Would you buy a used, heavily modded 10/22?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TMann

Member
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
247
Location
Washington State, U.S.A.
Been shooting handguns for several years and have started looking to expand my horizons a bit. I am looking to buy a nice, but not super-high-end .22 rifle for target-shooting. I've been a big fan of the Ruger 10/22 ever since I was a kid and am leaning to towards getting one of those. However, I would prefer NOT to have to do a lot of modifications to get it to be an accurate shooter; I want a good shooter on day one.

At my local gunshop, there are a couple of heavily modified 10/22's in the used gun rack. Both appear to be in excellent condition and come with heavier barrels, upgraded wood stocks and scopes. Both are in the $425 range.

Given the cost of upgrading a stock 10/22, would you all purchase a usesd 10/22 that had already been upgraded? I would hate to get stuck with someone else's project failure. Any thoughts?

TMann
 
if you want an accurate shooter out of the box.....go with a savage......my mk2 shot 1 MOA out of the box.....i would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an accurate .22



that being said, if you still want a 10/22....i would buy a new one and customize it the way i wanted.........will it cost you a bit more....probably.......but not by a ton

a new 10/22 goes for what.....$250-300, a new stock will run you about $150+....misc. parts and accessories about another $75........you can have a decent shooter for around $500-600 depending on options.
 
I was faced with this decision myself (though i wanted a heavily modded one) about 1.5 years ago & went the route of buying a used rifle. I've very very happy I did! It saved me a good amount of money & is an incredible shooter.

I ended up paying around $700 for one with the following:
$200 fajen stock
$200 heavy fluted bbl
$250 leupold vx-ii (that i sold as soon as I got the rifle home)
leupold mount & rings
$250 VQ trigger group
other upgraded VQ parts (buffer, auto release, etc)
bolt jeweled by a local gunsmith

I researched the serial # and talked to the gun shop owner a lot about the rifle before I finally ponied up for it. Luckily, the seller of this one was a life-long client of this gun store & had a great reputation so I was more comfortable knowing where it had come from.

All that said, in the future, I do plan on building more for the ground up. I enjoy the project side of it but I'm totally pleased with the used one I've got.

good luck!
 
At my local gunshop, there are a couple of heavily modified 10/22's in the used gun rack. Both appear to be in excellent condition and come with heavier barrels, upgraded wood stocks and scopes. Both are in the $425 range.
Click to expand...
Are you sure they're modded, and not the factory target model?
 
Fleet said:
Are you sure they're modded, and not the factory target model?
Click to expand...

One of them might actually have been a Target model. The other had a thumbhole stock and a flutted barrel and was obviously not stock.

It was a busy morning at the gun shop, so I didn't have time to talk to the owner about where those two rifles came from.

Hmm. I'll have to take a closer look at them this weekend. :)
 
Depending on the mods, that's probably cheaper than you can do one yourself. Try the trigger. If its been replaced or worked over its a big plus. If you do buy one take the stock off and make sure the recoil buffer has been replaced with a polyurethane buffer. If not, do it yourself. It takes 30 secs and costs about 5 bucks but it'll save damage on your receiver.
 
As others have said you need to look at the parts and build quality. Look for names like Volquartsen, Power Custom, Tactical Solutions, Green Mountain, E.R. Shaw, Magnum Research, Shilen, et al. The big things you need to look for is the bbl, stock, and trigger (Some aftermarket trigger groups have a distinctive style that will help with identification, but pulling the trigger is obviously a good test)...everything else is a bonus. $425.00 is a fair price for a decent rifle, and a steal for a top notch custom.

:)
 
Well, if it's on the used rack, its not impossible for something to be wrong with it. How modified is it? If its got a good barrel, a decent (known safe) trigger, and no issues feeding, then it might be worth it. Otherwise I'd go stock and do things myself.
 
Hell , Pawn shop any 10/22 for the reciever then let the games begin. It's mostly bolt on and go and any mod You are not sure how to accomplish is on YouTube. But beware they are money pits . Here is My 1967 10/22 that the walnut stock is hanging on the bench with Howards Feed and Wax ( 50th coat atleast, it's relaxing to apply... LOL LOL ) plus I just sent out the trigger today for a fluff & buff to 2.75lbs. ,BKL Rings and a Old Simmons Scope . I bought a SS ruger 10/22 tricked the heck out of it, barrel, stock,voltquatsen this and that. Ended up with a nice .22lr but I had a Finnfire for real pinpoint ( dot ) accuracy so I traded it for a Colt DS II. This one I hope to keep close to stock looks wise, maybe have the barrel worked next....WVleo
 

Attachments

  • Picture 718.jpg
    Picture 718.jpg
    43.5 KB · Views: 41
...would you all purchase a usesd 10/22 that had already been upgraded?
Click to expand...

I would certainly be cautious, even a trifle suspicious. Every rifleman needs a good .22. If these are good ones, why are they in the used rack?

10/22's are easy to work on, but they are not impossible to screw up. The design's modularity and the big aftermarket for parts of all kinds makes everyman a gunsmith--for good or ill.
 
I would certainly be cautious, even a trifle suspicious. Every rifleman needs a good .22. If these are good ones, why are they in the used rack?
Click to expand...
Some folks need the money, some just loose interest, others might have decided the accuracy, while respectable or even exceptional, wasn't good enough and decided to trade for a new Anschütz. There are plenty of good, used rifles out there...the 10/22 is no exception. Personally I prefer the older ones (before all of the plastic bits & painted finish), so I would definitely look for a used one (modified or otherwise).

:)
 
A modified 10/22 isn't the same as many other modified rifles. Headspacing is nearly impossible to get wrong, trigger kits are drop-in, it's hard to shoot out the barrel, and unless someone did something odd like put a heavy barrel into a stock designed for a standard contour it's unlikely anyone's brought so much as sandpaper to the stock. You're looking at a bunch of interchangeable parts, so if someone has changed out a few don't let it worry you. Unlike many other rifles, that 10/22 you find a shop with the too-sweet-to-be-true trigger is likely a result of a drop-in aftermarket kit and not a garage gunsmith with a dremel.
 
I would...if it's what I wanted. There are tricked out 10/22's all over the place. People get crazy and then realize that the fun was building it and not shooting it, so they sell it and start over. Or as was mentioned, trade for an Annie.

The thing is, all those parts and add-ons and custom work don't carry nearly as much value on a gun for sale as they do originally. So, if you like the barrel and stock, it'll be discounted (usually quite a bit) if it's already on the build.

I think $425 is 'probably' a decent price. Adding a barrel and stock to a basic 10/22 will take your investment past that, usually. The trigger probably has a new sear, at least.

Give us the details on the two rifles and we'll be happy to nitpick them to death. Customized nitpicking. :neener:
Keep us posted,
RT
 
Probably not, if for no other than reason than I would prefer to put it together myself with the parts I wanted. However, if that does not appeal to you, then there is nothing wrong with buying a pre-built used rifle. All the same rules apply, just as buying any used gun but it will really pay for you to know what you're looking at. I'd suggest doing a lot of reading on the subject before spending any money. Ruger does have several heavy barrel models and they might be just what you're looking for.
 
No, but that's because I don't like the 10/22. Now if it were some other 22 that I liked and had already been tricked out, then yes I would look seriously into the gun.
 
I have two 10/22's. One I bought for my grandson, and one for me. The jamming and ejection problems with those rifles have left a bad taste in my mouth, I'd never buy another one. I don't think new guns should have to be "modded" to get them to run right. If a person wants to customize one, that's fine. But when you have to replace parts so it'll work right, bleh.
 
If you'd like a customized 10/22 but don't have an exact goal in mind, just want something nice and different than a generic 10/22, I'd do it. If you aren't picky about exactly what you get, so long as it's nice, a good shooter, and a good value to buy, I would definitely go for it.

Personally it sounds to me like one of these rifles is what you're looking for, can you talk to the shop and make sure they'll help out if it turns out they had been invisibly butchered by the previous owner?
 
I have two 10/22's. One I bought for my grandson, and one for me. The jamming and ejection problems with those rifles have left a bad taste in my mouth, I'd never buy another one. I don't think new guns should have to be "modded" to get them to run right. If a person wants to customize one, that's fine. But when you have to replace parts so it'll work right, bleh.
Click to expand...

That exactly mirrors my own experience with the 10/22. Have owned a pair of them, one used, one new, neither of them would run reliably, and weren't accurate enough for bunny hunting.
 
If it was me I'd opt for a Savage MK2 like one of the posters above said. They work well, they're exceptionally accurate, and they're around $100 brand new at Walmart and while I generally don't like to buy guns there its too good a deal compared to local shops.

I shot a buddy's 10/22 that worked fine its just that they're too expensive for my tastes when you can get a functional rifle for less. Unless you need an adjustable "tactical" .22 with an extended magazine then the 10/22 just isn't necessary.
 
Have owned a pair of them, one used, one new, neither of them would run reliably, and weren't accurate enough for bunny hunting.
Click to expand...
That is the opposite of my experience (with my own and other's). It has always been reliable (until I needed to replace the extractor, after several 10s of thousands of rounds), and has been reliable since. Additionally it may have not matched the average Marlin M-60 (which I have to consider a better deal, when in its stock form), it was certainly squirrel hunting accurate straight out of the box (and has only gotten better since replacing the bbl).

:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

ontarget
  • Locked
Most useful 10/22 mod?
Replies
24
Views
1K
doubleh
D
F
  • Locked
Clark Custom 10/22...
Replies
19
Views
4K
TonyAngel
T
DustyGmt
  • Locked
Stock 10/22.....Where do you go from here?
2 3
Replies
54
Views
2K
Misplacedtexan
Misplacedtexan
S
  • Locked
What upgrades would you make to a basic 10/22
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Longbow
L
C
  • Locked
Which 10/22?
Replies
12
Views
836
CharlesT
C
Back
Top