Thinking of building a 10/22, or, help me spend money

[Jared]

So I’m thinking of building up a Ruger 10/22. I’ve never modified a 10/22 before but I understand they are pretty simple. My requirements are:

Light weight. I handled one once upon a time that had a thick contour carbon fiber barrel and it was very light. I liked that. Is carbon fiber still king? Is Vopquartsen still the go-to place? Has something newer and better come along in the 15 years since I was really paying attention?

I want a youth length stock. Where’s a good place to get a good youth length stock without spending a fortune? I know thumb hole types are popular now, but I’d prefer something slightly more traditional.

Does it just make more sense to look up a 10/22 Lite and skip out on the “custom” work? I know sometimes it’s really a whole lot easier and cheaper to just buy the factory option and skip all the money/time pit stuff. I also highly value reliability on this rig. I don’t want to have to have premium ammo for it to run, in part because it’s gonna be a heavy use plinker in addition to other roles.

I’m probably going with a red dot optic as opposed to magnified glass, if that alters anyone’s thinking.

[OlongJohnson]

I think we did this thread last year. At least, I remember one that caused me to go around the loop of looking into building one, and deciding it was an expensive rabbit hole that I had better things than to pursue.

[Jared]

I think we did this thread last year. At least, I remember one that caused me to go around the loop of looking into building one, and deciding it was an expensive rabbit hole that I had better things than to pursue.

Thanks, I searched a few times but couldn’t find anything, perhaps I need to try again.

[OlongJohnson]

Huh. It wasn't that long ago. Time flies. And I forgot I actually started it. Found in the top few results when searching the site for "10/22 thread."

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....0-22-receivers

[medmo]

My suggestion? Get a S&W AR22 rifle or pistol and Voila!, it's done. I do love the 10/22 but to me, it's kind of nostalgic. The AR22 comes out of the box lightweight, accurate, feeds about everything well, and is ready for you to bolt on what ever accessory you need including a standard thread for a suppressor.

[David S.]

A major problem (for me) with the S&W AR-15/22 is that Project Appleseed still bans it from their events.

If I were in the market for a 10/22, I'd look hard at the Thompson TC22.

[Pnut]

I guess it all depends on your intended use and budget. If it’s just going to be a fun plinker, just start with a basic 10/22. Shoot it a bit and see what needs to be changed for YOU. That’s the beauty of the 10/22 and it’s clones… there is so much aftermarket for it. There are whole forums dedicated to it.

[LittleLebowski]

A major problem (for me) with the S&W AR-15/22 is that Project Appleseed still bans it from their events.

That’s dumb.

[jlw]

That’s dumb.

The S&W is specifically banned. It’s not an AR-pattern thing.

They had a couple of incidents with the S&W. I don’t recall the specifics.

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The Thompson Center 10/22 clones are a better buy than the Rugers. They come with a Magpul stock, ghost ring/fiber optics sights, threaded barrel, and the T/C mags have a bolt hold open feature.

[Moylan]

As of about a year ago, the S&W 15/22 is once again permitted at Appleseed events.

The decision to ban this rifle was based on a number of documented problems on our firing lines, including one case where a student was injured when a 15/22 fired out of battery. Smith and Wesson eventually took notice of the problem with their rifle and has taken steps to address it. See here. The shoot boss at any Project Appleseed rifle event will have a bolt inspection tool on hand to allow checking any 15/22 that shows up on the line. Given that inspection, shooters may use their 15/22's at Appleseed events. The safety of our students is the primary concern on our firing lines.