10/22 stovepipe problems

[blamgun]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if they've experienced Ruger 10/22 extraction problems, and the solution? I recently purchased a standard Ruger 10/22 carbine. Right out of the box, about one or two out of every 10 rounds I fired stovepipe jams. I disassembled, thoroughly cleaned the gun, and tried again with no luck. I also tried different magazines (aftermarket), and fired single shot without the magazine with the same result.

I disassembled a second time, and removed the bolt. Needless to say, I'm not too impressed with the stock extractor. I placed a round in the bolt to check extractor clearance, and the extractor hook isn't even close to the the rim. I suspect this may be causing the problem.

I've ordered an aftermarket extractor (Volquartsen) I'd like to try. Has anyone else tried this solution? If so, please let me know if it solved your problem.

 

[1911Tuner]

Stovepipe FTE

Howdy blamgun. Welcome to the forum.

It's possible that the ammunition is to blame, if you're using
some of the bargain-basement stuff. Winchester Wildcat
produces a lot of odd-sounding reports, and obviously there's
some variation in the power levels. Underpowered ammo will cause
short-cycle malfunctions in a recoil or blowback design.

Beofre ya get too involved in your searchfor a mechanical cause, try a different brand of ammo.

If that diesn't nail your bug, and nobody else comes up with a suggestion
here, I'll move this one over to Rifle Country.

Luck!

Tuner

 

[blamgun]

Hi Tuner,

I've tried several different types of ammo. Winchester Wildcat, Winchester Dynapoint, CCI Blazer, and CCI MINI MAG. The problem persists with all types of ammo, slightly less with the CCI MINI MAG. This is probably due to the increased power and higher likelihood of completely cycling the action. It still malfunctions too often for my liking.

I've heard good things about the 10/22, and I fully expected it to work reliably straight out of the box. Ruger has been manufacturing this gun for 40 years..you would think the bugs would have been worked out by now! Maybe that's why there's such a prolific aftermarket for these guns. I owned a Marlin and Winchester .22 semi auto and I don't remember those guns malfunctioning nearly this much.

BTW, a year or so ago I bought a new Springfield Mil-Spec 1911. It's a great gun...lots of fun to shoot, reliable.

 

[1911Tuner]

re: Ammo No Problemo

Howdy blamgun,

Sounds like you might have an extractor problem. If it's a new rifle,
try locking the bolt to the rear for a day or two to let the spring take a
set and see if that helps...If that doesn't help, it's probably the extractor.

Movin' this'un to Rifle Country. Some of those lads will likely point ya in the right direction.

Luck!

Tuner

 

[Sisco]

How many rounds through it? Break it in with high velocity ammo. A bunch of it.
more hints here: www.rimfirecentral.com

 

[G.I.Jew]

I remember my 10/22 having a lot of stovepipes during the first 500 or so rounds. Put a brick of high-velocity or even Stingers through it to break it in.

 

[WhiteKnight]

As was suggested above, 500+ rounds of HV ammo and an aftermarket (Clark worked for me) extractor should clear up 99.99% of your stovepipes.

 

[ShaiVong]

I don't think breaking in will do it..

I have the EXACT same problem that you do blam. I couldnt get through a 10 round factory mag without at least 4-8 stove pipes. Ive put about 3000 rounds through it so far, and now I can get through a mag with only about 2-4 stove pipes. The extractor sucks.

That VQ extractor should do the trick; or if your mechanically inclined there is instructions over at rimfirecentural at how to heat your stock extractor, pound it back into correct clearance and reharden it.

Me, im just so dang lazy I get the chance to curse Ruger 2-4 times every mag.

My 10/22 is one of the reasons why I may never buy a Mini 14/30. Both guns have the exact same things in common: Obvious and annoying bugs that could be fixed at the factory, but for some unfathomable reason they arent. Maybe they just don't give a crap over at Ruger?

 

[Pappy John]

The Volquartzen extractor may help you out. It was one of the first mods to my 10/22, and while mine didn't have near the problem you have, it took a gun that jammed maybe once per hundred with high velocity ammo, to almost never.

But there's some free things you can do to increase the freedom of movement of the bolt during the firing cycle so that it doesn't 'short stroke' on you, which can lead to the same type of jam.

Next time you have the bolt out of the reciever, go over the inside of the reciever with a piece of Scotch-Brite or some steel wool. This will remove any micro-burrs from the reciever casting which might be interfering with bolt travel.

Also its pretty easy to further round off the rear of the bolt where it contacts and cocks the hammer during cycling. This increases the mechanical advantage of the bolt against the hammer spring tension, making it easier for the bolt to cock the gun.....also helping to fight the 'short stroke'.

After doing both these simple tricks I can even run sub-sonic stuff all day without a hitch. And I never had to mess with any spring tensions to do it.

 

[jobu07]

Hmm... this talk of micro-burrs and steel wool urged me to grab a pad of steel wool and the ol' 10/22. I took your advice, stripped'er down and gave the micro-burrs a piece of my mind. I'll have to go shooting over the weekend and see how it works! No more jams for me!

 

[Sactown]

My NIB 10/22 used to jam like crazy with stovepipes. I replaced the extractor with the Volq unit and the stovepipes went away. It's most likely the extractor. I've replaced the Ruger extractor on my 10/22 and MKIIs (they used to jam a lot too) with Volq units.

 

[WhiteKnight]

ShaiVong - I'm mechanically challenged (read 'nearly incompetent') but I got the aftermarket extractor in without trouble. It honestly wasn't that hard either = eliminated stovepipes.

 

[blamgun]

I'd like to thank everyone for their helpful suggestions. Last week, I ordered a few choice pieces from Rimfire Sports and Custom. Saturday afternoon, my greatly anticipated package arrived, and I installed the Volq extractor, as well as an extended magazine release, bolt buffer, and auto bolt release. I also installed a 4X Bushnell rimfire scope.

Sunday morning, I grabbed the 10-22, two 30 round Eagle pre-ban mags, and a couple bricks of ammo and headed out to my favorite shooting range. I set my target out 50 yards and started blasting away... I was very pleased with the results.

Stovepipes are nearly a thing of the past. Out of an entire brick of low buck ammo (Winchester Wildcat), I had maybe 4 stovepipes. Previously, it was at least one or two stovepipes per 10 round magazine! I would also highly recommend a bolt buffer. The gun shoots much softer with less vibration, making it easier to acquire the target for follow-up shots. My groupings were tighter as well. The extended magazine release and auto bolt release also a great improvement...I don't need 3 hands to release the bolt or my fingertips to pick out the stock 10 round rotary magazine. I push the release catch and the mag just falls out!

I spent a nice afternoon sighting in, plinking, and knocking a few pesky starlings out of the trees along the creek where I like to shoot. I'd nearly forgotten how fun .22 plinking was! Highly recommended!

 

[gaven]

send it back to ruger i had a pistol that was 2 years out of warranty and
sent it back they fixed it for free and i had it back in 2 weeks