Cleaning the 10-22..from the breech.

[saltydog452]

I inderstang that there is a procedure that allows the users of the 10-22 to clean the barrel chamber area from the breech. It involves drilling a hole in that part of the frame so that when the barreled action and bolt are removed, a cleaning rod can be inserted in a straight line from the rear of the action and into the breech of the barrel.

Was this just 'net' b.s., or does anyone have any first-hand information regarding this procedure?

Thanks,

salty.

 

[ID_shooting]

Even though I have never done this, I have seen it done. There is a template you can get from brownells that shows you where to drill the hole.

I have also seen where people will insert a cleaing rod from the muzzle end to the back of the reciever then mark and drill the hole.

I plan on doing this some time in the future.

 

[rockstar.esq]

One thought:

Why not make the hole threaded to allow a plug to be installed?

 

[Soap]

Why not use a boresnake?

 

[Chris Orndorff]

I have also seen where people will insert a cleaing rod from the muzzle end to the back of the reciever then mark and drill the hole.

I did this on mine, but ultimately the boresnake makes more sense. The hole in the back of the receiver is completely covered by the stock, so I'm not sure what plugging the hole would accomplish.

 

[Capital Punishment]

Just clean from the muzzle.

 

[Gewehr98]

Taking the gun totally apart to clean it seems like a waste.

Maybe if the receiver and bolt raceway were gunked up with enough blowby crud after a few thousand rounds, but not each and every time one goes to the range. My heavy-barreled 10/22 has been glass-bedded, both barrel and trigger group, with a free-floating receiver. Were I to remove the barreled action from the stock to remove the bolt and run a cleaning rod through the back of the drilled receiver, I'd lose the solid bedding in due time. Boresnake it, or get the proper muzzle guide, so you can run a cleaning rod from the front end without damaging the crown or rifling.

 

[Run&Shoot]

Why not use an Otis cable cleaning "rod" instead?

I have switched to using the Otis cleaning system which uses a cable pull through patch instead of a rigid rod. IT allows breech firts cleaning on all rifles like the garand, 10/22, Marlin M60, etc. I went through numerous rods trying to find the perfect combo, but really like the Otis system. Plus, it is very compact and can easily be packed in the field, to the range, etc.

The Bore Snake would be another product along the same line.
http://otisgun.com/cgistore/store.cgi?page=/new/fcatalog.html&setup=1&cart_id=

 

[2TransAms]

Why not use a boresnake?

Cuz some of us like our barrels really clean,and Boresnakes,which do a fine job and are the greatest invention ever for .22 or .223 rifles, just dont cut it for guys like me.

Maybe I'm just old-school. I'll use Boresnakes but I don't feel right if I don't run a patch or three down the barrel.

We now return to our scheduled thread.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Why would you want to clean the bore on a 22lr? You will do more harm to the bore on an accurate 22 by cleaning it than you ever will leaving it dirty. I've never cleaned the bore on my CZ that I use for shillouette thousands of rounds later it still shoots the same tiny little groups.

 

[Dave R]

I have some experience with both the hole in the receiver and the boresnake.

I have a Martini Cadet that has been rebarreled as a .17 wildcat, and the gunsmith also did the hole in the action to allow cleaning from the breech. It works fabulously, and I recommend it. As a side benefit, it allows you to look through the bore after field stripping. A nice convenience.

However, for a .22 I think a boresnake is all that is needed. That's all I use on my .22's. They don't have enough velocity or power for copper fouling or leading to become an issue, in my experience.

However, if you want to do the hole in the receiver, go for it. But I believe that's the kind of thing that is worth the few extra bucks to have a gunsmith do properly. By the time you buy the tools, you'll probably spend more than the 'smith anyway. And a smith with smooth and chamfer the edges and make it look like Ruger did it at the factory.

Which, come to think of it, they should.

 

[saltydog452]

I know that more 22rf barrels are damaged by improper cleaning than wear. I also know that the the recessed area of either the chamber or the bolt face needs to be kept fairly clean of unburned powder to help prevent mis-fires.

I just wanna be able to keep the bolt face, extractor, firing pin, chamber area a bit cleaner than with a barrel pull through device.

salty.

 

[Gewehr98]

When I shoot for tight groups with my target rimfires...

And I have cleaned the bore thoroughly, I send several rounds into the berm before aiming for the paper. They're called "fouling shots" and re-establish the layer of bullet lube and wax that was in the bore before I cleaned it. The fouling shots will, for me, always group to a different point on paper than a properly fouled bore. Hence, I seldom clean the bores on my rimfires. Chambers, yes, and the bolt face on my FrankenRuger, but that's with a Q-Tip soaked in Ed's Red. I leave the bore alone if I can avoid it, be it my Remington 521T, Winchester 9422, FrankenRuger 10/22, or Izhmash Biathlon Basic. Standard velocity rimfire bullets aren't moving fast enough to lead or copper foul the bores, anyway.

 

[saltydog452]

Yep, I agree.

So, to repeat my original question, does anyone have any first hand information regarding cleaning a 10-22 from the breech?

Thanks,

salty.

 

[Slimjim]

Is it really that hard for you to remove the barrel on the 10/22? I mean, if seems like you want to drill through the reciever when you havent even taken the gun apart. Id advise you learn to remove the barrel before cutting your reciever up. Its two allen head screws for god sakes.

 

[Car Knocker]

It changes POI.

 

[Chris Orndorff]

So, to repeat my original question, does anyone have any first hand information regarding cleaning a 10-22 from the breech?

I thought I answered your question as I had done the mod to mine.

 

[saltydog452]

Thanks all. I appreciate your suggestions. Regarding the bore snake, I have one for my smoothbores but have never seen one for 22rf. Guess I have led a sheltered life. That, or I just wasn't paying attention.

I was mainly intestered in an easier way to clean the chamber area rather than the bore.

Thanks again.

salty.

 

[Trempel]

If you must, use something like the Otis kit. That's my choice when cleaning barrels that can't be cleaned from the breech end. Boresnakes are okay, but they get dirty and need to be washed. With the Otis kit, you just need to change the patches.
Personally, I haven't cleaned the barrel of my 10/22 in several thousand rounds. I'm not planning on cleaning it any time soon. I shoot standard velocity wax-coated ammo through it, so the bore doesn't really foul. It might be an issue if you shoot hi-vel, copper-coated ammo, but with lead ammo it's not an issue, IMO. The action gets a cleaning every brick of ammo, but I leave the barrel alone.

 

[JohnKSa]

I just wanna be able to keep the bolt face, extractor, firing pin, chamber area a bit cleaner than with a barrel pull through device.

How does one use a cleaning rod or pull through device to clean the bolt-face, extractor, or firing pin?

 

[R.W.Dale]

WAAAAY Simpler than drilling unneccacary holes in your gun.

 

[Mal H]

... does anyone have any first hand information regarding cleaning a 10-22 from the breech?

Yes, I've done it to my 10-22T. I like being able to clean any rifle from the breech end and not the muzzle end.

It was very simple to do and I didn't need any special tools or a template. I ran a cleaning rod from the muzzle all the way to the back of the action housing and marked the spot on the inside where the hole should go. A few simple measurements and I was able to transfer the drill spot to the back of the housing. Use a center punch to prevent the drill bit from wandering. The size of the hole isn't particularly important as long as it is large enough and not so large as to be seen when the housing is installed in the stock. I believe I used a 1/4 inch drill.

Like many .22 shooters, I don't clean the barrel very often as compared to any centerfire rifles. But, when I do clean it, it is usually in conjunction with a complete action cleaning so taking the action apart to clean the barrel is no big deal.

 

[Nekron]

Just curious: How does removing and reinstalling the barrel change POI when the front and rear sights are both on the barrel? Is it the stock screw or barrel band tension?

I've always removed the barrel when it needs cleaning and I haven't noticed a change in POI, but then, I don't use a scope on it either.

 

[Car Knocker]

Nekron,

It does have a scope on it and I have noticed that the POI moves if the barrel is removed. I haven't experimented to determine what the causitive factors are.

 

[Cueball]

I've got the hole in my 10-22 and it works fine. As to the Otis kit, the patch holder and other metal parts on the end of the cable are too long to fit in the 10-22 without disassembly. The boresnake may be the only option to clean from the breech without any disassembly.