Do you clean your .22 RF barrels, and if so, what is your method?
Thanks for your responses!

Only when the accuracy really falls off and, then, only with a brush and Hoppes. Doesn't have to be real clean, just enough to get the excess bullet lube and powder residue out.

i clean my barrels once every couple years or so whether they need it or not. Hoppes, brush and dry patches. now when i get a new rifle or a new to me rifle (rim fire) i generally clean really well prior to shooting, i have even been known to polish the bore up with some flitz just to make sure all packing grease or other materials are removed.

Only occasionally on my hunting and plinking guns. My target rifles get cleaned after ever session, and refouled before each match.

Yes....

I use Rimfire blend. Hasbeen

Bore snake and G96 Gun Treatment about every 1000 rounds for both the rifles and the pistols.

...or when cases start sticking in the chamber or the bolt fails to close on a round, especially semi-autos.

A lot depends on your chamber. Also, some rifles collect crap in the extractor cuts or under the extractor, which causes problems.

I often use some solvent on a bore snake, being very careful to keep the cord centered so as not to wear the crown.

No.




Dave

Only by necessity. That means if accuracy suffers, a mechanical need to keep the firearm operating smoothly or I've had it in the rain and the bore gets wet. Otherwise then no I don't.

This, using BoreTech Rimfire Blend.

Paul

I've got a Nylon 66 and a Marlin model 60 that have never been cleaned. Still going after years and years. Guess I'd clean them if they started to jam.

They won't.




Clark

Yes. We invented humidity about the time the first matchlock was built. It can make a fella sweat. Loading .22s with gloves on is gay.

Is it humid in FL?




Inquiring Mind

Kinda dry at the moment, only 100% and not raining.

Only when it's not raining..

I would like to amend my original answer a tad. When talking about how often I clean my rimfires I am referring to the bore only. All my firearms get the outside wiped down after each use. I am in full agreement with what others have said in regards to accuracy issues or function issues dictating the need to go deep in the cleaning.

Yes I do .... Hoppes, brush and patches

Yes about annually. Seems to take about 20 rds though for one to settle down after cleaning. Took a couple sessions to learn that. Started with a clean barrel, chased zero for a while and ended up with adjustment right were I started.

Well now that depends on your individual circumstances. I've reduced my .22 rimfire
cleaning by quite a bit based on function rather than round count.

No.
I was told to never clean the barrel by a national champion 30 years ago. I do clean everything else.

Never

I didn't need that visual, but thanks anyway.

Quite a few years back I was at the clays club and had a "virgin" with me. Club owner offered his Beretta 390 to my buddy...I looked at it and asked when he'd cleaned it last. "About 12,000 rounds back."

Looked like it too. Buddy smoked my ass at skeet with that gun.

Butthead.

Mine too are on the most casual cleaning regimen. But. I got my hands on my grandfather's Rem Model 12 22LR pump, which reputedly "would shoot, but nothing came out" was the passed down caution about that old gun, it having been retired to a closet since the '60's (made 1922-ish IIRC).

So first I shined a bore light down it, and just a pinpoint of light could be appreciated. Hmm. Couldn't pass a patched jag thru it at first. Soaked. Forced a brush thru, the first 3 inches after the chamber being TIGHT. Anyway, I had 5/8 inch long peels of soft lead mirroring the grooves come out of the rifle, bit at a time. Took a lot of work.

Who knows what those boys did/didn't do with the rifle, but evidently whatever the limit is on round count before cleaning they exceeded it by a wide margin.

No, I haven't yet. Hoping to make it another few decades without having to do so.

After reading this thread I'm certain I've been cleaning my Kidd 22lr entirely too much.

I haven't cleaned a 22LR barrel since I was 15.

Cleaning .22 rimfire barrels is a Blue Moon option....

I only meant everything else on the gun except the inside of the barrel.Don't blame me for the bad images.LOL

If I was into competitive shooting, that's exactly what I'd tell everyone up and down the line and I would not wink either.

If I lived in a humid region, I'd probably do more than just my regular annual scrub.

Every time, never thought there was the option not to.

A quick couple of passes with a brush, then a patch with solvent, then a few clean patches.

Depends.

Seen a 22 that leaded severely and obviously shoot like crap because of undersized cheap ammo.

It needed cleaned.

Most of em dont.

When all works, lead shooters dont, shouldnt need attention unless stored in high humidity.

I was a junior shooter,not even competing in the same division.He was actually telling me what he practiced. That was fairly standard target shooting procedure in those days. I have no idea what the standard is today. I can tell you for certain though when using lubed SV target ammo if you clean your barrel it will be at least 50 rounds before it will be back to it's best performance level before you cleaned it.

RH..many people say you need to fire half a dozen or so to "re-acclimate" the bore before best accuracy but, like you, I have found far more than that are needed before it settles back down..
And it took me a fair amount of head scratching and doubting before I quit with the 5-10 and didn't bother with groups till 30-50...

Yes sir. I think the varying amount of 5-10 or 10-20 advice is likely to come from shooters using sporting rifles. When we are talking match grade rifles it is easier to notice very small increments of accuracy.

The only reason to clean a rimfire is if accuracy is important to you. Just like any other rifle, they will become fouled with lead and carbon. This is especially important in the leade area where a lead/carbon ring builds up and it builds up rather quickly. This will not be noticed so much with run of the mill cheap .22s shooting bulk ammo, but anything with a match chamber and shooting match ammo, you will quickly notice a drop in accuracy.

Last year I won the IR50/50 Unlimited Nationals(.22 benchrest shot at 50 yards and 50 meters) and I clean my benchrest rifles and accurate sporters (Cooper 57M)after every target (roughly 40 shots with sighters). The vast majority of benchrest rimfire shooters clean after every target and those that don't will clean every couple of targets. The ones that want to win, they keep their barrels clean. Consistency is the key, and it's easy to repeat clean than some level of dirty. Rimfire barrels will lead up just like any other rifle shooting lead bullets. For shooting minute of tin can though, it's not that important.

My cleaning is done with a quality one piece .20 cal rod, bore guide, .22 pistol bronze brush, .20 jag and rimfire blend solvent. For my 10/22, I just use a boresnake. That's just for plinking.

My rimfire guns all get a real good cleaning at least once a year. Usually on cold midwinter nights. After dinner I'll go down to the work room and clean one a night until they're all clean. Good for another year, usually.

Never used to clean mine at all.

I've got a 580 Remington that shoots exceptionally well if you clean with a bronze bore brush about every 125-150 shots, then wipe with a dry patch. Go too far beyond those 125-150 shots and the bullets may go where they please.

This is what I was taught about competitive shooting with .22, and is basicly what I practice.

But like I said earlier, my hunters and plinkers are cleaned only in inclimate weather and when I'm bored to tears.