cleaning kits for .22 cal rifles

[bender]

I bought my son a CZ 452 Scout for an xmas present. I want to buy a cleaning kit for it. I've never owned a .22 cal rifle, so I'm not sure if its better to buy a ".22 cal" cleaning kit, or a ".17 cal" cleaning kit.

I want my son to learn to properly clean rifles, and I thought maybe the .22 cal cleaning kit might be a tight fit for him to use... don't want his clumsy hands damaging the end of the barrel...

Would a .17 cal cleaning kit be easier for my son to use?

 

[ocabj]

Don't get a pre-packaged kit. It's most likely garbage.

Put one together.

Get a Dewey coated or Tipton carbon fiber rod. Get a rod that is advertised for .22cal.

Then get a bore guide. The ones sold by Sinclair Intl are great. They are made to fit various actions, as opposed to those one size fits all style of bore guides.

http://www.sinclairintl.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=CPCRGSR&item=RG4X&type=store

As far as patches, I love the ones sold under the Sinclair name for centerfire, but I use the Butch's (as in Butch's Bore Shine) patches for .22cal. I've found a much better fit in the bore with those.

Solvent will vary. Depending on what this gun will shoot will determine what solvent you should use. If you shoot all lead and no copper washed bullets, then use whatever your favorite carbon fouling solvent is.

Don't worry about brushes since you'll never use a brush on a .22 rimfire bore in your life.

 

[kir_kenix]

ocabj is right...just put one together. get a solid piece carbon rod ($7.00 at walmart) and pick up the rest piece by piece. i really like the good 'ole bore snake, but some don't. whatever you use for solvents/lube in ur high-powers will work fine on this provided you shoot the same type of bullets (copper, lead, etc.).

 

[BrainOnSigs]

My only suggestion is to use a good .17 cal rod like a Pro-Shot. The CZ 452's have a very tight chamber and the extractor has a tendency to scratch the heck out of the .22 rods. And...as always...make sure you use a good bore guide. The one ocabj suggested is also my favorite. I have had a lot of good luck with Shooter's Choice for the powder and carbon. I also prefer Butch's Bore Shine for any copper fouling.

 

[sm]

I rarely ever clean the bore of a .22 rim-fire. I do concern myself with chambers.

The kids I assist, like using the Otis .177 pull through cable, and the Patchworm pull through system. They use a straw as a muzzle guard. They have Carbon, brass or steel .177 rods to clean chamber. Then use the pull through to clean all that stuff out.

Ballistol, being non-toxic is used by the kids. We bought some small dispenser bottles, and the kids can spot an empty Rem-Oil bottle or similar at 50 paces in a trash barrel.

Some adults have gone through Cancer, and/or have family with Cancer. So for the kids this non-toxic is not only for them, also these other folks.

Hobby and Craft stores have disposable Pipettes, kids really like these. The itty bitty funnels, like for small oil lamps are handy. This allows kids ( with help) and us adults too, to refill small bottles of lube for the range.

I have used these funnels and pipettes forever to transfer lube, or using the pipette, to apply solvent from a bottle onto a patch.

While the Otis kit is "cool" and all, and someof us use one at the range being as other calibers are shot, kids have personalities. Some like using a free cigar box, others have found a tackle box, and one kid found a wooden box at the Craft store, and with adult help , refinished it. First they stained it, added some wooden dividers, cork for lining and pretty nifty little kit for a kid. Lots of quality time in making it too.

That one stays home, range use is a small tackle box.

Idea came from seeing the beautiful wooden Cigar boxes at a Tobacco and Pipe shop. These are different sizes, with nice hinges and clasps. All sizes and have "sections" in some. These run $3 on up . He and his grandpa decided to make a special one - just for him.

Range Bag.

I have a i-shot sporting clays bag the kids are nuts over. These kids are shooting .22 rifles. My bag has a place for a water bottle , glasses and all. The kids have put their stuff in it, like ears, eyes , ammo , tape, mom's staple gun...and the pad is nice. The kids can carry it fine. One thing the kids like [ I like] it does NOT scream gun.

There are other bags out there, but a kid having his first gun, first cleaning kit, eyes and ears, needs their own range bag.

We add those inexpensive canvas tote bags for them to police brass/ hulls in . The rim-fire gets tossed, but they sort out the other stuff too.


Steve

 

[bender]

My only suggestion is to use a good .17 cal rod like a Pro-Shot. The CZ 452's have a very tight chamber and the extractor has a tendency to scratch the heck out of the .22 rods. And...as always...make sure you use a good bore guide. The one ocabj suggested is also my favorite.

hmmm... ok thanks! the reason I started this .22 vs .17 cleaning thread is because I could swear I read somewhere something about CZ452's are better cleaned by .17 cleaning rods... But I can't remember where I read it, or if I even read it...

ok, I'll pass on getting an entire "kit". I'll get the cleaning rod and bore guide as suggested.

Midwayusa has this:

Dewey 1-Piece Cleaning Rod 17 Caliber 18" Nylon Coated 5 x 40 Female Thread

do these one-piece rods come with the end thingie... that has the slot in it to hold the patches...?

It says its nylon coated, not carbon fiber...

 

[BrainOnSigs]

Bender....more free advice...so take it as such.

This is what works for me. (I do a lot of shooting...a lot. Benchrest...rimfire....high powered.....varmint shooting...etc. I have had several very good mentors whose advice has never been wrong.)

1) A Pro-Shot (uncoated) .17 cal one piece rod. Support it with your fingers as you push it in so you don't risk bending it. I haven't bent one yet. (I use a .22 cal on my other .22 rifles...it is just the CZ 452s that seem to present this problem).

2) A tight fitting, spearpoint jag to hold the patch (toss the slotted jag as they are completely useless). For those familiar with David Wick's excellent spearpoint jags, Larry Allred in Billings, Montana, now makes them, and now makes 20-caliber versions. Larry can be contacted at: [email protected]

3) Any decent phosphor bronze brush.

4)Pro-Shot flannel patches are not too bad....but most decent patches will work.

5) For a bore guide, I strongly recommend a Sinclair (made by Eric Sinclair, which is a separate entity from Sinclair Int'l). Sinclair Int'l sells them under the name Sinclair. Lock, Stock & Barrel sells them under the name Possum Hollow. Midway sells them under the name EJS (the E stands for Eric, and the S stands for Sinclair).

6) Shooter's Choice for general bore cleaning.

7) Butch's Bore Shine for copper fouling.

8) Get an oversized cotton mop just to swab up any fluild in the chamber once the bore guide is removed.

9) Your CZ 452 (most rimfires) won't need to have the bore cleaned that often. I would just clean/lube the bolt and wipe out the chamber. Shoot good ammo thru it until the accuracy starts to fade then clean the bore.

10) Good luck! You son will love that rifle!


This regimen will work with all your rifles (you will need to clean your centerfire rifles after each range/field trip) ...just buy the correct caliber on the rod/bore guide/brush/jag for your particular rifle.

 

[ocabj]

When shopping for a rod length, be sure to take into account the length of the barrel, plus the length of the receiver, plus the length of the bore guide.

 

[bender]

Bender....more free advice...so take it as such.

that's the best kind of advice...

I'll get the EJS Bore Guide #92 from Midway, it's on sale now for $5 off.

I'll get a .20 cal spearpoint jag from Midway too.

I don't see Pro-Shot on Midway, so I'll check around elsewhere for that.

When shopping for a rod length, be sure to take into account the length of the barrel, plus the length of the receiver, plus the length of the bore guide.

will do.

for my old .30 cal milsurps, I just use the cleaning kits available... but I'm careful when cleaning...

 

[BrainOnSigs]

When shopping for a rod length, be sure to take into account the length of the barrel, plus the length of the receiver, plus the length of the bore guide.

Thanks Ocabj!

Bender, I am currently using a short 26" rod that is plenty long for the Scout with the Sinclair bore guide in place. I just checked.

One more free tip. I have hand lapped barrels on my centerfire rifles. I have gotten in the habit of using a rag to wipe off the length of the rod after each time I run a patch down the bore. You'd be supprised at how much crap you can push back into the bore if you don't do this. It probably won't make a difference with the CZ's accuracy but it is still a good habit to develop. It only takes a second more.

 

[toivo]

Another vote for the Patchworm. Really easy for a kid to use, and does the job well enough for the casual shooter.