cleaning? Who does that on a .22LR???

by Catoosa, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 20:01 (4389 days ago) @ Rob Leahy

.22 autoloaders do get filthy if you shoot 'em. Always wondered why .22 rimfire ammo was so dirty.

That said, I rarely disassemble .22s. Canned compressed air or a good air gun will blow a lot of the gunk out, then just relube and keep shooting. When the gun quits working, take it down for a thorough cleaning.

As for the bore, unless it's rough and leads badly or you use crummy ammo, or it gets wet, the bore of a .22 will rarely need cleaning. I did more damage to the bore of my first .22 rifle with a crooked steel cleaning rod than with the thousands of bullets I put through it. That rifle (a Winchester 1906) will still hit aspirin tablets at 10 yards even though the rifling is barely visible.