barrel in years. I haven't seen a bit of problem. 22 bullets leave behind a lubricant of their own that protects the bore . Unless the accuracy of the gun goes away, just leave it alone.
 
I found a brass brush that's the length of a .22 and the way I get it down the bore of our .22 Henry is to open the action, put the rod down the barrel insert the brush and screw the rod into it then pull straight out. As others have said, its fairly unneccessary, needed only after 1000 rounds. Just swab with normal solven and cleaning patch after each shooting session.
KKKKFL
 
I am going to assume that you have a Ruger 10/22 or equivalent. I did not see a description of the rifle you are using.

There is a lot to be said about not cleaning a .22LR bore, as long as there is not lumpy leading in the barrel. At some point, for a semi auto, you will have to clean the residue from the chamber.

I recently conducted some 100 yard tests with a Match .22LR, and it does take fouling shots to bring point of impact back to point of aim. Those .22LR bullets are coated in wax and leave a wax coating in the barrel. That really does not harm anything.

However, assuming you live in a humid area, cleaning out the fouling and leaving a light oil coat as a rust barrier is not a bad thing.

To clean a Ruger 10/22 you have to clean from the muzzle. I use a muzzle guide on my cleaning rod.

highresimage


If you do not use a muzzle guide you will rub out the end of your barrel.

I push a cleaning rod with bore brush all the way through the chamber. The brush leaves the chamber. You might want to put a paper towel back there to absorb solvent as it shakes off the brush. Then pull the rod and brush all the way out.

Of course, the bolt has to be retracted.


I use a nice Dewey one piece cleaning rod. The rod is longer by a couple of inches than the barrel.

highresimage
 
What is the make and model of the rifle? Normally, run a patch through with solvent a couple times, then dry patches until they come out clean, put a light oil patch through a couple times.
 
What is the make and model of the rifle?
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+1

Sooner or later, with any .22 RF, you are going to have to take it apart to clean all the crap out of the action & trigger group.

Might as well find out how right now!

Tell us what it is and someone might be able to help you!

rcmodel
 
I use a bore snake fed through the open chamber and out through the end of the barrel. I use my hands to feed the rope into the gun so it doesn't mar the area into which it's being fed.

Josh
 
Get a single piece rod (segmented rods are made for ruining barrels) and a muzzle guide. I don't clean .22 bores until accuracy drops off (which means 22 years and still haven't cleaned one).
 
Sooner or later, with any .22 RF, you are going to have to take it apart to clean all the crap out of the action & trigger group.
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This is a true statement. I don't own a Marlin .22LR semi auto, but I found instructions for a Model 60 tube feed version. http://www.castbullet.com/misc/m60.htm

In time, you will have to remove the breech block and clean out the wax and lead particles. These blowback actions open up when there is still some pressure in the barrel. As such, powder residue, bullet wax, get blown back into the action. The wax will condense from vapor form into a solid entrapping powder and lead particles. While the stuff is basically harmless, it will gum up the action. Particularly in cold weather

The use of a decent solvent, alcohol, mineral spirits, rifle bore cleaner, will dissolve the wax and junk.

A very light coat of oil, rubbed in with an oily patch, is about the only lubrication you need in one of these semi auto’s. You will find that too much oil, and that wax tends to accumulate in the oil, gumming the action up sooner than without.

Don't forget to clean under the extractor hook.
 
For a .22? Stop cleaning. Then shoot until the rifle tells you where you should clean. Then, clean just that part. It'll likely be: if a bolt gun, the bolt; if a semi or lever gun, the action.

If you gotta, now and then run a bore snake through it.

In the mean time, keep the outside wiped down with an oily rag so nothing rusts.

The bore, throat and crown of a .22 are easier to damage by cleaning than by shooting.
 
No need to clean the bore unless the gun is shooting erratically- then again it might shoot erratically if you previously damaged it while cleaning.
 
Count me as one of the "leave the bore alone" crowd. In my experience, .22 barrels don't get "dirty", as much as they get "seasoned". As long as there's no obvious obstructions or extremely heavy fouling, leave that sucker alone. As others said, it's sometimes necessary to scrub the chamber or action of a .22 to remove some carbon or other fouling, but even that should be a once-in-a-great-while kinda thing.

But if you do insist on cleaning the bore - as long as you're using a brass or nylon brush, and a plastic or aluminum rod, you'll be fine. Steel is stronger than all of those, and will scratch the brush/rod before the brush or rod scratches it.
 
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