Improving The 10/22 Ruger

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The Ruger 10/22 has long-since become the standard of what a useful plinking, hunting, and target rifle is, giving many companies their start as suppliers of aftermarket 10/22 parts. The basic design encourages the simple replacement of everything from stock to barrel. Only the receiver need remain original for it to remain a Ruger 10/22! Perhaps the biggest deficiency with this basic gun, as shipped by Ruger since 1964, is trigger let-off. Jard, Ruger, and several other manufacturers now offer superior 10/22 trigger assemblies.
When Ruger introduced the 10/22, it was not looking at the high-end rimfire market, but offered shooters an affordable plinking gun. I doubt anyone at Ruger could have envisioned just how useful this basic platform would be in the realms of customized target and hunting rifles, including takedowns.

Design matters. The heart of the 10/22 is a well-designed, extremely rigid receiver. Receiver rigidity is a critical accuracy factor. Equally, design simplicity, with regard to assembly and parts replacement, makes all the difference when it comes to customization.

The 10-shot rotary magazine is compact, easily loaded, phenomenally dependable and durable. Design of the 10/22 also accommodates high-capacity magazines.

No doubt, Ruger engineers were thinking in terms of minimizing production cost. What they gave shooters and aftermarket producers was a gun natural for improvement, through modification and parts replacement. Ruger has embraced this concept and now offers a plethora of 10/22’s covering every conceivable application.

The 10/22 trigger-group is self-contained. Replacement requires four disassembly steps and four reassembly steps. To disassemble:

1. As always, make sure the gun is unloaded. Disconnect the captive screw (and barrel band on non-takedown models with that feature), then move safety to center position.
2. Remove barreled action from stock.
3. Push two pins out of receiver.
4. Remove trigger assembly.
To reassemble, reverse these steps.

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Replacement trigger units such as the excellent Ruger BX really make a difference
on the range, and the price is reasonable. Other manufacturers offer similar units,
available through Brownells and elsewhere. The Jard trigger unit comes completely
assembled and ready to install.

Results

According to my digital trigger-pull gauge, let-off of the Ruger BX trigger exceeds the advertised 2-1/2- to 3-pound claim, but trigger-break quality, which is critical, is vastly superior to the original trigger. For those 10/22’s with the standard original trigger, this is an excellent $75 investment.

The Jard Trigger unit at about $200 came close to the advertised 1-1/2-pound let-off. I can feel slight roughness as the trigger moves, before sear disengagement (relatively deep sear engagement is a necessity in any semi-automatic gun). Nevertheless, considering the huge reduction in let-off, the Jard unit was worth every penny. With it, I can shoot my 10/22 more precisely and without fatigue.

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Removal and reinstallation of 10/22 barreled-action could hardly be simpler. Still,
if you don’t have the tools, take it to a gunsmith. The results are well worth the
extra expense.

Safety Comments

I build custom Marlin rifles. I ask all potential customers what trigger let-off they want. Several have replied with something similar to this: “Oh, I can’t handle a light trigger pull.” Whether they realized it or not, what they were declaring was: “I have dangerous gun handling habits.”

The simple solution to this is to simply follow this simple rule: Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot! If you can’t learn this, not only do you have no business installing a trigger with a light let-off on any gun, you also have no business ever handling any gun! You represent a tragedy waiting to happen.

If you care about the shootability of your Ruger 10/22, you should consider replacing the standard factory trigger. Those on a tight budget should look at the Ruger replacement, and those who want the lightest available out-of-the-box let-off should consider the Jard unit.

As any serious shooter will attest, you can’t overstate the advantage of having a quality trigger. If you have never had the pleasure of using such a trigger, the 10/22 with a replacement trigger represents an affordable opportunity.

JARD, Inc., 3149 Nest Ave., Sheldon, IA 51201, (712) 324-7409, www.jardinc.com,

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., Customer Service Department, 411 Sunapee Street, Newport, NH 03773, (336) 949-5200, www.ruger.com
By M.L. McPherson

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