New to 10/22's, trigger upgrades?

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MyRoad

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I just got my first 10/22, its actually a "Charger" but I believe all of the mechanical elements are the same. My understanding is that most if not all of the parts on 10/22s can be upgraded.

How difficult is it to upgrade the trigger group? How expensive? I'm not looking for anything too fancy, just something light and *crisp* -- a decent target trigger.

Any suggestions?

(p.s. sorry if this has been discussed, I tried to do search but the search function was not working for me, pages just came up blank)
 
Difficult? Insanely easy if you buy a complete drop-in trigger group. Volquartsen or something is a hot name in that market.
 
You can swap out the hammer with a Volquartsen hammer for around $35, reportedly dropping the trigger pull to around 3 pounds.
You can get an entire trigger assembly, trigger housing included from them for around 200 bucks. Hammer and sear combo is around 70.
I have the hammer on order, so I can't give you any personal experience with it.
 
I have the $35 volquartsen hammer and although I do not have a gauge I would say my pull is now less than 3 lbs. I installed it the very first time I ever took my 10/22 apart. I added a extended mag release and bolt release and the whole job took me less than 35 minutes.
If you have experience it could be done much faster. I'm just getting into 10/22s so make sure to go to Rimfire Central (google it) for everything you could ever hope for that is rimfire related.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. I just purchased this gun, haven't even had the chance to take it to the range yet. I put on a Burris 2-7x handgun scope I had (that came off of a different project), and the scope is crisp and clear enough that just dry firing while aiming at objects in the backyard, I can tell the gun is moving slightly, and I know from my experience that a better trigger would minimize that.

The Charger seems to be a neat mini-rifle, or big pistol, depending on how you look at it (legally its a pistol). I've read in forums where folks who own these and a standard 10/22 say the Charger is as or more accurate than their rifle. So far in just playing with it, I'd say the bipod it comes with is a little on the cheap side. This shows up because when I tighten it, it shifts off of its center position on the stock, making the scope crosshairs seem tilted. Odd, but I suppose I can get used to it.

Some time after the ice melts and I can get out of my driveway, I'll play with it a bit at the range and dial in the scope. After actually firing it I'll decide if I want to drop $200 on a trigger group -- but that kind of solution is what I'm looking for.

I'm not sure I'm ready for "Rimfire Central" just yet... this may sound odd, but I have enough hobbies and I'm not sure I want to get that into 22's!
 
If you can resist then by all means do so..since my first visit there my 10/22 got the hammer/mag release/bolt release, 4-16x scope, bipod and the stock and barrel are on the way...with the silencer coming with my tax return.:eek:
 
My experience

There is a gunsmith named Vince Heir in Belgrade, MT that did a custom Match Trigger job for me on my 10/22 a few years ago. I actually won an auction on eBay for him to do the job. Boy was I thoroughly impressed with his work. I recommended him to a buddy of mine and he sent his 10/22 to Mr. Heir and he was also impressed with the job. The job cost $60 (included return shipping) back in April of 2006. If you are interested, send me a PM and I'll give you his email address. Just not sure posting his personal address would be too smart on a public site.
 
I installed a PowerCustom hammer, very easy, no weird springs or shims or anything, drops right in and put my trigger pull right around 3lbs.
Two other VERY worthwhile investments are a bolt buffer and an extended mag release. Again, very cheap and very easy but make a huge difference.
 
If you've got the money a Kid trigger is the best.
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It's amazing how these things work, that trigger cost as much as I paid for gun itself. Its good to know though, and if that doesn't seem "justified" I can always revert back to some of the DIY approaches that were mentioned.

I'm new to .22's, and so far their 'fun factor' has not really taken hold of me. But we'll see, maybe this gun will open that door.

(as a side note, I also recently purchased a PLR-16, and next time I go to the range I'll be taking that and the Charger. That should be an interesting juxtaposition.)
 
I installed a PowerCustom hammer...drops right in and put my trigger pull right around 3lbs.
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Kymasabe -- the trigger weight would be better a lb. or two lighter, but I'm more concerned with the creep and grittiness. Will the hammer also smooth it out or make it more 'crisp'? I'll look for the other parts you mention, they sound useful too.
 
My understanding is that most if not all of the parts on 10/22s can be upgraded.
Click to expand...

At this point, if you really wanted to - you could build a custom 10/22 that doesn't contain a single genuine Ruger component. The 10/22 seems to be one of the easier custom-build rifles out there, and certainly one of the cheaper ones. Barrels can be had for far more reasonable prices - even some exotic style stocks can be added pretty cheap (http://www.rifle-stocks.com/silhouette.htm)

The charger looks interesting - I bet there's some fun stuff you could do customizing one of those.
 
I'm new to .22's, and so far their 'fun factor' has not really taken hold of me. But we'll see, maybe this gun will open that door.
Click to expand...

IMHO - the "fun factor" is directly correlated to the realization of other factors. When you realize how much ammo you can burn through, how fast you can burn through it, how easy it is to shoot, and most importantly how cheap it is - then it's fun. That last part is a big key to it.
 
and most importantly how cheap it is
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That's the part that is starting to sound funny to me -- people get into .22's because the ammo is cheap... and then they spend hundreds of dollars upgrading their guns! :D
It may start out cheap, but it doesn't always stay that way.
 
That's the part that is starting to sound funny to me -- people get into .22's because the ammo is cheap... and then they spend hundreds of dollars upgrading their guns!
It may start out cheap, but it doesn't always stay that way.
Click to expand...

lol - true.
But - look at it this way, if you end up with a $700 custom 10/22, that's just hitting the entry point of a base level "real" rifle and scope combo. Now factor in ammo - and it is a pretty big cost difference. You also don't *have* to spend that money all at once. You can shoot around with it, and as time goes on upgrade a piece or two at a time. Where as with a bigger-caliber rifle, it's all up-front cost.
 
On the 10/22 trigger group, installing an aftermarket adjustable sear (the ones with the setscrew) will let you take out the creep before the trigger breaks, installing an aftermarket hammer will give you a lighter trigger break, and installing an aftermarket trigger with an overtravel stop will let you take out the trigger movement after the trigger breaks. Three phases of trigger action, three parts to fix.

The grittiness in the factory trigger will smooth out with use, but it sure won't get any lighter.

Most of my 10/22s just have aftermarket hammers. A two or three pound pull is fine with me, even with some movement.
 
The grittiness in the factory trigger will smooth out with use
Click to expand...

That seems to be the case on a lot of rugers that I've experienced over the years (mostly handguns). You first get 'em, and they feel almost unfinished and rough around the edges a bit. After some shooting, they really get smoother and take on a more refined feel.
 
MyRoad
Check this guy out. He works over your oem parts and the results are more than satisfactory. Plus he is close by.

On the 10/22 trigger group, installing an aftermarket adjustable sear (the ones with the setscrew) will let you take out the creep before the trigger breaks, installing an aftermarket hammer will give you a lighter trigger break, and installing an aftermarket trigger with an overtravel stop will let you take out the trigger movement after the trigger breaks. Three phases of trigger action, three parts to fix.
Click to expand...

You can do all this yourself if you enjoy working on firearms. The cost of the set screws is not much. It does take some special tooling.
 
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The Volquartsen hammer alone will give you what you want, 500 or so rounds with that hammer ( allows it to wear in) installed will eliminate the rough feeling and the creep will become unnoticable.
Installing the VQ hammer lightens the triggers from 8-10 lbs to about 2-3lbs instantly.

The hammer and the bolt release pack are about $42 shipped from Midway The bolt release is nice for an extra $5.

I have VQ hammers in all 4 of my 10/22's The biggest difference you can make in shootability besides a good scope/ red dot.
 
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