I have sinned, I cleaned my 22LR today.

After bragging in the 22LR cleaning thread a week or two ago that I have not cleaned my 10/22 in nearly two decades I finally broke down and cleaned it, and did a nearly full tear down and rebuild

Last weekend NRL22 match was a dismal affair, my worst finish since I started shooting matches a year ago. I only manage slightly less than half the possible hits despite my position building felling good and the wind was not the worst I have shot in. Right after the match I shot it on paper trying to figure out what was happening. The first shot at 50 yards was roughly three inches left of POA, the next 3-4 shots saw it walk right back to POA and then I proceeded to shoot a sub-MOA 5-shot group at POA. After that I was pretty sure something was loose or the non-free-floated forearm was getting loaded weird is some shooting positions and then slipping back to a relaxed state. I am betting on the later.

So todays project, eliminating the excuses.

I tore the rifle almost completely down, except the fire-control since I did that just a few months ago when I installed a new fire-control. Even the barrel came out of the receiver and got a thorough cleaning with CR-10 just to cover all my bases. The crown was seriously caked with wax. I cleaned the rest of the parts and reseated the barrel. The scope and mounts came off and everything there got retorqued.

The biggest part of the project was free floating the barrel. I took the stock off and sanded the barrel channel out to clear the barrel all the way to the mounting block. My worry was the forearm would not be stiff enough being just glass filled nylon (old Butler Creek) so I reinforced it with a nice piece of mild steel fitted into the forearm. This add some more weight, and that's not a bad thing. I am happy with the results, seems like it will work. I can force the barrel down to the bottom of the inlet but that takes a fair bit of effort, hopefully more than I typically apply during a match.

This will hopefully work at least until I talk myself into a new stock/chassis or a new rifle or both...


The steel forearm stiffener after fitting.


Stiffener installed, the hole is clearance around the boss for the sling stud.


Held in place with three 10-24 flathead screws.


For hand sanded it does not look two bad.


Free floated, clear to the barrel mounting block.

Now hopefully that will make it shoot more consistent.

murf said:

but, does this fix the dance of the sugar plum bullets? that will be interesting!

murf

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Yes that is the question. Did all this work fix anything? Hopefully next weekend I can find that answer!

PapaG said:

Clean, dirty, happy or sad, my Savage-Anschutz 141 will do that about every time I take it out. Three to ten shots to settle in.

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Except that settle-in I describe in the first post was after 40+ rounds of sight-in and warm up before the match, then shooting eight 10-12 round stages. At that point the gun was seasoned and should have been settled.

Before the match I check my 50 yard zero from a bipod and rear bag, it was right on. Dialed adjustment for 100 yards and I was about 1/2" - 3/4" inch right, consisted with the wind, again from a bipod and rear bag.

It was the stages that forces me off the bipod and into more awkward shoot positions, as that is a large part of the sport, and then the POI started shifting bad. We shot on the simulated roof, a step later leaning on a saw horse, across a large wood wire spool, etc, and since many of the stages were 12 round stages instead of the usual 10 rd stages I was using a 15 rds magazine that pushed me further out on the forearm for support.

Then after the match I returned to the bipod and rear bag and my zero returned after a few rounds.

This is why, in hind-sight, I suspected it was the non-free-floated handguard that was my primary problem and why I did what I did in my first post. The gun shot well when supported as sighted in (bipod and bag) but when I change the support method my POI started shifting. Not completely sure why it was worst this match than previous matches but I have suspected the non-free-floated forearm causing POI shifts for several matches now. I think it was just chance that this match forced me to use 15 rd magazine more and I was being more deliberate about putting more pressure on the gun to get a steady position and this combination inadvertently made the handguard issue worst not better.

The real test will be getting to the range, sighting in again, and then shoot groups from positions other than bipod and bag.

Orion8472 said:

In all seriousness, why not clean a 22lr? And is it just the 22lr? If I don't clean, sometimes the cartridge won't fully chamber.

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Many shooters believe 22LR barrels should not be cleaned at all or very infrequently. I clean the action of my 10/22 as needed to maintain reliable operation but I have never run a brush, only patches through the barrel and even that infrequently. Clearly not everyone holds this philosophy.

Bfh_auto said:

I'll make it worse. It a bore snake does a good job cleaning a 22. Wd40 and one drag through and your good to go again.

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I have a 22 cal bore snake that does not have a brush integrated that I use for quick cleaning/oil if I worry water or similar might having gotten in the barrel.