Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Cleaning Ruger 44 mag Carbine rifle?

I just bought this rifle and it really needs a cleaning. I've never cleaned a rifle like this before and would like to get some pointers/tips on how to clean the action thoroughly and where to oil or grease the moving parts. This is the tube fed version. Thanks.

Check on Ruger's website for the owner's manual, and go from there.

WinModel70,

Though I am not a Gunwriter, I also have an older tube fed Ruger 44 Mag Carbine, which was given to me. After receiving it, the first thing I believe I did was to go to Ruger's site and download the instruction manual. I know I downloaded the manual but I just cannot remember the source, though I do believe it was from the Ruger web site. Pay attention to your Ruger's serial #, as this determined what manual I downloaded. Anyway, I just followed the directions for disassembly and cleaned the carbine. After spraying Wipe Out in the barrel and letting it soak overnight, I then pushed several patches through the barrel, after which I flushed the barrel with some type of carb cleaner. Finally, I used Corrosion X to protect the barrel against corrosion and to protect the various parts. I also used a dry lube in the gas port and magazine tube, so things don't get gummed up. This would also be a good idea for the part of the action, where the bolt slides. You could also put just a dab of grease on those parts for lubrication. When you go to reinstall the magazine tube and spring, just take your time and it all goes back together fairly easily (this is coming from a klutz, so you know it can't be too hard).

I'm sure other people's cleaning regimen is better than mine but that's what I did and my carbine has operated without a hitch. The person that gave me this carbine only fired jacketed rounds out of it. So, cleaning lead was not an issue for me. If you're interested I'll be glad to let you know what I did to increase the accuracy of my carbine, though it was plenty enough accurate as it was for hunting out to 100 yards or so.

Good luck and enjoy. The little Ruger carbine is a lot of fun to shoot.

PS. Be advised that shooting lead bullets out of this carbine will eventually plug up the gas port. I only mention this, since it seems some old Ruger carbines have had this problem from the previous owner's not heeding the prohibition against shooting lead bullets.

I bought a Ruger 44 Magnum Deerslayer International Carbine (Mannlicher stock) when they came out. Never satisfied with accuracy, so I sold it. Sorry I did.

http://stevespages.com/pdf/ruger_44carbine_om.pdf


outstanding little guns

I have a funny story about Ruger Carbines I thought I'd share...I grew up with my grandfather as my father figure. He was a hard working down to basics guy...fought a couple of wars with a semi auto 30-06 and that may have clouded his views a bit. Anyway he had a brother in law that was all but helpless, lost all his lung tissue as a fireman back before air pacs..etc. anyway in the 60's he bought a Ruger...figuring it was light and he could carry it with his breathing. All of the maintenence for uncle Jim's stuff fell on my Grandpa...as we didn't have enough to do. Anyway the first time I saw Grandpa clean that Ruger....he had it out of the stock and was holding it under the nozzle of the gas pump at the farm flushing the hell out of it. He then oiled it where he thought neccesary and when I questioned his tactics he told me that was plenty good enough for a @#$%&%$ squirrel gun.....Ya know Unc never had one problem with jams or cold weather hunting with it....God I miss Grandpa!

I still have the Ruger .44 carbine I bought back in 1968, slightly used, for $70. It has the factory receiver sight. It's got a four digit serial number. For me, they are such a sweet little rifle to carry in the woods. I killed my two biggest bucks with that rifle.

They do need to be kept clean and properly lubed and, like stated above, cast bullets are a no-no.

Retsof, I'd be interested in hearing what you've done for yours, accuracy-wise. Mine never shot well until I glass bedded the gas block, a technique I picked up in Rifle magazine back when they had a lot of useful DIY stuff in the '70's. Also, you have to make sure that the stock bolt hasn't loosened up or things go downhill fast.

Mine shoots well with the same jacketed bullet load I use in my revolvers: 23.3 grains H-110, Starline cases, CCI Large Pistol mag primer, and a 240 grain Hornady XTP.

I had intended to take it to the woods deer hunting this year, but never got around to it, so many rifles and only 6 weeks of deer season.

Understanding that that particular action wouldn't be suitable, I think that if someone came up with a .500 S&W in the same size package it would be great.

Some don't like the way they handle, probably a matter of individual fit. They're great for me, when I throw mine up, it's aimed right where I'm looking.

cra1948,
My accuracy improvement is probably laughable compared to what you did but it did work. You might call it a "coon azz" bedding job. What I did was to cut some garage door bottom moulding (sold in 16' lengths at Lowe's or Home Deopt). I cut it lengthwise & widthwise to fit in the upper part of the bottom of stock near the front, where the gas block rests. I then gradually reduced its thickness with a razor knife, until the barrel band fit with some effort over the barrel and stock. I then just tightened the barrel band screw such that the sling swivel moved freely. I put some electrical tape on the swivel so it doesn't make noise when it swings and hits the stock. This basically meant that to carry the rifle, I now use a shotgun style sling, since I don't want to use the front swivel for that purpose. It has not caused me any problem at all doing this. I had picked up this tip from another forum poster. I figured this couldn't hurt, since there already was enough tension on the barrel and stock with the barrel band, so that I didn't need to really tighten the barrel band. Anyway, at the range the best 3-shot group I could get before this modification with what has been the most accurate ammo (250 gr Winchester Partition Gold) was 3-3.5" group. Not bad considering what this carbine was designed for. However, after the modifications, it routinely groups right around 2" for a 3-shot group. Actually, the 1st shot ultimately opens the group to about 2" with the next 2 almost touching. The carbine does this whether I slow fire or rapid fire.

So, I'm happy with the results, even as low-tech as these modifications are.

Retsof - Simple is good, especially when it works. Given the way these carbines are designed I don't think there's a lot you can do for accuracy beyond trying to stabilize the relationship between the stock and the barreled action front and rear. If I never got one to shoot better than two minutes I sure wouldn't lose any sleep over it.