I'm most likely going to pick up a Ruger 10/22 rifle this week to enjoy some inexpensive plinking. Saw one last week new at the local dealer, stainless barrel with synthetic stock for $250. This seems to be a time tested rifle that many enjoy. Anyone have comments or modifications you've been happy with?

I'm most likely going to pick up a Ruger 10/22 rifle this week to enjoy some inexpensive plinking. Saw one last week new at the local dealer, stainless barrel with synthetic stock for $250. This seems to be a time tested rifle that many enjoy. Anyone have comments or modifications you've been happy with?

Check here for a lot of results to your question

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/

An entire forum related to the .22 with multiple subforums just devoted to the 10/22

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

4 Paws: Ruger 10/22s are good little autoloaders with every aftermarket part you can imagine out there and available. Checkout "rimfirecentral dot com" for the ultimate lowdown on modifications. You can build your own customized version from scratch using after-market parts.

For starters is is usual to swap barrels, stocks (properly bedded) and trigger jobs. From there it really gets exotic quickly. You will have a ton of fun with your customized 10/22. ...... Big Cholla

I'd recommend looking for an older one with a aluminum trigger group. The new ones (like the ones used in the Charger) are plastic. I bought mine in 2000 and it had the aluminum trigger group so I'm not sure when they made the change. If you do get a newer one, don't get one that has the receiver blackened like the Charger. The black finish in the bolt area of my Charger is flaking to the extreme.

All that said, I've been spending more and more time tricking out my 10/22 in the last six months. When I first bought I was having extreme feeding problems which turned out to be the factory magazines. Now that I only use aftermarket mags, it runs with zero problems.

My range session today featured a 75 round, 2 inch group offhand at 25 yards using a 3-9 power scope. Make sure you get a Butler Creek mag loader to speed up the turn around time on reloading.

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vim vi repellere licet

Mine came with the typically awful Ruger trigger --- way beyond unacceptable. $50 and a few weeks later, my local gunsmith returned it with a crisp, light trigger, and it's acceptably accurate for the squirrel hunting/plinking rig I'd intended.

I agree. The older ones are better.. The one
I have right now is a 2000 stainless. The
brushed aluminum finish looks better than the
almost painted on stuff they have now.
Also the older stainless barrels have a better
finish than the new ones, if you do go
stainless. Mine is stainless, but with a blued
barrel right now.. It's a mutt.
Mine has the Power Custom trigger parts. Guess
about a 2.5-2.75 lb or so pull. Pretty decent.
After shooting my Sigma for a while, it's like
butter in comparison.. :/
I recommend a trigger job, cuz almost all have
heavy triggers from the factory, and a bolt
buffer, "nylon pin to absorb shock", and an
extended mag release mod as the first mods to
do.
The new plastic ones have the extended mag
release though. The older all metal ones don't.
Course, I guess a trigger job could be optional
though if you can shoot the stock trigger ok.

Many do the "bolt hold open" mod.. I haven't
done that on mine yet.. It's easy though.

Then the barrel if needed. I would shoot the
heck out of one first, then decide if you need
a barrel. Many do good enough with the stock
barrels. The hard core usually upgrade..
Rimfirecentral has loads of info and 10/22 fans.

The Ruger 10/22 is the most accessorized rifle available - probably even more so than the AR-15. My son loves his - has over $500 in upgrades in it. From what I've seen, a new trigger group and barrel will fix most of the basic problems inherent in the basic 10/22. If you are bound to do this, you may as well get a cheaper blued 10/22. If you want a SS 22" 10/22 rifle with a wood stock, try one of the WallyWorlds that still sell firearms - Ruger made that variant for them (~$225). Check 'rimfirecentral.com' for loads of 10/22 - and other rimfires, including a S&W sub-forum where me and my 617 hang out.

My .22 rifles are CZ's. Oh, I love American stuff, but Marlin and Ruger just fall way short of the basic CZ-452 'trainer'. You could buy them <$300 - I don't know about their prices now. They come with a 25.4" hammer-forged barrel, match chamber, adjustable trigger, etc - a bargain - very good 'right out of the box'. The hooded front sight is adjustable - to tune in the rear sight's calibration for ammo-changes. The rear sight is calibrated out to 200 meters. Many standard US-style scope mounts will work, if you want a scope. Mine sports a Swift 676 3-12x40A/O - a true 'tack-driver'.

I also have a pair of what are labelled as 'Super Exclusives' - with a 28.8" barrel and a rear sight calibrated to 300 meters! I can outshoot my son's scoped & tricked 10/22 with them and those iron sights. It aggravates him so much, he bought me a basic new 10/22 & neato rug for Christmas. Try as I might, I can't get accustomed to the thing. I took it with me yesterday to the club range to plink with - along with one of those CZ 452 Super Exclusives - and my 617, of course. The 10/22 never got shot. I may just be a dyed-in-the-wool bolt action guy - kinda like my revolver-only handgun likes. Maybe I'm really sixty?

To be blunt, I don't need another 'project' gun... I love my boy (Okay, he's a 39-year-young commercial pilot!), so I won't get rid of it. Still, I have proper .22 rifles... for me... even if I do reload every five rounds. The 10/22 just isn't for everyone. A bolt action is easier to clean, too.

Stainz

I've had my 10/22 since I was a kid, maybe 20 years now. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many thousands of rounds it's spit out. The only problem I ever had out of it was a 50 rnd banana mag that had FTF issues. To me a 10/22 is like a 1911, everyone should have one.

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NRA Endowment Member

I'm gonna check this out for myself. I enjoy rimfires as I own several. Thanks!

I saw a barrel and stock kit for a 10-22 and decided to buy. Then I went looking for a used 10-22 and found a $85 one at my local gun shop. Mext I ordered a trigger kit from Power Custom and realized it was to much for me to install. The nice people at Power installed it for I think $20.

After outfitting the weapon with a nice scope I am all set. Very happy and it is a tack driver

Had one and the extractor was problematic. Even with an aftermarket enhanced extractor, it didn't want to extract a live round every time.

This caused a severe safety situation, and is why I got rid of it.

It appeared the generous (sloppy) clearance of the bolt in the receiver was the main problem. There was almost 1/8 inch lateral play in the bolt at lockup.

If I were to get another, I would buy one of the aftermarket receivers that are real stainless steel and not painted aluminum.

I have mine set up as plinker. I like the ergonomics of the Choate stock and the Bushnell Holosight is very quick to use.

I stumbled into rimfirecentral.com about five years ago. I couldn't believe all the modifications and after market accessories were available for the 10/22. I went to a gun show and picked up a used 10/22 with a walnut stock, not that I was going to need the stock, but I new it was one of the older models which I had read were better. I paid $125 for the gun and have ~$500 more in it in upgrades (composite stock, bull barrel, trigger assembly, etc.). I now have a real tack driver and have had many hours of pleasure.

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Creede Kid

Good stuff here. I tricked mine out more traditionaly with a tapered barrel and really nice wood stock. If I had a deluxe one to begin with, I'd say 1] trigger job, 2] bolt buffer, and 3] magazine release. 2] gets rid of the 'clanking' noise; 3] the stock release is not the best design.
Run a brick or so through it. Check the action screw for tightness (don't overtighten)for accuracy. The next step might be working on the bedding. Rimfire central has a bunch of stuff on this. So far, I haven't glass bedded mine, though I might end up doing that.

My unmodified 10/22 is the most accurate .22lr
auto rifle I have owned

Happiness is a stock Ruger 10/22 stainless carbine with a Bushnell 4X scope, a box of Federal 550 from Wally World and lots of old beer cans to shoot! Just doesn't get any better than that! The .22 rimfire was God's gift to old men and young boys, makes life worthwhile!

I got my 10/22 Deluxe (walnut stock and checkering) in 1976 (its a Liberty Model) new for $80.00. I have actually wore out 2 of the factory magazines. A few years ago I restocked it and put a Butler Creek .950 barrel on it. With Eley Tenex it is a one hole gun at 50 yds

Hummm. Pretty similar to mine. Looks like yours
is also a blued barrel on a stainless receiver
unless the light is making it look like that.
Here is mine wearing a cheap ATI dragonov type
stock.. I also have a Butler Creek folding
stock, and the original wood stock.
I bought the ATI as a cheap "woods" stock that
I could use out in the sticks and not worry
about scratches etc.
I haven't been using the folder as it's been
channeled out for a .920 barrel. I can use it,
but it's a better fit for a bull barrel.
I'd like to find a good Walnut DSP stock.
That's about my favorite for something that
looks better. This pix is not too sharp. It's
taken off a video.

I have a couple of stainless and one blued 10/22 all with the aluminum trigger group. The most recent stainless was the one with the synthetic stock which I replaced with a butler folding stock. $250 sounds about right these days, I think I paid $230 or so from walmart a year ago.

I was a bit disappointed with the stainless finish as it seems to rust easily. After I purchased mine I left it in the box and put it in the garage while awaiting the folding stock. A month later I take it out of the box to find rust spots on the top of the barrel.

You cant go wrong with a 10 22 Build it to suit your taste and style. Bought my first in the 80's. Not sure why I sold it but it only took a matter of days to realize I messed up. Picked up 2 more to replace it. One withe carbon fiber barrell. Hogue rubber overmold stock. One stainless w/thumbhole stock. Love the hogue stock not so crazy about the carbon fiber barrell. Tends to pull off if you wrap up in the sling to tight. But it is super light and shots great off bench. The stainless is standard contour. stock except for stock it too shots very well.I would post pics but Im not shure how. I am not real savy with computers. Or spelling. I could e-mail them if you like my e mail is listed in my profile.

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SC Army National Guard

Something like smokeLESS gun powder. Lots of folks don't realize that the "LESS" is the important part of these words. There is no such thing as "Stainless" steel but there is steel with greater stain resistance. There are also several metal finishes that will last longer and better than the so called Stainless versions.

I bought a 10-.22 because it was inexpensive, relatively accurate, relatively reliable, What else could one want from an cheap expensive plinker. Oh, I did add an inexpensive($50) scope and without trick triggers, expensive stocks and high-priced add ons, shazzam, it is spooky accurate and fun to shoot. It shoots much better than I can hold.

yashua

All that is left of my original 10/22 is the action. Go to Midway and get a barrel and a stock, then do a trigger job, if you are careful you don't need any aftermarket parts. Put a good scope on it and glass bed the barrel full length. Test several brands of ammo, and you should get under a 1/2" at 50 yards.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Is that not the same thing. It is stainless steel. Not stain proof. or rust proof It is stainless steel. LESS is the key word here.

10/22's are great little plinkers whatever finish you pick take care of it as you would any firearm.

84cj TOOL MAKER 20+ years

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SC Army National Guard

Yeah, I'm aware of that. One would think that it could survive 30 days in a heated garage without "staining"...

Yeah; get the end of the barrel threaded and buy a Gemtech suppressor. While hunting sage rats, one turned his head and said "Hey where's Bob?" just before the next shot satisfied his curiousity.

Try putting in a "Dehumidifier" it'll do more than all the heat you can put out there. Humidity it is "killer" especially here in WA.

Excellent gun fun to shoot you can buy anything you want to modify it. Big fun for a small cost. Larry