Friday, March 31, 2023

Ruger 10/22 Trivia

Here are 30 questions, see how many of them you know

#1 Which weighs more the 10/22 original walnut stock or the current production beech wood?

#2 What year did Ruger move production of the 10/22 from Southport, CT to Newport, NH?

#3 What is the name of the plastic used in the 10/22 butt plate?

#4 What year did Ruger begin sponsoring the USA Shooting Team?

#5 How long is a standard 10/22 with the 18.5" barrel?

#6 What is the name of the material used in the 10/22 laminated stocks?

#7 What was the MSRP of the 10/22 when introduced?

#8 What year did Ruger add the warning label to the barrel?

#9 True or False, the 10/22s with the prefix "FBI" were made for a special division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation?

#10 Who once owned the 10/22s with the serial numbers 28 & 29?

#11 What year did Ruger introduce the SR22 rifle?

#12 Who did Ruger make the 10/22 model 1115 for?

#13 The 10/22 with serial # 102222 left the factory with what supposed manufacturing mistake?

#14 What language, other than English, did Ruger produce the 10/22 owner's manual in?

#15 Why did Ruger produce the BX 1 magazine in clear plastic?

#16 How long did Ruger produce the 10/22 before raising the MSRP?

#17 What is the standard length of pull on a 10/22?

#18 Who was given the 5 millionth 10/22?

#19 What is the twist rate of the rifling in a 10/22?

#20 The BX-25 magazine came in one color other than black, what did Ruger call the color?

#21 Who was gifted the 10/22 with serial #16?

#22 What year did Ruger produce the one millionth 10/22?

#23 How long did it take Harry Sefried and the Ruger engineers to create the BX1 rotary magazine?

#24 How much weight was saved when Ruger switched the trigger housing, barrel band and butt plate to plastic?

#25 What year did AMT begin producing a copy of the 10/22?

#26 In Field & Stream's list of the top 50 guns ever made, where did the 10/22 rank?

#27 True or False: The Ruger 10/22 is the best selling 22 rifle in history

#28 What was the 10/22 prototype given for a serial number?

#29 SE Overton Co produced the 10/22 stocks for the first 7 years of the 10/22s production, what rifle did they produce stocks for during WWII?

#30 Which serial number 10/22 was the first to leave the factory (in private hands)?

Answers:

#1 - Beech wood by 1/2 ounce

#2 - 1970

#3 - Celcon

#4 - 2007

#5 - 37 inches

#6 - Stratabond

#7 - $54.50

#8 - 1978

#9 - False, they were made for distributor Faber Brothers Inc.

#10 - Elmer Keith

#11 - 2009

#12 - Walmart

#13 - The barrel had no rifling.

#14 - Spanish

#15 - A salesman's sample to show the inner workings of the magazine.

#16 - Six years

#17 - 13.5 inches

#18 - The 4-H Shooting Sports Program

#19 - 1 turn in 16 inches, RH twist.

#20- Raspberry

#21 - Gun dealer/writer Herb Glass

#22 - 1978

#23 - 18 months

#24 - 2.7 ounces

#25 - 1984

#26 - it ranked #8

#27 - False, the Marlin model 60 holds that distinction.

#28 - X1

#29 - The M1 Carbine

#30 - Serial #4, it went to an employee who purchased the serial #4 of every new model Ruger produced while he worked there.

Monday, March 27, 2023

Week 13 2023

This Week in Firearms History:

March 26: In 1199, King Richard I (Lionheart) is mortally wounded at Chalus; in 1958 Nikita Khrushchev becomes premier of the Soviet Union

March 27: In 1713 Spain loses Menorca and Gibraltar to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht; in 1794 The US Navy is created; in 1945, WWII, Operation Starvation begins

March 28: In 845 Paris is sacked by Viking raiders; in 1930 Constantinople (named in 300AD) is renamed Istanbul; in 1969 President Eisenhower dies at 78

March 29: Vietnam Veteran Recognition Day; in 1911, the U.S. Army formally adopted the Colt M1911 pistol; in 1973 the last US troops leave Vietnam; in 2007 Lloyd Brown, the last Navy veteran of WWI passes away at 109

March 30: In 1909 Hiram Percy Maxim is awarded patent for a silenced firearm; in 1981 President Ronald Reagan is wounded in an assassination attempt.

March 31: In 1850 gunmaker L.C. Smith is born; in 2006 after 140 years Winchester plant closes in New Haven; in 2011 Marlin closes its plant in North Haven.

April 1: In 1920 Savage purchases J. Stevens Arms Co; in 1924 Hitler is sentenced to 5 years for the Beer Hall Putsch; in 1934 Bonnie and Clyde kill two Texas Highway Patrolmen; in 1945, WWII, 60,000 US troops land on Okinawa

Gun of the Week: Colt Lightning Rifle

The Colt Lightning Rifle was a pump action rifle made from 1884 to 1904. They were designed to specifically fire revolver cartridges so that this rifle could be a companion to Colt revolvers.

The rifle came in three frame sizes and seemed to be well designed and fast to shoot.

In 1898 the San Francisco PD ordered 401 of the rifles in 44-40, a sure collector's item today.

All production ended in 1904, rumor has it Winchester was planning on producing a revolver to compete with Colt, but agreed to not make the revolver if Colt would end production of the Lightning and a planned lever action rifle. Read more here

Cartridge of the Week: 30 Super Carry

The Federal .30 Super Carry is a semi-auto handgun cartridge that was designed with self-defense in mind.

The 30 Super Carry is indeed a 30 caliber, sharing the bullet diameter of the .32 ACP, but the bullets are heavier, 100-115 grain, compared to the 60-75 grain of the 32 ACP.

The designers hoped that with bullet and powder technology advanced as much as it has would allow them to get 9mm performance out of a smaller cartridge. This would allow for high capacities on smaller carry guns.

By a pretty large consensus the .30 Super Carry outclasses the .380 ACP and is comparable, if not better than the 9mm Luger.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.” – Thomas Jefferson

Bubba Gun of the Week:

Nicknamed Frankenstein's 10-22 this gun was modified by Victor Adolph Frankenstein (pronounced frawn ken steen), this rifle, err handgun? features parts from no less than 12 guns. They gun may look like a violation of the United States National Firearms Act, but Victor lives in Point Roberts WA, in fact the gun is kept on the side of the house that is in Canada, so no foul here.

Gun Sticker of the Week:

The sticker this week is actually a pack of stickers, available from Wicked Grips

Gun T-shirt of the Week:

Another shirt that sends a powerful message to those wishing to enslave us, buy them on Amazon

Friday, March 24, 2023

Guest Post: Custom 10/22 Charger Receiver & Chassis

It has been a while since we hosted a guest post here.

One of our local forum members is a machinist. He started by making some 3D printed 10/22 receivers.

I didn't get a lot of detail on how or what he did, mostly just pictures...so I will let the pictures tell the story with minimal commentary.

The receiver was printed in three parts, two sides and a middle section that held the recoil spring boss

The the pieces were fused together I assume? Then the necessary screw holes were drilled and tapped

He didn't like the plastic stocks and he equally disliked the cost of the aftermarket aluminum chassis available.

So he decided to create his own. Here is his CAD rendering of the chassis:

And then he started cutting aluminum:

Trial fit

Testing the fit of the pistol grip

A challenge for any 10/22 stock with a pistol grip is the gap between the grip and trigger guard

A new design with a mounting boss for a folding stock

Monday, March 20, 2023

Week 12 2023

This Week in Firearms History:

March 19: In 1848, Wyatt Earp is born

March 20: In 1813 Ned Buntline is born, in 1815, Napolean enters Paris after escaping Elba, in 1882 Frank Stillwell is gunned down in Tuscon by Wyatt Earp gang, in 1882 John Browning opens his first gun shop with his brother

March 21: in 1804 The Napoleonic code adopted in France, in 1871 Henry Morton Stanley begins his search for Dr Livingstone in Africa.

March 22: In 1765 the Stamp Act is passed, 1st direct tax on American Colonies, in 1821, gun designer Benjamin Tyler Henry is born

March 23: In 1775 Patrick Henry gives his "give me liberty or give me death speech in Virginia; in 1933 the German Reichstag gives Hitler dictorial powers; in 1945 the Battle of Okinawa begins

March 24: In 1882 Curly Bill Brocious is gunned down in Iron Springs, AZ by Wyatt Earp's gang; in 1944 R. Lee Ermey is born; in 1976 Peron is deposed in Argentina

March 25: In 1856 AE Burnside is awarded patent for breech loading rifle

Gun of the Week: Savage 110

The Savage 110 is a bolt action rifle that has an interesting story. The model number stems from the original MSRP of $110, that was back in 1958 when the gun only came in 30-06 and 270 Win.

The design is fairly straightforward and similar to most push feed bolt action rifles, this rifle is unique in that is saved Savage from going under.

In 1988 Savage was in the middle of bankruptcy reorganization, they cut production of all guns except the most basic model 110s in the most common calibers. The gun was sold at a very reasonable price and the company was able to rebound.

Today Savage is a thriving company, still making the model 110 in a 45 configurations and dozens of calibers.

Cartridge of the Week: 10mm Auto

The 10mm Auto is another cartridge that was developed at the behest of a gun writer. This time it was none other that Col. Jeff Cooper. He wanted to improve upon the 45 ACP's terminal performance. Back in the 1980s, cartridges were being ranked by their "one shot stop" percentage and the .45 wasn't the best (the 357 Magnum reigned as king).

Cooper worked with Dornaus and Dixon in the early 1980s to create the gun and the cartridge.

The team enlisted the help of Swedish Ammunition maker Norma to develop the round. They ended up using a cut down .30 Remington (which is a rimless version of the 30-30). Loaded hot, the 10mm propels a bullet weighing between 155 and 180 grains to velocities double that of the .45.

The cartridge was almost adopted by the FBI but was too much for their weaker agents and they asked for a redesign which resulted in the shorter .40 S&W cartridge. Today the 10mm is more popular than ever.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles" - Col Jeff Cooper

Bubba Gun of the Week:

Earl Dohicky hails from Scatboro, Maine and built this 10-22 pistol his self, just special for the 2023 Semi-biannual Golden Poop Awards for Gunsmithing. It is shown here with his jungle clamped magazines giving him extra capacity when hunting for possum.

Gun Sticker of the Week:

This weeks sticker comes from the NRA and is made in the USA! buy them here.

Gun T-shirt of the Week:

a classic, this one comes from Fresh Brewed Tees

Friday, March 17, 2023

Ruger 10/22 Facts for 2023

This is our 8th year in a row bringing you little known factoids about the history of the Ruger 10/22, click on the links below to see the prior years facts

The 10/22 take-down weighs 3.2 ounces more than the standard carbine with the same options.

Youtuber Honest Outlaw has rated the 10/22 as one of the 5 best guns you can buy for under $300

In 2020 Ruger introduced a new target rifle model featuring a stainless bull barrel and orange laminate thumbhole stock

Harry Sefried, one of the chief designers of the 10/22 also created the Ruger 44 Carbine, Ruger's "Six" line of double action revolvers as well as the High Standard Sentinel revolver.

Here is (from left to right) Ed Nolan (VP of Marketing), Harry Sefried (Chief Engineer), Michael Horelick (VP of Manufacturing) and Bill Ruger discussing the rotary magazine on the 10/22. Picture was taken at the Lacey Place design studio in '63 or early '64. Photo courtesy of The Ruger Collectors Association.

In 1974 Woolworth put the 10/22 on sale for just $39.00

The Ruger 10/22 was featured in the 1st episode of season 7 of CSI: Miami, they called it a "High Powered Rifle"

The 10/22 shares some parts with other Ruger firearms:

In 2015, a fourth digit was added to the 10/22's serial number pre-fix, 45 years after the three digit prefix was added

The survival blog Willow Haven Outdoors chose the 10/22 as their #1 pick for a survival rifle

Only a very few 10/22a left the factory with engraving, one was for Bart Skelton, son of gun writer Skeeter Skelton...

The other one went to gun historian/author R.L. Wilson. Both rifles had the tops of the receivers engraved by A.A. White, the serial numbers of these two guns are just 26 digits apart.

The 2013 video game No More Room in Hell featured the Ruger 10/22

The original bolt assembly on the 10/22 had 8 pieces, that was reduced to 7 when Ruger eliminated the firing pin return spring pin and cast in a ledge into the firing spring channel to provide a stop.

Ruger employees casting 10/22 receivers at the Newport, NH facility

photo courtesy of Personal Defense World

The 10/22 with serial number 16 was given as a gift to gun writer Herb Glass.

Gunnewsdaily, listed the 10/22 as their choice for the best 22 rifle for the money in 2020

In 2021, the number of Ruger 10/22 models available was 56, broken down into eight categories.

Ramline once made a copy of the Mini-14/AC556 factory folding stock for the 10/22

The website The Truth About Guns called the 10/22 "The Jeep Wrangler of the gun world."

A Ruger 10/22 was featured in the 1988 movie Picasso Trigger, it was equipped with a Butler Creek folding stock and 25 round magazine.

The Ruger Custom Shop Competition 10/22 uses a unique bolt with a pinned firing pin channel, radiused back end and a unique shape, then they coat the bolt with an anti-friction coating.

photo courtesy of Rimfire Central Forum

Youtuber CRS Firearms calls the 10/22 "the most desirable 22 rifle on the planet"

Monday, March 13, 2023

Week 11 2023

This Week in Firearms History:

March 12: American Civil War, in 1864 The Red River Campaign begins; in 1874 gun maker Christian Sharps dies; in 1999 former Warsaw Pact members Poland, Czech Republic & Hungary join NATO.

March 13: In 1964 the 10/22 is born, Bill Ruger sends out catalogs and cut sheets on the new 22 rifle

March 14: In 1943 the NAZIs finish clearing the Krakow Ghetto of all Jews

March 15: The Ides of March, in 44 BC Julius Ceasar is assassinated; in 1493 Christopher Columbus returns to Europe after his 1st voyage to the Americas

March 16: In 1751 Second Amendment author James Madison is born; in 1903 Judge Roy Bean dies; In 1942 Remington-Rand is given contract to produce 125,000 M1911A1 pistols

March 17: St. Patrick's Day; in 1804 Jim Bridger is born; in 1884 lawman Frank Hamer is born

March 18: In 1314 the Last Grand Master of the Knights Templar is burned at the stake; in 1882 Morgan Earp is murdered in Tombstone, AZ; in 1940 Hitler and Mussolini meet at Brenner Pass and agree to be allies.

Gun of the Week: Beretta 21A "Bobcat"

The Beretta model 21A is one of several guns given nicknames after felines. Similar to the Colt "snake" guns, these semi-auto pistols were given names like "Cheetah", "Tomcat" and this one, the "Bobcat".

The 21A is a .22 LR chambered self-defense pistol with a couple of unique features. The barrel tips up for quick loading or checking to see if the gun is loaded. In addition, this gun has no extractor, relying on the chamber pressure alone to expel spent cases. The front portion of the slide is open top, and the hammer is rounded with a hole, very reminiscent of the full-size Beretta pistols. Production began in 1984, both here and in Italy. The guns cannot be imported due to the unconstitutional 1968 Gun Control Act. Read more here

Cartridge of the Week: 25-20 Winchester

The 25-20 is a necked down version of the earlier 32-20 Winchester, part of a series of cartridges developed in the later part of the 19th century by Winchester for use in their lever action rifles. The name stems from the tradition of the bullet diameter (.258") along with the black powder charge of 20 grains. Developed in 1895 for the Winchester model of 1892, Winchester was actually late to the game as Marlin had already done the same with their 25-20 Marlin two years prior.

From the beginning the 25-20 was a varmint cartridge, note the prairie dog illustration of the cartridge box above, but it has been used on deer, in fact it claimed the 2nd highest scoring buck in hunting history in 1914. Bullets weights of factory ammo are usually 85 or 86 grain, while 60 grain bullets are available to handloaders.

The cartridge is all but extinct now, Winchester and Remington do still produce the ammo, but only in small quantities every once in a while, as the demand calls for it. See more here

Gun Quote of the Week:

"Of the people killed with guns every year, how many are true 'tragedies,' and how many are we frankly better off without?"- From The Good Riddance Factor by Mark Moritz

Bubba Gun of the Week:

This submission from Merle Haggard Lawson out of Ding Dong, Texas will possibly be included in our upcoming semi-biannual Golden Poop Awards for Gunsmithing #4