Time to upgrade the Ruger 10/22

[dks7895]

I have a 1984 Ruger 10/22 DSP.  I owned it since new and have shot thousands of rounds through it.  I want to upgrade to a .920 barrel and new stock, along with a trigger.  Money is tight, and I don't want to break the bank.  I have been searching the web and there are so many choices.  I am pretty much sold on the Hogue overmold stock.  But would like recommendations on a barrel and trigger.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

[GRIMJIM]

When I did mine a few years ago I went with an adams and barret (spl) barrel. Very reasonable and have had no problems. I did spend a bit on the trigger though, it was a reworked (by hornet I believe) volquartsen trigger group.

This was at 50 yards with cheap remington thunderbolts.


Careful, the nice thing about these rifles is you can do the work yourself, but that's also the worst thing about them. It gets addicting and before you know it you have a grand sunk into a 250 dollar rifle.

There's a lot of worse things you can do with your money though.

[chutesnreloads]

You may want to consider keeping what you have and just going to a gunshow and buy one all ready modified.I got one with the Adams&Bennet barrel ,Hogue stock,don't know what trigger but it sure is slick and it was only $325.Mine does comparable groups as Grimjim showed.With the heavy barrel I often find myself carrying the lighter less accurate rifle. Have been considering one of the carbon fiber wrapped barrels but they're a little pricey.

[bilmac]

I tricked out a 10-22 but I kept my old one and got another to work over. Just like chutes says, the overhauled one doesn't go on many walkabouts. It's OK for shooting at prairie dogs, but the stock gun goes on rabbit hunts.

Something to watch for with your stock, the stock I put on my tricked out rifle leaves the rear end of the reciever exposed. This is a little ugly to my eye compared to the smooth lines of the original Ruger.   

[SD Handgunner]

I would have to say the bottom line is what you intend on doing with your 10/22, Hunting, Target Shooting etc.

There are a lot of options available for the 10/22, almost too many. At our local indoor shooting range a few guys are shooting customized 10/22's. Some have Adams & Bennett Barrels while others have Green Mountain Rifle Barrels. Yet others are shooting the Ruger 10/22T's (Factory .920" Bull Barrel with Laminated Wood Stocks). In fact my nephew and my youngest dauther's boyfriend are both shooting Ruger K10/22T's with quite good results.

From what I have seen so far over the past several years the guys with the Green Mountain Barrels are shooting really tight groups.

Not a 10/22 but a year ago I built a Custom Ruger 77/22. I used a Clark Custom Guns 20" Stainless-Steel Bull Barrel. I am totally pleased with my Clark Custom Guns Barrel but truth be known the Green Mountain Barreled 10/22's will shoot right with it.

If you decide to keep your 10/22 DPS as is and just add another 10/22 to the stable you may want to check out Ruger's New Target Tactical version.

http://www.ruger.com/products/1022TargetTactical/models.html

It comes with a 16.12" Bull Barrel all set in a Hogue Overmolded Stock and a Bipod (looks to be a 6" to 9" from the picture on the Ruger web site).

Larry

[drdougrx]

I'd also look into this site for work: http://www.ct-precision.com.  My 10/22 is a stock model but it's been worked on by Randy and is SUPER accurate.  The trigger job was well worth the $$.

[Ladobe]

When I built this 10/22 I personally didn't like the Hogue OM I had bought for it, so I replaced it with a Boyds.   I just didn't like the gushy feeling of the stock, or how it got filthy dirty so easy (I swear, just looking at it made it dirty).

As said, watch out building up a 10/22 unless you own a bank.   I did good by shopping parts when I built this one full of goodies years ago, but it still was alot of money for what it is.   I didn't like it though so it has only been shot less than 50 rounds and just sits in the safe.   Has Volquartzen guts, the Ross/Burchell 10/22 stocks have been long discontinued by Boyds as is the Whiteface Mountain Match barrel I bought for it direct from the man.

[Keith L]

I have built two of them.  I had enough in the first one to have quite a fine target rifle.  The next one I was more careful buying parts, and it is nicer for a lot less money.  I did my own action and trigger job on the second one (not that hard) and it is a good shooter.  I really don't use either one enough to make it worthwhile, but I had fun building them.

Almost forgot.  The first one has a Hogue stock and a Green Mountain barrel.  The second one has a Fajen laminated thumbhole stock I bought used and distressed and then refinished and an Adams and Bennett barrel.  Both have Leupold mounts and scopes and they work well.

[GRIMJIM]

That's the company I couldn't think of, fajen. I did a lot of work on mine and it was a lot of fun, plus I get to say I did it all myself. I added a mini14 butt pad and reshaped the thumbhole to make it fit me better and cut off the forend. Fitted it with a harris bipod and a simmons aetec scope.



It all started with wanting a different stock. When it was all said and done i had customized the stock and pillar and glass bedded it, free floated the new barrel with the added compensator/stabilizer, new trigger group, bolt buffer, hornet reciever screws (I think they were hornet), allen head take down screw, new extractor, extended bolt handle, I also stoned the firing pin smooth, radiused the back of the bolt, polished the bolt sides and channel in the reciever and I even jewelled the bolt. Like I said, be careful. This comes from experience.

[dks7895]

very cool guys...I plan to use this as an all-purpose 22.  Hunting and punching paper.  I am not a match shooter, but enjoy the challenge of target shooting.  The more I research this I don't know if I want the added weight of the .920 bull barrel.  I bought my daughter a 10/22 for CHRISTmas and it has the pink Hogue stock.  I really like the fit and feel of it, and my DSP stock has a lot of battle scars.  I am now thinking of just replacing the hammer and dropping it into a Hogue.  But of course they come in tons of colors, and the web pictures do not do them justice.  I like the ghillie pattern idea, but can't decide on green or tan.   

[SM Bob]

After about 30 years and thousands upon thousands of rounds through my 10-22 I decided it was
time to upgrade mine too. I replaced my worn out smooth bore stock barrel with a .920 A&B from
Midway for around $100. I went with a Hogue Overmold at first and was real disappointed
with it. Like Ladobe said it has a wierd feel to it. I got rid of it and bought a Revolution Tundra
thumbhole. I also put a Weaver style base on it and mounted a Mueller APV with Burris Zee
Signature rings. I also changed all the springs and put in a new firing pin At 50 yards now I
can shoot 1 ragged hole groups the size of a nickle. I haven't even messed with the trigger yet.

                                         Robert
 

[Awf Hand]

DKS, If you're looking to stay within a budget and don't want the weight of the heavy bbl contact Chief AJ at White Barn Workshop.  My browser's not letting me grab a link, just Google it.

I have a Deluxe Sporter 1/22 that his staff reworked for me.  The cost was 85$ and that paid for shipping it back to me.  They polish the bore, jewel the bolt, install an extended mag release and rack-n-roll bolt release, properly build the pressure ridge and a couple other things I'm not remembering right now. 

When my rifle was returned to me, it had a 3/8" group proof target that was shot at 50 yards along with the pertinent data.  MOST important was that I was able to replicate their results.

Aside from the mag release, jewelled bolt and a laser etching of Chief AJ's logo, the rifle looked no different.

I've been well pleased with the work that was done.

[SD Handgunner]

I recently finished rebuilding my Ruger 10/22. Since I have a couple of AR-15's I decided I wanted a 10/22 that was build along those lines. Yeah I could have bought a Ruger SR-22, but what fun would that have been.

To start with my 10/22 has the Factory Carbine Barrel that I shortened to 17" (cutting off the front sight in the process). I then had a machisist buddy mill down the diameter of the Factory Carbine Barrel immediately in front of the barrel v block attaching dovetail cut in the barrel so a Green Mountain Aero Aluminum Barrel Shroud would fit over the Factory Carbine Barrel. Once that was done we drilled & tapped 3 holes through the Green Mountain Aero Aluminum Barrel Shroud and into the Factory Carbine Barrel to attach the Green Mountain Aero Aluminum Barrel Shroud. What this did was to give my Factory Carbine Barrel the appearance of a 18" Stainless-Steel Bull Barrel without the added weight. In the process of shortening the Factory Carbine Barrel and attaching the Green Mountain Aero Aluminum Barrel Shroud, something changed as this 10/22 now shoots much better than it ever did before.

I then set the Barreled Action into a Nordic Components AR-22 Aluminum Receiver Chassis Kit. To that I added a Stoner AR-15 Buffer Tube & 6 Position Collapsable Buttstock, DPMS AR-15 Vented Carbine Length Aluminum Free Float Tube and DPMS AR-15 A2 Pistol Grip.



I also did a complete Trigger / Action Job on this 10/22 complete with a Volquartsen Target Hammer. I used Yankee Hill Machine 1/2" Scope Risers with Weaver 1" High Extension Quad Lock 4x4 Scope Rings to mount the old Simmons 3x9x32mm AO 1022T 22 MAG Riflescope.

With the 6 Position Adjustable Length Buttstock the kids at our indoor shooting range just love shooting this 10/22 for our Youth Rifle League. No matter how big or small the kids are the buttstock can be quickly adjusted to fit them perfectly. In addition my wife is only 5'3" tall with short arms and she also can quickly adjust the buttstock on this 10/22 to make it fit her perfectly.

This type of 10/22 may not be for everyone, but it suits my needs for it.

Larry

[Old Lucky 01]

I know this is an old thread, but just in case you have'nt started your 10-22 project, here are a couple of points to consider;  I also had a 1980's 10-22 that I was going to build into a squirrel rifle.  I needed the gun to be lightweight but accurate enough to hold a 1/2" group from the bench at 50 yards.  This is what I did.....I sent the trigger group to Heiers in Montana so they could replace parts to and upgrade the trigger, bought a Magnum Research .920 carbon fiber barrel and went with a Butler Creek synthetic stock and Bushnell 4x12 AO scope.  I would strongly recommend the carbon fiber barrels...just not the Butler Creek models.  I actually found the CF barrels to be a little too light so I put about 4 ounces of lead in the forearm of the stock before I bolted the barrel and action to the stock.  Everything seems to be working fine and I have the hunting gun that I was looking for...accurate and lightweight.

[zoner]

years ago i had the same ideas....bull barrel,trigger work,new stock etc....but wanted to do it on a budget. So first i replaced the factory hammer with a volquartzen hammer....about 30 bucks and 15 minutes work...then shot the gun. Instant 3 lb trigger and i never did the bull barrel and stock thing. All it really needed is a little better trigger.....Mike

[Arier Blut]

The 10-22 of the 80's is not the same animal of today. The barrels are actually very good. Ruger's cheapness of not changing tooling has lead to the poor shooters of today, and the need for aftermarket parts. The only thing holding an 80's rifle back is the stock and hammer. If you want to go cheap, take off the barrel band and free float the factory stock. If you don't want to mess with it you can of coarse buy a stock. Add a target hammer  and you will have a tack driver. A 22 lr does not have the power to shoot out a barrel, so going with an aftermarket won't give you any more over an 80's barrel. The bentz chamber of an aftermarket is very near what factory used to be. Unless you are looking to burn up several hundred rounds in fast succession a heavy barrel is not needed.

http://www.shootersdiscount.com/cart/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=1151

[Doc T]

     Don't forget about aluminum barrels either.  One of my favorite 10/22s is wearing a O.D. green Hogue stock and an O.D. green Tactical Solutions bull barrel.  It is VERY accurate and light in weight.  Whistle Pig also supposedly makes good barrels but I don't have any experience with them.

     Doc T