| Posted: Fri Apr 4th, 2008 08:02 PM |
|
1st Post |
nicholiath
member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 27th, 2007 |
| Location: | Lincoln, United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 21 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | none | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
How often do you lads clean the barrels on your rimfire rifles?
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 5th, 2008 01:32 PM |
|
2nd Post |
sdb777
Board Founder
| Joined: | Sun Oct 16th, 2005 |
| Location: | Cabot, Arkansas USA |
| Posts: | 1555 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | anything about .14-caliber |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Every time I finish shooting. Been doing that since I was a small kid, and it's kind of stuck...do it with every rifle/handgun I own.
Scott (no crud testing here) B
____________________
"Handloadersbench.com, it's founders and staff, and UltraBB do not condone, and will not facilitate or otherwise aid in the commission of, any criminal act.
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 5th, 2008 01:54 PM |
|
3rd Post |
NordicRX8
member
| Joined: | Thu Feb 14th, 2008 |
| Location: | Lost In Middle America, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 13 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | pistol | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I'm one of those types that likes to clean my firearms after each shooting session. Whether it be long or handguns. Depending on how many rounds I put downrange (and the type of projectiles used), determines how much effort and time is spent on the barrel and action. I normally field strip and clean after each shooting seesion, but will detain strip and clean after every third or fourth session.
Regards,
8
____________________
Texas. Where else can you plead not guilty to shooting one's best friend and then tell the judge, "but your honor, he NEEDED shootin!" - Not guilty by reason of the "needed shootin" defense. Gotta love it.
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 5th, 2008 06:20 PM |
|
4th Post |
nicholiath
member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 27th, 2007 |
| Location: | Lincoln, United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 21 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | none | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Thanks for the information lads.
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 2nd, 2009 06:39 PM |
|
5th Post |
rc
member
| Joined: | Wed Sep 16th, 2009 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 27 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | pistol | | My favorite chambering is:: | 357 mag ... |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I know this thread had been here for some time but I'll give my 2 cents. If you shoot every day, clean when the barrel accuracy tapers off, the action gets gunked up or about 500 rounds. Whatever happens first. I think cleaning more often is not really needed but frequency also depends on action type. Just wipe the exterior with oil after handing the rifle if you use it every day. If you live in a humid environment or plan on letting your rifle sit for months between uses, I'd clean after every outing because you want to clean out the powder fouling and leave a coat of oil to protect the bore. A bolt action or other fixed breech .22 will "need" cleaning much less than a semi auto because there is not as much powder fouling that is left in the action. You might not need to clean a bolt gun until the accuracy falls off which will depend on ammunition characteristics. If the lube is good just keep shooting. If the lead bullets leave deposits like winchester "xpert", within short order you'll need to grab your rod and brush out the lead to maintain accuracy.
There are also different levels of cleaning. A .22 bolt gun will simply need a brush and a couple of patches and solvent down the bore plus some mechanism oiling for years and years without disassembly other than removing the bolt. A 10/22 or other semi may need the action wiped out periodically with a complete break down every few thousand rounds to remove gunk from the trigger group and behind the bolt in the action. At that point you'd have to decide if it's worth removing the barrel from the reciever to clean from the chamber end or to just shove your cleaning rod down the bore from the muzzle. I personally think if you are carful, cleaning from the muzzle on a factory sporter barrel is not really a big deal. Others will say clean from the chamber end only.
In conclusion, there is no hard and fast rule for cleaning. It is really up to the person who is using a firearm and how well they maintain their things. Even guns that were used and abused will last a lifetime if stored inside a house. They will just look terrible because of rust and may not function smoothly.
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 2nd, 2009 07:02 PM |
|
6th Post |
swampshooter
Moderator
| Joined: | Sun Aug 3rd, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 377 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I think about every 2,000 rounds or when you have function problems. When cleaning down to bare metal it will normally take about 30 shots for a .22 to start shooting well again. Personally I would never clean from the muzzle, but use good quality pull through, such as Otis. I don't care for the Bore Snakes as they accumulate grit. I've never had a rust problem, an uncleaned .22 has a coating of wax in the barrel.
____________________
NRA Endowment member
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 2nd, 2009 08:01 PM |
|
7th Post |
Don Fischer
member
| Joined: | Thu Aug 27th, 2009 |
| Location: | Antelope, Ore |
| Posts: | 219 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | rifle | | My favorite chambering is:: | Could be one of several. Love the 6.5x55, 6.5-06 7xs57 ... |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Back in the late 60's I shot indoor match and we never cleaned 22's. I started to once and a guy on my team stopped me. He was an olympic class shooter shooting a one of a kind Anschutz so I figured he knew what he was talking about. I did clean the action when it got guncky though.
____________________
I pity the man that has never been loved by a dog!
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 5th, 2009 02:23 PM |
|
8th Post |
Bigdog57
Handloading Master
| Joined: | Thu Oct 30th, 2008 |
| Location: | Tallahassee, Florida USA |
| Posts: | 577 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I also clean the bore of a .22LR only when accuracy falls off or I change ammo. It can take quite a few shots to 'reseason' the bore after cleaning and get the groups to settle down.
The action get's cleaned and lubed after shooting.
____________________
NRA Life Member, USAF 76-80, USN 80-86
Lifelong Florida Cracker!
|
|
