Today at 6:19pm I purchased my first firearm

[Wullie]

Brings back memories from 50 years ago and several hundred guns ago.

My first firearm purchase was a WWII surplus 8MM Mod 98 Mauser. Bought it from the now defunct Gibsons Discount store. They had a 55 gallon barrel full of them and I picked out the one I liked, gave the cashier a twenty dollar bill, got back enough change to buy a box of ammo and walked out of that store as the proudest 12 year old on the planet.

I made that twenty by killing coyotes with my hand-me-down Mod 62A Winchester .22. Back then the state was paying five bucks for every pair of ears you brought in.

That was also before the GCA of '68 that among many things changed the age at which you could legally purchase a firearm.

I've still got my old Mod 62A but the Mauser went down the road a long time ago. In hindsight, I wish I'd bought a truck load of the darn things. They're worth WAY now than I ever thought they'd be worth. LOL

Congrats. Enjoy!

 

[Toothpick]

Well it is in my possession now!



Also picked this up while I was there. Covers all the weapons I currently own, and the ones I intend to own. Was on sale for half off so I figured might as well!

 

[Toothpick]

Brings back memories from 50 years ago and several hundred guns ago.

My first firearm purchase was a WWII surplus 8MM Mod 98 Mauser. Bought it from the now defunct Gibsons Discount store. They had a 55 gallon barrel full of them and I picked out the one I liked, gave the cashier a twenty dollar bill, got back enough change to buy a box of ammo and walked out of that store as the proudest 12 year old on the planet.

I made that twenty by killing coyotes with my hand-me-down Mod 62A Winchester .22. Back then the state was paying five bucks for every pair of ears you brought in.

That was also before the GCA of '68 that among many things changed the age at which you could legally purchase a firearm.

I've still got my old Mod 62A but the Mauser went down the road a long time ago. In hindsight, I wish I'd bought a truck load of the darn things. They're worth WAY now than I ever thought they'd be worth. LOL

Congrats. Enjoy!

reminds me of my dad's 410. His father bought it for his mother some odd years ago for $12

My dad has it now and it fires just fine.

 

[PugslyCat]

Congratulations on your purchase! It should be a very fun gun for plinking and small game hunting. I've got an old Remington Nylon 11 I use for such purposes and thoroughly enjoy it.

 

[cmyoung19]

Well it is in my possession now!

Congrats! She's a beauty and will provide many happy hours of plinking, target shooting or small game hunting.

As others have stated, safety first! All the safety rules are important, but none moreso than keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times.

 

[73mountaineer]

Congrats, Jason, that looks like an excellent choice! I have owned and used many firearms, and a .22 rifle is still one of my favorites!

 

[Nosebud]

Make sure you dont mar the end of your barrel with that cleaning rod. You can wreck your guns accuracy. Always clean in the direction the bullet travels.
Snakes arent bad for a quick clean while still at the range. I like Otis cleaning systems for at-home work.

Welcome to the-er, ​another club.

 

[MrMurphy]

Yeah, those large kits are kind of overkill, but if you're just starting out and don't know what you like yet, not a bad starting point.

I've lost lots of the little bits over the last 20-30 years, nowdays I use a boresnake or Otis kit, toothbrush and a rag, not much else is really needed.

 

[Wullie]

Now that you have your new sweet heart and cleaning kit in your hot little hands, I imagine that you are going to want to keep it spotlessly clean (for a while anyway LOL)

A bit of advice about cleaning. Running a rod down a barrel from the muzzle has the potential to ruin accuracy. I was taught to use a steel rod and wipe the rod itself after every pass. Reason given to me was that a brass rod will pick up bits of steel and act like a rudimentary file.

The muzzle of your rifle is what finally determines accuracy. Screw up the muzzle and she'll shoot for poo.

The way around issues like this are to get or make a false muzzle that will keep the rod off the end of your barrel.

Enjoy that little dumplin'. Ain't nothing more FUN to shoot than a .22.

 

[simon1]

That's a sweet little pumpkin. What brand/power of scope is on it?

Now...I'm waitin' on pics. of the 3 shot groups at 25 yards.

 

[LittleLebowski]

Shoot it a lot, don't obsess over cleaning.

 

[Toothpick]

Ok gents...how do I clean it without going muzzle first?
I'm sure a couple cleanings muzzle first wont hurt anything if I am careful right?
until I can get a boresnake...

That's a sweet little pumpkin. What brand/power of scope is on it?

Now...I'm waitin' on pics. of the 3 shot groups at 25 yards.

There is a big R on the scope so it appears to be a Remington scope.

3 - 9 x 32 ...whatever that means

The plan is to hit the range up in the next couple weeks

 

[MrMurphy]

3 to 9 power variable with a 32mm objective (front) lens. Fine for now, youll want better later.

 

[Lakebound]

Ok gents...how do I clean it without going muzzle first?
I'm sure a couple cleanings muzzle first wont hurt anything if I am careful right?
until I can get a boresnake...

Well, you just need to be careful. Many have used the standard leaning rods for decades and have had success without ruining the crown of their barrels. Just go slow, take your time.

To be honest, bore snakes are nice but, I would recommend that you use an Otis system product for a true breach to crown cleaning (direction of bullet travel).

As to your scope, the 3-9 is the magnification level and the 32 is how many millimeters wide the scope lens is usually the wider the lens the clearer you can see because it allows more light through the lens.

Frank

 

[Toothpick]

To be honest, bore snakes are nice but, I would recommend that you use an Otis system product for a true breach to crown cleaning (direction of bullet travel).

I just might have to return the kit and get one of these. The appeal of the kit I got was that it covered every weapon I own at a really good price. My intentions was to buy the kit and be done, not have to buy another cleaning kit again. Which means throughout my ownership of the rifle I'd be cleaning it muzzle first. And with that over time could potentially harm the rifle.

Still learning

 

[Phantomhive]

It's a .22.... I never clean any of mine. Not the barrels at least, they may on wet days get a pass with a oily bore snake but that's it. The action is another thing, gotta keep them clean to be reliable...

Start looking at used .22 rifles at pawn shops and gun stores... I'm talking about stuff like old Marlin's and Remington's. The best looking guns occasionally have spotty bores but rusty/crusty .22's will always have a mint bore once you wipe them out.

The lead forms a coating over the steel protecting it from rust. If you over clean a bore with solvents or brushes than you remove that protective coating. Some oils will dry out over time and your bore will my acceptable to rust.

 

[Synack]

Congrats! Excellent pick for a first firearm -- I think everyone should start with a .22 rifle. If you end up enjoying it there are many .22 LR handguns to choose from as well. I like the Smith & Wesson 22A myself.

If it's your first time going to a range a quick safety class would probably help out quite a bit.

If I were to offer another safety tip, when you're learning the operation of the rifle never load it indoors. The thought of a accidental/negligent discharge indoors is scary.

As for cleaning, I've honestly never had an issue cleaning a 22 semi auto from the muzzle end using nothing but the standard Hoppes kit. Just be careful with the crown when inserting the rod. (If you're really paranoid you can find a one piece cleaning rod, versus the multiple section aluminum jobs.)

 

[Toothpick]

I've got my eye on this: http://www.otistec.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=42C53F70C0A941A2B942452A4E83C9CF
will definitely cover everything current and future.

 

[Lakebound]

I've got my eye on this: http://www.otistec.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=42C53F70C0A941A2B942452A4E83C9CF
will definitely cover everything current and future.

I use OTIS to clean all of my rifles to include both .22 caliber rifles. It is easy to use and IMO, more economical because each patch can be used 6 times if the user knows how to. Otis also has videos on-line that depict the proper way to set up the patch and rotate it through the different eyelet holes for maximum use.

I would strongly recommend against not cleaning any rifle for any length of time. In fact, it is lead, copper and powder deposits that will reduce the life of a barrel over time and not the cleaning itself.

Best of luck to you, you're on the right track here.

Frank

 

[Toothpick]

I use OTIS to clean all of my rifles to include both .22 caliber rifles. It is easy to use and IMO, more economical because each patch can be used 6 times if the user knows how to. Otis also has videos on-line that depict the proper way to set up the patch and rotate it through the different eyelet holes for maximum use.

I would strongly recommend against not cleaning any rifle for any length of time. In fact, it is lead, copper and powder deposits that will reduce the life of a barrel over time and not the cleaning itself.

Best of luck to you, you're on the right track here.

Frank

Thanks Frank!