Custom Rimfire Handgun Cleaning Rod

Cleaning the little .22 rimfire semi-automatic handguns must be done properly or performance will deteriorate. A special cleaning rod makes the job easier as it protects the bore. While we can purchase a suitable cleaning rod for the semi-auto rimfires, making one proved a good choice for me. Much controversy surrounds the care and cleaning of the .22 rimfire bore and chamber. Some of the thinking here is totally wrong, and can lead to poor accuracy and fouled-up bores.

Making The Cleaning Rod It is not necessary to routinely disassemble .22 rimfire pistols to clean the bore. These little guns can easily and safely be cleaned from the muzzle. A proper length and diameter cleaning rod made of aluminum is a good choice. The preferred cleaning rod material for this is half-hard aluminum 0.204 inch diameter. This is just under bore land diameter and permits drilling and tapping for 8-32 thread cleaning jags and brushes.

Choosing a rod length of 12 inches is about right and will allow for fitting a free rotating handle, as I will describe. Utilizing a section of existing aluminum cleaning rod material with pre-drilled and tapped jag hole is a good choice as well. Just put the handle on. Making and fitting the swivel type handle is the next step. I chose apiece of round ¾ inch diameter fiberglass stock for this. A hole just over rod size is drilled through the handle.

An extended flange, the size of the spacer washer, is turned at each end of the handle. Annular grooves spaced about half an inch apart and 1/16th inch deep are cut into the handle while in the lathe. The handle is then precisely faced to length, allowing for an interspacing washer between the E-clips positioned at each end. A race to retain the E-clips is cut at each end of the handle just outside of each washer. Allow for a little end play here. The handle is then locked in position.

A drop of lubricant is applied at each end and it’s ready to go. Cleaning .22 Rimfires For each word printed on rimfire cartridge bore care, there are perhaps dozens words written on the various aspects of high power rifle accuracy and cleaning. This is likely because the rimfire bore is subject to a different type of fouling and is easier to break-in and clean. High power rifle bores collect copper and carbon fouling due to higher working pressures and velocity and different bullet material.

Further, these bores require a prescribed break-in regimen for best accuracy and prolonged performance. The accuracy life of a normal high

22 Rimfire Semi-automatic pistol with 2½-10 Sightron scope. The cleaning rod described in text is shown above along with a 25 yard target showing (from left) first and second groups following cleaning. power bore is less than a tenth that of the average rimfire bore. As received from the manufacturer, the average match-grade .22 rimfire bore may require little, if any, specific break-in. Other rimfire bores may break in through normal shooting and cleaning.

I do, however, break-in all my 22 rimfire bores using a good scrubbing with an ultra-mild abrasive like J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound. This is best done from the chamber end of the bore or with an undersized cleaning rod from the muzzle. Just use a tightly fitted patch on a jag, well saturated with the compound, and make about 30 passes forth and back through the bore. This is done only once, followed by the cleaning regimen I will describe.

Always be sure the cleaning rod is moved perfectly in line with the bore to avoid contact with the lands as much as possible. This is why a softer material is best used as a cleaning rod. It is also important that the cleaning rod is wiped down clean of any grit before each use. The .22 rimfire bullet, made of various lead alloys, is coated with a special wax-like material which varies by manufacturer and sometimes even different bullet types by the same manufacturer.

The bullet coating serves as a lubricant and cleaner for the bore as well as enhancing accuracy. Much research has been done on the coating of rimfire bullets over the years with amazing results in performance. Powder fouling and lead deposits throughout the bore are minimal through normal shooting and extreme accuracy is often seen for extended periods of time. However, some caveats should be noted. The .22 rimfire bore is subject to leade fouling immediately ahead of the chamber.

This lead and carbon fouling seldom extends beyond the leade or throat but it can build up in the bore following extended shooting. Here I use a bronze brush, which I shorten down to an inch of working surface. I can then pass this brush from the muzzle of the .22 semi-auto pistols through the chamber without any reverse-bristle brush hang up. Most of the bore cleaning solvents, along with the brush, will remove these lead deposits and the bore will go on shooting well until it "tells" you it needs cleaning.

Again, I avoid the use of any strong copper solvents in .22 rimfire bores. Here are some of the things you must look for, and expect, as you shoot American Gunsmithing Association

22 pistol cleaning rod along with a brass jag, patch and .22 caliber bronze brush. Note the removal of bristles from the brush except for last ¾ inch. This allows the brush to be pushed completely through the bore and into the magazine area without being hung up from reverse bristles. .22 rimfires for best accuracy. Following cleaning, or changing brands or types of ammunition, the bore will require a seasoning period as the bore’s coefficient of friction normalizes or reaches a state of balance or equilibrium.

This is essentially a state of adjustment between influencing elements but it is real and you will notice it. In general, you can expect to shoot three-to-six shots when changing ammo or following bore cleaning for the bore to resume normal bullet impact or grouping on target. You will never catch competition shooters off guard here because they learn the unique differences of each bore they shoot. One day I was testing one of my scoped .22 rimfire semi-auto pistols at 50 yards.

I was using a Browning Challenger with a 6 ¾ inch standard weight barrel equipped with barrel mounted scope rings of my own design and a parallax-free 2 ½-10X Sightron scope. I was shooting from a well proven pistol rest designed for .22 semi-automatic pistols. After changing ammunition I shot a bewildering 1 ½ inch, five shot group. Not to despair, as my next group was an amazing ¼ inch and this was followed by more good shooting.

A 50 yard, quarter inch, five shot group fired with a .22 rimfire semi-automatic pistol is extremely rare accuracy and can come 22 caliber, semi-automatic pistol barrel into the magazine/receiver area. This allows the brush to pass fully through bore without reverse bristle hang-up. Cleaning is very effective in this way. 22 rimfire immediately following cleaning, followed by the second group post cleaning.

A change in ammunition is also likely to cause this effect in grouping and bullet impact for the first few shots. only through proper bore care and correct shooting method. Conclusions The bores of our lowly, little rimfire cartridges deserve a little more cleaning and care than they usually get. This particularly applies to those fine, little .22 semi-auto pistols that are all too often used hard and put away dirty. AG