The 10/22 Target Rifle Project part 1: Planning

This is another one of the 10/22 projects introduced in March.

Like some of the others this one was inspired by Hipshot from the Rimfire Central Forum

The object of this build is to create, through our own work and creativity (using Hipshot's stock as inspiration), a custom target rifle that is comfortable and fun to shoot. We are not attempting to get 1 hole groups at 100 yards nor are we trying to re-invent the rifle.

To accomplish this, I could buy a custom stock, aftermarket receiver, aftermarket bull barrel and parts and have $1000 or more into this project.
Instead we will build this on a more modest budget. While I wont be putting a hard limit on it, we will attempt to keep it under $400.
That means most of the work will be done by me, including building a custom stock with custom action bedding (fore and aft) and a trigger/action job.

While I will stick with the design concept above, I will tweak it a bit, see the stock below, it has more material above the thumb hole, more of a straight line across the top of the wrist. I will also make the cheek weld a bit smaller.

When it comes to the color, I want to go with pearl white on the stock, everything else will be silver or polished aluminum/stainless steel 

Except the bang switch, I am thinking red....like this 10/22

I don't know why, but the contrast of silver, black and the single spot of red on the rifle above reminds me of Ava Lord (Eva Green) from the movie Sin City, A Dame to Kill For

I think I will name this rifle Ava....

 
....anyway... back to the project, now that I have a plan, it is time to collect the parts:

I had collected a few factory stocks to get me started, the most I paid was $15, the least $0, I even found a walnut one that I will restore and perform some checkering on in an upcoming project (once of course, I learn how to checker).

For this project we will be using the third one from the bottom which I picked up at the gun show for $5

I purchased some planks of Poplar wood a while back (I used some of it to make the pistol grip on my Hoplophobe Project
The wood will be cut to make a new butt stock and re-profile the forend.

I bought this Charger receiver on gun broker from S&P Outfitters

In case anyone is wondering, it is perfectly legal to take this Charger pistol receiver and make it into a rifle, if you chose to do it the other way around, you will need permission from the Man.

I will install a KIDD rear tang kit and bed it into the stock

I will use these Weaver scope rings (aluminum & stainless steel). They are tall enough to clear the 50mm objective scope that I plan on using and they are made in America. These are the same ones I used on my daughter's pink rifle

I didn't want use the blued stock take-down screw...so I ordered this custom stainless one

I won an auction on eBay for this used bolt and charging handle

I needed some trigger group pins, these stainless ones are slightly oversized and very affordable

Also on ebay, I won an auction for this new take-off V-block and screws.

I purchased this gently used, factory stainless barrel from a local forum member, I also purchased the aluminum trigger assembly, for a future project.

I had several 10/22s & Chargers that could use a lighter trigger pull, so I ordered the tuner kit from Tony Kidd, I will be looking to get around a 2.5lb trigger pull

Kidd also supplied their auto bolt release, we could've done the mod ourselves, but for $13, I figured I'd buy this one, besides this one is stainless and it will match our other parts better.

We will also use Kidd's bolt buffer system

Atomic Arms supplied the red billet aluminum trigger

I also purchased this used and incomplete aluminum trigger housing for the project, the finish is pretty beat up, but that is not a problem. I'm removing it anyway so I can polish the aluminum. Also I can easily source the hammer, main spring, ejector, pins and springs needed, for now I will rob them from a spare trigger assembly that I bought.

If the rifle will be white and silver I didn't want a black butt plate or recoil pad and no one makes a white recoil pad (at least that I could find). So I bought a set of white flip-flops from Walmart for a whopping 98 cents and I will make my own.

For the scope I will attempt to find a reasonably priced rimfire scope with a 50mm objective, in silver of course!

It's time to turn this mess of parts into a rifle!