Stock and barrel are the only significant differences.

DW

 

My school of thought is that the carbine is the most common and least expensive. So why not modify that. I think the only difference is the stock. Most people replace the barrel with a .920 bull so you will have to replace the stock anyway or modify the barrel channel. I would buy the cheapest carbine you can find and play with that. Just my 2 cents.

 

You didn't say how far you wanted to go with modifications but why not start with the receiver assembly? Add your choice of a barrel and stock plus any other goodies. If your plans were for a new stock and barrel anyway then I would go this way. You can get the receiver with the bolt and trigger from S&P Outfitters. I just did this and built up a nice custom 10/22.

 

Thats a good idea BossHogg I did not think of that. Build it the way you want.

 

BossHogg: Thanks for that information. I have everything I need to make a second rifle but was holding back on the receiver. For $ 70 for a blem I don't think I can go wrong so I'm checking with my range to see if they will do the transfer for me.

 

I always thought the LVT was the best base for a lightly modded factory rifle...if your intention is to heavily mod the rifle, you'd probably save money by just buying the parts you actually intend to use right off the bat

that way you're starting off with some good parts already (like the heavy taper barrel and stock) over a Carbine or Sporter..with nothing needed but some good glass, and a better trigger..a BX, if you want to go budget, or a KIDD, if you want to spend some cash

 

Or if you buy a complete rifle, you can sell the trigger, barrel and stock. IIRC you come out better that way. as far as $$ goes.

Ruger 10/22 .22LR Synthetic Rimfire Rifle | Academy

The Ruger 10/22 .22LR Synthetic Rimfire Rifle is made with alloy steel and features a glass-filled, polymer trigger housing. This rifle is engineered with a fiber-o...

www.academy.com

Complete rifle: 289.99
sell stock: -$85
sell barrel: -$80
sell trigger: -$40
net cost: $85

or Receiver: $70
Bolt: $75
v block screws, pins $15
total: $160


updated to reflect S&P prices

 

Or if you buy a complete rifle, you can sell the trigger, barrel and stock. IIRC you come out better that way. as far as $$ goes.

Ruger 10/22 .22LR Synthetic Rimfire Rifle | Academy

The Ruger 10/22 .22LR Synthetic Rimfire Rifle is made with alloy steel and features a glass-filled, polymer trigger housing. This rifle is engineered with a fiber-o...

www.academy.com

Complete rifle: 289.99
sell stock: -$65
sell barrel: -$50
sell trigger: -$45
net cost: $160

or Receiver: $70
Bolt: $100
charge handle $20-$30
v block screws etc: $25
pins: $15
total: $230

S&P Outfitters has factory bolts with charging handle for about $75 and a parts kit deal that includes pins, screws, v-block, etc...for $15.

 

Thanks for the great replies ! …Just to confirm , are there any barrel differences between the 10/22 Carbine and Sporter models (I believe both are 18.5” length ?)

 

Thanks for the great replies ! …Just to confirm , are there any barrel differences between the 10/22 Carbine and Sporter models (I believe both are 18.5” length ?)

YES there are - and not all are 18.5" in length.

Me personalty, I like the sporter models more. Most have wood stocks as opposed to the polymer stocks of the carbine models; they also have larger barrels...

LVT - think that's a mid size/mid weight with muzzle diameter of around .750"

Target models regardless if they're light, heavy or somewhere in-between usually have .920" diameter barrels (from the receiver to the muzzle), many have 16.12" barrel lengths.

Needless to say these cost more up front, but you'll save in the long run because you won't need to replace the stock & barrel with aftermarket parts.

 

If you're going to modify the snot out of it anyway, why not start with the cheapest one you can find--new or used?

 

Depends on how far you want to go. If going all the way just get a receiver and build from there.
As for differences there really are none.

 

I read these 10-22 threads for my own curiosity only.. I keep trying to understand the sense behind buyiing a 10-22.. Then throw a couple thousand Dollars in it to try to make it shoot better than just buying a 600.00 Rifle that will still outshoot it, with just taking it out of the box, and well, shooting it..

I agree if you actually have to go into the rabbit hole..Just buy a aftermarket Receiver and go from there.. Buying a whole Rifle and throwing all the parts to the side, and making another complete Rifle, just not compute with me..
But to each his own, their money I guess..

 

RUGER® 10/22® 22LR LIGHT VARMINT TARGET SCOPE PKG

RUGER® 10/22® 22LR LIGHT VARMINT TARGET SCOPE PKG

www.cdnnsports.com

RUGER® 10/22® 75TH ANNIVERSARY 22LR STS NATURAL

RUGER® 10/22® 75TH ANNIVERSARY 22LR STS NATURAL

www.cdnnsports.com

The 1st, the LVT, is always a guaranteed shooter.

The 2nd one , I would not touch, just leave as is.

 

I LOVE the stock on that 75th anny

I almost completely agree with you about that model - I would get a Clark trigger kit & do a trigger job myself. But for someone not so inclined, send it to Clark & let them work there magic on it.

I did this as part of the last trigger job I did.. Brimstone Ruger 10/22 Sear Polish - I also polished the hammer strut where it rides inside the hammer.

Great Choices!!!

 

Depending on where you are starting, I'm in the build completely from parts group. I've done builds both ways, mods and parts bin. Get what you want with a parts bin build and only a few left over bits (of course). I like Sporter stocks, easy to open up to .920, and S&P had them in stock the last time I looked. I currently have an International build going that's taking my time.
Good luck on your choice of rabbit holes.

 

Contrary to what I posted, I usually just collect parts and when I have enough, i just order a receiver from S&P. Which reminds me.... I need to order another one.

 

I just recently found S&P and got a blem receiver from them. It was one of those where has this place been all my life moments haha.

 

I agree! My blem receiver for 69.99 looked flawless. The hardware kit (trigger housing pins, v-block screws, take down screw, and bolt stop) for 14.99 is a must as well.

 

Thanks for telling us about SAP. I ordered a blem receiver for only $69.99 and my newest build is on it's way.

 

did you use the discount code "RFC" to get your member discount?

 

No, I didn't know about it. Thanks, I'll remember for next time.

 

Dang, I didn't know about it either...good to know for the future. Thank you

 

Will use that next time as well. Everything still a deal even without the member discount.

 

Sooooo, this post totally changed the direction of the 10/22 build I was planning. I too went and picked up the S&P 75th Anne stock in natural. It took a while to get behind the look as I usually like the darker wood or the Magpul Hunter as I was planning. Now I'm in for my own mock LVT/75th Anne build with a heavy target barrel. And yea the RFC code works. Thanks RFC!

 

I hear ya' on the lighter wood..my preference usually runs towards walnut, or a laminate in a wild color..

although I did pick up a birdseye maple, for one of my Volquartsen's decades ago, when Bishop was going out of business

 

Never meant a Factory 10-22 is going to outshoot a modified 10-22 neccesarily.... But there are CZ, Tikka and others that will do as good and better out if the box, than a hot rodded 10-22.. Even a stock Model 60 maybe..

 

I modified a CZ 452 years ago to go along with my 10-22 build and would shoot them for accuracy. Those were better days, before Parkinsons and before my eyes went bad but I shot pretty well. I shot a number of 250 - 25 X with my 10-22 but never scored that well with the CZ. To each their own, both were able to produce perfect scores but the 10-22 just performed better for me.

The fun part of building is that you can get the exact gun you want and believe it or not you don't have to spend a ton of Money. Mine had a Green Mountain barrel, a Volquartsen trigger kit that I installed myself, takes about 20 minutes to do, and a nice scope. I believe it was 32 power.

I build up my last rifle for Steel Challenge and have more money in it than I did in the past. Prices for accessories are just out of this world. Now that I have that one built, mostly from parts given to me from shooters that have added "better" equipment someone on this forum mentioned SAP and I checked them out.

My new build is a 10-22 with a Blem receiver from SAP for $ 69, Clark Barrel that was taken off my last rifle and a BX trigger kit $ 60 and only a few parts that look cool. I've got less that $ 200 into it. The only thing I want different will be a new stock. It has a Hogue Over Molded one now and I want a wood stock. Hopefully one of my friends will have moved on from their precision rifle to a Steel Challenge gun and replaced their nice stock.

Bartering is still an art so I'll wait until something comes along.

Just my opinion, for what it's worth ( pun intended ).

 

I modified a CZ 452 years ago to go along with my 10-22 build and would shoot them for accuracy. Those were better days, before Parkinsons and before my eyes went bad but I shot pretty well. I shot a number of 250 - 25 X with my 10-22 but never scored that well with the CZ. To each their own, both were able to produce perfect scores but the 10-22 just performed better for me.

The fun part of building is that you can get the exact gun you want and believe it or not you don't have to spend a ton of Money. Mine had a Green Mountain barrel, a Volquartsen trigger kit that I installed myself, takes about 20 minutes to do, and a nice scope. I believe it was 32 power.

I build up my last rifle for Steel Challenge and have more money in it than I did in the past. Prices for accessories are just out of this world. Now that I have that one built, mostly from parts given to me from shooters that have added "better" equipment someone on this forum mentioned SAP and I checked them out.

My new build is a 10-22 with a Blem receiver from SAP for $ 69, Clark Barrel that was taken off my last rifle and a BX trigger kit $ 60 and only a few parts that look cool. I've got less that $ 200 into it. The only thing I want different will be a new stock. It has a Hogue Over Molded one now and I want a wood stock. Hopefully one of my friends will have moved on from their precision rifle to a Steel Challenge gun and replaced their nice stock.

Bartering is still an art so I'll wait until something comes along.

Just my opinion, for what it's worth ( pun intended ).

I see all these barrels... The blued barrels are normally better than stainless steel...
The blue 18.5 inch carbine with open sights tends to better than 18.5 inch carbine barrel without open sights...
ct-precision.com

 

FWIW, which is exactly what you paid for my advice, given that I’m just starting my first real build… I went to a gun show at the very end of 2023, looking for a “well-loved” (aka, cheap, beater) 10/22 to start my project. (I wanted to be able to shoot the gun while waiting to order the next part, and that’s why I didn’t just order a receiver.) I figured I’d replace just about everything, anyway. Right, wrong or indifferent, though, a Model 31166 grabbed my attention at a good price. So I guess that’s where I’m starting my build. 🤷 I haven’t gotten it to the range yet, but: (a) the stock (obviously) will accommodate a heavier barrel than the carbine has; and (b) I don’t expect Kidd/VQ level performance out of the barrel, but I’ve been happy with the performance of my RARs, so I have hopes that this barrel will do well.

Good luck with your build!

Ruger® 10/22® Sporter Autoloading Rifle Model 31166

ruger.com