Ruger 10/22, clones, and aftermarket bolts

[Big Frank]

As far as I've seen, there are 4 basic types of Ruger 10/22, clone, and aftermarket bolts.

1. First of all, there's the original 10/22 bolt. It usually works well enough, but the newer ones look a lot rougher than they did when I got mine.

2. Then there's a Ruger style bolt modified by drilling and pinning, so the front of the firing pin can't move up and down. You can modify your own bolt if you don't want to buy a new one.

3. There's also the kind that uses a round firing pin inserted from the rear, like most centerfire guns, but uses the standard style cocking handle and recoil spring.

4. And there's also one that uses a round firing pin, but has a bolt handle that's inserted into the side of the bolt and uses a separate recoil spring and rod, instead of the stock type handle and recoil spring.

I think Volquartsen rifles had bolts made like #4, but the Competition Bolt 2.0 for 10/22 is just like #3 above. There's also a Firefly Bolt 2.0 made of aluminum that weighs 4 ounces less. It's designed to cycle with subsonic ammo, from CCI Quiets rated at 710 fps to subsonic .22 LR rated at 1050 fps. I bought a couple of boxes of Quiet-22 Segmented HP, 22 LR, 40 Grain, Segmented Hollow Point, 710 fps ammo on sale when I picked up my Trek-22. I didn't know there was a way to make my guns cycle with them, other than by hand. My Trek-22 came with a bolt that looks a lot like the Faxon bolt in pic #3, including an angled cut at the top-right corner in front of the handle slot.

https://volquartsen.com/departments/1022_parts/inventory_configurations/8669

https://volquartsen.com/departments/1022_parts/inventory_configurations/7185

[Rastus]

So besides cycling low powered ammo, what do each of those designs bring to the table for practical use?                                 

[alfsauve]

Interesting about some of the features of the 10/22.   In particular is the magazine release and the bolt handle.  Manufacturers and fellow shooters encourage upgrades to both.

But here's the thing.  I don't have a problem with those features.  I operate the factory mag release just fine.  You're not doing it on the competition timer, so speed isn't a factor.  my trigger finger operates the release and the mag drops out just fine into my left hand.    The bolt handle is small but I grasp the gun in my right hand around the mid section and my right thumb just naturally falls on the handle.  Pulling it back with that thumb allows my weak hand to insert or remove the ECI.  What about clearing failures during string of fire?   The speeds are so fast that any FTEx, FTEj or FTF you've lost that string of fire. 

Yes I'd upgrade for more reliability, but not those features.  I've found deep, judicious cleaning to be a key to most .22lr problems.  That and reliable ammo.

[Rastus]

So on the competition circuit, what is it that you see for the most reliable 10/22 bolt assembly upgrade?

[alfsauve]

I couldn’t  possibly tell you.  So many variations out there, and unless you ask you can't always tell at a glance. 

I shoot primarily with my practice buddies, they're shooting mostly AR style guns built by 3rd parties.  Some are around 10/22 receiver some not.  I'll keep a eye out and try to develop some sense of what's favored.  Which RF Challenge did an equipment survey like USPSA does.

Funny thing about shooting stock and OTS stuff.   One of my buddies is a Master shooter in PCC.  None of the other divisions, just PCC.   He shoots a Kel-Tec Sub2000, which except for adding the Holosun red dot is, pretty stock.  You should see the reaction of PCC shooters who spent ~$1000 on their tricked out PCC to find out they' got beat by a Kel-Tec.

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[Big Frank]

The 3 ounce Firefly Bolt 2.0 bolt is the only one I mentioned for cycling low powered ammo. At less than half the weight of a standard 7 ounce bolt, it would work with ammo that otherwise makes the gun into a manual repeater.

The front of the firing pin can move up and down on a stock 10/22 bolt. By pinning it down or replacing the bolt with one with a round firing pin, the same part of the tip is going to hit the same part of the rim consistently. And with a round firing pin it's easy to make the tip exactly the size and shape they want it. Whether steel or titanium is better, I don't know, but I plan on getting a Volquartsen SureStrike Firing Pin for my Ruger 10/22.

Volquartsen SureStrike Firing Pin is designed to minimize and/or eliminate light hits on the Ruger 10/22 (22 LR model only). The SureStrike Firing Pin is precision EDM machined from A2 tool steel. The impact section of the firing pin is then surface ground to create the optimal "SureStrike" each and every time!

This new firing pin is also .004" wider than the factory firing pin to help eliminate side to side movement in the factory bolt.

Hardened to a Rc 56–58 to prevent any excessive wear and deformation that can be found on the factory firing pin. The hardening process on the A2 material allows for a much deeper hardening when compared to conventional case hardening.

My old firing pin is stamped out sheet metal that's flat on one side and rounded on the other side where the punch hit the metal. I tried drilling a hole in my bolt to put a cross pin in over the top of the firing pin, but the drill bit didn't even scratch it. Some people get light firing pin strikes when the bottom of the firing pin barely hits the rim. Doing the mod fixes it. It may be possible to use a hammer and center punch to put dimples above the firing pin to keep it down, but I don't know.

https://volquartsen.com/inventory_configurations/770