gun cleaning

i have a old mossberg bolt action .22 that i only use for woodchucks caught in havahart traps and slaughtering hogs, I have never cleaned out the barrel does it pose a safety threat at all, if so what preventative maintaince should i do and how often.

Firearms are just like any other piece of equipment, in my mind. They should be cleaned and maintained occasionly also. You can buy a gun cleaning kit at most any sporting goods store or firearm dealer very reasonable. This kit will have all the barrel cleaning solvent and barrel oil you will need to maintain your firearm for a lifetime, with the proper care of course. Depending on how much you use your gun, I would clean it at least twice a year if possible. The gun should also be stored properly to avoid moisture issues also. Hope this helps you out.
Kow Farmer

I know for a fact that there are many .22 rim fire firearms that are not routinely cleaned. Is that the best - no - but it sure saves time. I have 6 and have only cleaned the revolvers. There is no safety issue - only issues are accuracy and reliability. I have never had a gun jam but it is dry in the southwest desert where I live. If nothing else a little gun oil would prevent rust.

I wouldn't worry about it ...the way this country is headed you won't have guns to clean or shoot...take care...Kent

I've got a Mossburg semi auto .22, that sees similar use to yours, that takes a gunsmith to disassemble to clean. It gets cleaned about once every 25 years if it needs it or not.

As opposed to my .223 Colt, it has to be cleaned every few hundred rounds or it just wont feed reliably.

there is a product called Berchwood Casey gun scrubber it does a awesome job on the gunpowder that is left behind on 22s. you might be surprised how easy it is to clean. clean it now before it jams when you need it like mine did. make sure to oil it when you get done if it has some surface rust you may be able to put gun oil on a fine steel wool and polish it out.

The bullet will clean the barrel and WD40 is your friend for the rest. Give the bolt and trigger mecha good dousing, then another shot about a week later to flush out anything that loosened, turn it upside down or lay it on some paper towels overnight and drive on another few years..

Dave

The best thing I have found to clean a 22 is Simple Green. It cleans the lead off better than any gun cleaner I've tried.

Usually a good swab of the barrel and putting some gun oil on the outside metal to keep in from rusting will do the trick, at least in the short term. Though the other mechanisms do need maintenance every now and again, depending on how frequent you shoot.

Cleaning your gun depends a lot on how you store it when not using it.If you havent ever cleaned it,you want to get some solvent and a gun cleaning kit from a place that sells guns.Ask them what they have that works good.Also take your gun as far apart as you can,just dont completely take the mechanism apart that chambers the shells,or anything you dont feel good about taking apart.You can use gun solvent that dissolves powder first and squirt it in the moving parts.Take a can of WD 40 or something shoot it until its dripping with the stuff and blow it off with compressed air being careful not to blow any springs or anything away,so look it over real good before hitting it with air,with a breakdown picture of your rifle so you can account for all the parts.Once you get the chambering mechanism clean,inside and out,use a little gun oil on places that move.Now you dont want any more than you need because it will attract dirt and powder.If you get too much on it wipe it off,work it in places you can,wipe off extra.After you do it a few times you will get to where you only put enough on.A drop on your bolt,work it in and wipe off any extra.While the barrel is off,if its real dirty,that means if it is not bright and shiny like chrome inside,I would get a brass brush for a 22 and dip it in solvent and keep doing that until it is shiny like chrome inside.I did that to my 22 and it had bird shot fired through it and was dull when I started.An hour or 2 later it looked like new.Then clean with patches and use a lightly oiled one the last time.Take it out and fire it after you put it back together.After a few shots try rapid fire and if it doesnt jam its good to go.Every time you put it away you want to clean it and every time you go to use it you want to check it over and maybe clean it again before you use it and any time it gets dirty.Figure on spending 3 or 4 hours the first time and get it clean.After that its a lot easier to clean until it gets real dirty again.I like to keep mine in a case that keeps the dust out and its ready to go.I have one of those Marlins with the squirrel on the stock and it has not jammed since I cleaned it like I described a few years ago.Cleaning the barrel made it way more accurate.It was unbelievable the difference in how the barrel looked inside after I cleaned it.I hit a bird like a sparrow that was so far away the sight covered it and dropped it.I bought a scope for it a while back but havent shot it since.

A lot of buildup in the barrel can increase pressures when the gun is fired.The little 22 is a high pressure cartridge, any increase can burst the rim and leak hot gases and powder residue back into your eyes.I have a single shot 22 that builds up a lot of crud just forward of the chamber.A 22 cleaning kit is cheap,Get one and use it.I have had a rim burst in an old Remington rolling block 22.You DONT want this to happen.I note that old 22 cartridge are very prone to cracking the case when fired.If you are too lazy to clean your 22 better buy some shooting glasses.