Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Good for the barrel(?)

I have been hearing from some of the other members of the local gun club that it is damaging to the bore of a rimfire to clean it and that it shoots better fouled than it does freshly cleaned. Is this true? If so then I guess I save a whole lot on gun cleaning kits.

More rimfire bores have been ruined by cleaning than shooting, that is because it is done improperly however. Always clean with a soft rod and patches, rarely use the brush.

EEE! Thank you sir. You just saved my .22.

Good advice From T. However read each of his words very carefully.

If I clean per T and leave Breakfree in the bore, it takes 20 to 30 rounds through my Annie or CZ (after a dry patch) before they settle down. Our BR50 guys need 5 to 10 rounds if they simply change ammo, even the grade of ammo, due to differences in the bullet lubricant. Amazingly, it does appear that the bore has to be prep'd/ swasoned to reach its potential with a particular type and grade of ammo . Who would have known?

I clean my rifles "lightly" after each use and rarely use the brush, just a patch or two soaked with solvent and then a dry patch and last a lightly lubed patch. I also know guys in my club who say never clean a 22 barrel I dont argue they may be right, but I dont think a light cleaning will do any damage. I just cant stand to put a dirty rifle back in my safe. It usually takes about 8 to 10 shots before my bores "season" out and produce their best accuracy......................547.

There's no disadvantate to NOT cleaning the bore except after a while, a LONG while, accuracy goes down a bit. Then you clean it, and accuracy goes WAY down. It takes a hundred rounds or so to get the accuracy back up to normal, and when it falls off it's time to clean.

Since I don't shoot match, I never clean the bore. It won't rust, since the wax on the bullets protect it.

So, I've got a .22 I've had for 30 years or so and never cleaned the bore. It shoots fine.

My target .22s, which are all either Martini or 522s, I don't clean yet, because accuracy is great. When it starts going South, I'll clean it.

The main thing, or so I read in "Precision Shooting" is not necessarily the bore, but the chamber where the heat from the fring creates a sort of buildup that can harden and actually swage the bullet.

Believe it or not I leave a bit of Eezox or Remoil in my bore and when ready to shoot again run a couple of patches through soaked in Windex or Sparkle window cleaner. First shot is usually a flyer and then good accuracy from then on. I use brass rods and plastic jags, I will use a bore brush (nylon) on the chamber but then I have no lever 22's and the breech is easy to clean on single shot tip-up's, falling blocks and take down Winchester pumps. I also always clean from the breech end.

Yep, I seen some pretty dirty 22's that still shot good so there has to be something to that school as well. Put me in the anal, I can't put a dirty gun in the safe club however.

Windex has ammonia in it, which is a good cleaner, and very good for corrosive primers. A lot of solvents also have ammonia in them.

They won't do the job with copper, however. Need something else for that. But few .22s have copper coatings....some have copper wash, but it doesn't seem to foul the bore.

The biggest thing a .22 has got going for it is the wax coating, which makes it virtually rust-proof.

547, I must concur that I cant stand putting away a dirty gun! I clean my firearms when I am done shooting.

A little tip some may not be aware of: If needing to clean the chamber/throat of your rimfire - Fire enough rounds to slightly warm that area, then apply solvent immediately. Will clean out the carbon much easier. Same method also helps with one or two rounds in centerfire.

Good information. I have many times wondered while cleaning, am I doing more harm than good. Now I have an excuse to go burn up a brick. Does the same philosophy apply to the .17hmr?

My .17 are real sensitive to dirty bores, I even clean them at the range on long sessions when accuracy starts going south.

Probably not. Whenever you reduce the diameter and increase velocity, you increase problems with fouling.

The .17 HMR is fast and the bullets aren't wax coated. I would advise cleaning them for accuracy and possible copper buildup.

The advice given above was for .22 lr only as they have outside lubed bullets. The other rimfires(.22 mag, .17 HMR, .17 Mach2) all use jacketed bullets and should be broke in and cleaned like a centrefire rifle.

Exactly.

Gene L; also a good point you make in an above post, the .17's (like any small bore) are prone to losing accuracy when fouled and should be cleaned often.