Ruger 10/22 Machine Guns

[Timthinker]

No doubt, some of our members have watched internet video clips of individuals shooting fully automatic Ruger 10/22 rifles. After viewing some of these clips, I thought a discussion about the legality and practicality of these weapons might prove interesting. So, please consider the following questions carefully. Are these weapons legal? If so, what is the estimated cost to convert a 10/22 into a legal machine gun? Are such conversions very durable since the 10/22 was not designed as a machine gun? How accurate are the various conversions?

I hope this inquiry will spark a stimulating discussion about this fascinating subject. Please feel free to post any relevant information that will contribute to our understanding of this topic.


Timthinker

 

[ScottsGT]

Go to AR15.com, go to the Equipment Exchange area and look under "NFA Firearms and parts" You can buy a good used registered Norrell 10/22 trigger pack that you can build a full auto 10/22 out of. Even comes with a Krinker Plinker conversion kit to make the 10/22 look like an AK47. Only catch? $9500 plus the $200 tax and transfer fees from your FFL.
I'm sure there are non legal ways to make them, but I don't care to know about them, and this is The High Road.

 

[Bill2e]

What about the 10/22 "gatling gun converstions" They say they are legal, but i would have concerns.

They sure look fun, but I see no need to mess with the BATF.

 

[12Bravo20]

They are legal if you can pass the criminal background check, jump through all the hoops and pay the $200 transfer tax. a full-auto .22 rifle is good for getting people familiar with shooting on auto. As far as I know, the Gatling gun design is not considered a modern machine gun by law since it uses a crank that is operated by hand and it doesn't change how a rifle fires.

 

[GE-Mini-Gun]

...Are these weapons legal? If so, what is the estimated cost to convert a 10/22 into a legal machine gun? Are such conversions very durable since the 10/22 was not designed as a machine gun? How accurate are the various conversions? ...

More than likely the guns are legal, if not those people are STUPID. 10/22's can no longer be converted, unless for government, state or other qualified agencies. The Norrell trigger packs mentioned above are arguably the most durable of all the .22 machine guns and more reliable. I shoot with a guy that has one and it shoots just as good as my semi-auto one. The only thing that gets changed is the bolt and some of the trigger/lower receiver parts. Thanks to the 1986 ban on the civilian sale and manufacture of machine guns the cost has and will continue to go up, legally converted 10/22's go from $8500 and up, they are particular about the magazines more so than ammo. If you have the money I would get one...but LOTS of ammo.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

What about the 10/22 "gatling gun converstions" They say they are legal, but i would have concerns.

The Gatling Gun conversions are legal with no paperwork because you are not modifying the action to shoot full auto. It is basically a crank that trips the trigger as fast as you can turn it, but maintains the semi-auto resetting trigger action.

 

[ScottsGT]

Just don't put a motorized action on a Gatling gun! That's a No No with the BATFE.

 

[Timthinker]

I appreciate all the replies so far, especially the responses from ScottsGT and GE-Mini-Gun. The big legal point that puzzled me was the 1986 ban on the production of machine guns. The Rugers I saw in the videos did not appear to be that old, so I wondered how they were legal in light of that manufacturing ban. Purchasing pre-ban trigger packs is the solution to that mystery. I did not realize those packs had passed the $8000 dollar mark! Thanks again for the replies and please feel free to contribute anything else about this subject.


Timthinker

 

[LiquidTension]

I believe the trigger packs are $9k new from Norrell at the moment.

.22 is great for full auto because you can shoot it all day long and not break the bank. I'm waiting on Richard Lage to finish his .22 conversion for the Max-11. I'm #135 on the waiting list. It'll be a year or more before he gets that far.