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Cleaning the Bore of a 10/22

9K views 31 replies 22 participants last post by  BruceP 
#1 ·
I'm new to the Ruger 10/22 platform and have acquired a really nice Light Varmint version with a tapered target barrel.
I'm looking for feedback on how best to clean the bore: boresnake, vs. Otis v. cleaning rod? I'm very preferential to cleaning from the breach to the muzzle, but with a semi auto this isn't practical, unless I do the mod where you drill out the back of the receiver.

What do youse guys use and why? I'm thinking Boresnake as I don't believe in cleaning .22s all that much anyway, but already own cleaning rods and don't want to spend on what I don't need. Anybody use one of those bore guide things at the muzzle?
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Question: do you insert the cable brush forward from the breech? Or does the brush come up the rear (
) following insertion of the cable?

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#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Up the rear following the cable. That way the dirt and crud gets swept out the muzzle.
You have to use short brushes and patch loops.
No matter what, the gun is a PITA to clean on the fly without disassembly. A bore snake is easy but even an Otis cable is difficult. The ferrule from the brush gets caught on the edge of the head bore, even with a short brush. Long brushes are impossible.
 
#6 ·
I have a wrap of tape on the rod I use for 10/22's. Stops over extending and striking the open bolt face with the brush or patch.
Pretty basic approach but it has worked for me so far.
Not a big fan of bore snakes...that's just my personal preference though, not for any particular reason.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Fit the barrel I use the Otis cleaning system. Breach to muzzle (like mad russian said) with the brush 3-4 times (soaked with CLP) then run patchrs the same direction until clean.
Watch this video. It's really good.
You don't have to break it down as much as this guy did. But if you want to this is a great video.

 
#17 ·
Take an Appleseed course. Then don't clean your gun between Saturday and Sunday. Then see how sucky your Sunday will be.
I think we shot near each other at the last one. Mine was stovepiping after 150 rounds until I cleaned the bolt face and chamber. My experience from years of bullseye shooting is there is no need to clean the bore until there is a noticeable drop off in accuracy or heavy deposits. In my day, this didn't occur until 600-800 rounds of quality standard velocity ammo.
 
#13 ·
I've taken my new 10/22TD out twice, put about 200 rounds through it so far. At walmart, I picked up a .22cal bore snake. Shot some CLP down the bore and ran the snake through. Nice and clean. And, believe it or not, I have every intention of cleaning it after every outing, or maybe every other. A clean gun is a happy gun, as with any machine.
 
#19 ·
Never use a bore snake.

Google " bore snake stuck" and read a few of the results.

The Otis kit is a bit tricky, but a much better tool for the job
 
#21 ·
Not a fan of the boresnake for the reasons mentioned above, youre just running a dirty piece of cloth through the bore over and over again. Ive recently switched over to the Otis cable and love it. Still uses old school patches that you can change when dirty and gives the benefit of breech to muzzle cleaning. If youre using the correct adapter shoudnt be a PITA to get through a 10/22.
 
#22 ·
Otis or Patchworm are ok if you use the proper solvent.

I now only shoot bolts in 22 and am partial to a one piece rod AND a bore guide specific for the rifle. For chamber cleaning, I use a long pistol rod and nylon brush.

Clean or not to clean? Go to any actual match above club level and see what each shooter does. They will clean either every card or every other card.
 
#25 ·
That's fine for a quick clean, won't do anything for lead fouling of the chamber.

True story: I have a "pre-ban" 10/22. On a hot summer day, after firing a couple of hundred rounds the point of impact was four feet away from point of aim at 50 yards. I put the rifle away because normally my POI is only a couple of feet off the POA...
Anyhoo, when I got home I took a look at the bore and could barely see through the chamber. I stripped the rifle, dumped a good amount of Hoppes in the bore. Half an hour later I ran a cleaning rod with a brush from the muzzle to the breech and out popped nice chunks of lead! The heat of the day combined with plain head unlubricated ammo and a lot of rounds cause the chamber to be hot enough to shave lead off the heads and build up a lot of fouling.

Lessons learned:

Don't shoot plain lead ammo without some kind of lubrication. I since started to lube the ammo with Finish Line bicycle lube with Teflon. It's messy, but now it shoots clean.

Don't just run a snake from the breech to the muzzle if you suspect lead fouling. Only a brush and muscle will clean that.

Shoot plated ammo if you can get it.

My stainless steel rifle doesn't have issues with lead fouling at all, only the normal dirt from powder.
 
#28 ·
I think the original question was about regular cleaning. You guys taking from 0 to 100 in to New York minute
. I think that main consensus was: shoot, clean, repeat. Learn what your rifle likes and dislikes. Ammo quality plays big role with 10-22- you get what you payed for. What ever you use, clean out of receiver, not in to. Did I miss something?
 
#30 ·
I drilled the receiver. Pretty painless. Chamfer the hole inside and out or it'll shave little strips off of your plastic coated rod. One of the 10/22 forums had a thread about this and someone posted a picture of the back of a receiver with the exact measurements from the side and the bottom to center punch your hole. I got one of those spring loaded center punch dealies to eliminate the need to clamp the barreled action in a vice while marking the hole.
 
#31 ·
1. I have acquired an inguinal hernia from a boresnake.
2. I am somewhat OCD when cleaning but here it goes: Bore guide is required for me. A one piece rod (steel is perfectly ok if a fitted, dedicated for your chamber bore guide is used)
You will need to try several cleaning products for a good, post range cleaning. Many will take out copper, carbon, lead, powder but not necessarily all of each. I am not going to recommend any one product lest there be another three dozen posts with every poster's "favorite" cleaning product. Follow cleaning product instructions. If it says use a nylon brush, do so. If it says wait and let solvent soak in, do so. If it says use a tight bronze brush straight pass from breach to muzzle then unscrew, do so. You will be amazed what will come off onto your patches.

DO NOT USE A SCREW TOGETHER ROD. YOU WILL WIND UP WITH HEARTACHE.
 
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