10/22 Barrel break-in & cleaning questions

[OmegaMan]

Hello everyone!!

I just bought my 2nd Ruger 10/22 rifle. It is the 10/22 Talo USA Shooting Team "Broad Stripes" edition.

I have a few questions that I've always wanted to ask, but just never got around to, and even though they may sound dumb, I'm going to ask them anyway. I appreciate your input.

1.) What is the proper break-in procedure for match barrels?

2.) All I ever shoot in my .22LR's is copper jacketed ammo. Do I need to use a copper or wire brush on my barrels every so many rounds, or not?

3.) If I DO have to use a wire brush on my barrel, do I have to remove the barrel from the receiver and go in from the chamber end or can I just leave it on the receiver and go "down" from the muzzle end?? I have heard that this is a "no-no" on some rifles. So can I, or can't I?

FYI: I'd like to use this rifle on 50-yard and less targets, maybe even matches at the local fish and game. I've ordered "tuff buffer", Volquartsen comp, and plan on having Hornet do a trigger job on it. I've already placed a DNZ scope mount and Simmons scope on it. (silver)

Thanks for your input.

- OmegaMan

 

[Richbaker]

Just SHOOT it..... Bbl break-in is a myth designed to sell more barrels......

Patch on a jag and Hoppes or your favorite solvent, then oil... nylon brush only, if you EVEN need a brush.

 

[Snake45]

Just SHOOT it..... Bbl break-in is a myth designed to sell more barrels......

Patch on a jag and Hoppes or your favorite solvent, then oil... nylon brush only, if you EVEN need a brush.

Agreed.

 

[CraigC]

Just shoot it!!!

 

[Pat-inCO]

I cleaned my first 10/22 after about thirty years and (I'd guess) over 40K rounds. Since then I clean the bolt and firing pin at least every ten thousand rounds. Most .22lr ammo has enough grease on them that you don't need to worry. As long as the chamber is reasonably clean . . . . . . . . . . . as stated above . . . . . . . . just shoot it.

 

[blume357]

The problem I see with barrel break in on a 22lr is that more often than not the rifle will shoot better after it's had a few rounds shot through it, after cleaning....

I'm by far not an expert but I think I might dedicate my time and effort finding the best ammo to shoot in that puppy.

Keep in mind at one time Remington actually wrote in their owners manuals that you did not need to clean the barrel on their 22lr rifles. (is that redundant?)

 

[OmegaMan]

Hey, thanks for all of the input guys!!

I will definitely dispose of all of my copper-wire brushes and get brushes made of Nylon.

I have to admit, I am one of those obsessive freaks that cleans a pistol or rifle each time after the range. Every hundred rounds!! But, I DID not use a brush of any type on my 10/22's or Browning Buckmark Target.

Thanks again!!

- OmegaMan

 

[blume357]

I don't think a brass brush is going mess anything up... the one thing I continouslay hear about is nicking the crown of the rifle with a rod seam or such...

It seems that when clean a rifle with a rod and brush or patches you were supposed to do it from the back or if you went in from the front you are supposed to use a protective cover over the barrel.

I switched to bore snakes a few years back.... but a good rod is a nice thing to have in case of a squib load.

 

[Bucks Owin]

I rarely clean the target barrel on my 10/22, and when I do it's with a pull through. You can do more damage with a cleaning rod at the muzzle than you could ever do by shooting. A couple rds of Wolf M/T puts a nice "wax" coating in there at the end of the day's shooting IMO...

 

[Snake45]

My 10/22 just went a recorded 8,000 rounds with no other maintenance than one chamber swab-out (Hoppe's on a Q-tip) and a couple drops of Rem Oil on the recoil spring and guide. It's still running fine and is just as accurate as it was 8,000 rounds ago, but I will probably strip it down and give it a good clean-out this winter.

If I DO clean the bore then, I'll use a bronze USGI M16 bore brush. About two passes with one of those takes everything out of a .22LR barrel. I don't worry a bit about "wear" on the bore. Steel is harder than bronze.

 

[bada61265]

i had a 10 22 i shot over 20k rounds threw it. i never did anything special to break it in but shoot it, alot. 1 or 2 500 round bricks at a time usually. wore out a few ramline 30 rounders before i went to bulter creeks. i always cleaned it after every shoot. standard multi piece rod cleaning kits and brass/bronze brushes, patches etc etc. the gun was as accurate the day i sold it as it was the day i bought it. ive started using bore snakes in recent years. mostly due to there ease of use. just makes it less of a hassle if im bringing 4 or 5 guns home from the range to lean on the bore snake rather than scrubbing with a bore brush. though i still use brushes its not needed on the 22`s. with the possible exception of the forcing cone area if the 22 is a revolver.