Low rage: One man's rant.

Grizz Axxemann

Grizz Axxemann

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Why do some people refuse to clean their rimfires?


I suppose it applies to any caliber too.

[rant]I just don't get it. Maybe I'm just anal about cleaning my guns. I clean them after every shoot, generally within 48 hours of doing so. Sometimes I'll even clean them for fun. I know some people (I won't name any names. They already know who they are :p) who'll only clean their rimfires once a year. And you wonder why it won't properly feed or extract when you're using it? Sheesh. Just because it's a rimfire doesn't mean it shouldn't be well maintained. Maybe it was the way I was brought up around guns. Grampa had me clean my Uncle's old Cooey (I was using that one, because Grampa didn't think I was old enough for his semi-auto) after every brick of ammo. As a 10 year old kid learning to shoot gophers, you went through a lot of ammo in a day. In Air Cadets, I had a designated rifle that I alone used for shooting competitions. It got cleaned after EVERY range session, and given the numbers of cadets we had shooting, time allotments, etc, I normally only got to fire off aout 50 o 60 rounds in practice, once a week.

I figure I shoot about 200 or so rounds a week through my rifle, so I like to keep her clean. WHY CAN SOME PEOPLE BE SO LAZY? I tear my rifle down completely and spend less than an hour on it, and she's clean as a whistle. Cleaner now that I've got some machinist picks from Dad and I can get into the nooks and crannies that my kit couldn't reach (there was dirt I couldn't even SEE in there!)

The next person I hear out on the firing line #####ing and griping that their rifle isn't functioning properly because it's dirty, I'm gonna laugh at them and call them We Todd Did. Because they're Sofa King We Todd Did for not cleaning ALL of their guns.[/rant]
 
Cleaning actions on semiautos is fine. On bolt actions, more .22 rimfires are destroyed by ovezealous cleaning than any other reason. It is a very rare thing that the bore of a firearm using modern rimfire ammo EVER needs cleaning.

On a related note:
With non-corrosive priming in modern centrefires, I don't clean until accuracy starts to slide.
 
I clean the bores of my rifles whenever the accuracy starts to go, but keep the breach , trigger area, etc, as spotless as possible.
There is an old wives tale about not cleaning the bore of a .22 becuase they don't need it.
It's bull hooey!:cool:
Cat
 
I don't shoot semi's much.
When I buy a used gun, it gets a thorough cleaning, out of stock and varsol. Bolt gets scrubbed with varsol. A couple of passes with a brass brush and Hopps, then cleaned with a pull through and patches.
It will never see a brush again.
There is a very good chance that .22 will never have it's bore cleaned again.

On a semi, the action gets cleaned when it looks dirty.
Before a gun is put away, it gets wiped down with Sheath, put in a gun sock and locked in a cabinet.

Unless you are shooting benchrest with .1 groups, .22 bores do not need regular cleaning. it may take most of a box of bullets to achieve best accuracy after cleaning.
 
i always clean my 870 after each outing but only on the outside to protect it from rust and only strip it down when it gets wet. might run a boresnake through it the odd time but its pointless really.

now that my marlin917v 17hmr is fully painted it gets cleaned maybe once a month if that. no point in even running a boresnake through it because it just makes the accuracy worse. why bother cleaning the bore when it will just make accuracy worse until the barrel gets fouled again?

many .22's are the same way....
 
I agree with the first post. I guess everybody has their own opinions though. Seeing as how I am getting more in more into BR shooter, I like to clean my guns that I use for benchrest after every range outing, which is usually about 75 rounds or maybe even 50 rounds. My guns like my CZ, and My cooey, and other guns that I just use for generall plinking I might clean them every 200 rounds, just to keep it feeding allright.

I believe that a Brass brush is an absolute neccessity, to properly maintain accuracy throughout benchrest shooting and I think most benchrest shooters will agree with me. I also do not believe, that any harm can be done cleaning a rimfire, or any gun, if done properly.

Here is my method I made not that long ago :)

Proper Rimfire Cleaning

In the past years, endless debates have arose regarding the proper cleaning of both rimfire and centerfire firearms. There are many opinions on how to clean any given firearm. Some say cleaning with a brass brush is a necessity, when others people argue that cleaning with a patch and a bit of solvent will do the job without any risk of damage.

It is my belief however that to properly clean a rimfire, or any firearm, a brass brush (used with a proper cleaning rod) is needed or proper cleaning. Although many people have claimed to have destroyed their firearms with a brass brush, if done properly, the chances of actually damaging or ruining a barrel is slim to none.

There are many things that need to be paid attention to when cleaning. You need to make sure that you are using the correct size brush and rod, you have to insure the equipment you are using is good, and many other things.

The first step to insure proper cleaning of a firearm, is to insert the bore-guide. Make sure that the bore guide fits into the gun properly so that the cleaning rod slides into the chamber without hitting any edges, and so that no access cleaning solution can enter or damage the trigger mechanism.

Before putting he cleaning rod into the gun, make sure that no grit is on the cleaning rod (if so, wipe off with wet paper towel and dry and with a dry piece). This will insure that no “grit” can damage the barrel of the gun.

Now attach a .22 cal bronze brush (if you are cleaning a .17, attach a .17 brush), and dip in cleaning solution. I like both butches bore shine and Hoppes #9. Some people also advice adding a bit of “kroil” to butches bore shine can help a lot.

Now with the brass brush dipped in cleaning solution, insert the cleaning rod through the bore guide (try not to drip any cleaning solution on the stock_. This will take a bit of force but carefully push the cleaning rod through the barrel until it comes out the Muzzle. When pushing it through, especially when it comes close to the muzzle, insure that you do not damage the crown.

When the cleaning rod exits the barrel, carefully remove the brush, without damaging the crown in anyway. Carefully (without the brush on), remove the cleaning rod from the barrel. If necessary, quickly wipe down to the cleaning rod to get rid of any “grit”.

Repeat this last step once more. After you have done this, attach a cleaning jag, and push one .22 (or whatever caliber) patch through the barrel. This patch should come out quite dirty. If it comes out jet black, you may want to insert another wet patch and then another dry patch. Push each patch through one or two times, and remove it at the muzzle, being careful not to damage the crown. The bore guide should still be installed at this time.

Now after you have pushed a brush through the barrel three or four times, attach the brass brush again to the cleaning rod and dip it in solvent. Push it through the barrel about 2 or 3 times and then follow up with a couple of patches.

Repeat these same steps again until the patch comes out clean. This will completely clean the bore guide and should increase the accuracy of your gun.

Hope this helps :)

Jordan
 
Anyone who says a brass brush can harm a barrel or any other metal part of a firearm is full of it. brass is softer than steel. I have a few brass brushes, and not once have I ever so much as scuffed a metal part.
 
I shot a couple hundred rounds through the 10/22 yesterday, didn't clean it. Shot at least 500 the time before and didn't clean it. I tried using a cleaning rod and brush and found it was way too tight, that and the bore snake does the trick for me. I'll probably clean the action now, but I don't do it every time, I don't see the point.
 
Grizz Axxemann said:
Anyone who says a brass brush can harm a barrel or any other metal part of a firearm is full of it. brass is softer than steel. I have a few brass brushes, and not once have I ever so much as scuffed a metal part.
Click to expand...
It's not so much the brush type that wrecks a barrel, but using a cleaning rod without a bore guide.
This tends to wear against the chamber of the the barrel, and dings it up.

When I was a junior and sharpshooter class shooter in '68, I was talking to one of the expert class shooters and he stated that he NEVER cleaned his Walther match rifle.

I was confused , so talked to the next best person to my father for info, the Captain (my older brother)
He was a master class shooter , and still a junior.
His response was " Ya, and you don't see ***** in the winner's circle very often, do you?"
Case rested, and never asked again of either the Captain or my father!
cat
 
Grizz Axxemann said:
Anyone who says a brass brush can harm a barrel or any other metal part of a firearm is full of it. brass is softer than steel. I have a few brass brushes, and not once have I ever so much as scuffed a metal part.
Click to expand...

i agree with ya there. go on RFC forums and people debate it all the time that if you buy a boresnake you should remove the brush part from it. i still cant figure out how they figure that soft brass will damage hard steel:rolleyes:

can anyone explain why the 17hmr always shoots better from a fouled barrel? what causes it to be like this?
 
There's no way you can damage a barrel with a brush, it's completely bogus. I mean, compared to searing-hot gasses at 60,000+ psi behind a bore-tight projectile that's rapidly accelerated and spun, how much damage could the mild friction from a slowly-driven brass brush really cause?

I think it's purely superstition; shooting is already so unpredictable and full of variables that whatever you did right before you shot is bound to catch the blame for your performance at the line, whether good or bad.

I put this one in the same category as 'breaking in' a barrel. Until someone shows me a study that's not sponsored by a company with a financial interest in the outcome, I'm going to keep on using my brushes without a bore guide, and my 'break in' routine will involve running a patch or two, and then shooting 100 rounds in an afternoon of load development.
 
Cleaning a Rimfire

I have witnessed the following events several times.

Your at the range with your new anshultz sillouette rifle and it is shooting bug hole groups at 50 yds its an absolutely awesome shooting rifle. Take it home after the range trip and clean and oil it rite up there so shes polished and sparkling inside and out so shes beautiful with her light coating of oil all over for the next trip to the range. So The next range day you find your bug hole groups are now quarter size what happened? Cleaning it "the barrel" happened thats what happened nothing robs a bolt action rimfire or any rimfire of accuracy like a good "barrel" cleaning so get out the rods and go to her and ill see you outside the X-ring. A good rule to go buy is clean it only when groups start to open up. You know every 10000 rounds or so. Clean everything else but not the barrel unless groups start to open up.

Caution : This advise is my opinion and is not intended for everyone. Use only if you intend to stay inside the X-ring.
 
Grizz
Wire bore brushes are made from phosphor bronze, not brass.
If you ever had the opportunity to machine phosphor bronze, you would realizes that that material is tough.
It will probably do no harm to a .22 barrel, but I would not use it on my Anschutz.
For the rest of the discussion, I would agree with Cat and Sandyamac, clean the barrel of a .22 LR when the accuracy drops.
 
It has been observed that a ring of lead and carbon build up just in front of the chamber. When the build up reaches the point that accuracy is affected, cleaning is necessary. It may be necessary for the barrel to be fired a bit before it returns to its best performance. In a ho hum hunting rifle, which isn't a tackdriver to begin with, prolonged shooting without cleaning may not make a difference. As far as barrels being worn out by cleaning goes, improper cleaning can damage a barrel. If you don't have the proper equipment, and don't know how to use it, it would be entirely possible to spoil a barrel by "cleaning" it.
 
I do a complete thorough cleaning when the firearm first comes into my possession.

I always run a bore snake through whatever I am shooting afterwards, followed by a quick external wipe-down with oil soaked cloth.

The more detailed cleanings only come just before selling a firearm or after every 1000rnds (whichever comes first) :D - I don't know about your guy's .22's but mine becomes more prone to FTF's as I get tot he 1000rnd mark.

I've found this to be the best for me.
 
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Al Flipo said:
Grizz
Wire bore brushes are made from phosphor bronze, not brass.
If you ever had the opportunity to machine phosphor bronze, you would realizes that that material is tough.
It will probably do no harm to a .22 barrel, but I would not use it on my Anschutz.
For the rest of the discussion, I would agree with Cat and Sandyamac, clean the barrel of a .22 LR when the accuracy drops.
Click to expand...

I've got brass and bronze brushes. Dad's a machinist with 30 years in the trade. Neither one will harm a barrel. It's impossible. Steel beats either material HANDS DOWN. Go ahead and give your Anschutz a good scrub. Ain't gonna do a damn thing to hurt it.

My rifle shoots best when clean. You've got your routine, I'll stick to mine.
 
I think this thread can go on and on, on how to properly clean a rimfire, but I dont think were ever going to get everybody aggreing on one thing. Everybody is going to clean the way they feel is best, and thats absolutely fine.

Although I do solidly believe in cleaning with a brass brush, thats not neccessarily the best way to clean (or is it :D ;)). We all have OUR ways of cleaning.

So lets just all clean the way we want to, and the way that works best for US!

BTW: Al Flipo (Its me, Jordan from the silhouette shoot), I got rings for the Valmet (BKL) so I will be able to participate at the Benchrest Precision 100 yard shoot. I may be at the Wednesday practice as well. Hope to see you there :)
 
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Yeah, those people like me with rusted up 10/22s with 30 000 rounds through it without cleaning are a disgrace :D

I might think about cleaning my 10/22 when the iron sights rust right off of it, until then, i will continue shooting.

Centerfires are a different story though. I could see the look of disgust on your face when you looked into the action/breech of my 10/22 :D

The best part was when my dirty 10/22 jammed LESS than your cooey :D:D:D

Ps- I was late for my class and didn't get to go, so we coulda stayed out there later.
 
LOL about the late for class

And yes, that was disgusting. It made me want to hurl, or take it away from you so it could get a little TLC.

Oh, FYI, the Cooey didn't jam at all. just a few failures to feed, because of that typical Model 64 mag setup. I'll be doing some work on her over the winter to rectify that. Slicker cycling, a little more polishing here and there, lots of deburring all around, and maybe some stock work. I dunno if it's gonna be a straight-up strip/sand/varnish, or if I'll get REALLY ballsy and do up a nice laminate job with some walnut, oak and/or birch plywood. Between dad's metal work skill and mom's wood working skill, I figure I can come up with the ###iest and sweetest shooting 64B out there :D
 
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