Thread: 22 Upgrade

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

Norinco JW-15 are a Chinese copy of Brno. As such they are very accurate! My mate in Hawkes Bay bought one in the late 70's, early 80's and was amazed at how incredibly accurate it was.

My advice is clean it, clean it, clean it! Get a pot of JB BORE BRIGHT and scrub the bore, then follow on with the normal Number 9 or white spirits. Clean it and polish it until the bore shines like a mirror and a light shining down it resembles a lighthouse beacon. Make sure you clean inside the breach and not just the barrel. Then fully dismantle the bolt, clean and polish it inside and out. Clean the receiver and lightly oil everything until the bolt slides like a train on greased tracks.

Some people say, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness," but I say, "Cleanliness is next to accuracy!"

Inspect the bore. The rifling should be gleaming, clean, and easy to define, and easy to identify any defects. Look for corrosion of pitting. Also look for any sign of a mark which looks like and "O" Ring or docking ring part way down the rifling. If you see this defect it means a (wet or faulty) bullet, or bullets has gotten stuck and not cleared the muzzle, before another bullet was fired, which pushed the first bullet out. There will be a corresponding BULGE in the outside of the barrel. My father's Brno 581 had three such "O" Rings and bugles, thankfully the barrel didn't split! If the bore is stuffed, throw the rifle away.

Re-assemble the bolt and rifle, making sure everything is lubed and TIGHT!

The Bushnell Banner variable is a very good choice for rabbiting. Perfect! And you have eliminated one possible fault

Suppressor. I agree with the advice you have already been given. Have a gunsmith, or knowledgeable gun owner, check that the barrel is threaded true and correct. If the thread is faulty get it chopped off and re-threaded by a reputable gunsmith. Also, when using the rifle, check periodically that the suppressor hasn't come loose! My mate's did and he shot the side out of the baffles! Ammunition deposits carbon inside the suppressor. If your suppressor is a "Cheap and cheerful package deal," it probably cannot be dismantled and cleaned. Throw it away and buy a DPT modular suppressor, NZ made in Hamilton. Because the are modular they can be dismantled and cleaned in white spirits. I clean my DPT after every 150 - 200 rounds, your suppressor may NEVER have been cleaned and could be blocked! Use two pieces of car chami leather and two radiator hose clips to grip the modules whilst dismantling. This stops the modules getting dented and scratched. After cleaning, wipe dry and apply a thin layer of good gun grease to all internal surfaces and the threads. Carbon doesn't stick to grease. It will do no harm to clean the suppressor after every shoot while the carbon if soft, because, if left it sets like concrete! DPT is the only suppressor I use, they are very, very good!

Ammunition: Winchester burns the dirtiest but is fine in bolt action rifles, don't use it in semi-automatics. CCI burns the cleanest and is recommended by Ruger for use in the 10/22. Browning BPR is very good and my preferred high-velocity round.

Final note on new rifles. In 22 rimfire I have owned, or still own: Brno 581, CZ 512 (Piece of shit!), Toz made in USSR! Winchester Model 94 lever action (great fun!), Ruger 10/22, Walther KKJ, Anschutz (Model 1433 in 22 Hornet, not a rimfire), but now I have standardised my gun cabinet on Weirhrauch HW60J (there has been a model change to HW66J CH (Classic Hunter) the only difference being the 66J is factory threaded and has no iron sights). You won't find a Weirhrauch in any gun shop anywhere in the country (almost), because these are the best kept secret in the 22 rimfire (Hornet and 222 Remington) market. S.R Marston & Co Ltd in Christchurch are the NZ importers, talk to Craig about stock availability and which gun shops are hold stock, if any? They will not sell directly to the public, and most gun shops will try to sell you a Ruger, Tikka or CZ, but if you stick to your guns and insist on them getting one in for you, you will never have to buy another 22 for the rest of your life! And you can pass it on to your grandchildren. These are precision, German quality engineering. Probably around $1200 to $1400, but shop around. Reloaders Supplies Auckland got me the best price, about $400 cheaper than Hunting and Fishing! There was on on TradeMe in the past two months.

Happy shooting! Shoot straight!

Good post, but I thought the jw15 was the be all and end all of rimfires 66 is definatley a very nice rifle. I know where theres a 222, been trying to get it for ages...

Hello Blip,
The JW15 is the be all of budget 22 rimfires, from memory the early shipment retailed for $146! The Weirhrauch HW60J is the middle-top budget range, there are other Brands which are more expensive, if spending a lot of money is the key objective??
I own four Weirhrauch (3 x HW60J, 1 x HW66J CH (Classic Hunter)) The 22LR cost $1000 off TradeMe, $1400 retail, 22 Hornet $1950, 222 Rem $2400.
The Weirhrauch HW60J chambered to 222 Rem is the most accurate rifle I have ever used. Best one shot kill on a rabbit, no sighters, just one shot 242 metres, and two small goats at 267 metres. The goat shooting wasn't tidy, but they didn't see the sun go down.
If you are lucky enough to get the 222 Weirhauch, you will never look back!

Straight shooting!

Hugh