New 10/22 Owner

[wingspar]

Picked up a new to me, but well used 10/22 from the LGS today for $149. It’s a beater that I don’t have to worry about scratching up, and that is appealing. If I decide to change the barrel and make other mods to it later on, the options are there, but for now, I’m keeping it as is. Too late in the day to take it out and shoot it. Hopefully tomorrow, or sometime this week. A quick serial number search on the Ruger site shows the gun to be manufactured in 1970.

In the photos I took this afternoon, you will notice some rust. I’m going to try some stuff called Barricade that the gun dealer recommended for the rust. He was out of stock, but should have some in this week. Now, I no longer have to drool every time I read a thread on the 10/22.

[johnlives4christ]

cool, you should be able to clean her up and make her sing

[Joe M]

Know how you feel Wingspar. My son and I had been eyeing 10/22's for sometime and last week we finally picked a couple up. Last night I ordered the Tech-Sight Apertures (TSR200) for our rifle's.

We weren't going to do any modifications, but after a brief testing at the local Range this past Sunday, I found that with my eyesight I didn't get a good sight picture with the factory sight. My son had no trouble at all getting a good sight picture, but then he has the young eyes.

I chose the TSR200 Aperture setup as it's a setup I'm familiar with from my Uncle Sam days with my M16. Always liked the sight picture I got with this setup. Didn't really want to scope these rifles as we already have scoped setups on other .22 rifles. Apertures and a sling on the standard 10/22. I like it!

I'd bet you're going to get lots of enjoyment from your 10/22.

[JUNKKING]

Congrats on the new gun, I hope you enjoy it. I too drool when I see some of the ones that were totally rebuilt to look like the high end shooter they are.

Maybe I am part monkey, As I fall for the ones that people customize with those high gloss stock and sweet optics. I think that may be the reason I haven't bought one as of yet. Afraid of what I may want to do to it.

This is a battle for me every time I see one, Customized or not, As I think it is for anyone that has ever had the pleasure of shooting one.

[Snakedriver]

Congratulations! I know how you feel; I picked up a five-digit serial numbered 10/22, made in 1969, last year for $125. It was spotless and had a walnut stock to boot. The old ones shoot great and don’t have all the plastic parts like the new ones do. The surface rust on yours will probably clean right up. Midway USA sells stock replacement barrels for practically nothing if you’re interested in getting a new one. It’s real easy to change the barrel out. The receiver and stock looks like they are in real good shape. Obviously, there’s a ton of upgrades you can get for that rifle, but it seems a shame to ruin a classic by modifying it. I left mine alone except for adding a scope for my old eyes.

[wingspar]

Originally Posted by johnlives4christ

cool, you should be able to clean her up and make her sing

Weather looks good, so far anyway, for getting it out and shooting it this afternoon. I have an older 22 bolt action I’ve had since the 1950's that I’m in the process of sighting in, and would like to get that done too. I’m pretty low on ammo, but 200 rounds just got placed on a UPS truck today, which means it’s time to order more, now that I finally have this gun. Going to try the Remington Gold 525 round bulk box for $20. I’ve heard people have no problems with the Remington bulk in their 10/22's. Save my Mini-Mags for my picky Ruger Standard.

Originally Posted by Joe M

Know how you feel Wingspar. My son and I had been eyeing 10/22's for sometime and last week we finally picked a couple up. Last night I ordered the Tech-Sight Apertures (TSR200) for our rifle's.

That’s very similar to the sights on my 1903-A3 Springfield 30-06, which I haven’t shot since the 1970's. I never did like those sights. The sights on the 10/22 are similar to my old bolt action 22, and I’ve always been dead accurate with that, even now with my 63 year old eyes.

Originally Posted by JUNKKING

Congrats on the new gun, I hope you enjoy it. I too drool when I see some of the ones that were totally rebuilt to look like the high end shooter they are.

Maybe I am part monkey, As I fall for the ones that people customize with those high gloss stock and sweet optics. I think that may be the reason I haven't bought one as of yet. Afraid of what I may want to do to it.

This is a battle for me every time I see one, Customized or not, As I think it is for anyone that has ever had the pleasure of shooting one.

There is a forum that has an entire section devoted to the 10/22. The mods people make are mind boggling. The salesman at the store I bought the gun from says there is not one factory part left on his 10/22. Before I walked out the door, they had given me several options for refinishing the barrel and replacing the stock. A suggestion to powder coat the barrel was one. I have access to a sand blaster if I want to go that route, and I’ve heard new stock barrels are cheap. The important part, inside the barrel looks excellent.

Originally Posted by Snakedriver

Congratulations! I know how you feel; I picked up a five-digit serial numbered 10/22, made in 1969, last year for $125. It was spotless and had a walnut stock to boot. The old ones shoot great and don’t have all the plastic parts like the new ones do. The surface rust on yours will probably clean right up. Midway USA sells stock replacement barrels for practically nothing if you’re interested in getting a new one. It’s real easy to change the barrel out. The receiver and stock looks like they are in real good shape. Obviously, there’s a ton of upgrades you can get for that rifle, but it seems a shame to ruin a classic by modifying it. I left mine alone except for adding a scope for my old eyes.

Not sure the surface rust will clean up. I think it’s a little too far gone for that. You can feel the rust, but it’s not really pitted. For now, I just want to halt the growth of the rust. When I get some stuff I can soak the barrel in, I’ll break the gun down, soak it and clean it up. I don’t really see any crud anywhere. Looks well taken care of, except it might have got left out in the rain once. I kind of like having a beater I don’t have to worry about scratching it, but there is a possibility of doing some things to it in the future.

[Teejay9]

An excellent purchase. You couldn't ask for a better semi .22 rifle (almost want to say carbine). Give her some oil and TLC, and you got yourself a keeper. TJ

[wingspar]

From another forum, a carbine is defined as a shorter rifle. 20 inches or so. Looks right at home next to my Marlin Camp 9. A 9mm carbine. I’ll have to take a side by side shot of the two.

Took her out and put about 100 rounds thru her today. Shoots straight, and didn’t mind the Aguila ammo my Ruger Standard hand gun jammed with on every single shot. My only complaint is that the bolt doesn’t stay open after the last round. I wonder if the newer models do?

[johnlives4christ]

you can get a modification kit to give a lost shot hold open feature i think, but im not 100% sure. but no the new ones done hold open either

[questor]

Originally Posted by wingspar

A My only complaint is that the bolt doesn’t stay open after the last round. I wonder if the newer models do?

Nope - it is due to the rotary design of the 10/22 magazine.

Located the following on a google search, for $54, but you must also purchase modified magazines. Don't know if they are steel or plastic:

CST 10/22 Automatic Bolt Stop + Mag*

Until now there has not been a successful means to perform a last shot bolt hold-open function in the Ruger 10/22. The reason for this is due to the rotary design of the 10/22 magazines.

Unlike other semi-auto firearms with a bolt hold-open function, the 10/22 magazines have no tripping mechanism built into the magazine follower. The CST Auto-Bolt Stop with its patented “Passive Activation” function overcomes this by eliminating the need to interact with the magazine follower.

Instead, the mechanism interacts directly with a cartridge in the magazine. If a cartridge is present in the magazine, then the mechanism allows the free movement of the bolt's forward movement. Once there is an absence of a cartridge, the mechanism rotates to block the forward travel of the bolt.

The magazine or the magazine follower is irrelevant to the bolt stop's function. This allows the CST Auto-Bolt Stop to work with or without an empty magazine in place, making it arguably the safest bolt stop design in the world. This product comes with ONE modified factory magazine.

Additional magazines may be purchased.

http://www.hawktecharms.com/ruger/10-22.htm

[wingspar]

Thanks for the info and the link, which I bookmarked. Guess I'll just deal with it. I have an old Ruger Standard that does not have the bolt open after the last shot either.

[wingspar]

In the first photo in this thread, there is so much rust on the bolt, it can be seen in that photo. I’ve broken the gun down for cleaning, and got almost all of the rust off, but didn’t get around to breaking it down and removing the bolt till yesterday.

Here is a closeup photo from before I removed the bolt. It certainly looked ugly, but turned out to be nothing.



Here is the bolt right after removing. My hands turned black just handling it.


Here is the bolt after a little cleaning and polishing. I didn’t have good polish or tools, so I’m leaving it like this for now.



Here it is back in the gun. Notice the little indentation in the upper left hand corner. Is that normal? I have a closer photo of it if necessary.

[johnmpeters]

Did you clean off the rust with that Barricade stuff you mentioned earlier? You got that bolt nice and clean!

[Snakedriver]

It looks like you're getting it cleaned up really good. That thing must have been out in the rain at some point. That bolt shouldn't be all rusted like that. It looks so much better now that you've cleaned it. Amazing what a little elbow grease can do.

The little dents in the bolt shouldn't have any effect on the way the gun shoots. Not sure what could have cause them.

Have fun with it and happy shooting!!!

[wingspar]

Originally Posted by johnmpeters

Did you clean off the rust with that Barricade stuff you mentioned earlier? You got that bolt nice and clean!

No. I used steel wool on the barrel. Can’t tell the rust was there anymore, unless you look close. I figure if I keep the barrel lightly oiled, I probably don’t need the Barricade.

For the bolt, I soaked it in Hoppe’s 9, then dried it off with rag and compressed air, then used some weak runny polishing compound with a Dremel. I need to replace the rubbing compound, new wheels for the Dremel, and try again.

Originally Posted by Snakedriver

It looks like you're getting it cleaned up really good. That thing must have been out in the rain at some point. That bolt shouldn't be all rusted like that. It looks so much better now that you've cleaned it. Amazing what a little elbow grease can do.

The little dents in the bolt shouldn't have any effect on the way the gun shoots. Not sure what could have cause them.

Have fun with it and happy shooting!!!

I figure the gun was left out in the rain, or behind the seat in a pickup for a period of time. I didn’t think that dent in the bolt looked like part of the design. Can’t imagine how it got there. Must have taken quite a bang with something to put that dent there. It was so cruddy, it didn’t look like the bolt had ever been removed. It will take more work to get it looking like I want, but with what I’ve done so far, the bolt looks good installed in the gun.

Originally Posted by johnlives4christ

the dent in the bolt isnt supposed to be there. not sure there is anything you can do about it.

i would take the bolt completely apart though. the roll pin that holds the firing pin is easily drifted out. and the extract comes out by taking a tiny screw driver and pushing it between the spring and the back side of the extractor, then you can take pressure off the extractor by compressing the spring with the screw driver, and the extractor will wiggle out.

Didn’t think that dent should be there. I’ll probably not try to take the bolt apart. If there is a video out there on the process, I’d like to see it tho. I’d be interested in seeing how it comes apart, just not sure I’d tackle that one.

[Snakedriver]

It's a piece of cake to do. Here's a nice illustrated article on disassembly of the 10/22 bolt:

http://ruger22.com/newpages/bolt.htm

Note that the bolt disassembly part is in the second half of the article after the bolt removal and re-installational part.

10/22.com has many helpful instructionals on 10/22 maintenance, modification and upkeep.

[Bubblehead]

I just re-barreled my 10/22 with a stock Ruger barrel. I notice that sometimes the first round doesn't chamber when a fresh magazine is inserted, however once I force it in, the remain rounds chamber fine as the gun is fired.

Any ideas on why this is happening? Do I need to do some polishing on the feed ramp or something like that.

Thanks,

John

[wingspar]

Originally Posted by Snakedriver

It's a piece of cake to do. Here's a nice illustrated article on disassembly of the 10/22 bolt:

http://ruger22.com/newpages/bolt.htm

Note that the bolt disassembly part is in the second half of the article after the bolt removal and re-installational part.

10/22.com has many helpful instructionals on 10/22 maintenance, modification and upkeep.

Thanks for that link. I hadn’t seen that before. I can now see how the bolt comes apart, but I think I’ll pass on taking it apart, unless it fails to function properly, and if I have trouble with it, the guy at the LGS that sold the 10/22 to me has one that he says has zero stock parts left on it, and he has some gunsmithing knowledge.

I do get a clearer idea of where to squirt some Hoppe’s 9 next time. Still a lot of crud around the extractor.

[Snakedriver]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead

I just re-barreled my 10/22 with a stock Ruger barrel. I notice that sometimes the first round doesn't chamber when a fresh magazine is inserted, however once I force it in, the remain rounds chamber fine as the gun is fired.

Any ideas on why this is happening? Do I need to do some polishing on the feed ramp or something like that.

Thanks,

John

Sounds like a tight chamber to me. It's typical of new firearms and barrels. It should get better after you put say 500 rounds through it. If it doesn't, as a last resort you could dismount the barrel from the receiver and use a little 600 or 1000 grit paper to lightly ream out the chamber a bit.

[wingspar]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead

I just re-barreled my 10/22 with a stock Ruger barrel. I notice that sometimes the first round doesn't chamber when a fresh magazine is inserted, however once I force it in, the remain rounds chamber fine as the gun is fired.

Any ideas on why this is happening? Do I need to do some polishing on the feed ramp or something like that.

Don’t have an answer for you, but as you can see by my photos, my 10/22 was in pretty rough shape when I bought it, and I took it out and shot it without doing a single thing to it. I havne’t had any feeding problems at all. Not even with ammo my Ruger Standard would not cycle. A photo might help people who can help you tho.

[Bubblehead]

Originally Posted by Snakedriver

Sounds like a tight chamber to me. It's typical of new firearms and barrels. It should get better after you put say 500 rounds through it. If it doesn't, as a last resort you could dismount the barrel from the receiver and use a little 600 or 1000 grit paper to lightly ream out the chamber a bit.

Snakedriver,

Thanks for the advice. I thought it might be something like that. 500 rounds? Dang, now I have to go to the range.

John