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PS: I've got a '39 production Woodsman that I bought 25 years ago and it's still got to be one of my favorite plinkers and carried in the woods. I doubt it was cleaned much before I got it, and it was clearly carried a lot. I haven't even run a boresnake through it in 25 years. While it's a field pistol, I've taken it to the range a couple of times and it's a natural shooter ... still a very nice trigger, reliable ... and capable of giving me scores right up there with my pristine HS Victor's or the Trailside. Your Challenger is essentially the same pistol as the Woodsman .... and you'll be handing it down to your grandson as a wonderful classic pistol along with the BM.
yep looks like the old colt was my wife's grandfather's, then her father's, then as all the other members had plenty of their own and i wanted to get a .22 for fun, it then became mine. It shoots very well, just at 51 with "old man eyes" that somehow creaped up on me and not having adjustable sights, the optic on the BM is just much easier for me to see indoors. Not much more accurate, just easier to shoot. And as an old dog learning a new trick, if i'm 1-2" groups at 10-15 yds and maybe 3" at 20, i'm more then happy with the results. After all, firing off 200 rounds is a 'cheap' way to have some fun and that's why i do it.
All this talk about hardly cleaning at all really surprises me. Not that I'm saying it's wrong or anything, I'm just used to stripping any gun down after fifty rounds or so and doing a complete cleaning/lubing....
actually my main concern down here in SC is the humidity, as i dont have a lot of guns to justify a higher end safe, i try to keep mine lightly oiled and just store them in a closet. I actually have been lately trying those gun socks to help prevent moisture (seems to help). All my inlaws do complete cleanings after heavy use, or a day out shooting/hunting in WI; i clean what i can get at since when i do shoot it is a couple hundred rounds at a time.
I've been wondering if those rechargable Remington dehumidifiers would be a good idea for the closet, again with the heavy humidity down here esp in summer, running the ac may keep the temps reasonable but doesnt seem to wipe out the moisture in the room.
I clean mine from the muzzle to the chamber. I think the manual that came with my Bushmaster specified that, but it's force of habit for me, though I do use a chamber brush for it as well. Last time I came home from the range after a couple hundred rounds, I cleaned the bolt & carrier group as well, was filthy. My pistols, I run a swab with cleaner on it through the barrel a couple times, then a wet brush to scrub it out, then dry it out with a couple dry swabs. I wipe down the bottom of the slide with cleaner and dry it out, same with the trigger group then wipe everything that moves with a little oil. Same with the couple bolt actions I have. I have a Marlin .22 autoloader that's a ***** to clean though. I didn't clean it right after a range trip one time and left it...had to take the whole flippin' thing apart to scrub it out before it would cycle freely.
actually my main concern down here in SC is the humidity, as i dont have a lot of guns to justify a higher end safe, i try to keep mine lightly oiled and just store them in a closet. I actually have been lately trying those gun socks to help prevent moisture (seems to help). All my inlaws do complete cleanings after heavy use, or a day out shooting/hunting in WI; i clean what i can get at since when i do shoot it is a couple hundred rounds at a time.
I've been wondering if those rechargable Remington dehumidifiers would be a good idea for the closet, again with the heavy humidity down here esp in summer, running the ac may keep the temps reasonable but doesnt seem to wipe out the moisture in the room.
If humidity is your main concern, I would simply purchase a gun carrying case. A hard plastic one. Then by some desicant bags and place one in each corner of the case. Still keep the gun lightly oiled, but in the case, with desicant bags, humidity and dust won't be a factor. Remember to change the bags periodically. Some bags have indicators on them to tell when they need changed out. You can get the bags pretty cheap.
If humidity is your main concern, I would simply purchase a gun carrying case. A hard plastic one. Then by some desicant bags and place one in each corner of the case. Still keep the gun lightly oiled, but in the case, with desicant bags, humidity and dust won't be a factor. Remember to change the bags periodically. Some bags have indicators on them to tell when they need changed out. You can get the bags pretty cheap.
thanks. I've read the foam padding in some cases could break down resting against any oils, though my guess is the 'gun socks', etc out there protect against that.
I will say using those socks for the past few weeks seems a major improvement over what i was doing before, just leaving the guns loose in a plastic case but without any pouches stuck inside.
Everybody I've ever known in serious target shooting where accuracy was of paramount importance would advise against doing so due to the risk of damage or wear to the barrel in that most critical area at the muzzle. My instructors included bronze and silver Olympic medalists, and several nationally ranked small-bore, shotgun, and high-power competitors.
Same with the couple bolt actions I have. I have a Marlin .22 autoloader that's a ***** to clean though. I didn't clean it right after a range trip one time and left it...had to take the whole flippin' thing apart to scrub it out before it would cycle freely.
I've no experience with a Marlin .22 autoloader, but I can't imagine that the ammo you used was so much dirtier than the ammo that the rest of us use in our autoloaders. To have it be so fouled after "a range trip one time" that it couldn't "cycle freely" until the "whole flippin' thing" had been taken apart and scrubbed out defies anything I've ever seen with modern autoloaders ... with the exception of my Nylon 66, which didn't give me good service. We've got several 10-22's that live on our ranch service ATV's for the frequent varmints and snakes we encounter, and I haven't cleaned any of them in at least 10 years; every one of them has been absolutely dependable and accurate.
I can't imagine .22 fouling from "one range trip" being so severe throughout an entire action that it wouldn't be responsive to a couple of squirts from Break Free and a couple drops of Tri-Flow to restore full functionality.
Considering how critical accurate and proper functioning is to the usefulness of bolt action .22 40X's and 52's ... where they keep score ... and knowing how infrequently these rifles are cleaned, I've got first hand knowledge of over 50 years of how these rifles were maintained in full functioning order without fussing over them by frequent cleaning.
As well, I've got a BSA Martini .22 which is a former English club gun, shot for years on a daily basis by who knows how many club members in competition before the Brits shut down so many of those shooting clubs and the rifles were disposed of, dumped into the USA market ... haven't cleaned it in years. It was rebarreled many years ago (as so many of these firearms were, they were simply shot out from so many hundreds of thousands of rounds put through them) ... and it's bright, shiny, and as accurate in bench rest shooting as my fellow competitor's Anschutz (much to his dismay after spending thousands more on it compared to my cheap little single-shot BSA); the trigger in the BSA is as nice, too.
One of our neighbors is a sheriff's department firearms instructor, typically shoots her .22 Beretta and a .38 S&W a couple times per week at the range for hundreds of rounds ... where my wife now meets up with her for instruction and to see who is going to buy lunch that day. My wife hasn't cleaned the Trailside yet, having put over a year's worth of weekly target shooting sessions on it. She's real finicky about the performance of her tools, and the Trailside has yet to show any problem or deterioration of accuracy. Her Dad had taught her to clean her firearms after every use, and it's been a battle with her to get her to accept that such treatment wasn't necessary; after a year of doubting me on this issue, she's finally realizing that she hasn't cleaned this pistol and hasn't had any malfunction or change in it's operation. It's been absolutely reliable and consistent for her.
I think the paranoia over thoroughly cleaning firearms after every use stems from the era of black powder propellants where the corrosive effects were a big deal. Modern primers and powders simply don't have those effects, and have minimal fouling. As well, the military taught generations of firearms users that frequent cleaning was essential for their service weapons (and they had several generations of firearms design that were problematic to any fouling or dirt); I think that their potential use and abuse of firearms in the field is an entirely different situation than our civilian use. Unless you're dragging your Marlin .22 through mud and leaves and debris, I can't see that it would have the contamination into the action that a field service firearm used in all weather conditions would be exposed to.
Of course, if you want to clean all your firearms from the muzzle with a brush every time you fire them, have at it ...
actually my main concern down here in SC is the humidity, as i dont have a lot of guns to justify a higher end safe, i try to keep mine lightly oiled and just store them in a closet. I actually have been lately trying those gun socks to help prevent moisture (seems to help). All my inlaws do complete cleanings after heavy use, or a day out shooting/hunting in WI; i clean what i can get at since when i do shoot it is a couple hundred rounds at a time.
I've been wondering if those rechargable Remington dehumidifiers would be a good idea for the closet, again with the heavy humidity down here esp in summer, running the ac may keep the temps reasonable but doesnt seem to wipe out the moisture in the room.
Couple things:
I'm far from any kind of expert so take my advice for what it's worth but.......
There is no way I'd buy any kind of humidifier for my guns. For your moisture concern, all you need to do is simply keep a light to medium coat of oil on your guns, particularly in the summer months when the air is most "sticky". This is how I've done it for years and have never had any sort of problem with rusting, and my upstairs gets VERY humid where I store my firearms. At the beginning of summer I went up and rubbed the outside down with a light coat of oil, then I ran a wet patch down through the bore. I repeat the process once a month for the guns I don't shoot much, and as needed for the ones that get regular use. Just MAKE SURE you run a dry patch down through the bore to get all the oil out before you shoot it again, otherwise you could blow your barrel up in your face. Remember, all these companies are trying to make a buck, so they'll tell you that you need something even if you don't, i.e. a de humidifier.
Second, I wouldn't keep my guns in a closet if I were you. The "stack-on" type gun safes are pretty affordable and keep your guns pretty secure. I got mine for about $125 bucks and it comes with two keys and bolts to the floor. Even if you can't bolt it to the floor, it's better than noth'n. I've just heard too many stories about people losing thousands of $$$ in guns because their house was broken in to.
Third, if your AC isn't clearing the moisture out of the air, I'd think about investing in a new one...
I'm far from any kind of expert so take my advice for what it's worth but.......
There is no way I'd buy any kind of humidifier for my guns. For your moisture concern, all you need to do is simply keep a light to medium coat of oil on your guns, particularly in the summer months when the air is most "sticky". This is how I've done it for years and have never had any sort of problem with rusting, and my upstairs gets VERY humid where I store my firearms. At the beginning of summer I went up and rubbed the outside down with a light coat of oil, then I ran a wet patch down through the bore. I repeat the process once a month for the guns I don't shoot much, and as needed for the ones that get regular use. Just MAKE SURE you run a dry patch down through the bore to get all the oil out before you shoot it again, otherwise you could blow your barrel up in your face. Remember, all these companies are trying to make a buck, so they'll tell you that you need something even if you don't, i.e. a de humidifier.
Second, I wouldn't keep my guns in a closet if I were you. The "stack-on" type gun safes are pretty affordable and keep your guns pretty secure. I got mine for about $125 bucks and it comes with two keys and bolts to the floor. Even if you can't bolt it to the floor, it's better than noth'n. I've just heard too many stories about people losing thousands of $$$ in guns because their house was broken in to.
Third, if your AC isn't clearing the moisture out of the air, I'd think about investing in a new one...
yeah didnt want to sound like the inside of my home was like the amazon lol, just can tell its always a tad more 'muggy' feeling compared to our home back in WI but we dont run the ac down to the 60's all day either here. I think my issue at first was cleaning and putting a light oil coat on the gun but then i was just sticking them in one of those plano plastic cases, pistols setting on the foam padding and closed up. I think that foam was pulling the oil off the metal, as i dont have that happen now that i'm storing them in gun socks and then in soft cases. And good point on a safe, no kids in this house and while i'd like to think no break-ins here, i'm not naive to think "it could never happen to me".
Just wondering the processes you use when you clean your firearms, the bore specifically? Now, I know that it's always recommended you clean from chamber to muzzle, but do you ever clean from muzzle to chamber? I ask this because I've always done it like this from time to time and was starting to wonder if it could actually damage the rifling in any way?
I mean, sometimes when I have only fired a few rounds through the firearm and don't want to go through a complete breakdown, I'll slip a wet patch through it a few times, then I'll scrub it with the bristle brush, ALL THE WAY DOWN, then back up. I never reverse the bruistles inside the barrel because I know that CAN damage it, then I'll run dry patches through until they come out clean.
Then you have guns like the AK that really have me in a perplexed situation. Perplexed because I refuse to use a bore snake on a rifled barrel due in no small part to all the horror stories I've read about them getting stuck. Now with the AK, a boresnake is actually considered the proper cleaning technique because ya can't get a cleaning rod in at the chamber end. So, I just clean from the muzzle end and then when I do a complete breakdown, I clean the bolt and carrier and all that.
Basically guys, my question boils down to this....... Will it hurt anything to clean from the muzzle down to the chamber?
Sure you can...field strip it and **** the hammer next time. It will pass over and into the chamber provided you aren't using a bigass 1/4" rod.
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