Ruger 10/22 Transformation

[wally]

I must be getting old, changing ideas as to what is fun

Started with this, Ruger 10/22 with Muzzlelyte Bullpup Stock:

Had plenty of fun with it blasting away with her over the years. The 50 round "conveyor belt" mags while generally reliable feeders, are a PITA to load. I just don't have the time to drive to my friends ranch where I can blast away to my hearts content, so I decided to convert her to something more conventional.

Added a "Target Sports" fluted bull barrel ($99.99), Hogue overmold stock ($49.99), and Weaver 10/22 mount base ($4.99) all from CDNN, and a 4-16x40 mildot BSA scope ($59.95) from Natchez. I had the rings.

As you can see from the target it does quite well. Wind was 5-20 mph gusting about 45-60 degrees from the line I was shooting. Group is 10 shots Wolf match (~$3.60/box of 50) at 50 yrds off sandbags. I did my best to wait for calm moments but all ten shots were done in under five minutes.

I guess all that blasting as a bullpup really smoothed up the trigger as I see no need to do a trigger job as it shoots right now. The bullpup "slider" mechanism really hid how good this trigger had become.

--wally.

 

[flip180]

Great looking rifle

It's simple and beatifull at the same time. I'm am on the verge on deciding to get a 10/22 for the gun case and for cheap range time. I really don't have plans to modify it being that I have a Remmy .223 VLS for my target shooting need but the more I look at modified 10/22's the more I have to fight doing stuff to it once I get it.

Flip

 

[George S.]

I fell into the 10/22 trap a couple of years ago. It started inncoently enough by looking for a plinker but I discovered the Rimfire Central Forum http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/ Now, my Wally World 10/22 has a 20" Green Mountain SS fluted .920 barrel, Boyds thumbhole stock, Power Custom trigger group and custom install and fitting by a local shop, and assorted scopes and bases to use depending on what distance I want to shoot.

Even with off-the-shelf ammo like Winchester DynaPoints, it shoots 3/4" groups at 50yds off a wooden block rest.

 

[recondoc]

I looked into the Muzzlelite stocks but was thouroghly unimpressed by the plastic look and feel of them. I found this little company though and am in the process of putting together their bullpup design.
www.bullpup22.50megs.com
Solid build from aluminum.
Doc

 

[Bigfoot]

"I found this little company though and am in the process of putting together their bullpup design.
www.bullpup22.50megs.com
Solid build from aluminum.
Doc"

Make sure to post the results Doc. I'll be interested in hearing how that trigger linkage feels.

Nice looking gun and target Wally. Hope I didn't jack your thread.

 

[Third_Rail]

That looks much better than the MuzzleLite stock! Almost the same price, too...

 

[homeka45]

Definite improvement in looks and an impressive grouping on that target. I like it.

 

[wally]

I think threads evolve, instead of get hijacked.

How much is the Bullpup22 stock kit? Muzzlelite is ~$95 at present. I got mine at a gun show pre-assembled for less than the price of Walmart's cheapest 10/22 + ~$80 they sold for about ten years ago. Had fun blasting with it, but decided to move on.

So far I'm thrilled by the new barrel, stock and scope. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try more ammo brands and see if any do better, or nearly as good at a lower price. Much more useful with my current shooting arrangements. OTOH, I can put back the old barrel and bullpup stock in about 30 minutes if I should ever feel the need.

Bullpups will never win any accuracy contests because the trigger linkage degrades the pull. The Muzzlelite stock is flimsy without the gun in it, but once it clamps around the 10/22 reciever it stiffens up a lot. After taking it apart, I'd never had bought it as a stand alone stock -- it does feel "cheep". OTOH current ones could be better or worse that what I got back then.

--wally.

 

[recondoc]

OK,
Here's the latest info from an official Dixie owner now.
My stock came in the mail yesterday so I selflesly sacrificed my evening assembling it. To start I should add that my kit is one of the old style LP3s that was purchased second hand from another guy.
When this sucker is assembled, it has the feel of a Louieville Slugger. No rattle or wiggle. It just feels rock solid.
As for the trigger: I had installed adjustable sear and trigger stop screws in my action but had to back them out in order to get everything working.

Doc

 

[wally]

It Wasn't Luck!

Shooting conditions were close to perfect today so I took out the converted 10/22 and tried a variety of ammo with it.

For every 10-shot string I loaded 11 and shot the first "fouling shot" at a different target. Range was 50 yrds, off sandbags, I used what targets I had on hand


Target on the left:

#1 is Federal Champion about $7 a brick of 500, I shot a second 10-shot string of this as the last group of the day after getting some better than the first group on a different target. But for cheap ammo this is the one to buy for this gun! I've heard people claim that if you sort by rim thickness you can improve the groups of the cheap stuff -- not that I'd have time to try.

#2 is Remington Thunderbolt, about $8.50 a brick.

#3 is Remington bulk pak "golden bullet" about $8.50 a box of 525 rnds. These jammed up the magazine, group might have been better as I was getting frustrated by "click" remove mag, bang in on the bench re-insert about every second or third shot. I'd heard this ammo and 10/22 rotary mag often don't get along.

#4 is CCI Mini-Mag, about $2.25 a box of 50. These were perhaps the biggest dissapointment considering the groups size and price.

#5 is CCI Green Box Target, about $8 per 100.


Target on the right:

Compares Wolf Match about $7 per 100 with the CCI Green box target ammo. This gun really likes the Wolf match ammo! I shot the same bottom left clockwise rotation center last, as I did the first target and started adjusting the zero of the BSA scope after I decided that Wolf looks like the one. Clicks seemed to move the POI about as advertized (1/8" at 100 yrds). I think I did 6 clicks down and three click left after #3 and then another 3 clicks left after #4. Not bad for a cheap scope. I also shot some nice groups with Federal Champion with the zoom at 4X and while the sight alignment can't be as good as it was at 16x I've no evidence to support a claim of POI shift with zoom -- again very good for a cheap scope.


All things considered, I'm thrilled by what my ~$210 bought me in converting this old 10/22.

The Dixie bullpup looks much better than the Muzzlelite, but the trigger looks a good bit further foreward. How much does it cost?

--wally.

 

[recondoc]

Nice groups Wally,
My next 10/22 is going to be a heavy barrel type set up for squirrel shooting.
The Dixie runs around $185 in the LP4 (heavy barrel) setup and I'm not too sure about the regular. I got mine off of ebay from someone who had broken the front end off of it. (he described it as a "hairline crack that had been repaired.) I tried fixing it with JB weld but it didn't hold. The guys at Dixie are making me a custom 7.5" tube style front end that will come out to the front sight band.
Doc

 

[Bigfoot]

The Dixie bullpup looks much better than the Muzzlelite, but the trigger looks a good bit further foreward.

I noticed the LOP of the black stocked rifles on Dixies new site look shorter than the green ones like Docs, methinks they did a little Photoshop to make the barrels look longer and balancing the gun out. Both stocks have to keep the lenghts over 26" so I see why they have that space in back, but I agree that they should move the grip back as far as possible. I'd cut an inch or so off the back to make the LOP shorter and add a 20" barrel.

 

[k31]

For the Mini-14? Yup, but...........
In a nutshell, you must replace all internal plastic parts with steel duplicates. (Not hard to do)
Cut away top of carry handle and the useless front sight, sandwich the carry handle between two steel drilled and tapped plates, mount a Weaver rail on top and you have a (not very light magazine loaded) 9 pound bullpup with a trigger pull no better or worse than any bullpup on the market.



Note steel trigger which is a machined part of the slide.



Pro-Point mounted on steel Weaver rail.

I did not disassemble to photograph the innards as the sight system on the Weaver rail clamps both halves of the stock together. The rifle is sighted in and I'd have to do it all over again if I take it apart, and that's probably the only disadvantage.... other than that the setup is quick and accurate.

P