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Hot 10/22 Customs

Clair Rees

Beyond conversations, these tailor-made autoloaders provide exceptional performanceand accuracy.

When Ruger introduced the 10/22 autoloader in 1964, it set the stage for a new cottageindustry. The little rifle was an immediate hit with shooters, who were quick to appreciateits excellent accuracy and reliability. Adding to the 10/22's appeal, was its military barrel-band styling, which reminded many of the light, handy, World War II M1 carbines. The10/22's removable rotary-feed magazine was reminiscent of the smooth-feeding spoolsonce featured in Mannlicher-Schoenauer and Model 99 Savage rifles.

The Ruger autoloader was a real sleeper. It sold extremely well for several years beforesomeone finally paid attention to one if its unique features. The 10/22 design allowedanyone to replace the factory barrel with an aftermarket tube. The chore was dead simple

and took only seconds. Enterprising manufacturers were soon turning out target-stylebarrels to fit stock 10/22s.

A handful of savvy shooters began using custom-barreled l0/22s in Sportsman's TeamChallenge competition. The rapid-fire reliability of the 10/22 action, combined with thetack-driving accuracy of the heavy target barrels, put the hybrid .22s in the winner'scircle. The word quickly spread, fueling demand for aftermarket barrels for the 10/22.

Today, shooters who want something more than a bare-bones 10/22 have several customrimfires to choose from. I recently put a trio of high-grade rifles featuring 10/22 (or10/22-inspired) actions through their paces. Here's how they stacked up.

Magnum Lite 10/22

I've been using a Magnum Lite 10/22 from Magnum Research for more than a year.When I took it on a Nevada ground-squirrel shoot, its radical Turner Barracuda stockturned a lot of heads. The laminated, extensively skeletonized woodwork has a down-right startling appearance. Featuring a highly modified thumbhole design, the buttstockalso sports a second gaping recess where you'd normally see solid wood. Its carvedcheekpiece places your eye comfortably behind the scope, but has only vestigial support.

Instead of a conventional forearm, your left hand grasps a broad, thin shelf with a half-inch of empty space between barrel and wood. Talk about floating barrels!

Magnum Research offers other, more conventional stock designs, but the Barracuda stopstraffic!

The heart of this 10/22 conversion is its compensated Magnum Lite barrel. Manufacturedby Magnum Research, the barrel features multiple layers of graphite fiber wrappedaround a rifled-steel core. According to Magnum Research, the Magnum Lite barrel is sixtimes stiffer and dissipates heat much faster than solid-steel barrels. Weighing only 13ozs. it's also 75 percent lighter than a standard bull barrel.

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When I tested the Magnum Lite conversion at the range, 50-yard five-shot groups variedfrom 1/2' to 1" in diameter. Winchester Power Points delivered the best accuracy. Fourrounds would often punch a single, ragged hole, with a fifth round flyer opening thespread to a half-inch.

With the Turner Barracuda stock, the Magnum Lite autoloader sells for $799. Otheravailable stock styles can reduce this price by $100 or $200. You can also order a ClarkCustom upgrade that includes a deluxe trigger kit, tuned extractor and an improved boltrelease. This additional custom work costs $130.

Christensen Carbon One

Christensen Arms' Carbon One Challenge features a Ruger 10/22 action fitted withChristensen Arms' superlight carbon-fiber barrel. The 7/8" diameter bull barrel sports adeep blue-black finish and a distinctive pattern of shaded squares.

The customized trigger guard features an angled silhouette and an oversized magazinerelease. The gold-finished custom trigger has an adjustable trigger stop.

Again, several different stock styles are available. The rifle I received for testing wore"The Ross" thumbhole sporter from Boyds' Gunstock Industries Inc. The attractivenutmeg brown-on-brown laminated stock features a high comb with a carved rollovercheekpiece. The stock's thumbhole pistol grip includes a hand-fitted Wundhammer swell,while the forend is generously proportioned. The Carbon One Challenge proves bothhandsome and easy to shoot.

The concept of wrapping carbon fiber around a narrow stainless steel barrel sleeve waspioneered by company founder Roland Christensen, Ph.D. The process produces a light,stiff, very stable barrel that delivers excellent accuracy. The carbon-wrapped barrel also

sheds heat quickly, a feature better appreciated by users of Christensen Arms' graphite-barreled centerfire rifles.

In addition to its space-age barrel, the Carbon One Challenge sports a custom-trigger searthat pares pull weight to a crisp 2 lbs. The barrel is glass-bedded to the stock and theaction is slicked up to smooth operation. Fitted with the laminated stock, the rifle weighsjust over 4 lbs. A Christensen Arms synthetic stock can reduce that heft by a full pound.

Christensen Arms guarantees 50-yard groups measuring 1/2" or less in diameter. A testtarget accompanying the rifle showed five rounds in a tight .290" cluster. The 50-yardgroup was made with Federal Gold ammunition.

When I did my own accuracy testing, the Carbon One Challenge produced 3/8" 5-shotgroups with Federal Gold Ultra Match fodder and some imported Lapua ammo I had onhand. Testing was done from a sandbagged rest at 50 yards with the help of a LeupoldVari-X III 3.5-10x Tactical scope.

Buying a Christensen Carbon One Challenge rifle will leave you a dollar change from a$1,000 bill. Carbon One Challenge barrels can be purchased separately for $399.

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Volquartsen Ultra Light

The third custom 10/22 isn't really a 10/22. While Volquartsen's Ultra Light action isclosely modeled after the Ruger receiver, Volquartsen Custom Ltd. wholly manufacturesit.

"We have a superior product," says Tom Volquartsen. "While Ruger uses a cast-aluminum receiver, our receiver is CNC-machined from a solid billet of 416 stainlesssteel. An integral Weaver-style mount eliminates the need for drilling and tapping. Thebolt is CNC-machined from a case-hardened steel alloy."

The Ultra Light's internal parts are similar to those in the Ruger 10/22, but they'redimensionally different, according to Volquartsen.

"The sear and disconnector are manufactured using EDM (electrical dischargemachining). This process allows us to hold tolerances extremely tight," he says. "Adifferent system is also used to mount the barrel to the receiver. Our barrels can't beinterchanged by the customer. If a different barrel is needed, it must be installed at thefactory."

The barrels themselves are also markedly different.

"Our Carbon-Fiber Lightweight Tension barrel features a woven carbon-fiber sleevethat's pre-formed, then slid onto the barrel's rifled core," Volquartsen says. "A threadedcap on both the receiver and muzzle end creates tension on the stainless-steel barrel,which reduces vibration."

Volquartsen's TG-2000 trigger assembly is CNC-machined from an aluminum block.Trigger free-travel and over-travel can be adjusted by the rifle's owner, but pull weight is

not adjustable. It's factory set at a crisp 2 lbs. The rifle also features an extendedmagazine release that's easier to operate, along with an automatic bolt release. To closethe bolt, it's only necessary to pull back the handle and release it.

While Volquartsen has been manufacturing .22 Mag. autoloaders for the past four years,the .22 Long Rifle version was introduced in late 1999. This is the reverse order of howrimfires usually come to market, but the new selfloading .22 looks like a real winner.Accuracy is excellent. Five-round 50-yard groups ranged from 5/16 to 5/8" center-to-center.

My Volquartsen Ultra Light is equipped with a McMillan fiberglass stock and retails for$1,075. Other stock materials and designs are available at lower prices.

Ruger 10/22T Target

While customized 10/22s are the focus of this review, I've also included a factory ringer.Spurred by the popularity of 10/22 conversions featuring aftermarket barrels, Rugereventually got into the act. Four years ago, the company introduced the 10/22T, a bull-barreled factory version of its best-selling autoloader. Ruger's 10/22T Target Model wasaimed at 10/22 fans who'd been adding drop-in stocks, bull barrels and other aftermarket

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accessories to their favorite rimfires. They could get it all in the 10/22T at their nearestsporting goods store.

The l0/22T Target Model is more than a standard 10/22 rifle with a bull barrel installed.You immediately notice the substantially proportioned laminated hardwood stock. Inaddition to catching your eye, laminated stocks are less prone to warping or swelling thanhandles made from a single piece of wood.

In addition to handsomely figured woodwork, the 10/22T wears a heavy target barrel.The blued 20" tube features a distinctive spiral of polished flats created by hammerforging. The 10/22T also sports a tight, target-style chamber and improved trigger action(the trigger on the rifle I tested broke crisply at 4 lbs.). Like the other 10/22 variationsmentioned here, the 10/22T comes sans factory sights. The receiver is drilled and tappedfor scope mounts and a screw-on base is supplied to accept tip-off rings. Rifle weight is asubstantial 71/2 lbs.

At $398 recommended retail, the 10/22T costs roughly twice as much as two standard

10/22s. For a somewhat different perspective, the Ruger 10/22T sells for just half asmuch as Magnum Research's Magnum Lite .22 (the least expensive of the other threerifles tested here).

For testing, I mounted a 3.5-10x Shepherd scope on the 10/22T and headed for theshooting range. With Winchester T22 ammo, the Target Model Ruger punched 5/8 5-shotgroups at 50 yards. Not bad!

Range Performance

All the autoloaders tested delivered excellent accuracy. As far as functioning wasconcerned, there were a few minor hiccups when the out-of-the box rifles were first fired.

A few hang-ups occurred with all four .22s, but by the time they'd each digested 50 or 60rounds, they were smoothly feeding and firing nearly all the fodder I fed them. Oneexception was CCI Stinger loads. Scott Volquartsen tells me this is likely caused by thetight target chambers these rifles feature. Certain rimfire ammo is manufactured withslightly oversized bullets, which don't function well in a snug chamber.

I've used all four bull-barreled autoloaders for hunting and plinking. They're a joy afieldand deliver truly exceptional accuracy. As I said at the beginning, Ruger really startedsomething when he unveiled his new .22 rifle 36 years ago. The customized versions I'vebeen shooting cost considerably more than the standard 10/22. In my opinion, they'rewell worth the extra money.

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