10/22 experts - ESSENTIAL upgrades, prices, sources, opinions

[Motega]

There are just too many options, too many opinions, and too many threads to sift through without devoting a significant portion of this weekend to get to the bottom line.

It seems that the law of diminishing returns is VERY clear when it comes to the 10/22. Spending hundreds or even 1000 dollars to squeeze out the last atom of performance from this platform is not my goal.
I'd like to know what has the most drastic effect on accuracy and performance for my money. Also, I'm not very mechanically inclined so any upgrades involving modifications would have to be done by a gunsmith and we are in VERY VERY VERY short supply of them around here. I need super simple things I can do myself without drilling or using anything more complicated than hand tools.

Also, of no small consideration are upgrades that are going to make cleaning and care easier such as something that will hold the action open and improve ergonomics.
Basically I'd like match-level performance so I can eventually compete - I don't need a world-class rig for this, the shooters I'd be up against would probably be using modestly upgraded equipment.

So if you please, give me your best advice on what brand and where to purchase.

Here are my assumptions, please help me out :

1) Barrel- I assume this is the place to start. What should I be looking for and who has good prices- ALSO is there gunsmithing involved in most barrel upgrades or is it easy for someone not mechanically inclined to do?

2) Trigger, action, or both? Again, who would you recommend I buy from and does this require any gunsmithing?

3) I do NOT really want to change the stock, I bought this gun when I worked at a sporting goods store and sifted through literally hundreds until I found a stock I liked, I'm not about to change it.

4)Magazines- does a high quality magazine affect performance as far as how it is going to feed and seat the next round or does this not matter?

5) Please give me a clue about anything I can add to make the annoying ergonomics of the way that lever to hold open the action works. It's a 2 handed operation now and I hate it! So anything that will improve the operation of ANY of the controls would be appreciated!

6) What about springs and internal parts- better to start messing with this or just buy a whole new improved action?

THANKS!!! I want to shoot this rifle more because it is fun and cheap but at this point I can shoot better than the rifle can perform and I want to at least get to the point where if I'm not hitting a lot of bulls it is because of user error and not because of inconsistency with my setup.

By the way I have owned this rifle for 15 years and I am confident that I am using the ammo it like most- I've tried just about everything so I'm all set in this dept at least (it likes RWS Match the best).

THANKS AGAIN FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO POST!!!!!!

 

[PapaG]

Basic changes include a Power or Volquartsen hammer, a recoil buffer, and a bolt release thingy...or you can modify your own. Barrels are a cinch to change, take the barrelled action out of the stock, remove two allen screws, pull the barrel. Slide in new one, put back the screws. There are replacement blocks to hold the barrel in but you don't have to have one. Problem with new barrel is the stock now won't fit. Get a rail with weaver grooves and forget the tip off ring things for scope mounting.
Midway sells kits with barrel and stock. They also have the hammer, buffer and bolt release.
I have two...a carbine with original barrel and the hammer/buffer/scope mount mods. It shoots great. I have a Ruger target with the hammer forged barrel, the hammer and buffer and a tac scope. It shoots even greater.
good luck

 

[GLShooter]

A standard profile barrel from Green Mountain.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/productdetail.aspx?id=901675

A hammer set up from Volquartsen. Open up the bolt hold open slot or buy the one from them too that lets you pull the bolt back and drop it like a center fire rifle.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=145851

Ruger mags are as good as any on the market. Forget hi caps for the rifle. Few of them are as reliable as a stock 10 rounder.

There is a 10-22 bolt hold open device for last shot fired but you have to modify the magazines. Here you go for that:
http://www.cstmtech.com/absk.html

Cleaning is a pain but you don't have to do it much. Some guys like the weed whacker method and that works very well. If you want to use a rod you have to drill the back of the receiver for rod assess and you will have to pull the action out of the stock and pull the bolt to get it clean. That's why the weed whacker line is such a good alternative.

Greg

 

[isc]

extended magazine release, folding stock, picatinny rail, Butler creek mags.

That's all I did to my most dressed up 10/22.

I've heard of alot of folks drilling the back of the reciever so that you can clean it from the direction of the chamber easier, but that seems unnecessary unless you have a special super high dollar bionic barrel. I don't.

 

[woodsoup]

More than you'll ever need or want to know...
www.reloadersnest.com/forum/default.asp

 

[flakbait]

http://www.hornetproducts.com/

This vendor sells drop in trigger assemblies which reduces the stock trigger pull weight to less than 3 lbs for $90-100. The assembly also comes with a automatic bolt release (handy) and an easier to operate mag release.

Makes shooting more fun for low $ and low effort.

 

[Joe Vaquero]

An inexpensive upgrade which quiets the rifle and saves wear on the receiver is a replacement recoil buffer pin. Takes about 30 seconds to change. I bought one off of eBay. I think the brand was Yellow Jacket.
Also, check out WhistlePig barrels and Boyd's stocks.

 

[Joe Vaquero]

An inexpensive upgrade which quiets the rifle and saves wear on the receiver is a replacement recoil buffer pin. Takes about 30 seconds to change. I bought one off of eBay. I think the brand was Yellow Jacket.
Also, check out WhistlePig barrels and Boyd's stocks. Good Luck, once you get the sickness there's no getting over it

 

[451 Detonics]

Big thumbs up for the Hornet trigger group, this is the best way to improve the trigger, while adding the bolt release amd extended magazine release. The SRTR package is the way to go http://www.hornetproducts.com/ViewProduct.asp?ModelNumber=SRTR

Ruger mags are fine

Barrel... this is the sticky spot. If you bought the higher end rifle it is easier as you can replace with a Green Mountain or Volquartzen standard contour barrel and just make sure it is free floating. If you have one of the carbine with a barrel band it is tougher. The barrel band puts pressure on the barrel which can affect accuracy. There is no reason for the barrel band to be there other than Ruger originally wanted the carbine to look like an M1 Carbine, it isn't needed to hold the barrel in place...purely cosmetic. You can put the rifle together without it and make sure the barrel is free floated the try to relieve the inside of the band enough it doesn't touch the barrel or you can replace the stock with a rifle stock like this one

http://www.hornetproducts.com/ViewProduct.asp?ModelNumber=DSP-Walnut

 

[onebigelf]

I absolutely recommend starting with the hammer upgrade. I don't think there is another option that makes as big an improvement as quickly and easily. Most of the better barrels require changing the stock as they are bull profiles. A Hogue over-mold with a barrel used to run about $150. As for mags, if you want more than the 10 rnds of the factory mag, every hi-cap mag for the 10/22 is hit or miss, some miss more than hit, except the TI.

Have you ever wondered (and cursed) about the amount of wiggle in all other 10/22 high capacity mags? A magazine should not wiggle that much in your gun, but it has to to fit... WELL NOT ANY MORE! It has been our experience that Ruger 10/22 rifles have some minor variations from one to the next which explains why one brand mag will run well in one gun and the same mag then not run in a different gun. What separates this mag from all others is the patent pending ability to micro adjust it for an exact fit in your gun for (1)FEED ANGLE, (2) FEED HEIGHT and (3) EJECTOR TO BOLT DISTANCE using the supplied 3/32" allen wrench. Four cap screws on the top of the mag that mate with your 10/22 receiver allow the mag to quickly be precision adjusted for an exact fit in your gun by minimally increasing or decreasing the individual heights of each of the cap screws (like leveling an appliance), resulting in a magazine that has minimal to no wiggle in your gun AND THAT WORKS!. The ability to quickly one time precision adjust it to your gun means that you can count on reliable feeding every time.

They run about $35, but they work. You can get something cheaper for $20-$25, but it's a false savings. If you shoot alot, avoid the plastic lipped mags at all cost. Even if they work initially, the steel bolt will wear the plastic lips. There just is no way around it.
The buffer is a great, and cheap, upgrade. The extended release is a convenient addition that really helps with mag changes, particularly if you got big paws. Fire Sights, if you like iron sights are a good upgrade, but sights are very individualistic. People like different things. If you scope it, resist the urge to go for some cheap POS. A Nikon 4x32 is worth every penny over some $30 crap scope.

Of course you could always do something really neat with it...
http://shootersdiscount.com/cart/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=1529


John

 

[mac66]

I am going to buck the tiger on this one.

IMO, the only thing you really need to do with a 10/22 if fix the bolt release so that is releases when the locked open bolt is retracted. If you buy a used 10/22 you probably will also need to replace the mag release with an extended one.

I have one of those bolt buffer things someone gave me. It rates right up there with the twisted copper bracelet to give you more energy, magnets in your shoes to give you better circulation and pills to make your penis larger.

Fancy expensive triggers don't increase accuracy, they just make the gun more comfortable to shoot.

Best bang for the buck to instantly make your rifle more accurate is to change the sights or buy a scope. Next biggest bang is to buy more ammo and magazines and shoot, shoot, shoot.

 

[benzy2]

For what you list, I think there is a very clear line of upgrades appropriate.

First would be a new trigger, well sorta. The trigger itself is fine. I would buy a PC or VQ hammer. This alone drops the pull weight to a much more pleasant range, 3-4lbs. If you have much creep in your trigger pull, an adjustable sear would be a good idea as well. The two of these runs about $60 as a combo.

From there I would get a new barrel. I like GM. Not the best, but a good buy for the money. Pick the profile and length you like most. I would also buy an Adjustable V-block. This will allow you to keep a heavier barrel from drooping, which has been seen to happen with non-adjustable V-blocks. Last I checked, GM barrels ran about $100 and the adjustable V-block was $25 or so.

From there, you can buy what you are interested in. I suggest you use Ruger magazines if possible. Many of the higher capacity magazines are poor at best. Stay away from any with plastic feed lips, at any price.

An extended mag release makes it easier to swap mags but isn't mandatory and won't make the rifle shoot better.

An auto release bolt lock is another than makes life easier but won't show up on paper.

If you like iron sights, techsights are the rage these days. Otherwise a good low power scope works well for field use and a mid power scope works well for split field/bench use.

I personally bought a new barrel and a new hammer. I have a few other bits here and there, but they weren't bought with intentions of making a better shooting rifle. If you want budget performance, the hammer/sear kit will give you a great trigger pull and the GM barrels shoot much better than factory. Others make good barrels, but most have a higher price for little to no performance gain.

 

[mac66]

In regard to magazines. Yes, stock mags are the best. Buy the best mags you can afford for what you intend to use the rifle for. If you are just interested in plinking, burning up ammo out in the woods etc, cheap high cap mags may be what you need. I've used Ramline, Butler Creek and Eagle mags. Butler Creek (BC) makes steel lipped mags as does Technical Innovations, though the TI mags are more expensive.

My experience with Ramline mags has not been good. BC steel lip mags have always worked well for me. Eagle mags are either ok or really bad. I bought one along time ago because it was cheap. With mine and the kid's 10/22s rifles (4 altogether) I needed cheap. I bought a few every year and now have about a dozen. I also have about a dozen 10 round Eagle mags. Those work for me also. In fact I shoot Appleseed with them. A lot of people hate Eagles but they all seem to work for me and I shoot 22s a lot now that I am retired.

 

[Motega]

My 10/22 DOES have the band around the barrel... does that mean I can't change the barrel without changing the stock as well? Do any of the big barrel makers make one that makes use of the band? I refuse to change the stock on this, it's very pretty birch and I spent a long time picking it out.

Is that bright red Hornet trigger PLASTIC? I know it shouldn't matter but the feel of a plastic trigger and the look of it depresses me.

 

[Magoo]

I'll offer a few thoughts:

One of the reasons the 10/22 is so popular and there are so many aftermarket parts is that it is so easy to work on. Most of the stuff available does not require a gunsmith or a particularly well tooled shop.

Rimfirecentral.com is an excellent resource for 10/22s. There are a full 9 subforums in there just for the 10/22.

Like others said, for the bolt hold open either modify your stock one (tutorials at RFC) or buy a new one for ~$10,

I think a trigger job is the most bang for your buck. Volquartzen or PowerCustom or RimfireTechnologies hammer or hammer/sear combo. I've got an all factory trigger group I've gotten down to ~4lbs pretty easily. I bought a tuned factory group that's at ~2.5lbs. I've also got a two stage KIDD trigger that's at 8oz/8oz, but those run $300.

Extended mag release is cheap if you care to change it.

Lots of aftermarket barrels available. Most, when chasing the accuracy game, are going to be bull barrels. if you don't want to modify your stock to accomadate one, there are quality tapered barrels starting north of $100. You can also have your existing barrel accurized with a new chamber (several choices there) and a target crown. That typically runs about $100.

You can have your bolt reworked for ~$40. Tuning the headspace will improve accuracy. Other things they'll do, like pinning the firing pin, radiusing, and polishing will improve reliability.

Pillaring and bedding the action isn't that hard. Intimidating at first, but really not that hard and not very spendy.

After you tinker with your rifle, play with ammo again. Hopefully you'll find something it likes that's cheaper than RWS match (most everything is).

Have fun, let us know what your plans are and how things come along.

 

[HankB]

The Volquartsen hammer brought the trigger pull on my 10/22 down to about 2 1/2 lbs, but I can detect some "creep."

Glass bedding is pretty straightforward and easy. http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250931

Polishing the bolt with various grades of sandpaper down to ~1500 grit is easy - you just need various grades of sandpaper and a surface plate. (A piece of glass will do in a pinch.)

Polishing the guide rod will make a significant improvement as well.

As already mentioned, rimfirecentral.com has a LOT of info.

Of course, even though you hand-picked a stock, you may decide to take the next step anyway . . .

 

[Magoo]

Hank- check out the "JB Weld trick" at RFC if you want to address that creep on your own on the cheap.

 

[Motega]

This was the custom stock that it came with- as I said I dug through shipment after shipment for months until I found one I liked. It may not be for everyone and I know it's probably only birch or something but I like it!
By the way does anyone know how to insert the photos full size into the thread instead of just as thumbnails?

 

[benzy2]

If you don't want to change the stock, get a GM 16.5" sporter barrel. They fit the factory stock and shoot like their bull barrel versions. They may heat up a little quicker than they heavy barrels, but they should do fine for most use and wouldn't require you to ditch the stock. It may take minor sanding to get the barrel to float the entire length, but that doesn't tend to be much of an issue.

If you don't want to have thumbnails, host the pictures on a different site like imageshack.us, then copy the direct link from them, and paste it here

 

[35 Whelen]

Help me out here....why would anyone buy any rifle with the sole intent of changing out the barrel and every moving part on the rifle? What's wrong with 10/22's just as they are? They've been around for 45+ years for a reason. If a 10/22 isn't accurate enough as-is, why not buy a different rifle that meets your accuracy criteria?

I've owned my 10/22 since about 1976. Maybe I can address some of the real issues brought for forth here.

Hi-capacity mags. I wouldn't bother. I tried some and they didn't feed anywhere as well as the factory mag, and due to their long profile, they render the rifle all but useless when shooting prone or from certain rests.
Bolt retaining lever. It is NOT a two-handed operation! To lock the bolt open, place the right side of the stock just above the trigger gaurd in your right hand. Hook the end of your thumb over the cocking lever and place your index finger on the front of the bolt retaining lever. Pull the bolt back and push back on the bottom of the retaining lever with your index finder. Release the bolt. Viola'! The bolt is locked open. To close it, pull back on the bolt with your thumb, and push up on the bottom edge of the bolt retaining lever. Release the bolt. Viola'! The bolt is now closed and you saved the expense of buying a gimmick that you really don't need.
Trigger/hammer. I will admit that initially my trigger pull left a little to be desired. So me being the inquisitive teen I was, I disassembled it and made it better. If you're not mechanically inclined, buy a new hammer or trigger. But be warned, the trigger/hammer/disconnector assembly are a little tricky to put together and take apart.
Sights. Sights too leave a little to be desired. If I were to want better sights on my 10/22, I'd likely buy a set of the Tech Sights. My 10/22 however wears an old 2 1/2X Weaver scope, so I don't need sights. Incidently I don't particularly care for a scope on a .22 LR as they are short range rifles. But I live in the country and feral dogs and cats are a huge problem. So I keep a scope on this rifle so that with a Mag-Lite I can effectively use the rifle at night. Just last week I killed two feral dogs, one of which was at night.
My 10/22 is now about 35 years old and it survived my teen years, my full-auto experimental years and years of being dragged through the woods. I'll keep mine as-is!
35W

 

[CraigC]

That's a factory carbine stock with some fiddleback figure and the barrel band will have to be removed or modified if you want accuracy.

10/22's are very easy to work on but if you need to have a gunsmith do all the work, I'd strongly suggest sending your rifle to Clark Custom for one of their conversions.

http://www.clarkcustomguns.com

Help me out here....why would anyone buy any rifle with the sole intent of changing out the barrel and every moving part on the rifle? What's wrong with 10/22's just as they are? They've been around for 45+ years for a reason. If a 10/22 isn't accurate enough as-is, why not buy a different rifle that meets your accuracy criteria?

Because a stock 10/22 doesn't shoot quarter inch groups at 50yds? The Ruger has tons of potential and some of us like building a rifle to suit our needs, rather than settling on what the manufacturers deem worthy of production. Besides, I know of ZERO autoloaders that will shoot with a modified Ruger at this price point. Those that do, are 10/22 replicas that cost twice as much as you can build one for.

Hi-capacity mags. I wouldn't bother. I tried some and they didn't feed anywhere as well as the factory mag

Those from Tactical Innovations are hands down the best on the market and on par with the factory magazines for reliability. They are also adjustable.

...you saved the expense of buying a gimmick that you really don't need.

The auto bolt release is absolutely, 100%, without a shadow of a doubt NOT a gimmick. It is easily one of the best, easiest and cheapest mods you can do to a Ruger 10/22. I prefer those from Power Custom because they are longer and serrated and easier to manipulate. Or you can spend five minutes modifying the factory part for free.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Help me out here....why would anyone buy any rifle with the sole intent of changing out the barrel and every moving part on the rifle? What's wrong with 10/22's just as they are? They've been around for 45+ years for a reason. If a 10/22 isn't accurate enough as-is, why not buy a different rifle that meets your accuracy criteria?

You took the works right outta my mouth...I'd accept the 10/22 as it is for what it is and spend the upgrade money on a new bolt gun like a CZ if I wanted to punch bullseyes.

 

[Motega]

Just by removing the band I will increase accuracy? How do I "float" the barrel, is it glued in with something?

 

[benzy2]

Help me out here....why would anyone buy any rifle with the sole intent of changing out the barrel and every moving part on the rifle? What's wrong with 10/22's just as they are? They've been around for 45+ years for a reason. If a 10/22 isn't accurate enough as-is, why not buy a different rifle that meets your accuracy criteria?

He already owns the rifle and is looking for an update. If he was to start from scratch I would agree, but it's cheaper to toss $150 worth of barrel and $30-$60 worth of trigger work than to buy a new rifle that compares.

My factory rifle shot 1/2"-1" groups at 25 yards with the stock barrel, good enough for hunting and plinking, but not enough to enjoy many of the accuracy games out there. I bought a GM "seconds" barrel for $20 and a PC hammer for $30 and a modified factory stock for another $20. For $70 I have a stock that rides the bags well, is still field capable, and shoots right at 1/4" with Federal 719 at 25 yards. I spent $170 on the carbine from WW. So $240 for a rifle that shoots well doesn't sound like a bad deal to me nor a bad upgrade for the money.

Just by removing the band I will increase accuracy? How do I "float" the barrel, is it glued in with something?

It may or may not. Typically though, they shoot better without the band touching the barrel. You can sand the inside of the band that would touch the barrel to keep interference from happening. This gives the same performance change as well as keeping the stock look.

The barrel is not glued to the stock. The stock though typically will touch at random points on the barrel. As the barrel heats up, it can apply more pressure to these random points, which tends to push shots off target. There are two generally accepted routes to go here. One is to sand the inside of the stock down so the barrel doesn't touch when cold or hot. If that is the route taken, most will bed the action and maybe the first inch or two of the barrel for support. The other option is to bed the entire stock, both at the receiver and the barrel. This supports the entire barrel evenly. This is done more on thin barrels that heat up a bunch.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with bedding, but if not, it is where you fill in between the stock and action of a rifle with a hard compound, typically an epoxy of some sort. The action will have a thin coat of a release agent applied to keep from gluing the two together when the epoxy is applied. Now, rather than having a stock that touches at a few random point you have a stock that fits tightly to the action, fits the same way each time, and supports the action well.

 

[CraigC]

You can't buy `em like this. Excellent iron sights, a 21.5" mid-weight barrel. Match accurate but not too heavy to carry afield. Perfect.



A stock that actually fits: