Start With a .22 Rifle– Part 3, by behind-the-counter

Steps 1 and 2

We started this series by recommending a .22 rifle as a first gun for a prepper battery or as an important addition to a well-stocked arsenal. We specifically suggested a 10/22 Takedown or any other 10/22 model and recommended dedicating enough time to become confident using this wonderful little rifle. The two structured alternatives we described for building competence and confidence were the Appleseed Project and Rimfire Challenge.

In the second article we provided much more detail about Appleseed and Rimfire. We also described the specific upgrades recommended by Appleseed and four more that would improve the reliability and functioning of any 10/22.

This article and then the final one in the four-part series provide more information and additional resources on the upgrades covered in the second article and provide details on a few more changes to enhance the performance of an already outstanding rifle. Part Three specifically covers the complete field stripping of the 10/22 and installation of an automatic bolt release and an extended magazine release in the trigger guard housing. At the end of the fourth article, which details the installation of the extractor, firing pin, and a replacement bolt handle and guide rod, we include a detailed list of the videos, tools, and additional resources.

Become a Gunsmith, Now

In some future scenario, you may have no choice about being your own gunsmith. Why not learn now, while you have easy access to the Internet for videos, tools, and parts? The 10/22 Takedown is an excellent choice as the first gun in a prepper battery. It is also one of the best firearms on which to develop some basic gunsmithing skills.

This article is a genuine do-it-yourself project. If you take the time to watch the videos we recommend, assemble the necessary tools, and then do all the steps outlined below, at least four important things will result:

1. You will end up with a semi-custom Ruger 10/22 that is more accurate and more reliable than the rifle you took out of the box.
2. You will know a lot more about Bill Ruger’s engineering genius reflected in this rifle than most of the other people shooting one, and if something does break you can fix the problem yourself.
3. You will save enough money in gunsmithing fees to purchase the recommended tools that will have many more years of useful life.
4. You will have a huge head-start on being able to work on a lot more firearms than just your own 10/22.

Starting the Project

Read through this article, and ask yourself if you are ready to add a great prepper skill to your personal resume. If you are, here are the steps we recommend:

Watch all of the videos and any others you run across in the process. When you have finished watching, re-affirm that you can do the job.

Assemble the basic tools using the resources listed. Move up or down on the price points we mention, depending on your personal situation. If you already have tools that will mostly do the job, save some money. Unless you actually have the right sizes, spring for the 1/8” and 5/32” pin punches . You will also need a set of Allen wrenches that include 7/64”, 1/8” and 5/32” plus 3.5mm.

Decide which of the upgrades you are going to do. There is no requirement to do them all at once.

Order the components mentioned below that you decide to install. Look through all of the resources we list and any others that pop up in a web search. If you like a different vendor’s extractor or bolt release better than the one we normally use, feel free to make substitutions. Just don’t mix and match when it comes to the trigger assembly pieces.

Talk to your spouse or partner and settle on a suitable work area. In our house, that would be either my workshop in the garage or the kitchen table. Both my wife and I prefer that I do projects like this in the garage, but where we live, it is painful to work in an unheated garage in the middle of winter. That’s time to make a deal. Make sure you have really good light. A piece of carpet remnant with a short, tight surface can make a good work surface, will protect the table, and your next meal won’t be flavored with Hoppes No. 9 or Quick Scrub III.

What’s the downside risk? You make a good faith effort, and you learn that working with guns and tools is not for you. Maybe essential oils, bee keeping, or Ham radio are more your special skill. There are no judgments here; all of three of those projects are on my personal to-do list. This is a personal journey.

We do have one suggestion that will make all the difference in your experience. Do this project with a good friend, a family member, or a like-minded prepper. This works wonders whether you do two guns at once or just have a supportive team member to look over your shoulders.

Step Zero

Before doing any work on your 10/22 or any other firearm, start by removing the magazine and confirming that the chamber is empty. Then, make sure that there are no magazines or ammo anywhere near your work area. In our view, there is no such thing as an “accidental discharge”, but a negligent discharge can ruin your whole day. Now is a good time to review the Three Commandments of Gun Safety.

Step One– The Major Pieces

Lock the bolt back so that the action is open, and confirm again that the chamber is clear and that there is no magazine. Assuming you have a 10/22 Takedown, remove the barrel and forearm and set them aside. Now close the bolt by pushing up on the bolt lock tab on the bottom left side of the trigger guard while pulling back on the bolt handle. Use a 5/32” Allen wrench or hex key to completely loosen the action screw near the front end of the butt stock. This screw attaches the receiver to the stock. You do not need to remove the screw from the stock.

To remove the receiver assembly from the stock, you must first push the safety to a position halfway between Fire and Safe. This will allow the receiver and trigger guard assembly to come out of the stock as a unit.

With the receiver out of the stock, look at the left side; you will see the two receiver cross pins that are 3/16” in diameter and the slightly larger bolt buffer pin near the back of the receiver. Push out the two receiver cross pins holding the trigger guard assembly from left to right using a 1/8” pin punch. Do the same thing to remove the bolt buffer pin. Some pins almost drop out; others require some persuasion. If these pins are a little tight, we recommend using a gunsmith hammer and a 1/8” pin punch to apply modest force and a bench block (with pre-drilled holes and v-channel) on which to rest the receiver so that you have the necessary clearance for the pins to come all the way out.

Once the pins are out, you can remove the trigger guard assembly, even if takes a little tugging. This polymer housing contains the trigger, hammer, safety, ejector, magazine latch and release, bolt release, and all the associated pins, springs, and plungers as a complete assembly. This is part of the genius of Bill Ruger’s design. Occasionally, the two primary retaining pins in the trigger guard are so loose that the pins will fall out of the housing while handling the assembly.

What remains is the receiver body containing the bolt assembly containing the extractor and firing pin plus the charging handle (or bolt handle), and guide rod and spring. To remove the bolt, turn the receiver upside down with the bolt handle on the left side and the rear of the receiver toward you. Put your left index finger on the bolt handle while wrapping your thumb around the back of the receiver and pull the bolt handle all the way to the rear with your left hand. Reach under the front edge of the bolt with your right forefinger and lift it up past the ledge on the left side of the receiver, wiggling the bolt to free it from the portion of the bolt handle hidden under the bolt. Once you feel the bolt starting to release, maintain the upward pressure and slowly release the tension on the bolt handle and the guide rod spring. Place the bolt and bolt handle assembly to the side. BTW, as you watch the second video below, you will see a completely different way to remove the bolt using a specialized tool that you may or may not decide to purchase.

Video #1 in the resource list at the end of this article provides a quick visual overview of field stripping and re-assembling a Takedown. The first half of Video #2 with Joe Beary, a master gunsmith and inventor, provides a more detailed view of removing the bolt and bolt handle. Tony Kidd in Video #3 provides his version of removing the bolt and as a bonus shows the steps for installing a Kidd bolt handle and guide rod spring.

At this stage, you should have a more or less orderly layout of an empty receiver, the bolt, the bolt handle and attached guide rod, the trigger guard assembly, and off to one side the butt stock plus the forearm still attached to the barrel.

If you decide to do nothing further, you are now ready to do a very thorough cleaning job on all the major parts of your 10/22 including the barrel. One of the special benefits of the 10/22 Takedown is that cleaning the barrel from the breech end is super easy. Remember to start a cleaning rod only from the breech end and never from the muzzle, or skip the cleaning rod and use a bore snake. If you have decided to limit your first session to installing only the automatic bolt release and/or extended magazine release, you can stop after Step Two and put all the pieces back together.

Step Two– Trigger Guard Assembly

Two of the “must do” upgrades described in our second article are the Tandem Kross Automatic Bolt Release ($9.99) and the Tactical Solutions Extended Magazine Release ($34.99 to $42.00, depending on vendor). These upgrades are straightforward, can be done as a standalone project, or as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the trigger guard assembly. They are also used every time you shoot.

Not as noticeable or noteworthy is the Kidd Magazine Latch and Spring ($7.50), but the additional time and effort if done at the same time as the bolt release and magazine release is maybe 30 seconds. This does not improve accuracy at all, but it does make sure the magazine is locked more securely in place and releases more easily.

Bolt Release

The easiest way to describe these two upgrades is to treat the replacement of the factory bolt lock plate with the automatic bolt release plate as one discrete process and the replacement of the factory magazine release with an extended magazine release as another separate process. The only tool needed is the 1/8” pin punch or any other improvised way to push out the two pins. I have used a ball point pen on occasion.

We normally replace the factory bolt lock with the Tandem Kross Automatic Bolt Release ($9.99) or the Kidd Auto Bolt Release ($10.95). You can pick on the basis of color (black vs. white), price (save a dollar), or savings on shipping charges. I would prefer to have either company make a slightly longer release tab sticking out next to the mag release lever so that I could operate the bolt hold open wearing gloves.

Take a close look at the trigger guard assembly with the trigger on the right and the factory mag release on the left. Push the safety to off to avoid accidentally releasing the hammer while working on the other parts. You will see two empty holes where the receiver cross pins were removed in Step One. Just above the trigger pivot point is the trigger pin; above and to the left is the hammer pin. We are going to focus on the two remaining cross pins on the left half of the housing, either of which may be loose enough to fall out of the housing.

The first pin to remove is near the top of the housing halfway between the hammer pin and the empty receiver cross pin hole on the top far left. Looking down from the top, you will see that this pin positions (a) the bolt lock spring, which has a straight upper arm and a bent lower arm, (b) the ejector which pivots on this pin and rests in a slot milled in the top front of the housing, and (c) the upper hole in the bolt lock plate. Using the 1/8” pin punch, push the pin from left to right about halfway. This will allow you to remove the ejector, which rotates on this pin; set it aside noting the orientation (or grab a photo with your cell phone). Then, while slightly depressing the upper arms of the spring with a fingernail, remove the pin completely. The spring can now rotate freely around the right pivot of the hammer.

The second pin near the bottom of the housing holds (a) the lower edge of the bolt release, and (b) the upper end of the factory magazine release. Drift this pin halfway from left to right using the 1/8” pin punch. (Note: This pin and the upper pin are identical.) The bolt lock plate will now be completely free. Push up on the lower tab near the mag release and lift it up and out of the housing or turn the housing over and let the plate fall out. Put this part in a small plastic bag as the starting point for your spare parts kit.

To install the new bolt release, flip the magazine lock spring all the way back on the hammer pivot so that the bent arm is sticking up out of the housing. Looking at the T-K bolt release, you can see that a small tab has been bent out of the main body and that the tab has a small notch cut into it. That notch is where the bent arm of the spring will rest. Drop the bolt release into the housing so that the notch on the tab is at the bottom of the housing. The bottom of the bolt release with the oval hole (on the T-K part) will slide into the small gap at the bottom left between the mag release and the housing, and the upper portion will drop over the left side of the hammer pivot. Carefully work the bottom retaining pin through the elongated hole locking the lower portion of the assembly in place.

Flip the mag lock spring all the way around so that the bent arm drops into the notch in the bolt release. While pressing down with a finger nail or tip of a small screwdriver, push the upper retaining pin about 75% of the way back into place from right to left making sure that the straight arm of the mag lock spring is captured underneath the pin. Place the ejector on the pin oriented so that the extended portion sticks out above the trigger housing. It should be free to rotate on the pin. (You did take a photo with your cell phone…)

Finally, while pushing up on the bottom edge of the bolt release, line up the upper cut-out in the bolt release plate with the upper retaining pin hole, and slide the retaining pin into position locking the bolt release into place from top and bottom. To check your work, push up on the portion of the bolt release extending out of the housing next to the mag release. There should be a slight spring pressure, and you should see the upper edge of the bolt release come up out of the housing about ¼”. Slide the ejector along the pin toward the bolt release and flip it forward into the vertical slot with the leading edge protruding above the housing and sticking out in front.

So that you have a complete visual image of what you will be doing, watch the first 2:44 minutes of Video #4. While we recommend parts from different vendors, the process is identical. You should also review the TandemKross Installation Sheet, which is PDF #1 in the resource list at the end of this article with some excellent photos.

Extended Magazine Release

The lower pin also holds the factory mag release in place which in turn holds the magazine latch and spring in the circular recess in the front of the trigger housing. Take a moment and push the mag release forward and watch it move the front of the magazine latch back into the recess. This motion is what releases the magazine allowing it to fall free. Next, hold the housing in your right hand while pressing in on the front of the magazine latch with your right index finger to keep the mag latch from popping out. With the spring pressure relieved, drift the retaining pin completely out from left to right releasing the factory mag release and the bottom portion of the bolt release plate that you just installed. With your right forefinger pressing on the magazine latch, pull the factory mag release out with your left hand. Add this component to your spare parts baggie. Note that the upper part of the mag release is normally captured between the large front portion of the magazine latch and the belled back-end of the mag latch. It’s a good idea to take the magazine latch out to inspect it.

If you have decided to replace the factory mag latch, now is the time to drop in the upgraded Kidd Magazine Latch and Spring ($7.50). Otherwise, just reinsert the factory mag latch. Depending on the normal variability of these parts, you may need to wiggle the latch and spring combo to get it to seat properly and allow you to press it in and out freely.

To install the Tactical Solutions Extended Magazine Release ($34.99), hold the trigger housing in your right hand while pressing straight back on the mag latch with your right forefinger. With your left hand, insert the top end of the mag release lever making sure that the top is once again captured between the main part of the mag latch and the belled back end. Check carefully, but the mag release should stay more or less in place. At this point, line up the holes on the new mag release with the pin still holding the bolt release and push the retaining pin all the through locking the bottom of the bolt release plate as well. It should take only minor adjustments to line up the holes. Once the pin is fully inserted, push on the mag release to check for proper functioning of the magazine latch.

The second part of VIDEO #4 beginning at 2:45 minutes shows the general steps for installing a magazine release, but in our view, this upgrade is even more worthwhile using an extended magazine, whether from Tactical Solutions, Tactical Innovations, Kidd, or even shopruger.com. You can also use the 1/8” pin punch instead of a wooden shishkebab skewer to line up the holes. From start to finish, including removing and reinstalling the stock, a TacSol employee in Video #5 installs an extended mag release in less than two minutes. This is not how we recommend you do this, but you can see how quickly the job can be completed assuming you are not also replacing the bolt release.

If you got your project this far, you have made the first steps to acquiring real gunsmithing skills. You can now put everything back together and take your rifle to the range to test your work. Feeling good so far? The next several steps are definitely more challenging, but if you got all the pieces where they belong in Step Two, you are ready to keep going.

The next and final article covers Steps 3 and 4 and provides an annotated tool list, plus links to additional resources.

Tools and Videos

Key Videos / PDF Files:

Video #1: Major Subassemblies – A quick overview of field stripping and putting a Takedown back together.

Video #2: Bolt and Charging handle – The first two minutes show how to remove and install the bolt and guide rod spring with and without Joe Beary’s 10/22 tool.

Video #3: Bolt Removal/Guide for Rod Installation – Tony Kidd shows how to remove/install the bolt and the charging handle guide rod without the Joe Beary tool. He also describes the Kidd bolt buffer and its installation.

Video #4: Automatic Bolt Release/Extended Mag Release – These are not the parts we recommend, but the video is short and covers everything you need to see to visualize the entire process.

PDF #1 TandemKroff Installation – Scroll down to the 10/22 heading on this page and download the TandemKross Installation PDF file with some excellent photos and a slightly different description, which assumes you are replacing only the bolt release.

Video #5: Installing An Extended Mag Release. Watch a Tactical Solutions employee install an extended mag release in less than two minutes, assuming you are not replacing the bolt release.