March 20th, 2022Sunday gunday: $98 Ruger 10/22 Transformed to Tack-DriverTake a look at this black-stocked, benchrest rifle. This Ruger 10/22 is one of the most accurate and sophisticated on the planet. The original purchase of this 10/22 was as a “donor gun” for $98.00. Les, aka “Scasa”, in our Forum, completely upgraded the rifle’s stem and stern. He added a rear-lug to the receiver, threaded it, and upgraded its trigger. He then crafted the handsome benchrest stock out of wood. He also designed and constructed the barrel tuner and built the shooting rest. Les estimates that he spent over 1000 hours designing, fabricating, and fitting this project. The Ruger 10/22 is a one-of-a kind rifle that shoots small groups. Is this the most accurate 10/22 in the world? Possibly. It is possible.
I had hoped to someday put together an upgraded Ruger 10/22, but the receiver was a major stumbling block. I wanted a threaded barrel/receiver as well as a rear lug to mount the Ruger 10/22 at two-point. Although they do make a rear-lug that attaches on to some aftermarket receivers, it’s just a small tab that attaches at the back and is not solid. One day, while I was browsing the gun shop, I saw a Ruger 10/22 for $98.00 on the used gun rack. I grabbed it and had my donor gun. This gun was an early model that featured the two guide rails for bolt, walnut stock, metal (not plastic), and metal (not vinyl) furniture.
I finished the 10/22 rifle with rifle stock and tuner. Les also made an aluminum shooting rest. The rifle was then transformed completely by me. I didn’t realize that I would spend approximately 1000 hours labor on the project. Ruger’s original design was not my preferred design so I had to create a few things that I wanted. The rear lug was first. Next, remove the trigger pins. To get rid of the wedge, I threaded the barrel hole into the receiver. I also wanted to fix my bolt release. All of this required a new stock. Are you interested in this rifle build? Talk about it in the Shooter’s Forum. Les, the rifle owner/builder, can answer any questions you may have about the Ruger 10/22 receiver. Below is a 10/22 standard drop-in barrel. The normal barrel is not threaded at the receiver end. Instead, it slides in and is held in place by a “wedge-locking block”. The stock is made of nine pieces of Poplar 1x2s. It was sanded extensively and painted with black satin paint. Below is a photo showing the stock before it was painted. The laminations were stacked vertically, as you can see. The rifle is mounted on a one-piece shooting bench I built. Editor: Les designed and constructed this sophisticated shooting bench. This is a DIY rest. Les explained to us that he built the rest out of scrap aluminum. The inspiration for the design came from online searches for rimfire rests. The Pappas Rest was probably the most influential. A polished Pappas Rest cost $1100.00 at that time. I have less that $100 in my Pappas rest now, but it’s still a few weeks of work. I have made two of these, one for my rifles, and one for the benchrest pistol. Although it is a lot of work to sand, polish and finish, you will have a solid shooting platform. To preserve its shine, keep it oiled. Editor: The above video shows Les shooting his upgraded Ruger 10/22 using a one-piece rest that he made himself. The rest is very responsive to his upgraded Ruger 10/22. Below are the five shots taken at 25 yards using this rig. It was amazing! Very impressive!
The trigger pins were replaced by 10-32 socket head screws. This required threaded bushings be installed on the left side receiver and access holes in right side stock. The trigger group and bolt can now be removed without removing the stock. This pulls the receiver sides together, reducing bolt clearance. The trigger is shimmed using a piece shim stock to ensure it’s not too tight. However, there are many “How-Tos” that cover the conversion of the manual bolt released to an automatic bolt release. It still requires some fiddling with the damn thing. Instead of making it pivot on a slot I welded the slot together and it’s now just a hole. I added some length to it and welded a knob with a knurled handle. It now works perfectly with these modifications. The trigger housing is factory Ruger, which was purchased at a gun show 25-years ago with Volquartsen sear and hammer. The barrel is a Green Mountain blank, turned, threaded and fitted with a Bentz chamber. The barrel tuner was made by me. The rifle is fitted with a BSA 36 power scope that I purchased for $125.00 on the AccurateShooter Forum. I may have purchased another $250.00 in parts and accessories. Editor’s Commentary: This project began with an old Ruger 10/22 rifle that cost $98.00. The transformation is complete. Although it took Les many hours and a lot of effort, he is proud of the final result. The sophisticated, aluminum unitized shooting rest Les designed matches the excellence of the upgraded 10/22. It is a stunning design and execution. It Shoots Very Nicely indeed! These groups were shot at 25 meters. I think at that distance I am testing the gun’s capabilities, not my ability to read the wind, which hasn’t been very good. I’m happy if I can get 5 clean shots.
Les electro-etched the barrel’s caliber. Les explained to us that the machine was simple to build and works well. It’s not difficult to make stencils.
Similar Posts:Tags: Aluminum Rest, Custom Ruger 10/22, Les Scasa, Rimfire Benchrest, Ruger 10/22, Scasa
