Floating a 10/22

[ShaiVong]

Ok. So I'm saving up for a .925" barrel for my 10/22, but i dont want to wait THAT long to increase my accuracy a lil.

This is my question:

I have a SS sporter version with the tapered barrel and plastic furnature. It looks as if the only places that the barrel is touching the stock is on the sides, and at the very end, where there is supposed to be a barrel band.

If i remove the band, and sand down the sides and end of the stock so that it doesnt come into contact with the barrel at any point, do you think it will tighten my groups at all? or should i just stop being a wierdo and wait untill i get my .925 and freefloated hogue stock?

Seems like it would only take 5min of sanding, although i have never done it before.

Look another line!

 

[444]

Check out this forum for your 10/22 questions: http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/

I don't know a lot about 10/22s but I have read a little about this subject. As I recall there are two objections to floating the barrel on a 10/22. #1 the action is aluminum and may crack from supporting the weight of the barrel. #2 it has been reported that after extensive experimentation that the 10/22 shoots better with a pressure pad near the end of the barrel. In other words the stock placing upward pressure on the end of the barrel. The guys at that forum listed above can definitely give you the real answer. If I am not mistaken, the owner of that board is a member here as well.

 

[Owen]

to float a rifle...

You need a plastc bag, and at least a cubic foot of Styrofoam

Before oput the fat barrel on my 10/22, I took off the barrel band, and sanded the stack away from the barrel. That seemed to work pretty well.

Owen

 

[RTownsend]

You could always try it. All rifles are different and react differently. I have saw one 10/22 that shot extremely well all factory with only the band removed.

Check out rimfirecentral for sure.

The standard Hogue stock is not designed free float. I love the feel of my A&B and Hogue combo from Midway. I shot 10 into .633" at 50 yds. with it the other day with the Federal Value Pack ammo from Wal-Mart.

 

[ShaiVong]

Are you sure RT? I'm pretty sure that you can order your Hogue Overmolded stock from Hogue pre-freefloated, for the .925

 

[hksw]

If you're going to replace the stock anyways for the .925, why not just try it out and see for yourself?

 

[RTownsend]

ShaiVong,

I am not sure of hardly anything anymore. I do know that my stock came with a card that says in general that free floated barrels are best but with the heavy barrel on the aluminum action, it is recommended to slightly pressure bed the forward end of the bull barrel. It shows the two pressure pads in the stock that can be either added to or sanded away to float or bed the barrel.

The three or four Hogue stocked 10/22's that I have handled have all had the stock touching the barrel on the left side and floated on the right side. Mine does this also but I am happy with the way the rifle shoots so I have little reason to work on the stock.

Like the others said I would tinker with your rifle and see if you can find a combination of cheap or free mods that make the thing perform. There is nothing like doing work yourself and seeing the results. It would also be cool the out shoot a HB 10/22 with the sporter barrel and factory stock.

If you haven't already the first thing I would start with would be the trigger mods. I used a Volquartsen hammer and did the JB Weld trick from rimfirecentral. I also added a trigger stop screw.

You will want to do these with or without a HB and it may improve your shooting to a level that you are happy with without the expense of the new barrel and stock.

Good Luck
Keep us informed with your progress

 

[JohnKSa]

Spoke with a fellow who builds high-dollar custom 10-22 rifles. He noted that free-floating bbls on these rifles generally resulted in poorer accuracy. He recommended putting a small felt furniture pad in the forward end of the stock to put upward pressure on the barrel at that point.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I know a couple of people who get FANTASTIC accuracy out of .22s with fully bedded barrels and actions...

Apparently for some reason .22s don't mind having the barrel bedded.

 

[John Galt]

As to weight, how about using a carbon fiber barrel? I have a custom 10/22 with carbon fiber barrel and a barrel that comes no where near touching the stock. It shoots under 1/2" easilly. My stock cost way too much, but I have an idea for one almost as cool for about $100. Email me if you want my ideas.
This rifle only weighs a couple pounds!
Mine has the expensive barrel from Magnum Research, not a cheap imitation.
- My other 10/22 is 100% custom and uses a stainless action and stainless barrel. It shoots under .2" 10 shot at 50yds.

 

[ShaiVong]

Thats a BEAUTIFUL 22.



Why do many custom guns have the barrel completely free floated like John G's, and yet I keep hearing from many different sources that upward pressure is good on a .22 barrel? Is the freefloating just good for carbon fiber? (OMG those are such awesome looking barrels).

 

[Gewehr98]

Did you read 444's explanation above?

To recap - .920" bull barrels, in steel or stainless, need some support to ease stresses on the aluminum receivers of the 10/22. That's a pretty heavy cantilever to leave in care of an interference fit and an allen screw/wedge block without some help, either in the form of a partial barrel bedding, or a complete barrel bedding, or a pressure point somewhere in the barrel channel.

Carbon fiber barrel? Not quite the weight, so not quite the problem.

There's also the steel 10/22 receivers, as sold by Volquartsen and AMT. The barrels thread into these receivers, so they're solid in both composition and interface.

As a stong proponent of totally free-floating centerfire rifle barrels, I wasn't ready to admit that barrel bedding of a .920" steel 10/22 barrel was the way to go. Turns out, it was, at least in my rifle's case:

 

[JohnKSa]

Carbon fiber barrels are lighter and also stiffer. They will probably behave totally different from steel barrels.