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When did metal finish change?

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  greenyonline 
#1 · (Edited)
Just got a very clean, not a mark on it "Sporter" off Gun Broker. Serial # prefix is 353 which makes it a 2009/10 mfg. The barrel & receiver are a very dull matte black. I put a Volquartzen hammer kit in it and unlike the older 10-22s the two pins holding the trigger group to the receiver needed to be driven out with a hammer & punch. I'm pretty sure this is the first time the trigger groups been off the receiver.The stock's walnut with a little figure and good checkering.

No real complaints but my older late 70s "Deluxe Sporter" is, IMO, a better looking rifle with the std. old school bluing. Do all of the newer 10-22s have the matte metal finish and if they do when did that start?

Change on the receiver finish. Its a darker black than the barrel with kind of a textured finish.
 
#2 ·
I’m not certain when Ruger changed from anodizing to black paint. I have two black Ruger .22s, the one from the 1980s is anodized, the one from 2020 is painted. The paint flakes off easily, a shame - the 80s version has had plenty of use and the anodizing looks almost new. The other two are silver finish, a clear coat over brushed aluminum. Don’t like the polymer trigger group either, call me old-fashioned but none of mine have that now.



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#3 ·
For a few years around the time you indicated Ruger went with a matte blue for the barrel and a "crinkle" textured finish for the receiver. It didn't sit well with consumers so Ruger eventually went back to normal bluing for the barrel and a smooth black painted finish on the receiver. The early rifles with the anodized receiver were still better-looking however. I have a 1980s vintage 10/22 Sporter, and I'm afraid to shoot it as I don't want to scratch the nice finish on it since it can't be duplicated.
 
#4 ·
Ruger went to that finish style to cut down on fine machining on the barrels. Saved them a fair bit of money, but they lost sales too. The stainless barrels weren't finish turned, and were painted. same thing with that crappy crinkle finish paint, that was put on an unprepped receiver.

I have a 2007 WWS Sporter and it was still a satin finish bare stainless barrel and semi gloss silver painted receiver. Oddly, the trigger group is black, not silver, but still the aluminum group.

I thin k the better finish came back when Bill Ruger's daughter became CEO.
 
#7 ·
I've had two of those "krinkle" finish receivers and if you don't like it, I found the best thing was to bead-blast them -- inside and out. Both had a very nice "matte stainless" look, though one of them had some mild tool marks on the side of the receiver.

Doug
 
#10 ·
I dunno if ya can see it very well but I found a way to work with the Krinkle.. I lightly scuffed it with CrotchBrite then took the edges off down to the Alum. with a nail file.. then coated with a Candy Paint and then 3 light coats of Satin Lacquer.. did it on several.. looks great!


 
#14 ·
I found out the hard way that hoppes blast and shine will quickly remove the finish off the new painted receivers! All is well though, hit the stripped action with some satin deft, looks way better than the previous silver paint. I went ahead and did an old metal trigger housing too. Looks good.
 
#16 ·
Stainless/synthetic carbines from about that time could still be found with bright stainless barrels and flat grey pained receiver and trigger guard. Older stainless carbines had a clear coated receiver. Ruger let finish quality drop with matte stainless and blued barrels that were so hated, Ruger had to go back to bright stainless and blued barrels. The matte series guns were introduced around the same time as the plastic trigger group! I believe the best finished guns are 70s to about 85 with real walnut stocks followed by birch stocked guns that were anodized with blued barrels and then the pre plastic trigger group series guns made before about 2007 or 2008. Any of the 10/22s are better than a Marlin 60, 795 etc but not all 10/22s have been made to the same standard of quality.
 
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