.22 ammo fouling

[smle-man]

I've got a Mossberg 351k tube fed semi auto .22 rifle 1960s vintage. It was shot very little over its lifetime and looked about new when I got it. The rifle won't function past 80-100 rounds or so. When it gets to that point it jams. The problem seems to be tight tolerances and the residue from the fired ammunition. Is today's .22 ammo dirtier than in the past? I can't imagine how Mossbert could have sold these things by the box car load as they did if they were all as unreliable as this one. Maybe people only shot 50 rounds at a shooting session back then. An interesting aside is that the manual recommends soaking the action in gasoline for cleaning purposes!

[GunDog]

An interesting aside is that the manual recommends soaking the action in gasoline for cleaning purposes!

Gasoline for cleaning purposes??? That's a sure invitation for trouble and litigation.

[rcschummers]

Not sure if its dirtier. My brother recently bought a Savage at Big 5, and it jams up after about 100 rounds. I think that some guns are made with really tight actions that foul really fast. P.s. Gasoline is an excellent solvent, just don't be an idiot if your going to use it.

[ojisan]

Sounds like it has 40 + years worth of dried-up, caked-on and gooey gunk inside.
It needs a detailed strip and clean.
I just cleaned up a 1960 Win 77 22LR autoloader tube feed 2 weeks ago.
The grease inside had hardened to where it looked like molded plastic parts.

[smle-man]

Sounds like it has 40 + years worth of dried-up, caked-on and gooey gunk inside.
It needs a detailed strip and clean.
I just cleaned up a 1960 Win 77 22LR autoloader tube feed 2 weeks ago.
The grease inside had hardened to where it looked like molded plastic parts.

Nope, no caked on gunk. If I don't strip it each shooting session and detail clean it, it won't function anyway so there sure isn't 40 years of crud in it!

[precisionshooter308]

What kind of ammo are you using? Thunderbolts are really really bad for fouling your action and your barrel.

[CalNRA]

What kind of ammo are you using? Thunderbolts are really really bad for fouling your action and your barrel.

ditto

some of the Remington ammo can ...let's say affect function after a few hudnred rounds.

[Seesm]

On my 10/22's I can go upwards of 500 rds prior to any issues.

I do worry about this on my .22 kitted AR as the power fouls up the gas system pretty good so I do not shoot it all that much. (Compared to the 10/22's anyway)

[CalNRA]

On my 10/22's I can go upwards of 500 rds prior to any issues.

my Marlins can go 5-6 bricks without cleaning, and that's with CCI "flying ash tray" Blazer. Your 10/22 should be able to go longer than 1 brick between cleaning.

[Seesm]

One of them does go further... I was doing round #'s on this... But what I notice is the bolt starts to drag a bit on the upper part of the receiver when really carboned up. I can not speak on the marlin other than playing with them a little. I am for sure I could not go as long as you without cleaning... I run any and everything through my 10/22's and they run great. Really they are my favorite rifles... I plan on getting a few more even.

[CSACANNONEER]

On my 10/22's I can go upwards of 500 rds prior to any issues.

I do worry about this on my .22 kitted AR as the power fouls up the gas system pretty good so I do not shoot it all that much. (Compared to the 10/22's anyway)

Do you really clean your 10-22 that often? I don't worry about cleaning my plinker 10-22 for at least 2000 rounds. By then, I'm usually bored and just want to clean it.

[Seesm]

Yeah your probably more likely right... When I get bored its a busy day I clean it all even if it does NOT need it....

[redhemi]

WD-40 & Federal Champion Copper plated if you want to go the inexpensive route works gerat in my MKIII. I know its not a rifle but it is a pickey hand gun.

[bothenook]

a small can of dry lube is in order. stay away from the moly dry lube though. for some reason it boogers up the action way faster than the stuff i bought at home depot. my marlin m-60 would start acting up until i used just dry lube after cleaning, and a squirt every now and then while at the range.

and as a side note, having worked with lubricants for the last 35 years, WD-40 is really a bad idea. great if you want to displace water, or get down into threads. not great as a lubricant on something that heats up. like, i don't know, a gun action?