I'm kind of obsessive about cleaning. I consider it a must for obtaining reliable accuracy, but I'm also lazy. I hava an older Volquarsen Custom, wich is basicly a hot-rodded 10/22. My biggest complaint with this guns design, is it's such a pain in the rear to field-strip and clean. It's impossible to clean from the breach with a standard cleaning rod, unless you modify the gun by drilling a hole in the back end of the reciever. Doing so, generally reqires the guns reciever be re-finished, and usually destroys the guns resale value. Cleaning from the muzzle, geatly increases the likelyhood of damaging the crown, wich adversly affects accuracy. When stripped, there are several small round pins that can roll off and land in the dirt or worse be lost. The Reciever has to be completely removed from the stock, in order to remove the bolt, this affects the guns bedding, wich can adversly affect accuracy, and prevents one from being able to leave the gun in a cradle while cleaning. It's a real trick to compress the mainspring and cocking pice, and hold it in just the right position to allow one to re-install the bolt. Rating guns on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how difficult they are to clean, I rate my bolt guns a 2, My AR-15's a 3, and my 10/22 a 9. Sometimes I'll opt to take something else to the range with me instead, just because it's less of a pain to clean afterward.

I wondered if some of you maybe could share any tips/tricks to make cleaning the 10/22 a little less of a pain.

ive cleaned my 10/22 once in the 5 years ive owned it. and ive put over 10k rounds through it.

mine seems to get more accurate the dirtier it gets. all that carbon buildup tigtens up the tolerances.

Bill Ruger must have loved to fuck with people!

The bottom line is - you're cleaning it too much.  You don't need a bore brush for a match-grade 10/22 barrel and, in fact, using one will void the VQ warranty.  You just need a patch puller with some solvent.  I never remove the stock from my custom 10/22 when cleaning as this can change your zero.  I just use a bore snake with the brush removed and then use q-tips to clean inside of the receiver.  It also helps not to use junk ammo, like the Remington golden bullets, as they are dirty as hell.  I use Federal Champions (old Lightnings) and the rifle just doesn't get that dirty.

I also have a custom 10/22. My cleaning pattern as followed, lock bolt open, spray down bolt, extractor camber area srub with cleaning brush, and spray clean. Apply FP-10 to boresnake run thru three times, also apply FP-10 to bolt area, wipe down and your done.

after 10k I break the rifle down for the anal clean. I agree with others, stock 10/22s really dont need cleaned that often..

I mean no offense by any of the following, but I find it very odd that someone thinks a 10/22 is more work to clean than an AR.

Regarding the barrel, clean it with a flexible cleaning rod (Otis) to prevent crown damage, pulling it from the chamber to the muzzle.  Also, be very sparing with the cleaning of the barrel, since cleaning a .22LR barrel tends to be much more abusive than shooting it.

Regarding the necessity of removing the stock to remove the bolt, this is true of every semi automatic and automatic long gun I am aware of.  There is no getting around it, except with an AR platform where removing the stock (lower reciever) does not affect the barrel.  This is one of the reasons the M21 (accurized M14) was doomed as a sniper system, they are entirely too hard to keep match grade accurate.

On a standard 10/22, the reciever pins are like 1/8th inch in diameter and 1.5 inches long.  I can't speak for the Volquartsen, but this is much larger than, say, the extractor pin on an AR.

Regarding the spring assembly and bolt, put the spring assembly in, compress it with a screwdriver next to the spring/op rod, and hold it compressed by putting your thumb on the actual charging handle portion.  Drop the bolt in and wiggle a bit, and it goes right in.

As for taking longer to clean, my "not going to be shooting this in the forseeable future" cleaning of the 10/22 takes about an hour.  The same cleaning on an AR takes about 6-7 hours split over several days, involves, at a minimum, a trip to Wally World for the 500 pack of Q tips, a can of brake cleaner, a pair of forceps, a set of dental tools, a knife to scrape carbon off of the bolt, and, occasionally, several pots of boiling water.  

Both will be clean enough to perform surgery off of by the time they actually see the safe.

I have to ask, if you find the 10/22 to be a 9 and the AR a 3, I'm curious what you're not cleaning on the AR.  Either that or the Volquartsen has absolutly no internal similarities with the standard 10/22.  

+1 All the above. You're cleaning it WAY too much!

Quoted: I mean no offense by any of the following, but I find it very odd that someone thinks a 10/22 is more work to clean than an AR. Regarding the barrel, clean it with a flexible cleaning rod (Otis) to prevent crown damage, pulling it from the chamber to the muzzle.  Also, be very sparing with the cleaning of the barrel, since cleaning a .22LR barrel tends to be much more abusive than shooting it. Regarding the necessity of removing the stock to remove the bolt, this is true of every semi automatic and automatic long gun I am aware of.  There is no getting around it, except with an AR platform where removing the stock (lower reciever) does not affect the barrel.  This is one of the reasons the M21 (accurized M14) was doomed as a sniper system, they are entirely too hard to keep match grade accurate. On a standard 10/22, the reciever pins are like 1/8th inch in diameter and 1.5 inches long.  I can't speak for the Volquartsen, but this is much larger than, say, the extractor pin on an AR. Regarding the spring assembly and bolt, put the spring assembly in, compress it with a screwdriver next to the spring/op rod, and hold it compressed by putting your thumb on the actual charging handle portion.  Drop the bolt in and wiggle a bit, and it goes right in. As for taking longer to clean, my "not going to be shooting this in the forseeable future" cleaning of the 10/22 takes about an hour.  The same cleaning on an AR takes about 6-7 hours split over several days, involves, at a minimum, a trip to Wally World for the 500 pack of Q tips, a can of brake cleaner, a pair of forceps, a set of dental tools, a knife to scrape carbon off of the bolt, and, occasionally, several pots of boiling water.   Both will be clean enough to perform surgery off of by the time they actually see the safe. I have to ask, if you find the 10/22 to be a 9 and the AR a 3, I'm curious what you're not cleaning on the AR.  Either that or the Volquartsen has absolutly no internal similarities with the standard 10/22.

Hmmm, interesting! 6-7hrs to clean an AR? Wow!!! Guess I'm not that obsessive! After eight years in the infantry, I pretty much have the cleaning of an AR down to about 20-30min, the most difficult part being to get all the carbon out of the inside of the locking lug area at the breech of the barrel. Using a new chamber brush makes this much easier. A tool is made to use disposable swabs to mop this area after brushing, I forget where I bought it, but I think it was from Sinclair. I used to use a shotgun mop jag for this before I got one of these toos, but it wasn't as easy to use and didn't do as good a job. I use one of the white plastic rod guides and a Dewey rod and patch jag for the barrel. I soak the bolt assy in a small pan filled with mineral spirits while cleaning the barrel and upper reciever, then disassemble the bolt, use a carbon reemer tool and a small screwdriver to break up any large carbon cakes from the bolt face, under the extractor lip, either side of the gas rings on the bolt, the inside of the bolt carrier, and from the base of the firing pin. Then brush away any debris with a stainless stainless wire brush and rinse again with sqirts of Outers gun scrubber from a spray can and dry with a clean cloth. I may brush, rinse, and repeat a time or two if nessisary. I find a stainless shotgun brush helpfull for the inside of the bolt carrier from time to time. I then put a light coat of CLP on a clean shotgun mop and a barbers brush, and use the mop to lube the inside of the bolt carrier, the locking lug/chamber area, and the inside of the upper reciever. A .17cal bore brush does a good job on the base of the gas tube. I dob all exterior surfaces of the bolt assy parts and the entire weapon really with the barbors brush till there is a light thin even coat of CLP on all internal and external surfaces. For the lower reciever, I usually just sqirt the trigger assy and inside of the mag-well with the Outers gun scrubber, use a stainless toothbrush to break loose any debris or carbon cakes, and set upside down to drain, rinse and repeat if nessisary, wipe it down with a clean rag, being sure to pull it through the mag well a few times, then dob all surfaces with the CLP soaked barbers brush, and re-assemble the weapon. Finally, dob away any fingerprints again with the barbers brush. Only if I'm doing a real detail cleaning will I disassemble the trigger assy, and clean it. If I do this, I always lube the sear enguagement with a bit of shotgun choke lube. I have always found this process much faster and easier than breaking down and detail cleaning a 10/22 wich usually takes me an hour to an hour and a half. You are right abou the extractor pin on the AR, but it's only one, and small enough it doesn't roll as well as the larger 10/22 pins.

Quoted: Regarding the necessity of removing the stock to remove the bolt, this is true of every semi automatic and automatic long gun I am aware of.

AK

They are easy to clean.

Quoted: Bill Ruger must have loved to fuck with people!

"No honest man needs more than 10 rounds in any gun…"
- Bill Ruger

ok if it takes anyone 6-7 hrs to clean an ar then they dont know what they are doing, im sorry even the most anal cleaning doenst take that damn long.

Quoted: I'm kind of obsessive about cleaning. I consider it a must for obtaining reliable accuracy, but I'm also lazy. I hava an older Volquarsen Custom, wich is basicly a hot-rodded 10/22. My biggest complaint with this guns design, is it's such a pain in the rear to field-strip and clean. It's impossible to clean from the breach with a standard cleaning rod, unless you modify the gun by drilling a hole in the back end of the reciever. Doing so, generally reqires the guns reciever be re-finished, and usually destroys the guns resale value. Cleaning from the muzzle, geatly increases the likelyhood of damaging the crown, wich adversly affects accuracy. When stripped, there are several small round pins that can roll off and land in the dirt or worse be lost. The Reciever has to be completely removed from the stock, in order to remove the bolt, this affects the guns bedding, wich can adversly affect accuracy, and prevents one from being able to leave the gun in a cradle while cleaning. It's a real trick to compress the mainspring and cocking pice, and hold it in just the right position to allow one to re-install the bolt. Rating guns on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how difficult they are to clean, I rate my bolt guns a 2, My AR-15's a 3, and my 10/22 a 9. Sometimes I'll opt to take something else to the range with me instead, just because it's less of a pain to clean afterward. I wondered if some of you maybe could share any tips/tricks to make cleaning the 10/22 a little less of a pain.

Bro, everything you said is spot on.  From bedding, to the bolt, etc.  But in the end it's still just a cheap ass 22lr built for plinking.  In the 8 year lifespan of my little 10/22 Carbine I've only "deep cleaned" the old girl TWICE.  The second time was about 3 months ago and after that deep clean, she ran like a typewriter, yee haw!

Enjoy and shoot straight.
Moco - Out

While I rarely shooot her anymore, I have never taken my 10/22 apart. A quick blast and rob, follwed by another blast and rag, and thats it.

Agree on above with being selective on ammo choice.

With the way ammo prices are going, I predict her seeing more range time in the near future.

Quoted: The bottom line is - you're cleaning it too much.  <snip>

WOW!!!! I don't know what to say, my grandfather and my drill instructors must be rolling over in their graves right now, they taught me if you fire it, then you have to clean it afterward. I never expected to hear such a unanimous consensus against cleaning, but I guess maybe I need to re-think my position on this, shoot more, and clean less. I long ago quit buying the $8-$10 per brick junk ammo, for many reasons.  

Quoted: Quoted: The bottom line is - you're cleaning it too much.  <snip> WOW!!!! I don't know what to say, my grandfather and my drill instructors must be rolling over in their graves right now, they taught me if you fire it, then you have to clean it afterward. I never expected to hear such a unanimous consensus against cleaning, but I guess maybe I need to re-think my position on this, shoot more, and clean less. I long ago quit buying the $8-$10 per brick junk ammo, for many reasons.

I think what JimmyT is trying to say, and I agree with this, is that you really don't need to give a 10/22 the same level of attention as a service or match rifle.

I clean mine every time I shoot it, but I don't go through the trouble of removing the bolt, or even the stock every time.  I just turn it over and put it into a cleaning stand inverted and muzzle down.  Then use a Dewey Rod with a muzzle guide to run a few solvent soaked patches through the bore followed by a dry patch, then squirt a small amount of FP-10 in the action and wipe it out.  That's it.

Originally Posted By FishKepr I think what JimmyT is trying to say, and I agree with this, is that you really don't need to give a 10/22 the same level of attention as a service or match rifle. I clean mine every time I shoot it, but I don't go through the trouble of removing the bolt, or even the stock every time.  I just turn it over and put it into a cleaning stand inverted and muzzle down.  Then use a Dewey Rod with a muzzle guide to run a few solvent soaked patches through the bore followed by a dry patch, then squirt a small amount of FP-10 in the action and wipe it out.  That's it.

Ok, I'll give that a try for a while and see how it does. The gun has a 2" ventilated muzzle brake, that should function kind of like a muzzle guide. (BTW, the muzzle brake is an even bigger pain to clean, and does nothing, don't ever get one of these on a rifle if you have the option not to) If I don't feel comfortable with this after the first time or two, then I'll use a pull through or bore snake type puller for the barrel, and just try squirting and wiping down the action as you suggest. Even if it just reduces the need to do a detail cleaning to a couple times a year, it should help.

Sharky30, I stand corrected.

For the barrel I am using a pull through cleaning system (Otis or Bore Snake). No need to disassemble the gun and you can clean the barrel from the rear.
For the bolt I am using a small brush trough the ejection port with bolt looked back. I don’t think anything more is necessary for normal cleaning.

Quoted: It's a real trick to compress the mainspring and cocking pice, and hold it in just the right position to allow one to re-install the bolt.

I agree with you on that part.

Quoted: Quoted: The bottom line is - you're cleaning it too much.  <snip> WOW!!!! I don't know what to say, my grandfather and my drill instructors must be rolling over in their graves right now, they taught me if you fire it, then you have to clean it afterward. I never expected to hear such a unanimous consensus against cleaning, but I guess maybe I need to re-think my position on this, shoot more, and clean less. I long ago quit buying the $8-$10 per brick junk ammo, for many reasons.

I long ago started buying the $8-10 per brick junk ammo, for one very good reason:  Shooting stuff is fun.

My 10/22 is a plinker... I don't shoot matches with it, I rarley hunt with it... mostly I just shoot the damn thing.

I rarley clean that gun at all anymore, and nothing past shooting the action with a little oil and wiping down the surfaces.   It hasn't been torn apart in 3 years now, and I've shot it more every year.   If it starts failing, I'll clean it, but until then I think its a waste of time.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The bottom line is - you're cleaning it too much.  <snip> WOW!!!! I don't know what to say, my grandfather and my drill instructors must be rolling over in their graves right now, they taught me if you fire it, then you have to clean it afterward. I never expected to hear such a unanimous consensus against cleaning, but I guess maybe I need to re-think my position on this, shoot more, and clean less. I long ago quit buying the $8-$10 per brick junk ammo, for many reasons.   I long ago started buying the $8-10 per brick junk ammo, for one very good reason:  Shooting stuff is fun. My 10/22 is a plinker... I don't shoot matches with it, I rarley hunt with it... mostly I just shoot the damn thing. I rarley clean that gun at all anymore, and nothing past shooting the action with a little oil and wiping down the surfaces.   It hasn't been torn apart in 3 years now, and I've shot it more every year.   If it starts failing, I'll clean it, but until then I think its a waste of time.

There's cheap ammo and there's junk ammo.  Federal Champions are cheap, but are very clean and accurate ($10-$12 per brick).  Remington Golden Bullets are junk - dirty as hell and prone to stoppages ($8 per brick).  

I wondered if some of you maybe could share any tips/tricks to make cleaning the 10/22 a little less of a pain.

Sure thing....  stop being so anal about it.

de nada

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The bottom line is - you're cleaning it too much.  <snip> WOW!!!! I don't know what to say, my grandfather and my drill instructors must be rolling over in their graves right now, they taught me if you fire it, then you have to clean it afterward. I never expected to hear such a unanimous consensus against cleaning, but I guess maybe I need to re-think my position on this, shoot more, and clean less. I long ago quit buying the $8-$10 per brick junk ammo, for many reasons.   I long ago started buying the $8-10 per brick junk ammo, for one very good reason:  Shooting stuff is fun. My 10/22 is a plinker... I don't shoot matches with it, I rarley hunt with it... mostly I just shoot the damn thing. I rarley clean that gun at all anymore, and nothing past shooting the action with a little oil and wiping down the surfaces.   It hasn't been torn apart in 3 years now, and I've shot it more every year.   If it starts failing, I'll clean it, but until then I think its a waste of time. There's cheap ammo and there's junk ammo.  Federal Champions are cheap, but are very clean and accurate ($10-$12 per brick).  Remington Golden Bullets are junk - dirty as hell and prone to stoppages ($8 per brick).

I guess I should be more specific... I buy Federal 550 bulk packs from Walmart.    Alot of them.

I would classify it as cheap, myself.  Alot better than the Remingtons.