Cleaning .22 rimfire bores...

[R.W. Parker]

Since the advent of non-corrosive priming, the primary reason for cleaning a .22LR bore is to inspect it. For this purpose, I like to use a pull-through.

Mine is the brush and chain from a surplus HK33 cleaning kit. The brush has soft synthetic bristles at either end, and bronze bristles in the center. One single pass, and that bore is as clean as it’s ever going to get. No solvent is required.

I’ve been using my same HK33 brush for 42 years, and it’s no worse for the wear. It gets .22 rimfire bores just as clean today as it did when I first bought it.

There’s a couple of other nice things about that brush and chain: 1) You can drop them in your shirt pocket for inspecting rifles at shows, and 2) A complete HK33 cleaning kit can still be had for about ten bucks, give or take.

Just make sure you get the kit for the HK33, and not for the G3/HK91.

Richie

 

[k98dave]

22rf has been non corrosive since about early 1900's however bore cleaning with just a wet patch or mop is more the result of copper clad bullets over the old soft lead with that old wax based lube "Lub-aloy" as I recall. I remember the box full all stuck together on a hot summer day out popping rats at local dump as a kid. That was in the good old days of course, Today it would bring out SWAT team

 

[R.W. Parker]

22rf has been non corrosive since about early 1900's however bore cleaning with just a wet patch or mop is more the result of copper clad bullets over the old soft lead with that old wax based lube "Lub-aloy" as I recall. I remember the box full all stuck together on a hot summer day out popping rats at local dump as a kid. That was in the good old days of course, Today it would bring out SWAT team

You're bringing back some memories, Dave! I well remember opening a fresh pasteboard box of .22LR cartridges on a warm day, and having a bunch of them glued together in a lump!

I've never had any trouble with the super-thin copper plating on .22 bullets though, certainly not enough to bother with Hoppe's #9. That HK33 brush pulls all of it out of the bore -- copper, waxy bullet lubricant, carbon, unburned propellant -- with one single swoop.

And my rimfire ammo of choice now is plain lead, Geco "Rifle". When a local jobber had it on sale for $22/500 shipped, I laid in several cases. In my 1710D it shoots so close to R-50 that you can barely tell the difference, and all my pre-war German rifles love it!

Best,

Richie

 

[tgd31968]

I have some Russian "Jr" ammo, admittedly that is about 40 years old now, that is coated. It doesn't seem to gum up the rifles much, but you can tell it's there when you handle the cartridges.

Periodically I a like to run some copper/lead remover through the bore and scrub. It is amazing how long it can take to pull fairly clean patches sometimes. Often it is a race to see if I get tired of it before it comes out totally clean.

TD.

 

[sprat]

For 30 cal I used swiss 7.5 mm kits with thread adapters to use US thread brushes. For 22 cal I use either the standard US army cleaning kits for 223 cal. But prefer the cheaper East German 5.45mmm kits with threaded cleaning rods and/ or pull throughs either in the rg 57 cans or the ak74 rolled canvas kits. Spare brushes I get at numrich. I used to use hoppes, but prefer original Ww2 bore cleaner

 

[R.W. Parker]

I have some Russian "Jr" ammo, admittedly that is about 40 years old now, that is coated. It doesn't seem to gum up the rifles much, but you can tell it's there when you handle the cartridges.

Hope you're getting good results with whatever firearm you're using it in. I tried some of that Russian "Junior" back in the 80s when they were GIVING it away, and it performed terribly in everything!

Even worse than Remington .22 ammo, and I didn't think that was possible!

 

[internet troll]

Have you used a pull thru bore snake? Im pretty old fashioned when it comes to cleaning guns, but bore snakes are amazing. There is no other product out there that can clean as well, as quickly as a bore snake.

 

[Remfan]

Been using the bore snakes myself for all rifles. Does a good job.

 

[mauser22]

One wet patch with Kroil, two dry patches. Good to go. A good and inexpensive pull through can be made from weed eater line. Simply cut to length, fold over and crimp the fold with pliers. Then use a match or lighter to "weld" the end to the stem to form a loop. More .22 bores have been ruined by steel and aluminum rods and even dirty contemporary fiberglass or ceramic rods than were ever damaged by a lack of cleaning.