My olde 10/22 needs some love

[fastdadio]

Just looking for some opinions on what I have planned. My 10/22 is 52 years old. Pops gave it to me for my 14th birthday and I just turned 65 and retired. This amazing rifle has thousands of rounds through it. I wore out a trigger group years ago and Ruger replaced it under warranty. I recently bought two Ruger 25 rd. magazine for it to shoot the steel challenge matches.
It chokes and fails to chamber the first 5 rounds from both mags. After those first 5, it will dump the mags like a boss.
This is the first feeding problem it's ever had and it runs the factory 10 rnd mags just fine. I suspect the recoil spring is weak, so I decided with age and round count, it's time for new springs.
I poked around on the web, and boy-howdy, what a rabbit hole. I ended up at Brownels and came up with this shopping list;

A complete charging handle assy. standard spring weight for $12.50
https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/rifle-parts/rifle-charging-handle-parts/cocking-handle-guide-rod--recoil-spring-assembly/
High end assy's with replaceable springs run about $40.00. Any opinions on the extra heavy springs? the cost here is really not an issue. I rarely shoot the high vel stuff and like to stick with the 40grn standard vel loads.

A Wolff trigger spring kit. Heavy hammer spring, light trigger and sear springs. $12.50. Makes sense to me....
https://www.brownells.no/RUGER-10/22-RIFLE-TUNE-UP-KITS-Reduced-Power-Tune-Up-Pak-WOLFF-969000204

A Volquartson firing pin and extractor kit. $36.00
https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/rifle-parts/rifle-bolt-parts/ruger-1022-bolt-tune-up-kit/
I do seem to get a lot of duds, and have had a few failures to extract as of late. The reviews on this say it really cleaned up these problems for others when it was the only change made. And I'll toss in a new extractor spring while I'm in there.

AAnd a couple other little things... I see a poly-plastic bolt stop pin being offered. 6.00 bux. Are they worth it? or snake oil looking for a problem that doesn't exisist?
And finally, how about the extra strength recoil springs? Are they worth it? Do they cycle the standard velocity stuff reliably?
What say all you 10/22 experts? Any opinions, good, bad or indifferent, just don't call me late for dinner.
Help me get this ole boy ringing steel.
Thanks, Dave.

[Mk42gunner]

It has been twenty years or so since I climbed out of the "Make a 10-22 shoot well" pool. Mine was reliable, as long as I didn't drop the magazines in the fine desert dust around Fallon, NV; then all bets were off as to feeding.

It sounds to me like simply replacing the recoil spring on yours will solve the main problem. However upgrades are nice too.

People will tell you that you have to replace the recoil sprig on (insert favorite center fire handgun) every so many specific rounds, but never think of replacing one in a semi auto .22. I had a High Standard Model B that had feeding issues, I replaced the recoil spring and it now feeds everything except snakeshot reliably. The new spring was noticeably stronger than the original.

Robert

[Iron369]

I’d say the magazines are probably your issue. The 25 rounders are known to be less reliable than the factory magazines. The vq parts are probably a good idea since it has so many rounds and extractors wear out. A standard recoil spring should work well, but Kidd makes a kit with several different springs to help you find the best one for your application.


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[fastdadio]

It has been twenty years or so since I climbed out of the "Make a 10-22 shoot well" pool. Mine was reliable, as long as I didn't drop the magazines in the fine desert dust around Fallon, NV; then all bets were off as to feeding.

It sounds to me like simply replacing the recoil spring on yours will solve the main problem. However upgrades are nice too.

People will tell you that you have to replace the recoil sprig on (insert favorite center fire handgun) every so many specific rounds, but never think of replacing one in a semi auto .22. I had a High Standard Model B that had feeding issues, I replaced the recoil spring and it now feeds everything except snakeshot reliably. The new spring was noticeably stronger than the original.

Robert

Yup, I had the recoil spring break in my Supermatic. But, as I posted above, the springs are old and have a high round count. The total cost of all I listed is not a problem. The rifle is priceless to me and my dad's great grandsons are going to lean to shoot and hunt with it in the not too distant future. That alone is worth the price. I failed to mention the rifle is still in really nice condition. Not scratched or dinged up, minimal bluing wear and always cleaned and oiled before storage. Still holds a decent group too. Pops taught me young to take care of things that are worth having.

[Iowa Fox]

Dave, Your not going to want to hear this but do more research before you buy anything. Your list is faulty.

[fastdadio]

Dave, Your not going to want to hear this but do more research before you buy anything. Your list is faulty.

Please do tell me what and why..... It's not about what I want to hear, I come to listen and learn from those that have gone before me.
Let it fly Iowa Fox. The good, the bad and the ugly.....

[fastdadio]

I’d say the magazines are probably your issue. The 25 rounders are known to be less reliable than the factory magazines. The vq parts are probably a good idea since it has so many rounds and extractors wear out. A standard recoil spring should work well, but Kidd makes a kit with several different springs to help you find the best one for your application.
The magazines are Ruger brand. Not to say they aren't a problem, but they were referred to me by a friend at the club that runs them on the steel challenge range.
I did spend some time on the Kidd site and may opt for the charging handle kit they list. I'm curious how the one with the cotter key works? Is there really room for that in the receiver? If so, that would be the way to go.

[Iron369]

The magazines are Ruger brand. Not to say they aren't a problem, but they were referred to me by a friend at the club that runs them on the steel challenge range.
I did spend some time on the Kidd site and may opt for the charging handle kit they list. I'm curious how the one with the cotter key works? Is there really room for that in the receiver? If so, that would be the way to go.

I’m sure they are Ruger brand. Mine are too. I have some that run fine. I have some that don’t.

[uscra112]

It has been twenty years or so since I climbed out of the "Make a 10-22 shoot well" pool.
Robert

I too have kicked the 10-22 habit. No regrets.

Those plastic 25 rounders are really only twenty. None of the ones I bought would feed if you packed them full.

Springs that sack out are just inferior quality to begin with. Typical Ruger. Replace 'em all.

[Bigslug]

Give it what it needs to fire and get empties out reliably, then stop there.

It's possible to dump so many aftermarket parts into a 10/22 that it will cost about as much as an Anschutz target rifle - and still not shoot as well. It's a soup can rifle - keep it in its lane.

[Bazoo]

I'd say it needs new springs, i'd call down to Ruger and see if they'd send what I need.

Misfires and extraction issues sound like a dirty chamber. You can get carbon buildup in the chamber, that eventually will cause the cartridge to rest slightly out of battery. Enough to cause misfires. This carbon buildup also causes extraction issues. BoreTech C4 carbon remover seems to do the trick for me, though I haven't inspected with a bore scope.

[Iowa Fox]

Dave, I'm only a week late to reply. Chances are your your 10/22 only needs to be stripped cleaned and lubed

On your list of vendors of parts the prices are double of what you can find them for with the exception of Kidd.

The Wolf spring kit is $6.99 at Midway

If your running a Ruger bolt the Ruger firing pin is all you need.

I've tried almost all the 10/22 parts for sale that are out there.
The best bolt buffers currently offered that I have found are Tuffer Buffer $3 dollars and something=say 4 bucks

I've spent enough on 10/22s that I could have bought myself 3 nice model 52 Winchesters.

[fastdadio]

I'm back with a final report. I ordered and installed all the springs listed in the first post. Total cost of about $78.00. The problems that caused me to create the post seem to be fixed. Those were failure to cycle the first 5 rounds from the Ruger 25 round mags and a suspect high rate of duds and/or failure to extract/eject.
After I reassembled the rifle, the increased resistance of the new recoil spring was obvious. No doubt now that the old spring was sprung. Add to that the increase in effort required to cock the new heavy hammer spring made me wonder if the rifle was going to even cycle. It did, and very well.
I went to the range with an assortment of standard and high vel. ammoes. The first test was to see if it would cycle the first 5 rounds off the 25 round mags. I loaded them with the ammo that gave me the highest % of duds and it cycled it all, and over 150 rounds, I had not 1 dud or failure to extract/eject. I continued to shoot it for a couple of hours using all my different mags and shooting groups to compare the different brands of ammo I had and to zero the scope I removed to do the work. Not one failure of any type.
So there ya go. I'm happy and consider it $78 bux well spent on a 50+ year old rifle.
And one more discovery. The rifle really likes CCI Stinger 40gr hi-vel. It printed a 10 round, .75" raggety hole group @ 50 yds with it. Even better than the Ely standard I grouped with which suprised me.

[uscra112]

Interesting. The Ruger factory chamber is designed to tolerate the "Stinger" types (knowing that users will shoot them regardless). Those rounds have a longer case than standard .22 rounds, and it would seem they fit your rifle better. (They don't fit as well in chambers optimized for your Eley ammo.)

[fastdadio]

Interesting. The Ruger factory chamber is designed to tolerate the "Stinger" types (knowing that users will shoot them regardless). Those rounds have a longer case than standard .22 rounds, and it would seem they fit your rifle better. (They don't fit as well in chambers optimized for your Eley ammo.)

Don't really know for sure. Were stingers even around 50+ years ago? I've only ever bought standard vel. in any brand. I have a nice collection of High Standards and just never wanted them to end up being used in them. That, and every critter I ever shot with standard vel didn't seem to notice the difference.
I'm going to try them in my new Buck Mark and see what happens. The pistol is designed for them.

[Texas by God]

Almost 50 years- Stingers came out in 1975.
I used a lot of them for prairie dogs on the High Plains but don’t need them around here in the Cross Timbers.
That’s great shooting for Stingers. My 581 bolt action .22 would group them around 2”@100 yards.


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[fastdadio]

1975, well I must have shot some of them over the years then. Pops gave me the 10/22 for my 14th birthday in 1972. Didn't care about groups back then. Anything I could get that went bang was good nuff. He did keep me well stocked on 22s though. Bought them by the brick and never once complained about how much me and my friends burnt through. He was a good man.

[Hawks Feather]

I have been off the forum for a while, but I love the 10/22 and am glad that you have yours up and running again.

[Mk42gunner]

Sounds like you are set for another forty to fifty years of fun times with your rifle. Glad to hear it.

I remember when Stingers came out, there was a lot of wondering just what constituted a good condition .22 that would handle them.

After seeing what happened to a cottontail that was hit in chest from the front, I stopped using them on small game. They do work exceptionally well on treed coons and possums though, only had an entrance hole to worry about.

Robert

[ebb]

The sheriff's dept tested them when they came out on the vests that they used at the time and the only handgun ammo that penetrated the vest was a stinger and a 22mag. Ive never owned a 22lr that would shoot them well, but always tried them in a new gun.

[Handloader109]

Good to know the gun will now shoot. It isn't about trying to get it to shoot great, sometimes it is just getting it to shoot every time you pull the trigger.
It SURE needed the springs. And It most likely needed the extractor spring as well. Parts wear. And not replacing springs on an older USED well gun is not a waste of money.
And Magazines? If Rugers they should work full. aftermarket? who knows, don't buy them

[JoeJames]

About 10 years ago I tested my old 10-22 in a good rest. And it was quite accurate with select 22 ammo. But the trigger, to quote a friend of mine "was like pulling a log out of brush". So I go the Volquartsen trigger upgrade kit which reduced it from about 8-10 pounds down to about 2 1/2 pounds. I tested it in a solid rest first to make sure it was actually accurate.