new first gun

[--weezl--]

so i aquired my dad's gun, actually got it before i even knew what it was... i knew he had it, his POL expired a while back, and when i brainstormed, i thought, hey my PAL is valid, his isn't, it's irresponsible for him to keep it... i said that, 5 minutes later he handed me his gun

anyways, it's pretty bad ass, it's a massive browning bl-22 lol, it's about a 1976 vintage, class 1 bl-22. (.22s.22l.22lr)

here's what i'm wondering, what do i need to do for maintenance on this gun after using it, is there a strip down to be done, or is it just oil visible parts and clean the bore ect? next, it has been sitting for probably 15 years, no idea if it was cleaned before it was put away, but it does look rather clean, the wood is in great condition, no rust that i can see anywhere, action functions properly, everything seems to be tight and responsive... the barrel IS full of what appears to be lint... thoughts?

i also just went on canadian tire's website, and saw the ridiculously cheap prices of .22short rounds... think i might go find a friend with a big yard outside of an urban area...

 

[camster]

Congrats!

A very nice .22 to own, and shoot. Welcome to the club.

Some folks never clean their .22's, some wait until they have to (which can also be never), some folks clean them methodically. I wouldn't strip the BLR, to clean it, but would certainly give it a thorough look-see before using it.

 

[rocor98]

http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/bl22manual.pdf

Download and read the manual ... Then focus on and reread the cleaning instructions .. It would appear that a deep cleaning is a bit more complicated than say a 10/22 due to the bolt and trigger arangement .. So gather as mush info as you can prior to taking anything apart ..

I do not own one of these ..

It seems to have a great rep , but even if it was the lowest rated gun in world history, just coming from your dad to you makes it something you will always hold dear.

I got a 1947 Wknchester 30.06 from my dad .. It has some bumps and scars on it, but in my heart it is worth more than any of those boxed and never fired collectors trophies that garner the mega prices at auction ..

Treat it to some slip2000 .. Show it what 2012 lubrication is all about .. A simple cleaning set is about $30 and today's answer to all cleaning problems is the bore snake and that will run you about $ 20 .. Slip2000 , Not easy to find at say Canadian Tire, is the big expense , but Hopes has been serving the gun world just fine for years at that will be on the local Canadian Tire shelf ..

Pages here and on other forms will be full of mods and wonders to be purchased and used to enhance your experience .. Go slow save your funds .. Spend wisely .. I am already guilty by mentioning my preference of the use of slip2000 , but Then I do not own a lever action, and my blowbacks are easily fouled if I use hevier lugs .. I do not shoot the bolt action 30.06 so my experience with bolt lubricants is limited.

Have fun .. Should be years of experience out there for you to read as that unit is a classic

 

[.22LRGUY]

That's some hand-me-down first gun weezl, consider yourself lucky! I'm a stickler for gun cleanliness..keeping mine WAAAY cleaner than they need to be to function well. Just force of habit and admittedly, I enjoy the process. That said, that flaw in my personality forced me to sell my Winchester 9422 (also a lever action .22lr) as they're no picnic to tear-down/reassemble. I've never opened up a Browning (and don't own any levers now)...but while the Winchester was manageable, it was just too involved compared to even semis.....and WAY more complicated than bolt actions. Anyhow, I rather suspect that, as mentioned already, they rarely need that kind of TLC but follow the manufacturers recommendations. The lint~run a patch or two through the bore before shooting the rifle. It's rarely more than dust, or, fibers from the inside of a gun case/rifle sock. Some people over-oil the bore when running patches through too, so that will attract/hold even more stuff.

Congrats again, you're a lucky man to have a rifle like that as your first!