Ruger 10/22 wont cycle

Hi team

Ok so stupid me sold my 1997 Ruger 10/22 a few years back :(

An not too long ago i decided that was a dumb idea and purchased another one off here, although the new one is one of the "stainless Hogue" models, so after chopping the barrel as short as is allowed to facilitate shooting from the Ute (think its about 12-13") with the suppressor on, i have run into a problem. It wont reliably cycle subsonic ammo, it jams about 2-3 rounds per 10 shot magazine, either the bolt does not go back far enough to eject, or it will eject and chamber a round but the extractor wont clip over the rim of the case (i can make it clip over by smacking the charging handle forward). I've cleaned the crap out of it, and I've also polished the receiver body on the inside (the finish was rough as guts compared to my old one), but still same issue. My thinking is that i need to get a charging handle with a weaker spring so the bolt can go back all the way.

Has anyone done this on theirs and how did it work? any make/model you would recommend?

Ammo ive tried, CCI standard velocity, eley club, eley hunting subs, sk standard, fiocci official 300, . It works perfectly fine with CCI velocitors

I didn't shoot it with the full length barrel so not sure if that made any diffrence

Cheers

Also, people. Dont sell your old rugers.
The new ones are crap by comparison, i learned the hard way

Does it have a plastic buffer pin fitted? Are you using the rotary mags?

If it sometimes ejects the round and then chambers but the extractor doesn't clip over the rim then a weaker charging handle spring probably isn't going to help at all.
A .22lr burns its powder in about 16" so you've taken a bit of the pressure used to cycle the action away.
I think you're going to have to find a way to reduce the weight of your bolt.

What suppressor have you got on it? If it is a Dpt, we could try adding a few baffles extra and see if it does increase the blow back enough to cycle normally with your standard rounds.

My semi (not a pooger) did the same thing when I chopped the barrel. There's not enough barrel length to get the pressure to cycle it properly tried mucking around with suppressors as well. I had to slowly trim the recoil spring to make it reliable again..

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Originally Posted by PadLo

Does it have a plastic buffer pin fitted? Are you using the rotary mags?

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yes to both, the rotary mags are OEM ruger ones

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Originally Posted by Friwi

What suppressor have you got on it? If it is a Dpt, we could try adding a few baffles extra and see if it does increase the blow back enough to cycle normally with your standard rounds.

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Gunworks one

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Originally Posted by Makros

If it sometimes ejects the round and then chambers but the extractor doesn't clip over the rim then a weaker charging handle spring probably isn't going to help at all.
A .22lr burns its powder in about 16" so you've taken a bit of the pressure used to cycle the action away.
I think you're going to have to find a way to reduce the weight of your bolt.

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Hmmmm, i do have access to a milling machine. ive done this with a Voere to make it cycle subs

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Originally Posted by PadLo

Does it have a plastic buffer pin fitted? Are you using the rotary mags?

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Actually I need to check, I cant remember now if it has one of the fully rubber/plastic ones or one or the I think Kidd ones that is a metal pin with a rubber sleeve

Your issue will be insufficient inertia to properly cycle. A longer barrel would rectify but if that is not an option then a weaker spring May also solve the issue.

The answer is in your cocking handle spring. I bought a Kidd kit with 3 different weight springs to solve the very same problem. Also the Volquatsen exact edge extractor can help too. I wouldn't like to remove metal from the bolt, never heard any success stories with that.

I did the same as you when getting mine a few years back and luckily it ran on subs like a dream right from day one

Id be wearing it in with a few boxes of supers and then checking back to see if its just takes a bit of cycling to sort it out before starting the replacing parts or modifying route

I have the same model and it's been excellent, super reliable and very accurate. Mine hasn't been shortened so is the standard barrel length. Mine has been tweaked and one of the mods was cutting the spring down a fraction on the charging handle.
I didn't do the work but I was present when it got a few little refinements made , sorry but I don't remember how many coils were removed from the spring but I do remember it was done to aid using subsonic ammo and make it cycle reliably... works perfect.

10/22's are picky on what ammo you use. CCI Subs in general work best for the majority. Others will be individual firearm specific in my experience.

Tweaking the recoil/charging spring as suggested would be where i'd look if you're wanting to modify the firearm. I also don't like using wet lube on them and use dry graphite based and find it better. Though full stop, regularly stripping them down and cleaning all residue carbon is a must to keep it ticking over.

I snipped about 10mm off my recoil spring...cycles CCI subs like a dream now

If you're careful, try lapping the bolt to the raceways so its as smooth as it can get. Also "smoothing" or putting a gentle radius on the lower rear of the bolt to help it ride over the hammer better

Hi All
12 - 13 inches with supp. on . minus how long is your suppressor ?? hahaa makes a very short barrel !!
you must have a long stock to get it legal length .
i have polished the back of the bolt so that it ramps easier over the hammer . i tried a few other brands of ammo as with most barrels some just work a lot better moa wise than others .. i would go the softer charging spring [ ie cutting a coil off ] rather than modding the bolt to a lighter weight ......
this might cause it to cough cough multi fire . you could polish the chamber as this could be to tight for a semi ..
Good Luck with your improvements

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Originally Posted by feratox

If you're careful, try lapping the bolt to the raceways so its as smooth as it can get. Also "smoothing" or putting a gentle radius on the lower rear of the bolt to help it ride over the hammer better

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This may help - a considerable portion of the resistance to your initial bolt movement is due to resetting the hammer. Compare cycling the bolt by hand with the rifle cocked / uncocked.

Other thoughts.

Consider .22lr pistols with 4 - 6" barrels usually cycle subsonics just fine - its just a matter of balancing the mass of the reciprocating parts.

It is noticable that cold weather can affect cycling. had this happen at the range last month in July, and in previous years too - gun goes all intermittant using the usual 'quality' std velocity target stuff, switched to el cheapo HV bulk pack and she ran fine. Your problem may fix itself in a couple of months and reappear next May.

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Originally Posted by AR7

Hi All
12 - 13 inches with supp. on . minus how long is your suppressor ?? hahaa makes a very short barrel !!
you must have a long stock to get it legal length .
i have polished the back of the bolt so that it ramps easier over the hammer . i tried a few other brands of ammo as with most barrels some just work a lot better moa wise than others .. i would go the softer charging spring [ ie cutting a coil off ] rather than modding the bolt to a lighter weight ......
this might cause it to cough cough multi fire . you could polish the chamber as this could be to tight for a semi ..
Good Luck with your improvements

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Hi, no the barrel is 12-13" which puts it juts over legal, and then the suppressor goes on. sorry if that wasn't clear

I'd lighten the bolt. Chuck it in the mill and find a spot that's not consequential to mill out. You'd have to remove a lot for it to be dangerous.
The hammer spring and the recoil spring both do work to slow the bolt down, but you need both of them to have full power to chamber the next round and fire it.

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Originally Posted by Skirch

I'd lighten the bolt. Chuck it in the mill and find a spot that's not consequential to mill out. You'd have to remove a lot for it to be dangerous.
The hammer spring and the recoil spring both do work to slow the bolt down, but you need both of them to have full power to chamber the next round and fire it.

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I believe the 10/22 bolts are case hardened. Which means a) you don't want to remove metal from a bearing surface and b) if you "chuck it in a mill" without consideration of that you're going to break tooling. It's generally recommended to grind them.

You can also check your "headspace" in the bolt and make sure that's up to scratch for the rim-thickness of your ammo.

And grind-down the angle of your extractor claw also make sure the pocket for the claw is deep enough, and clean. You can chamfer the edges of it too.

The advice about a nylon bolt buffer is good.

You can also get away with clipping coils. This will require pulling the charging handle and peening the crimp out, cutting coils, and re-crimping.
How much to cut? Depends on age of spring and use. Trial and error, less is more. Real easy to take length off a spring, impossible to put it back on. :D

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Originally Posted by AR7

rather than modding the bolt to a lighter weight ......
this might cause it to cough cough multi fire . s

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The firing pin rides "up and over" in a 10/22 bolt, and does need to be struck by the hammer spur. There should be no means of it slam-firing unless you have exceptionally tight headspace or an exceptionally stuck firing-pin, in which case it would do it anyway.

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Originally Posted by svt40

This may help - a considerable portion of the resistance to your initial bolt movement is due to resetting the hammer. Compare cycling the bolt by hand with the rifle cocked / uncocked.
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That's a point.
You can also lighten the hammer spring in the trigger group (and polish the sliding surfaces while you're in there)

just use high velocity ammo would be the easiest and cheapest solution

2 turns off the return spring. Problem gone

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Originally Posted by Calvnz1

just use high velocity ammo would be the easiest and cheapest solution

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I've done a lot of rabbit shooting with both. Rabbits can't tell the difference, as far as I can tell. Being sneaky seems far more important.

I dont know about anyone else, but had nothing but trouble with winchester subs, the bolt on my rifle often won't even close with them, or won't feed a round in the chamber

So frustrating. But the primary issue is - carbon buildup in chamber/throat. Only if you’ve excluded that can you start looking at other variables. Next variable is magazine. Even original Ruger mags are not born equal! But next issue is ammo…too many variables…

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Originally Posted by Old_School

I dont know about anyone else, but had nothing but trouble with winchester subs, the bolt on my rifle often won't even close with them, or won't feed a round in the chamber

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Interesting. Tight chamber maybe??
You could mic the rim thickness and check against your bolt face, depends where they're getting stuck...

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Originally Posted by Old_School

I dont know about anyone else, but had nothing but trouble with winchester subs, the bolt on my rifle often won't even close with them, or won't feed a round in the chamber

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If they are the new USA Winchester subs, ignore anything being a problem except them. Absolute rubbish. The reason they aren't feeding is probably the rim is too thick on your batch. Do yourself a favour and buy some CCI.
There's a thread around here somewhere with several having issues with Winchester .22lr. USed to be good when it was made is Australia now it's dirty and greasy, inaccurate, and prone to misfires, feeding issues, and rim thickness variations.

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Originally Posted by 11mms

Interesting. Tight chamber maybe??
You could mic the rim thickness and check against your bolt face, depends where they're getting stuck...

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I think its to do with their rather flat nose they have on the tip.

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Originally Posted by Makros

If they are the new USA Winchester subs, ignore anything being a problem except them. Absolute rubbish. The reason they aren't feeding is probably the rim is too thick on your batch. Do yourself a favour and buy some CCI.
There's a thread around here somewhere with several having issues with Winchester .22lr. USed to be good when it was made is Australia now it's dirty and greasy, inaccurate, and prone to misfires, feeding issues, and rim thickness variations.

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I was told it was to do with the shape of the projectilies on the american made stuff, and yes I do use CCI, i had to opt for winchester because at the time they didnt have any CCI in stock and I was also trying to diagnose a fault in a gun where I was told the particular make of rifle didnt like CCI.
So I have a few winchester rounds in surplus that I will probably just use for plinking.

I also see gun city have a supply of australian made winchester available, is this just NOS?

Aus hasn't had a production run in years

Australian factory kaput. Won't be manufacturing anymore