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22lr barrel
- Thread starter DAVID A BUREAU
- Start date
I have about 22,000 rounds on my barrel and it's still going strong.
This is the results from one of our ARA matches about a month ago. I've shot a little better and alot worse with it over the last 2 years.
This is the results from one of our ARA matches about a month ago. I've shot a little better and alot worse with it over the last 2 years.
I was thinking about this when I saw the question. The world may never know! If I had to guess, I would put the number well over a hundred thousand barring owner induced damage.
Talked to a few rimfire smiths and their take was that some idiot will wreck the barrel with sloppy cleaning or by being careless long before it wears out. Also, at least in the states, we will get an itch for something “better” and swap it out just to try the next great thing.
To add, in college I shot rimfire 3 position for 4 years. I was using a used Win 52D international. It got checked out and tuned by Karl Kenyon. I was putting 6-700 rounds a week through it and when I got rid of it the barrel shot just as well as when I got it. So figure 17000 rounds a year for 4 years on a used barrel and still capable of shooting competitively.
You’re more likely to mess it up cleaning that’s to wear it out shooting.
Well that certainly answers my question. Was looking at a used gun and wanted to make sure
According to emails from Eley, RWS and Lapua
regarding factory batch grading test barrels,
accuracy drops off at anywhere from 55,000 to 180,000 shots fired.
The factories order replacement barrels regularly.
The difference is related to the steel used in making the barrel.
Softer stainless steel barrels wear faster than the forged high carbon steel.
Lilja had to replace a factory Anschutz barrel at 220,000 rounds fired.
Wear is caused by silica grit in the primer residue
deposited in the bore with each shot fired.
The majority of the wear takes place just forward of the chamber
producing an oval shaped bore with rifling worn away.
regarding factory batch grading test barrels,
accuracy drops off at anywhere from 55,000 to 180,000 shots fired.
The factories order replacement barrels regularly.
The difference is related to the steel used in making the barrel.
Softer stainless steel barrels wear faster than the forged high carbon steel.
Lilja had to replace a factory Anschutz barrel at 220,000 rounds fired.
Wear is caused by silica grit in the primer residue
deposited in the bore with each shot fired.
The majority of the wear takes place just forward of the chamber
producing an oval shaped bore with rifling worn away.
As already stated, the steel formula strongly impacts longevity, as does cleaning methods. I’m sure even the given rifling method could effect bore life.
I do know that I had a CZ452-2E ZKM American loose it’s precision. These are supposed to be hammer forged, and up until it ceased to group, it had only been cleaned from chamber to muzzle with a carefully centered pull through cleaner.
When accuracy went, it went fast, not gradually, and I just couldn’t believe it until I got the rifle home and slugged the bore. It had become a reverse taper (tightest at the chamber/widest at the muzzle) and no amount of cleaning- even with a wire brush - would bring it back. The bore was cleaned after every match, religiously, and shot like an absolute dream, until it didn’t.
Now understand- the gun was still accurate by many people’s standards. With good ammo it still serves in the squirrel woods, however it is no longer capable of x-ring accuracy. That rifle had fired just over 17,000 rounds.
I do know that I had a CZ452-2E ZKM American loose it’s precision. These are supposed to be hammer forged, and up until it ceased to group, it had only been cleaned from chamber to muzzle with a carefully centered pull through cleaner.
When accuracy went, it went fast, not gradually, and I just couldn’t believe it until I got the rifle home and slugged the bore. It had become a reverse taper (tightest at the chamber/widest at the muzzle) and no amount of cleaning- even with a wire brush - would bring it back. The bore was cleaned after every match, religiously, and shot like an absolute dream, until it didn’t.
Now understand- the gun was still accurate by many people’s standards. With good ammo it still serves in the squirrel woods, however it is no longer capable of x-ring accuracy. That rifle had fired just over 17,000 rounds.
Never seen a worn out 22lr barrel being shot but seen a lot barrels ruined from carelessness.
So alot of people here say you can wear a barrel out from improper cleaning.
What is the proper method?
What is the proper method?
Well obviously from the breech face with a patch.
Taking a bent rod down the muzzle end is gonna do some wear for sure.
Use a proper cleaning rod with the correct bore guide to fit the rifle and rod diameter. Attach a jag onto the rod, use a solvent soaked cotton patch (1 inch for 22s) wrapped on the jag run the patch to the muzzle and draw it back. Repeat a couple of times. Replace the jag with a brass brush, soaked in solvent, brush a couple of times, let sit a a couple of minutes and patch again. Finish with 2 dry patches followed by an oiled patch. Or do as many of us do and never clean them (I will use a couple of solvent patch’s and a dry patches to remove bullet lube if switching brands of ammo).
Everyone has different preferences but any non bore guide multi-segment rod use from muzzle is a bad idea.
Everyone has different preferences but any non bore guide multi-segment rod use from muzzle is a bad idea.
Possible causes of damage when cleaning:
Compared to the requirements needed in various smallbore competitions, the answer is definitely yes.
Generally speaking, match grade smallbore barrels (aftermarket) are made from 416R stainless. There are several reasons for that material choice, however one of which is machinability. Each barrel maker calls for different heat treatment / stress relieving specifications for the raw material to be suitable for their manufacturing process. Lilja barrels are like butter when compared to those manufactured by Schneider (which are much harder), however this obviously impacts the wear rate.
Personal experience on barrel wear. The factory barrel on my 1813 Anschutz fell off after around 90k rounds. This barrel saw RWS ammo exclusively - Target for training and R50 for matches at the rate of 500-1000 rounds per week (combined use) in prone and 3-p competitions.
The factory barrel was replaced by Karl Kenyon with a Schneider tube, which was the best barrel I have ever had. That barrel dropped off very quickly after 190-200k rounds to where I could not get any ammunition to group under 1" at 100 yards.
Several test/development barrels later, I currently have a Krieger barrel on with about 15k rounds though it so far with little change.
- Not using a bore guide
- Incorrect materials for brushes and/or jags (don't use steel or aluminum)
- Incorrect rod material (don't use aluminum!)
- Not cleaning the rod between passes
- Dragging the rod and/or jag backwards after clearing the muzzle
- Using the incorrect size patch, causing the rod to bow in the bore and scrape along the rifling
Compared to the requirements needed in various smallbore competitions, the answer is definitely yes.
Generally speaking, match grade smallbore barrels (aftermarket) are made from 416R stainless. There are several reasons for that material choice, however one of which is machinability. Each barrel maker calls for different heat treatment / stress relieving specifications for the raw material to be suitable for their manufacturing process. Lilja barrels are like butter when compared to those manufactured by Schneider (which are much harder), however this obviously impacts the wear rate.
Personal experience on barrel wear. The factory barrel on my 1813 Anschutz fell off after around 90k rounds. This barrel saw RWS ammo exclusively - Target for training and R50 for matches at the rate of 500-1000 rounds per week (combined use) in prone and 3-p competitions.
The factory barrel was replaced by Karl Kenyon with a Schneider tube, which was the best barrel I have ever had. That barrel dropped off very quickly after 190-200k rounds to where I could not get any ammunition to group under 1" at 100 yards.
Several test/development barrels later, I currently have a Krieger barrel on with about 15k rounds though it so far with little change.
Cleaning - I use Vudoo's method: Clean the chamber thoroughly, barely touch the bore so that lube "seasoning" remains.
Leaving "seasoning" in barrel seems beneficial even when changing from one lube type to another, such as Lapua's super-greasy stuff to Eley's stiffer beeswax or paraffin.
Leaving "seasoning" in barrel seems beneficial even when changing from one lube type to another, such as Lapua's super-greasy stuff to Eley's stiffer beeswax or paraffin.
Squirrel hunting can require as much accuracy than any rimfire match shooting. A squirrel's head at 200 yards is small target.
...and to each their own. As a hunter, I would not attempt a shot at a squirrel that was 200 yards away. I don't know anyone else that would either.
Undoubtedly true.
You also likely don't know anyone else who has tested over 80 target rifles, (Remington 37, Remington 40 X, Winchester 52 and Anchutz of various models). Tested hundreds of lots of ammunition over 50 years then had custom reticules built off of drop and windage charts arrived at from thousands of rounds of testing. Then built correction charts for temperature changes in 10 degree increments from 0 deg to 100 degrees. All data laminated carried in a log book.
It can be done, it simply takes a commitment far greater than most care to invest.
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