Most economical way to mod a 10/22

spendolla · Dec 8, 2012

Hey y'all,

So, I have set my sights on a 10/22 as my next rifle and I have been doing my research here and on other forums. What I'm planning on doing is swapping out the factory barrel for a .920 bull barrel (likely an 18" Green Mountain) and probably switching out the factory stock for a Bell and Carlson (either an Anschutz or a Target/Varmint). My question is: Would it be more economical to buy a new rifle at Bi-Mart (I think they're around $200 right now) and sell the factory barrel and stock, or is there somewhere to buy just the receiver and bolt? I wouldn't expect to sell the takeoff parts for much, but I imagine I could get at least $40-$50 for the brand new factory barrel and stock (please correct me if this is wrong). From my searching, I haven't been able to find an economical bolt and receiver--all the aftermarket ones I find are more then the base rifle itself. I'm not looking for the ultimate target rifle, just something that will work for plinking and varmint hunting. I know that the basic 10/22, unmodified, will suit my tasks just fine, but I just love the way that the B&C feels and I like the extra weight up front that the bull barrel imparts. I would be open to buying a used rifle and scavenging the bolt and receiver from that, but it seems people are asking about the same price for a used one as I could purchase new from Bi-Mart. So, any help or words of advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help!

mjbskwim · Dec 9, 2012

I was contemplating this and just bought a Ruger 10-22 with a Fajen? stock and a Ruger heavy hammer forged barrel.Factory gun. It was around $450 I believe.
Pretty good shooter with regular velocity rounds.
Bought a base stock 10-22 with a folder from a friend. Shot as good as my fancy rifle. Then I put the Volquarsen trigger in the fancy gun and shrank the groups considerably,with the same ammo.
About 2 months ago the shop took a well used 10-22 in and after shooting it,I wonder why guys change out the barrels.

So the moral of my story is,you may change things and not have a more accurate gun.But look around because there are some factory guns with the cool stuff on them

spendolla · Dec 10, 2012

Thanks for the reply mjbskwim,

I've definitely considered starting with a factory Target model that comes with a bull barrel (would be nice to have that full factory warranty intact). But I don't really like the factory stocks, so I'd want to change that out anyway. Given that fact, I figure it will be cheaper in the end to just buy the cheapo 10/22 and build it up just how I want it. Takeoff stocks and barrels are all over the place, but a stand-alone bolt and receiver are seemingly impossible to come by. I guess that's just the name of the game with such a widely customized firearm.

DieselScout · Dec 10, 2012

There is nothing economical about "modding" a 10/22 as you'll never (or almost never) get out of it what you put in.

I am not saying this as a bad thing, however I have never found a reciever and action for cheaper then the gun itself. Also, with my budget for "gun fun" I couldn't purchase the receiver and action, then add all the parts right away, I'd have to buy them over time. I'd much rather have a gun I can shoot, then buy the parts one by one and upgrade them as I get them maintaining that I have a shootable rifle. Your experience may differ depending on what you can spend. You may also be able to sell some of the take off parts to recoup a small amount on the new parts. There is a member on here who takes factory 10/22 barrels, turns them down and sleeves them with aluminum to make a heavy barrel. He then re-cuts the camber to what you want and you end up with a nice target barrel.

With all this said, mjbskwim makes a very good point.

spendolla · Dec 10, 2012

Thanks Diesel Scout,

You are absolutely right. What I meant when I said "economical" was "cheapest way to get the exact rifle that I want." Like souping up a car, I would never expect to resell it for what I put into it. I really don't plan on selling it anyway. I'd much rather pass it down to my kids than see a rifle I'd built up go to another home (the horror!).

As far as buying the rifle piece by piece, you are totally correct on that front too. I certainly don't have the cash laying around to build the rifle up to my dream specs in one fell swoop, so buying a base model 10/22 and adding the upgrades as I can afford them is definitely the way to go, for me.

I just think it's crazy that somebody doesn't sell a 10/22 action for less than $200. I don't need a $400 Volquartsen receiver because I'm not looking to build a 200yd. tack driver, just something that's reasonably accurate and cheap to shoot. I also don't understand why Ruger feels that it should cost an extra $200+ to get a 10/22 with a bull barrel. I'd gladly pay $300 for one but the ~$430 price for a factory 10/22 just seems like a tall order (even if it does come with a spruced up stock). I guess they've got their profit margins all figured out, but that doesn't mean I can't complain about it! :complain:

That's very interesting to hear about the NWFA member who custom builds bull barrels. Not a bad idea at all. Do you happen to know what he charges for the modification, or if he buys factory takeoff barrels?

Thanks again for all the input!

Burt Gummer · Dec 10, 2012

Buy a 10/22, sell off the factory stock/barrel. Get the barrel and stock you want. Send the trigger pack to Bill Springfield to have it smoothed out, reduce pull to 2.5-3lbs - $39.00 ($44 is hammer lightening added). Send the bolt to one of the bolt machining/polishing services on Ebay - $25-$40. Put a bolt buffer in it vs the steel pin. Buy a better/larger charging handle with custom springs for hotter loads or subsm (KIDD or Rimfire Central). Buy a $15 bolt release for the trigger pack. For mags, stick to BX-25. That is about it on the cheap. If you have loads to spend of course there are better options, these are 'budget options.' An X-ring receiver would be great at some point of course as would all the higher end stuff once you want to budget for that.

spendolla · Dec 10, 2012

Thanks Burt! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

the4thshake · Dec 12, 2012

Ok my 2 cents....

A Volquartsen extractor is a must with an aftermarket barrel.

Green Mt barrels are a deal.

Stock 10/22 triggers are hideous. I think the Rimfire Technologies trigger is the best bang for the buck.

Don't pay for an aftermarket bolt release. A dremel or file in 2 min will achieve the same result.

Whatever stock you choose, pillar bed it. It seems like a bit of work but it makes a huge difference.

Cheap ammo shoots like cheap ammo. Use mini mags or better yet match ammo for best accuracy.

Rimfirecentral.com is your friend.

I shot this target with my 10/22 at 100 yards and regulary shoot it out to 300.

jeremiahjack · Dec 13, 2012

Who is this Bill Springfield? How do I get ahold of him?

Burt Gummer · Dec 13, 2012

jeremiahjack said:
Who is this Bill Springfield? How do I get ahold of him?

Bill Springfield - www.TriggerWork.net

Simply mail him your trigger pack with $39 and you'll get back your trigger setup that can rival a lot of $200 aftermarket triggers. Have your return mailing address in there. Takes about ten days to come back.

jmurray192 · Dec 13, 2012

Burt Gummer said:
Bill Springfield - www.TriggerWork.net

Simply mail him your trigger pack with $39 and you'll get back your trigger setup that can rival a lot of $200 aftermarket triggers. Have your return mailing address in there. Takes about ten days to come back.

Done..... cant wait to see the difference