Question about Ruger 10/22 receiver pin

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SuedePflow

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So, my father's 10/22 just recently started acting up. He's only had it for a few months and put only 100 rounds through it and all of the sudden, he could no longer lock the bolt open.

So I disassembled it this afternoon. I assumed the problem was in the trigger group even though everything appeared to be fine. I disassembled it and reassembled it. Upon reinstalling the trigger group back into the receiver, I discovered the real problem. I found the large pin at the rear of the receiver lodged in there crooked and it was preventing the bolt from reaching full travel.

Upon further inspection, it appears that the pin is somehow way too short. The receiver measures 1.256" wide, while the pin is only 1.011" long. When the pin is flush on one side of the receiver, below is how it looks/fits.

What's going on here?


20131220_013446_zps1aed5608.jpg
 
That is indeed the Bolt Stop pin and is way too short. It should be flush on both sides of the receiver and is held in place by the stock. Looks like a too short pin was installed that may have been ok until it drifted out of position under fire.

If this is a new gun (or even if not), contact Ruger. They will probably just send you a new pin.
 
Is it worth it to replace the pin with some sort of buffer? Upon researching this last night, I discovered the existence of these buffers and I'm considering one of those instead of a replacement steel pin.
 
Well, I just got off the phone with Ruger customer service. The gentleman I spoke with was very nice and very helpful. He said it's happened before that the pin gets cut too short. He's mailing out two replacements today. Two thumbs up for Ruger's customer service!

I also added two Volquartsen poly buffers on my MidwayUSA order today. I'm going to try those first and see how they perform. And I'll soon have a proper length steel pin just in case the poly buffer doesn't pan out.
 
Thumbs up to Ruger customer service, thimbs dows to Ruger quality control. Sounds like your set for life on bolt stop pins.
 
JRH6856 said:
Thumbs up to Ruger customer service, thumbs dows to Ruger quality control. Sounds like your set for life on bolt stop pins.
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Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. How on earth did that go unnoticed during the initial assembly? Must have been a Monday...
 
I'll be surprised if you notice any diffeence between the 2 styles of pins,but i won't hurt to try it and see. I could tell no differrence. Let us know what you think. How does a machine that is most likely cnc cut pins short often enuff that they know of the problem. ? weird.
 
How does a machine that is most likely cnc cut pins short often enuff that they know of the problem. ?
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My first thought is that the process is designed to cut a given number of pins from a given length of rod stock and the rod is occasionally just a little too short.
 
Either way, but if the machine is programmed to cut 100 pins, and the rod is short, the 100th would be short. If the rod were too long, the 100th would be correct and the rest of the rod would be scrap. Of course, that doesn't mean the scrap couldn't get mixed with the pins. ;)
 
Is it worth it to replace the pin with some sort of buffer? Upon researching this last night, I discovered the existence of these buffers and I'm considering one of those instead of a replacement steel pin.
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I've had three 10/22s, including one made in 1965. Only my current one has ever had a "bolt buffer" (delrin bolt stop) and that's because the buffer was already installed when I took possession of it.

When I last cleaned the 49 year old rifle (just before trading back to my dad for the current rifle), the bolt stop pin had some bluing wear, but no damage or deformation of the pin or it's matching receiver holes.

The only two effects I've noticed with the buffer equipped rifle over one with the factory steel pin, are the lack of the metallic "Clack" of the bolt hitting the stop pin, and the buffered rifle seems to cycle just a tiny bit slower (bolt has a longer "dwell" at the rear of it's stroke)
 
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When a company wants to increase production, it puts on more shifts, which means it hires more people, all of whom will be inexperienced and at least some of whom won't give a d**n. Eventually, the ones who care learn and the ones who don't are weeded out, but in the meantime....

Jim
 
The only difference you will notice between the factory steel pin and the after market poly/whatever ones is the lack of the "clank" noise when the bolt hits the steel one. Otherwise the performance is the same. If you wear hearing protection as you should you won't notice any difference at all.
 
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