New Owner Tippmann M4-22 (Novice)

[rob.mwp]

Good day all. Myself and the wife are just starting to get into guns. Each have our HQL and W&C.

I just bought a new M4-22. I have almost zero experience with the AR platform and this seemed like a good gun to learn on (and have fun with the kids, and not break the bank!).

I can't seem to find any great videos for cleaning this particular gun. I can tear it apart, but because I'm so green I'm not really sure what gets oiling vs greasing vs soaking vs keeping dry. Anyone have any tips? I just don't want to screw up and find out 6 months down the road that I've been doing it wrong and ******* it up.

I guess my #1 question is do I oil the extractor and firing pin in the bolt carrier? There's a spring on the side of the carrier (down inside), does that get a drop or so of oil?

I think I'm ok with the cosmetic stuff, carbon build up etc. It's just the bolt, and maybe how often should I clean it. Obviously, I'm very green. I have the utmost respect for firearms and safety, I just don't want to screw up. One video says oil the carrier every 200 rounds or so, another guy says hasn't cleaned a damn thing in 3000 rounds. I've also read on here cleaning too much might not be good.

So far I really like the gun. Yesterday I went through about 150 rounds, about 8 FTF but apparently I was loading the magazine wrong. It is so much more fun than shooting any of the guns we had in scouts!

If this was posted in the wrong section please feel free to move, thanks all!!

 

[slsc98]

…

I can't seem to find any great videos for cleaning this particular gun. I can tear it apart, but because I'm so green I'm not really sure what gets oiling vs greasing vs soaking vs keeping dry. Anyone have any tips? I just don't want to screw up and find out 6 months down the road that I've been doing it wrong and ******* it up.

I guess my #1 question is do I oil the extractor and firing pin in the bolt carrier? There's a spring on the side of the carrier (down inside), does that get a drop or so of oil?

I think I'm ok with the cosmetic stuff, carbon build up etc. It's just the bolt, and maybe how often should I clean it. Obviously, I'm very green. I have the utmost respect for firearms and safety, I just don't want to screw up. One video says oil the carrier every 200 rounds or so, another guy says hasn't cleaned a damn thing in 3000 rounds. I've also read on here cleaning too much might not be good.

So far I really like the gun. Yesterday I went through about 150 rounds, about 8 FTF but apparently I was loading the magazine wrong. It is so much more fun than shooting any of the guns we had in scouts!

If this was posted in the wrong section please feel free to move, thanks all!!

1 - Drop of oil under the backside of EXTRACTOR, YES

2 - Firing pin spring (Edit): JUST REMOVE ANY EXCESS

Pretty decent video here:

 

[rob.mwp]

1 - Drop of oil under the backside of EXTRACTOR, YES

2 - Firing pin spring NO

Pretty decent video here:

Did you actually watch the video? It felt more like a sales pitch then anything. Never got up close where he oils and it was sponsor this and get a new trigger that.

Appreciate your answers though, that helps a lot.

 

[rob.mwp]

1 - Drop of oil under the backside of EXTRACTOR, YES

2 - Firing pin spring NO

Pretty decent video here:

Also, @ 4:40 into the video he does add oil to the firing pin spring? This why I ask, because I have seen videos (of other guns) saying to keep oil out of that area. It looks like most people do not oil the fp or spring, but the only video I've found (both linked by you and Tippman themselves) oils the damn thing.

In the video he also uses a bore brush and goes back and forth, I thought that you only want to take it one way?

 

[slsc98]

Also, @ 4:40 into the video he does add oil to the firing pin spring? This why I ask, because I have seen videos (of other guns) saying to keep oil out of that area. It looks like most people do not oil the fp or spring, but the only video I've found (both linked by you and Tippman themselves) oils the damn thing.

In the video he also uses a bore brush and goes back and forth, I thought that you only want to take it one way?

I will say His Intentions Are Good but, in many (not necessarily “all”) circumstances anything more than a light (microscopic) coat of oil can impede travel (movement) of the firing pin.

Thus, while I may apply oil to a firing pin +/or spring, I ALWAYS WIPE OFF ANY EXCESS …

Here is pretty neat “study” and from which I will cut and paste the following:

Comprehensive Corrosion Test: 46 Products Compared | Day At The Range

By: DIY_guy We all want to use goods quality products on our guns, bows, fishing gear, knives, autos, hunting and lake front gear and like you I?m not a fan of letting things get rust on them nor am I a fan of items wearing out prematurely. To protect my investment in gear, I began

dayattherange.com

<snip>

“How much lube to use:

We have all been instructed to apply lubrication liberally and to wipe off any excess. This seems counter intuitive if you consider something like packing a wheel bearing or using a grease zerk where metal parts are suspended in a bath of lubricant. Gun parts, folding knives, fishing reels and tools however are tightly toleranced with almost no room for large volumes of lubricant but aside from space constraints, excess lubricants cause an increase in effort required to get parts moving. I’m not versed in fluid dynamics but I quickly learned what happens when too much lubricant is applied. Being curious about what I observed I took to the web to review terms such as ?Cohesion?, “Adhesion”, ?Fluid tackiness?, “Viscosity” and “Fluid shear” which explained what I was observing.

Excess lubricant acted like a glue that slowed or resisted parts from movement because of the surface tension and viscosity of the excess lube. As I removed more and more of the excess, I observed that less force was required to overcome static friction. In almost every case I found that removing all visible lubricant resulted in the lowest levels of friction between the two polished steel plates. What we have been told is correct, apply liberally to coat and then remove all excess to the point where you think you have removed too much and you will enjoy the least amount of friction. The side benefit to that dry level of lubrication is that it will not attract foreign contaminants that could get trapped in excess/wet lubricant.”

<snip>


And you’re right - I never “go back and forth” with any *bristle* brush …

 

[rob.mwp]

I will say His Intentions Are Good but, in many (not necessarily “all”) circumstances anything more than a light (microscopic) coat of oil can impede travel (movement) of the firing pin.

Thus, while I may apply oil to a firing pin +/or spring, I ALWAYS WIPE OFF ANY EXCESS …

Here is pretty neat “study” and from which I will cut and paste the following:

Comprehensive Corrosion Test: 46 Products Compared | Day At The Range

By: DIY_guy We all want to use goods quality products on our guns, bows, fishing gear, knives, autos, hunting and lake front gear and like you I?m not a fan of letting things get rust on them nor am I a fan of items wearing out prematurely. To protect my investment in gear, I began

dayattherange.com

<snip>

“How much lube to use:

We have all been instructed to apply lubrication liberally and to wipe off any excess. This seems counter intuitive if you consider something like packing a wheel bearing or using a grease zerk where metal parts are suspended in a bath of lubricant. Gun parts, folding knives, fishing reels and tools however are tightly toleranced with almost no room for large volumes of lubricant but aside from space constraints, excess lubricants cause an increase in effort required to get parts moving. I?m not versed in fluid dynamics but I quickly learned what happens when too much lubricant is applied. Being curious about what I observed I took to the web to review terms such as ?Cohesion?, “Adhesion”, ?Fluid tackiness?, “Viscosity” and “Fluid shear” which explained what I was observing.

Excess lubricant acted like a glue that slowed or resisted parts from movement because of the surface tension and viscosity of the excess lube. As I removed more and more of the excess, I observed that less force was required to overcome static friction. In almost every case I found that removing all visible lubricant resulted in the lowest levels of friction between the two polished steel plates. What we have been told is correct, apply liberally to coat and then remove all excess to the point where you think you have removed too much and you will enjoy the least amount of friction. The side benefit to that dry level of lubrication is that it will not attract foreign contaminants that could get trapped in excess/wet lubricant.”

<snip>


And you’re right - I never “go back and forth” with any *bristle* brush …

Thank you very much. That's perfect... I thought I was going crazy overthinking it (by thinking what he was doing was wrong). Your snippet makes prefect sense.

I just want to have a clear understanding of what it is I'm doing and why, that helped a ton.

 

[erwos]

If your kids are in grades 3 and up, you should absolutely consider taking your kids and the M4-22 out to SASP practice on a Wednesday evening at the AGC action bays. We teach safe gun handling and excellent shooting skills. Just check the AGC calendar to see when we're out there.

I also just bought an M4-22 RCR, and it's a great rifle. Figuring out light strike issue atm, but not too worried about it long-term, it'll get fixed.

 

[rob.mwp]

If your kids are in grades 3 and up, you should absolutely consider taking your kids and the M4-22 out to SASP practice on a Wednesday evening at the AGC action bays. We teach safe gun handling and excellent shooting skills. Just check the AGC calendar to see when we're out there.

I also just bought an M4-22 RCR, and it's a great rifle. Figuring out light strike issue atm, but not too worried about it long-term, it'll get fixed.

That sounds awesome, I'll have to look it up.

In all my meandering about online for the M4-22 I found a video that stated that they were having light strike issues and oiled the bolt carrier and fixed it. He said they'll now do that every 200 rounds or so. I also found another guy that said they haven't done squat in like 3000 rounds, so who knows. Just thought I'd pass it along.

They have the RCR that was just released? Or will be? That has a dual firing pin, part of me hopes that can be swapped over to the Pro / Elite but I really don't know enough about guns to tell if that would work based on pictures alone.

I only have 150 or so rounds through mine, the only issue I've had is the magazine issue I stated above and that the takedown pins are fairly tight. I've worked them back and forth and oiled and they seem to be loosening up. Both issues seem to be fairly common though.

 

[slsc98]

If your kids are in grades 3 and up, you should absolutely consider taking your kids and the M4-22 out to SASP practice on a Wednesday evening at the AGC action bays. We teach safe gun handling and excellent shooting skills. Just check the AGC calendar to see when we're out there.

I also just bought an M4-22 RCR, and it's a great rifle. Figuring out light strike issue atm, but not too worried about it long-term, it'll get fixed.

OP, I would literally JUMP at such an oppty!!!

Having young family members learn manual-at-arms etc from other (qualified) non-family members - in the presence of others within their age group - ADDS a host of benefits that establish a foundation for success throughout life.

FTF’s are pretty prevalent with AR “clone” rimfires as their firing pins have return springs the hammer force has to overcome whereas milspec centerfire AR’s do not.

I have had to swap CMC cassette “drop-in” OUT of several S&W M&P 15-22’s and replace them with LaRue MBT-2S triggers to achieve reliable ignition. The CMC’s were true 2-2.5lb pulls whereas the MBT are 2.5 first stage and 2lb second stage …

Trigger reset is the only way the granddaughter even knows how to pull a trigger so, all that first stage only applies to her every first shot.

When I asked her if she missed the “dry spaghetti noodle break” of the CMC over the “frozen carrot break” of the LaRue she said, “Not a bit - I’ll take a reliable ‘pew’ over a hair trigger, any day!”

 

[erwos]

Caveat: we won't be there this Wednesday, we will be out of state for a match. But other Wednesdays, yeah.

The RCR is the new one with the front charging handle and the dual firing pin. It is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin... it's a single firing pin with a pair of protrusions, basically, top and bottom, and they strike the rim of the round in two places. I sprayed CLP on the bolt carrier before I took it out, so I don't think that's the issue. I'd plausibly believe it's because it's Federal Automatch ammo, but the same stuff runs fine in my other guns.

Magazine feeding was 100% on mine. Really rather impressive after the BX-25 drama I've been through.

 

[rob.mwp]

OP, I would literally JUMP at such an oppty!!!

Having young family members learn manual-at-arms etc from other (qualified) non-family members - in the presence of others within their age group - ADDS a host of benefits that establish a foundation for success throughout life.

FTF’s are pretty prevalent with AR “clone” rimfires as their firing pins have return springs the hammer force has to overcome whereas milspec centerfire AR’s do not.

I have had to swap CMC cassette “drop-in” OUT of several S&W M&P 15-22’s and replace them with LaRue MBT-2S triggers to achieve reliable ignition. The CMC’s were true 2-2.5lb pulls whereas the MBT are 2.5 first stage and 2lb second stage …

Trigger reset is the only way the granddaughter even knows how to pull a trigger so, all that first stage only applies to her every first shot.

When I asked her if she missed the “dry spaghetti noodle break” of the CMC over the “frozen carrot break” of the LaRue she said, “Not a bit - I’ll take a reliable ‘pew’ over a hair trigger, any day!”

“Not a bit - I’ll take a reliable ‘pew’ over a hair trigger, any day!” - that's a great line!

Caveat: we won't be there this Wednesday, we will be out of state for a match. But other Wednesdays, yeah.

T RCR is the new one with the front charging handle and the dual firing pin. It is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin... it's a single firing pin with a pair of protrusions, basically, top and bottom, and they strike the rim of the round in two places. I sprayed CLP on the bolt carrier before I took it out, so I don't think that's the issue. I'd plausibly believe it's because it's Federal Automatch ammo, but the same stuff runs fine in my other guns.

Magazine feeding was 100% on mine. Really rather impressive after the BX-25 drama I've been through.

Interesting, I'll have to keep an eye on it. My magazine feeding dilemma was 100% on me. In the video I watched from Tippmann they said it has to be loaded in a vertical position (which itself is slightly annoying). I tried loading a mag when I got home the way I was doing it (not perfectly vertical) and sure enough some rounds were cocked to the side, like 2 on top of each other vs the correct zig zag pattern. I dumped them out and tried again the way they showed in the video and they stacked perfect each time. Haven't had any light strikes in my very minimal 150 rounds.

 

[erwos]

I just talked to their customer service. Great folks, knew exactly what all the possible trouble spots were. Definitely a lot to figure out.

 

[rob.mwp]

I just talked to their customer service. Great folks, knew exactly what all the possible trouble spots were. Definitely a lot to figure out.

Well?!?!? Care to share what you think?

I have not personally dealt with them, but everything I've read online says top notch folks. One guy even said they took his rifle, fixed it, and sent him a bunch of stuff for the hassle.

 

[erwos]

Well?!?!? Care to share what you think?

I have not personally dealt with them, but everything I've read online says top notch folks. One guy even said they took his rifle, fixed it, and sent him a bunch of stuff for the hassle.

Could be the trigger group (albeit it's officially supported), could be the firing pin, etc. He had some stuff for me to look at and report back on. Hard to do while I'm at the office, but hopefully I'll knock it out tomorrow.

My only other real beef with the M4-22 is that the stock is uninspiring and rattles a lot. I'll probably swap it to a MFT Minimalist stock or similar.

 

[rob.mwp]

Could be the trigger group (albeit it's officially supported), could be the firing pin, etc. He had some stuff for me to look at and report back on. Hard to do while I'm at the office, but hopefully I'll knock it out tomorrow.

My only other real beef with the M4-22 is that the stock is uninspiring and rattles a lot. I'll probably swap it to a MFT Minimalist stock or similar.

Yes Sir, the stock feels a little more like a toy.

Before I go too crazy I just need to get out and shoot the thing, maybe after some time I'll decide to swap out. Did you talk to Tippmann about it when you called? I read some were loose and some were rock solid.

 

[erwos]

Yes Sir, the stock feels a little more like a toy.

Before I go too crazy I just need to get out and shoot the thing, maybe after some time I'll decide to swap out. Did you talk to Tippmann about it when you called? I read some were loose and some were rock solid.

I didn't even bother asking about it. Much better stocks out there in general for what I want to do with it (outlaw steel, mostly).

 

[babalou]

My 15-22 I just grease and lube the way I was taught for my ARs in the SOTAR class.

 

[rob.mwp]

I didn't even bother asking about it. Much better stocks out there in general for what I want to do with it (outlaw steel, mostly).

What do you think about this stock. I don't know anything about stocks, but I feel like the Tippmann is a little short (for me) and one of the comments said it makes it feel a little longer. Thoughts? I have no idea what's good and what's crap.

Adaptive Tactical AR15/AR10 Ex-Performance Adjustable Stock - Mil-Spec

Grab an Adaptive Tactical AR15/AR10 Ex-Performance Adjustable Stock - Mil-Spec from AT3 Tactical. Free Shipping on Orders Over $99!

www.at3tactical.com

My 15-22 I just grease and lube the way I was taught for my ARs in the SOTAR class.

What do you grease? I see CPL has a grease, but I'm not sure anything that I've read says to grease anything. Thanks!

 

[erwos]

What do you think about this stock. I don't know anything about stocks, but I feel like the Tippmann is a little short (for me) and one of the comments said it makes it feel a little longer. Thoughts?

I really favor the MFT Minimalist stock for action shooting applications: https://missionfirsttactical.com/BMSMIL

 

[babalou]

What do you think about this stock. I don't know anything about stocks, but I feel like the Tippmann is a little short (for me) and one of the comments said it makes it feel a little longer. Thoughts? I have no idea what's good and what's crap.

Adaptive Tactical AR15/AR10 Ex-Performance Adjustable Stock - Mil-Spec

Grab an Adaptive Tactical AR15/AR10 Ex-Performance Adjustable Stock - Mil-Spec from AT3 Tactical. Free Shipping on Orders Over $99!

www.at3tactical.com

What do you grease? I see CPL has a grease, but I'm not sure anything that I've read says to grease anything. Thanks!

I use a little bit of

What do you think about this stock. I don't know anything about stocks, but I feel like the Tippmann is a little short (for me) and one of the comments said it makes it feel a little longer. Thoughts? I have no idea what's good and what's crap.

Adaptive Tactical AR15/AR10 Ex-Performance Adjustable Stock - Mil-Spec

Grab an Adaptive Tactical AR15/AR10 Ex-Performance Adjustable Stock - Mil-Spec from AT3 Tactical. Free Shipping on Orders Over $99!

www.at3tactical.com

What do you grease? I see CPL has a grease, but I'm not sure anything that I've read says to grease anything. Thanks!

mobil 1 synthetic pink grease and oil.



Second half of the video

I use dabs of grease using a q-tip in the trigger assembly and along the rails of the bolt. Then dip said bolt into a jar of full synth mobil 1 oil. Take out and let it drip until it stops. Then put it back together. The dust cover will show some grease in it like the old putting grease in ball joint nipples. Yes I said it. Lol. Not much. It is called running it wet.

This is what I do. I also do not clean every time I shoot. To me like changing oil after driving to the store. Again, that is me. .22s you do need to clean more than regular ARs