Ruger 10/22 Hammer Forged Heavy Barrel opinions sought

[Sven]

What sort of groups are folks getting from the stock Ruger 10/22 with the Ruger Hammer Forged barrel? Saw one today at the local store with a laminated stock... looked pretty nice.

Interesting how you can actually see how the barrel was hammered... looks like carbon fiber patterning when viewed as one would sight the gun... pretty cool.

Other configurations they had included an "International" configuration, featuring a full length Mannlicher-style stock in stainless - that also looked nice, but I will want to replace the stock eventually, so...

 

[Gewehr98]

The way I understand it...

Ruger sat up and took notice of the large aftermarket practice of ripping apart standard 10/22's, and installing heavy barrels with varmint/target stocks. Fajen, Volquartsen, Bell & Carlson, Boyd's, Power Custom, Adams & Bennett, Butler Creek, Green Mountain, Shilen, Lilja, and a host of others. Must be something to the tricked-out 10/22 HBAR, so Ruger jumped in with both feet. Hence, the hammer-forged barrel 10/22T model you saw. It's not a bad gun, nice barrel, solid laminated stock. It has the potential to save the buyer money vs. going out and assembling his own on a standard 10/22 action with aftermarket parts from the list above. But Ruger, I know you're liability conscious and all, but did you have to keep that horrible trigger in the 10/22T? (In other words, the gun isn't quite ready for itty-bitty groups right out of the box)

Sven, what price did you find that 10/22T for? If cheap enough, an aftermarket trigger, or a trigger tune-up may still be an economical alternative.

Check out this website for more answers:

www.rimfirecentral.com

 

[larryw]

C'mon, you know you want to build your own FrankenRuger, start with a cheepie used rifle or receiver and go from there. Think of it as a warm up for the M-14 project.

 

[Gewehr98]

I'll warn ya, Sven, it's addictive!

 

[BamBam-31]

I bought one, and it was quickly claimed by the GF.

She's only a casual shooter, and she always shoots 10-shot 1/2" groups at 25 yds, 10-shot 1" groups at 50 yds. Wolf ammo, the $20/brick kind (I forget if it's Target or Extra). She rapid-mashes the trigger, so I'm pretty sure the barrel is capable of better groups. I get ZERO trigger time behind MY 10/22, so don't ask me how well I'd do with it.

I hear the GM barrels are slightly more accurate, but the stock hammer forged barrel is much prettier. That counts for something when you're trying to sell the GF on shooting.

 

[dickwholliday]

i was doing the same math as you a while back....i was going to go to Wallymart to pick up a 10-22 and then trick it out.....the 10-22T i found was the best option.....i couldn't put together a gun for what i could get a "T" for........as for groups......i took mine to an indoor range and shot a group with some Eley subsonic that was basically one hole at 25 yards.......if you'd stick a #2 lead pencil in the hole you'd be making the hole bigger....i did get a smith to do a trigger job on it and i can't imagine how it could be better......other than getting a Kidd trigger......DICK

 

[Sven]

Maybe I should start with the receiver. What do you guys recommend?

 

[Sactown]

buy a cheap .22 or a receiver if you can find one. Then read a lot and start putting it together. If you're looking for a CF barrel, avoid butler creek. Look at the Volquartsen or possibly the Magnum Research CF barrels. I'm partial to Volq, because all my aftermarket parts have been Volq. I like the CF barrels because it shaves a lot of weight off. If I need a field gun, I can replace it with a Hogue overmold and I have something I can carry around all day.

 

[Sven]

I might as well start with that nice factory one and learn to shoot the darn thing before I drop so many C notes, eh? It was priced TO GO (mid 300s).

Then I have to get glass, right? Drool...

 

[Sactown]

You're definitly going to have to get a trigger job or replace the parts yourself ASAP. The stock trigger, in the words of Bill Walton, is "hooorrrrriiible".

 

[TNT]

Forget the 10/22T model and find yourself a used or new 10/22. There are stock and barrel combo's out there for a little over a $100 and get yourself a VQ hammer only "no sear" and your choice of glass and you'll be set to go.

 

[Sven]

Looks like GunTests agreed with you, back in 96 at least:

http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/oct96sturmruger.html