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The Ruger 10/22 "BB" bolt/firing pin fix

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28K views 42 replies 21 participants last post by  Pappy  
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#1 · (Edited)
Some people already know about this, some don't. So for those that don't, here it is.

The "staked" area on top of the Ruger 10/22's bolt, that is supposed to keep the firing pin from rising up, doesn't really do its job and is in my opinion, a design flaw. If you take the bolt out of your 10/22, you can move the tail of the firing pin so that the front of the firing pin rises up and down. You can actually move it to where the firing pin would not contact the rim of the cartridge case to fire it. This can cause misfires.

There are aftermarket bolts available (expensive) that fix this by having a crosspin thru the bolt and over the top of the firing pin so it cannot rise up as the bolt flies back and forth. Of course the crosspin hole was drilled before the aftermarket bolt was hardened. If you have a drill press or a mill, and if you don't mind breaking a few carbide bits and chancing getting a broken bit stuck in the hole, here's a tutorial on doing that
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251029

An easier, quicker and cheaper fix is to file an all steel or copper coated BB equally on each side to where it is just a tad wider than the slot in the top of the bolt over the firing pin. The best way to do that is to grip the BB in your vice with the area you want to file up higher than the vice. File that. Then turn the BB over and do the same thing. Then tap it into the slot on the front of the bolt with a hammer so that the bottom of the BB rests just above the firing pin, keeping it from rising up. Then file the top of the BB flush with the top of the bolt. That's it. Below is one I just finished doing. (Red arrow in one pic points to BB).

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If a mod or anyone from admin sees this, would you please add it to your "10-22 tips and tricks" section. Thanks. I'd have e mailed it to you as the tips and tricks section instructs, but my yahoo mail won't let me put pictures into the body of my e mail along with the text.

.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Sorry, but this is nothing new. I remember it being posted in 2007 or 2008. I actually tried this and it worked for a while, but the BB eventually dislodged due to the constant pounding in the semi-auto. Others have had the same experiences. This is probably why it is not in the tips and tricks section. A crosspin is still the best solution.
 
#4 ·
Got a funny story for ya, when I got my milling machine one of the first things I did with it was drill the cross pin hole. Upon breaking out of the other side of the bolt the bit snagged and broke in the hole because of the case hardening on the bolt.
So I just left the bit in there as the cross pin, works perfectly and I didn't have to hunt for a pin the right size.
 
#5 ·
Ha :D I did the same thing on the first one I did...have not done one since/not worth a $15 hi-dolla bit...after that I opted to use a roll pin..done about 3 dozen since then with the roll pins and NOT had one ever come out. But the full meal deal from CPC or Que is the REAL DEAL.

As a good BandAid and in a pinch the roll pin is much better than a BB. ;)

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M
#8 ·
Neat idea!

Has anyone been able to actually quantify the problems with the un-pinned or un-staked firing pin? By that I mean measuring or recording what happens before and after the 'operation', with no other variables involved to muddy the waters. Anecdotally I'm aware of the 'goodness' that pinning the FP adds, but I've never seen specific evidence.
 
#13 ·
There was a lengthy discussion of this topic a while ago.

If you want to see how far your firing pin COULD go, take the action out of the stock. Leave the trigger group in place and remove the barrel. Try lifting the tip of the firing pin and see how high it goes.
 
#9 ·
Colorado residents are experiencing unprecedented low Glaucoma rates..Uhummm..they say anyway...no real hard evidence however. ;) :bthumb:
 
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#12 ·
Chaser, we don't have to make up a fake disease like heartburn anymore. Anyone can just drive to Denver and buy a sack. We broke into the top ten this year for spring break because of it !

OP - That BB will come out. Every one of mine did. Hammer a roll pin in there like shown above, make sure everything is crazy clean, and glob a dab of JB weld on top, let it cure, and file it smooth. All my rifles save my newest one (Que'd) have the roll pin, and none have moved even the smallest bit.
 
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#16 · (Edited)
ThaDoubleJ said:
OP - That BB will come out. Every one of mine did. Hammer a roll pin in there like shown above, make sure everything is crazy clean, and glob a dab of JB weld on top, let it cure, and file it smooth. All my rifles save my newest one (Que'd) have the roll pin, and none have moved even the smallest bit.
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree, the roll pin will stay spring tensioned in place better than the hammer'd in filed BB. Good suggestion on the dab of JB weld to help support and further adhere the split roll pin in place. Shouldn't ever come out unless you dug out the JB weld (or torch liquified it) and then levered the pin out on purpose for some reason,....but shouldn't even be a need to do that. A new firing pin will either fit right under it, or else you can file a teeny off the top of the firing pin for clearance on future firing pin/firing pin retraction spring,... installations.

.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Oh poo!

I have sitting in front of me a M.A. Ford Hi-Roc spade tip straight flute drill that has drilled at least 10 bolts and as long as you keep the chips cleaned out they do not have any problems and did as well on the last as it did the first. Use the correct tool and you will be fine. This one was $12 when I bought it and it's brother 6-7 years ago from J.T Machine on line.

DO NOT use some twist drill to do the job. I did the first time but I cheated and used a diamond tip Dremel bit to get through the first layer and then my gold cobalt twist drill could finish the hole.

I actually drill an interference fit so the firing pin will not fit under the crosspin. Then I file or stone the top of the FP until if barely makes it under the pin. This is easier that trying to perfectly locate the hole for a microscopic fit.

If you are really smart you send the bolt to QUE or Randy at CPC for crosspin, headspace, firing pin tip mod, extractor check and if you are going to shoot Standard Velocity only radius the rear of the bolt or a lesser radius if you may be shooting H.V.

One issue with the roll pin is if it is really close to the bolt you are rubbing the FP on a lot more metal that a simple crosspin. If it is not really close than it is not doing what you want it to do.

The BB is just a plain bad idea. Back when people were trying to get around what we were doing with crosspins a couple rifles were dinged shooting with a loose steel BB in the action.

Do it right the first time. Spend $12 or send it to the guys that really do it right
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#24 ·
The ones that fit...:D

Yes they do...about any Hardware store.

Cut to length..smooth the under side/clean up the burrs...tap them in the slot (first whack is critical otherwise they end up somewhere on the floor..then tap them gently with a small (1/8") punch till it gets about .05ish above the FP..DO NOT tap it tight against the FP.

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Don't have one in hand right now...will get you a measurement by Monday...
 
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#29 ·
Bill Akins -

Thanks for your thorough explanation. I have done my digging through the archives here, but all I had found previously was that the pinning (et al) mod simply improved consistency. Great, I understand that, in my biz we frequently "build in goodness" to our products, but I was looking for something more concrete. Your explanation showed that you could turn on and turn off the problem with the unconstrained FP - and that's the type of info and "quantification" I was looking for!

Mighty impressive machines you have, too.
 
#31 ·
Roll pins are like 4 cents, just get a bunch. If I remember right, a metric one fit the best, just a little filing on it. As far as the whole roll pin dragging on the firing pin, after it's in there, just tap the front down until it barely contacts the FP, and you'll have a very small amount of contact.
 
#32 ·
I already had them so swapped in the extra width and touch longer Volquartsen firing pins that replaced the perfectly good CPC doctored up firing pins in a couple bolts he had already pinned. It’s obvious that he pins the bolt first then fits the firing for clearance underneath which was also necessary to run the VQ firing pins.
 
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#37 ·
It appears that Ruger uses a cold chisel to help keep the firing pin bounce down. I took a center punch and made that area a little deeper. Push the firing pin into firing position and then up to determine if it could bounce up or not.
If you make the area so deep that the firing pin doesn't more enough to hit the round, then take the firing pin out and use small file to relieve the area until all works as it should.
 
#38 ·
One of the problems is that stake that Ruger puts at the top of the bolt wears and or the top of the pin. They are often good new but they wear relatively quickly and then the firing pin wanders. Putting a crosspin in and remembering to lube that area well lasts for a long time. My first one was done almost 8 years ago and in that 8 years that rifle was used more than any other gun I own and the FP is still right where it is supposed to be.:bthumb:
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#41 ·
Why not use Que ? For $35 you get a lot !
10/22 rework consists of headspace, firing pin profile and crosspinned, rear radius, handle notch taper cut and
extractor modified
That's a lot for $35 !
I have had 3 done and he dose Great work ! Fast turn around too.
Just my .02 :bthumb:
Smitty
 
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