Cleaning a 22 without complete disassembly?

[zachomega]

Just got a Ruger sr22 yesterday. I plan to run it a lot. And contrary to popular opinions, i like to keep my 22 pistols clean.

I'm used to the mark series pistols where the bolt comes out and can be cleaned.

I watched a video of the slide being disassembled on the sr22 and the block that holds the firing pin looks suspiciously like a cross between a mark pistol and a 10/22... Only it is stationary (with regard to the slide) and roll pinned in place.

I don't want to constantly remove a roll pin... Especially since removing this block also apparently involves moving the rear sight and then having to sight in the gun again.

Knowing how dirty the bolt on my 10/22 and mark pistols gets has me wondering, how the heck are you supposed to keep this thing clean?

Any ideas on how to best clean it without completely taking it down to its most basic parts?

I was thinking maybe brake cleaner, but that stuff is nasty on a good day and that would get expensive quickly. Ultrasonic bath? I have a cheap harbor freight ultrasonic cleaner somewhere. It doesn't heat the water but it was also basically free.

I'm open to suggestions here.

-Zach

[MARINE DIVISION TWO]

It pays to thouroughly disassemble your 22 pistol no matter what make. All 22 ammo is dirty to one degree or another and makes a more enjoyable shooting experience ! Now I use Hoppes # 9 solvent scrub with brass brush and toothbrush ,Blow out residue ( out in your yard not in house ) and I repeat process ,then Oil or grease,I prefer oil G-96 Spray !

[zachomega]

It pays to thouroughly disassemble your 22 pistol no matter what make. All 22 ammo is dirty to one degree or another and makes a more enjoyable shooting experience ! Now I use Hoppes # 9 solvent scrub with brass brush and toothbrush ,Blow out residue ( out in your yard not in house ) and I repeat process ,then Oil or grease,I prefer oil G-96 Spray !

I normally would agree. But constantly drifting out a steel roll pin from an aluminum (alloy?) slide will eventually mess one of them up.

Ruger states that anything beyond field stripping should be left to the factory. To be fair, i never hear people complaining about the pistol not performing. I just like to have a clean gun.

-Zach

[Delkal]

I rarely clean my .22s and NEVER touch the barrel. The way the bullets are lubed 22's are self cleaning and many match shooters will not touch the bore for season (and if they do they will fire hundreds of rounds to have the barrel settle back in). Unless you are an Olympic match shooter where every shot needs to go in the same hole there is no need to ever clean a .22 bore and you have a big risk of wearing out the barrel. If you are hunting and your bore gets wet a quick patch will be OK. But never a brush.

I will detail clean my Ruger Mark 2 every brick or so (even though it never stops running) and have some bolt action .22's I haven't cleaned in a decade. They do get a good external wipe down with oil every time they are handled though.

[ShadeRabbit]

I was thinking maybe brake cleaner, but that stuff is nasty on a good day and that would get expensive quickly.

Really good question, and I'm interested in a good answer too.

Regarding brake parts cleaner, don't do it. I used to clean my guns that way, did it on one, and I oiled it afterwards. But apparently I didn't oil it well enough, because it got very rusty after a month or two. So rusty the firing pin rusted in the forward position (luckily for me, I checked the inside since the outside had so many rust spots, before I ever chambered a round)

[Delkal]

I wouldn't use brake cleaner either. If it gets in the bore it will instantly strip the protective wax coating.

[jthrelf]

I've never disassembled an SR 22 slide so I can't comment on that. But I think you should follow the manual's cleaning procedure which is just to field strip and clean what's accessible.

But you have me interested now, let us know if you ever disassemble. Also I think Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber might be what you're looking for to clean hard to reach areas and not leave residue since it evaporates immediately.

[zachomega]

Slide disassembly starts around the 7 minute mark.

-Zach

[imashooter2]

A soak in a cookie tin with a couple inches of Ed's Red made without acetone would do the job just fine.

[zachomega]

I rarely clean my .22s and NEVER touch the barrel. The way the bullets are lubed 22's are self cleaning and many match shooters will not touch the bore for season (and if they do they will fire hundreds of rounds to have the barrel settle back in). Unless you are an Olympic match shooter where every shot needs to go in the same hole there is no need to ever clean a .22 bore and you have a big risk of wearing out the barrel. If you are hunting and your bore gets wet a quick patch will be OK. But never a brush.

I will detail clean my Ruger Mark 2 every brick or so (even though it never stops running) and have some bolt action .22's I haven't cleaned in a decade. They do get a good external wipe down with oil every time they are handled though.

Are you referring to lead bullets it jacketed bulk ammo? I've definitely noticed the lead ammo is waxed. I don't think the jacketed ammo is.

To be fair, i blast clp down the bore and then follow with a snake. Nothing too hard on the bore.

However, i like to keep the firing pin, extractor, and breach face pretty clean. I'll spend more time scrubbing those types of parts than anything else on a 22. Especially since i use a lot of dirty bulk ammo.

Really good question, and I'm interested in a good answer too.

Regarding brake parts cleaner, don't do it. I used to clean my guns that way, did it on one, and I oiled it afterwards. But apparently I didn't oil it well enough, because it got very rusty after a month or two. So rusty the firing pin rusted in the forward position (luckily for me, I checked the inside since the outside had so many rust spots, before I ever chambered a round)

Good call on not using brake cleaner. Now that you are saying that, I'm thinking one of the ingredients might have a chlorine compound in it. If so, that explains the rust.

I've never disassembled an SR 22 slide so I can't comment on that. But I think you should follow the manual's cleaning procedure which is just to field strip and clean what's accessible.

But you have me interested now, let us know if you ever disassemble. Also I think Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber might be what you're looking for to clean hard to reach areas and not leave residue since it evaporates immediately.

I'll eventually take it apart. But i don't want to do it every single time i take the gun out.

I also have no idea what the finish is made from on the side and don't want to prematurely wear it from chemicals.

-Zach