SR-22: A Belated, In-Depth Exam Of The 10/22

I know exactly what you’re thinking. Chick Blood has lost it. That’s no Ruger 10/22 in the main photo. That’s not the rimfire carbine that hit the gun business like a force fi ve Kansas twister and has seen six million like it vanish from dealer shelves since 1964. No way, no how. Not so fast, my friends. Disarm those sniper pens and pencils. Abandon all thought of emails to the editor accusing your obedient technical editor of going soft in the head.

Deny any temptation to forward expressions of extreme pique at his insulting your intelligence by daring to start off this admittedly belated article concerning a .22 caliber carbine intended purely for sporting use with a picture of what is obviously a tactical weapon. Now hear this, ye potential detractors. It is not a tactical weapon. It isn’t even a tactical trainer. As you will soon discover, it is indeed a Ruger 10/22.

It has merely been adorned with a tactical tuxedo and you are to be enlightened with actual, factory methods of its disassembly and reassembly. A unique approach consistently followed since day one by this publication and the accused mental case, I will add. Onward to fundamental take down procedures. In the interest of full disclosure and a better understanding I’m using more than a single schematic in covering the SR-22.

One covers the complete assembly, a second the trigger group and the third covers the bolt assembly. All are provided with their part lists and appear in the SR-22 owner’s manual. I’ve done the same for similar reasons with other guns in previous issues. As before, I will indicate the schematic in which the identifi ed part being referred to in the text appears until I feel you’ve become sufficiently accustomed to make further prompting unnecesary.

The magazine is out, the chamber has been checked, the safety is on and so is your eye protection. Allow the bolt to close from the empty chamber check-out. With the 10/22 you’d flip down the rear sight leaf. The SR-22 has none. With both models, make certain the hammer is cocked and follow along until otherwise prompted with the overall schematic. There are two screws (14) securing the forearm adapter (5). Remove both then pull the hand guard assembly (4) to the front and off the barrel (2).

Back out the take down screw (13). Until less than a year ago, the next step would be to remove the scope mount screws (15) so the base (18) could be removed. Otherwise, it could become difficult if not impossible to separate the barreled action from the stock when lifting it upward by the muzzle end. This difficulty, it turned out, was due to the sharply squared corners of the riser to which the scope base is attached. Those corners kept getting in the way of the receiver when the latter was being pivoted up.

As you can see from the schematic, the mount screws run through the mount, the riser and seat in the receiver. Suppose there were rings and a bore-aligned, zeroed scope married to the mount. What would happen if the entire assembly were removed to get at the barreled action for cleaning purposes then subsequently replaced? There would be a loss of zero accompanied by customer dissatisfaction. All go severely against the grain at Ruger.

A The resolution didn’t require rocket science. All risers were to have their sharp corners slightly beveled. As a result, initial fabrication of the riser component was altered from sharp to beveled and every SR-22 produced since late 2010 has left the factory with a "beveled edge riser." No more field stripping troubles. No more lost accuracy due to loss of scope zero. I bring the riser situation to your attention for a specifi c reason. It’s possible you may get in an SR-22 wearing a riser with sharp corners.

It was made prior to the production changeover and retains the potential of difficult disassembly and lost zero. What to do? Take in hand a 0 cut fi le and carefully radius the corners. It won’t need a lot filing to get the job done. It might only require a couple of passes. The next most important consideration in field stripping is the safety button (#12, trigger drawing). The button must be positioned so an equal amount protrudes from both sides of the guard housing (#1, same drawing).

Overlook this equality when the action is later lifted from the stock and the stock or safety button or both will be damaged. At the risk of there being an engineering change before you read this, you may not find any roll pins in the SR- 22 and none of the solid pins are so tightly mated to their holes as to give you any trouble when drifting them out in either direction.

Wear may B The Excelite multi-hex driver (B) included in the photo is one in a set and eases removal of lengthy socket head retaining screws. cause the receiver and bolt block pins to have loosened sufficiently. In fact, when you pull out the trigger guard assembly all three pins may drop free after the barreled action is lifted out. If there is a roll pin present it’s probably retaining the firing pin in the bolt. My standard advice for roll pins is not to drift them entirely out.

Instead, move them only enough to free up the part. This will make reinstallation far easier down the pike and lessen the possibility of infl icting damage to the pin. Except for its adjustable stock, the rifle is field stripped. Detailed Disassembly Assuming all pins still remain with the barreled action note what are you now holding in your hands. Looks pretty familiar, huh? I told you up front this article was about a 10/22.

Apologies for negative thoughts of resulting hostile actions to be taken regarding the failing state of my neurons hereby gracefully accepted. To proceed, drift out the fore and aft receiver pins. Separate the guard assembly downward from the receiver. Switch the safety off. Place your thumb over the hammer, pull the trigger and ease the hammer to its fi red position. Invert the rifle and B Atake a good look at the bolt assembly and its immediate surroundings in the receiver.

It depends on how much fouling you see but if a cleanup is needed, drift out the bolt stop pin. Fail to do so and the bolt (#1, bolt assembly drawing) stays in the gun because the pin keeps you from moving it far enough back to clear the receiver guide rails. Use the cocking handle assembly (#8, same drawing) to retract the bolt. This action compresses the integral recoil spring. Give the cocking handle a good pinch. Ease the handle assembly forward until the spring is fully relaxed.

Lift the front end of the bolt up. Remove it from the receiver. Withdraw the cocking handle assembly through the ejection port. The assembly should remain as is. A damaged one calls for a complete, factory fresh replacement. If a roll pin is present in the bolt it’s the firing pin stop pin (#7) which is also related to the firing pin rebound spring (#6). Once the pin is no longer in their way the firing pin (#5) and spring are slid to the rear and out of the bolt.

The extractor (#4), its plunger (#3) and spring (#2) still remain. Insert a jeweler’s bladed screwdriver ahead of the plunger. Depress it along with its spring. Hold both to the rear, lift the extractor from its bolt recess and

Akeep any spring pressure under control while removing the plunger. Both components are very easily lost and very hard to find. By releasing the hammer to afi red position you eased pressure applied by the hammer spring (#21, guard assembly drawing). Press on the hammer to move it forward a little further. Grasp the end of the hammer strut (#22), raise it from the hammer recess and remove it. Speared on the strut is the hammer spring. Holding the spring on the strut is the hammer spring washer (#20).

If for any reason the washer must be separated from the strut, the spring has to be compressed before it can happen. Ditto when the A The troublesome sharp corners still showing up on older production SR22 rifles may require equal or less beveling. washer is reinstalled. Now push out the hammer pin (#23) just far enough to allow removal of the hammer. Stop for awhile. Give yourself plenty of time to examine the internals of the guard assembly under magnifi cation and a good light source.

Refer often to the guard schematic and parts list. This delay will prove extremely useful at reassembly time. After the examination, and ideally some photos to jog your memory B A

Ruger SR-22 Main Schematic (Speci cations subject to change without notice) 1 Receiver 2 Barrel 3 Barrel Support 4 Hand Guard 5 Forearm Adaptor 6 Main Body 7 Adjustable Stock Assembly about what you’ve been looking at, drift out the ejector pin (#25) to free the ejector (#24) and bolt lock spring (#18). Drift out the hammer pivot pin the rest of the way. Move on to the magazine latch (#14), bolt lock (#13), latch plunger (#17), latch spring (#16) and latch pivot (#15).

Shine a high intensity light into the front end of the guard assembly. Depress the latch plunger a few times to observe how all the components just mentioned relate and in what order. When you’re confident you can duplicate what you have been watching, start slowly pushing out the pivot pin. Simultaneously, depress and release the plunger. When the pin has been pushed far enough and the drift punch removed, the latch parts and bolt stop will fall from the guard.

Make a slave of the latch pin to use in preassembly of the components just 8 Scope Mount Base 9 Barrel Nut 10 Flash Suppressor 11 End Plate 12 Castle Nut 13 Take Down Screw 14 Hand Guard Adaptor Screw 15 Scope Mount Screw 16 Pistol Grip 17 Pistol Grip Screw 18 Sling Swivel Screw 19 Flash Suppressor Washer 20 Locking Ring 21 Trigger Guard Filler freed from the guard. Tweeze out the plunger and spring. You also might be able to simply jar them loose by tapping the lower front end of the guard on your bench.

The trigger (#6) of a 10/22 has ears at its upper end. Unlike some humans, there’s plenty going on between them, specifically, the disconnector (#5), disconnector spring (#7), disconnector pivot pin (#4), sear (#9) and trigger pivot pin (#8). There’s plenty going on behind the lower trigger as well. A small hole in the rear of the guard is home to the even smaller trigger plunger spring (#2) and trigger plunger (#3). There’s no secrecy about their presence.

The plunger is quite obvious just aft of the trigger in a fully assembled rifle. I bring this up to deter those tempted to forge ahead, drift out the trigger pin then remove the trigger/disconnector/sear assembly upward and 22 Crush Washer 23 Sling Swivel Screw Washer 24 #10-32 Insert 25 Magazine, 10-shot 26 Receiver Cross Pin (2) 27 Bolt Stop Pin out of the guard. This is the correct route to removal but to do so without first capturing the plunger and spring will result in much time spent searching dark corners.

To avoid this unpleasant prospect cut a half-inch wide strip of duct tape about five inches long and insert it between the rear of the trigger and the end of the plunger. Depress the plunger, wrap both ends of the tape tightly around the back of the guard overlapping them and holding the plunger to the rear. This frees you up to tackle the complete removal of the trigger assembly. A caution.

Once the #8 pin has been pushed from the guard be very careful you lose neither the disconnector spring or sear as the assembly is moved upward. I suggest clamping it together with a spring-loaded clothes pin as soon as possible before it clears the guard. The clothes pin

1 Trigger Guard 2 Trigger Plunger Spring 3 Trigger Plunger 4 Disconnector Pivot Pin 5 Disconnector 6 Trigger and duct tape bit may not look very professional but I never do anything to a gun with the owner around and they both work like champs for me with a 10/22. Pardon, I mean SR-22. I’ve been informed by at least one reliable source that the safety of an SR-22 or 10/22 can’t be reversed from right to left hand operation as it can be with, say, an 870 shotgun.

I’m further informed that Ruger customer service workers have yet to have a 10/22 or SR-22 come in with the safety removed. Well, I have. I mean totally gone, including the safety detent plunger (#11), spring (#10) and button (#12). The same could happen 7 Disconnector Spring 8 Trigger Pivot Pin 9 Sear 10 Safety Detent Plunger Spring 11 Safety Detent Plunger 12 Safety Button to you. If it does, here’s how I went about setting a stupid act already done to rights. Call Ruger and order in the missing parts.

Have a jar of Vaseline and a dental pick or very small diameter starter punch or the smallest jeweler’s blade screwdriver. Put a dab of Vaseline on the end of it and insert the spring into its hole in the guard. This is just to hold it in until adding on the plunger. The button has a cut on one side. Rotate the button until the cut is facing downwards. With whatever tool chosen, press inward on the end of the plunger.

You’ll have to do this as close to its edge as pos- 1 Bolt 2 Extractor Spring 3 Extractor Plunger 4 Extractor Ruger SR-22 Bolt Schematic (Speci cations subject to change without notice) Ruger SR-22 Guard Assembly Schematic (Speci cations subject to change without notice) 13 Bolt Lock 14 Magazine Latch 15 Magazine Latch Pivot 16 Magazine Latch Plunger Spring 17 Magazine Latch Plunger 18 Bolt Lock Spring 5 Firing Pin 6 Firing Pin Rebound Spring 7 Firing Pin Stop Pin 8 Cocking Handle 19 Hammer 20 Hammer Strut Washer 21 Hammer Spring 22 Hammer Strut 23 Hammer Pivot Pin 24 Ejector sible.

Maintain the pressure as you slowly insert the button in—cut-out side down remember—far enough to capture the plunger. Remove the tool. Simultaneously push and rotate the button the rest of the way through the guard so the spring pops the plunger through the cutout. Check for free movement of the button. Would inserting apiece of tape work as it does with the trigger plunger and spring? Nope. There’s almost zero room between the safety button and the trigger guard itself.

As soon as I discovered the missing safety assembly I began to worry about the magazine. Had taking of

the stupid pill affected it too? Up to a point, the 10/22 magazine isn’t an intimidating proposition and the .22 round being quite dirty for its size can generate fouling quicker than many larger calibers. Basic takedown of the magazine, though not recommended, is simple. The front screw requires an Allen wrench. After the screw has been removed, so can the back plate followed by the internal parts (see schematic). Now, go no further. Do not mess with the rotor or spring.

If residue has piled up, blast it off with a spray cleaner, do the same to the interior of the mag and put it back together so it looks just like it did inside before you took the Allen wrench to it. Please leave the spring alone as it is pure misery on the 10-round magazine. The good news, on the other hand, is the new BX 25-round magazines for the 10/22 series present no problems in take down or reassembly. As long as permission is first given to use the dishwasher, they are also dishwasher safe.

A bit of preventive maintenance is in order. When you take the bolt out examine its front end. See the angle there? Now look at the fully assembled magazine. The magazine throat has as angle too. To avoid feeding problems these two angles have to be the same in relationship to each other. Dummy rounds fed into the mag and several manual cycles of the action after reassembly will confirm, or deny, whether or not they are. I’ll add this fact.

The best policy to follow with a 10-round magazine acting up because an owner has dismantled it is to add the cost of anew one to your bill for services rendered. They are remarkably inexpensive. Not your services necessarily, the magazines. The stock, almost as noticeable a difference between the SR-22 and the 10/22 as the tactical tuxedo, provides a six position adjustment for length of pull. There are locking holes on the underside of the extension tube and a spring loaded pin inside the butt.

Squeeze the rear part of the lever on the underside up against the stock and slide the assembly in toward or away from the receiver. Release the lever. Move the assembly in or out until the pin snaps audibly into one of the holes in the extension tube. Try the fit and readjust if necessary. Reassembly Tips Invert the gun when reassembling the bolt into the receiver, the pointed end of the recoil spring rod is fitted into its recess in the rear right of the receiver.

The recoil spring should be positioned fl at against the side and bottom of the receiver. Maintain the guide rod in its position by keeping pressure on the bolt handle between your thumb and forefi nger. You have to maintain this pressure and equal it while you simultaneously use the side of a screwdriver blade to com- Ruger SR-22 Magazine Schematic (Speci cations subject to change without notice) press the recoil spring against the leading end of the bolt handle.

Keep the spring fully compressed and examine the top of the bolt. There’s a recessed section at its top and alike section of the bolt handle that mates with it. Position the two components to ensure the marriage and press down on the bolt until you hear them click together. Allow the bolt handle with bolt attached to move forward slowly. Cycle the handle a few times to check for correct assembly. Install bolt stop pin.

All the aids previously used in disassembly, such as clothes pins, Vaseline and duct tape, will be applied again in rebuilding the guard assembly. You will also need a slave pin to reassemble the trigger elements prior to sliding them back down into the guard. The slave is pushed out with the trigger pin. The bolt lock spring lays on the right side of the hammer as viewed from above. The hammer strut assembly is dropped into place and the safety button on "fi re" with its notch facing upwards.

The bolt lock spring is fitted into the bolt stop should be trapped under the ejector pin when the pin is installed. If you took the trouble to list each component as it was removed and remember how they were originally assembled there should be no serious problems to resolve when reversing your steps. But you do that all the time, don’t you? AG