Survival Guns: How To Clean Your Ruger 10/22

Remember our series on how to keep your firearms in top notch condition? We talked about cleaning your revolver and your AK-47 Rifle, and now we’re back with a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to clean your Ruger 10/22.

So without further ado, here’s what you have to know when you want to clean your rifle. 

Quick cleaning is recommended if you are shooting less than 500 rounds on the range at one time.

Step 1- Always prepare the rifle cleaning area with everything that you will need.

Step 2- Always visually check the semi-auto rifle to ensure that the magazine is out of the rifle and is empty. Pull the charging handle back and verify that the chamber is empty and lock back the rifle bolt for safety.

Step 3- Loosen the front band screw and remove the front band.

Step 4- Loosen barrel stock screw.

Step 5- Push safety button so that an equal amount of button is exposed on each side. This is necessary because of the carefully designed trigger housing area of the stock.

Step 6- Swing the barrel and receiver mechanism upward and away from the fore-end.

Note: Be careful not to lose receiver and trigger housing cross-pins which might slip out of position.

Step 7- Put a metal cleaning brush on the cleaning rod with bore cleaner on it. Then push down the barrel to the receiver. Remember to remove the bore brush each time before you pull out the cleaning rod. When the cleaning rod has cleared the barrel, put the brush back on for the next run. Do this 5-8 times or until the barrel is clean of dirt, grime, and powder residue.

Step 8- Remove the bore brush from the cleaning rod and replace it with the patch tip. Then place a clean dry patch on the tip and run it down the barrel from the muzzle to the receiver. At the receiver replace the dirty patch with a clean one and pull it back through the barrel and out.

Do this 3-5 times. Put a clean lubricated patch on the cleaning rod. Run the cleaning rod down the barrel 3-5 times to lubricate the barrel.

Step 9- Clean the receiver and bolt with a soft metal wire brush. This helps to remove loose dirt, grime, and powder residue.

Step 10- Use Q-Tips soaked in gun cleaner to clean the bolt and receiver. Use dry Q-Tips to remove excess cleaner. Then use Q-Tips with gun lubricant to lube the bolt and the inside of the receiver. Use only a drop or two on the Q-Tip. Do not overdo it.

Step 11- Use gun lubricant to lube the receiver and trigger cross pins, various pivot points in the trigger guard housing (such as the trigger pivot, hammer pivot, safety, and the bolt and bolt handle.)

Step 12- Before final assembly of the barreled receiver to the stock wipe down with a good gun lubricant all the metal parts that will be contained within the stock and outside of the stock.

Step 13- After the barreled receiver has been lightly lubricated, assemble it back into the stock. Then insert and tighten the stock screw.

Step 14- Replace the front band and tighten the front band screw.

Step 15- To clean the magazine use a soft wire brush to remove dirt, grime, and powder residue.

Step 16- To remove layers of dirt, grime, and powder residue the brush could not remove, use Q-Tips with a good gun cleaner on them. Then use dry Q-Tips to remove excess cleaner. Put a drop of lubricant on each side of the outside of the rotary magazine shaft.

Step 17- Put an empty clean magazine in the magazine well and lock it in place and function test the rifle.

Step 18- After function testing  the rifle wipe down the barrel and any other places that you touched on the rifle with a clean lubricated rag. This is to prevent the sweat in your finger tips from rusting any exposed parts of the rifle.

A Cleaning Note from Ruger Firearm’s Company

A comprehensive field cleaning is not required  more than once every 500 rounds. The purpose of such a cleaning is only to remove powder residue from internal components and as a rust prevention procedure.

If a gun has been soaked or submerged in water, if sand or other foreign matter in any appreciable quality enters the mechanism, the reliability of the functioning  would be impaired. In this case, the gun should be totally dismantled and thoroughly cleaned by a certified gunsmith or armor.

For the comprehensive field cleaning (CFC) after 500 or more rounds start at Step 1 and end at Step 6 of above.

CFC Step 1- Start when the Ruger 10/22 is disassembled to it’s basic parts: the stock and a barreled receiver.

CFC Step 2- Remove the trigger group pins and receiver pin.

CFC Step 3- Remove the trigger group from the receiver by pulling the trigger group downward.

CFC Step 4- To remove the bolt, spring, and bolt charging handle, push the charging handle all of the way back and hold it. Then lift the front of the bolt and dismount the charging handle, spring, and guide rod assembly out through the ejection port.

CFC Step 5- Next remove the bolt from the receiver.

CFC Step 6- The receiver and trigger group is now ready for cleaning.

CFC Step 7- Spray a good gun cleaning solvent on the barreled receiver and trigger group and let them soak while you clean the barrel (also check Steps 7 and 8 above).

CFC Step 8- Wipe down the charging handle and spring assembly with rags until clean, then set aside.

CFC Step 9- Use Q-Tips to clean the bolt on all sides to remove dirt, grime, and powder residue.

CFC Step 10- Use a dental pick to remove dirt, grime, and powder residue from the bolt that the Q-Tips could not remove.

CFC Step 11-  Clean the inside of the trigger group with Q-Tips to remove dirt, grime, and powder residue.

CFC Step 12- Use dental picks to remove any left over dirt, grime, and powder residue in the trigger group.

CFC Step 13- Lubricate the internal moving parts of the receiver: trigger, hammer, pivot points, bolt, recoil assembly, and charging handle. Also include the stripped receiver.

CFC Step 14- Wipe off any excess gun lubricant with a rag on the bolt and the striped receiver.

CFC Step 15- To re-assemble the receiver start with putting the spring assembly through the ejection port and securing it in the spring assembly retaining area of the receiver (it is the right side of the receiver when looking downward into the receiver).

CFC Step 16- Next pull the charging handle back about 1/3 of the way down the ejection port. It helps if you have something like a knife blade or a screw driver to keep this assembly inline and ready to accept the bolt handle assembly.

CFC Step 17- From the bottom of the receiver, install the bolt with the charger handle groove down and put the charger handle in the groove. Function test the recoil assembly, bolt charger, and bolt for function.

CFC Step 18- Re-install the trigger group into the receiver and line up the pin holes.

CFC Step 19- Re-install trigger group pins.

CFC Step 20- Function test the trigger, receiver assemblies, and bolt lock open system.

CFC Step 21- Wipe down the barreled receiver assembly with a good gun lubricant to prevent rust and corrosion.

CFC Step 22- Install the barreled receiver in the stock. Then insert and tighten the stock screw. Replace the front band and tighten the band screw (Steps 13 and 14 above).

CFC Step 23- To clean the magazines follow Steps 15, 16, and 17 above.

This completes the comprehensive full cleaning of your Ruger 10/22 rifle. Now practice your shooting skills and prepare for the worst, but hope for the best!

Interested in improving your safety? CLICK HERE to find out more!

This article has been written by Fred Tyrell for Survivopedia.

We wish to thank the good folks at U.S. Gun Worx for their assistance with this article. Survivopedia and U.S. Gunworx are the only entities entitled to use/publish these pictures without written authorization from Survivopedia or U.S. Gunworx, LLC.

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