So I was minding my own business at lunch (WaB #1 w/cheese), when I get an email alert that Champions just got a Ruger 10/22 in that I wanted. Walnut stock, 22" blue barrel. So now I own a .22lr.

The gun is for shooting paper, steel targets, and squirrels. I'm looking to make some basic, affordable upgrades on an iron sights gun.

Upgrades:
- $60 Tech Sights - Appleseed guys rant about it, I figure a peep sight would be smart if I'm going just irons. http://www.tech-sights.com/

- $35 Hammer replacement (7lb to 3lb) - http://www.midwayusa.com/product/163143/volquartsen-target-hammer-with-bushings-ruger-10-22

- $12 Bolt release - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/928688102/volquartsen-automatic-bolt-release-ruger-10-22

- $13 Extractor - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/363360/volquartsen-exact-edge-extractor-ruger-10-22-10-22-magnum-mark-ii-mark-iii-22-45

This with a USGI sling is your prototypical Appleseed 10/22, which I'd like to eventually take to improve my marksmanship. I know there's a million mods you can make to the 10/22, but these 4 seem like really good first options to turn a stock 10/22 into a reliable tack driver to challenge my shooting abilities.

I'm fairly handy, but I don't have many tools for metalworking (wood is more my medium). The only improvement that's giving me pause is the tech sights, as I'm reading that the stock front sight is tricky to remove and I don't want to bend my barrel.

How tricky are these mods? Should I nut up and just break my gun? Or leave it to the professionals? Who's the best price in BCS for a quick job like this?

And if people want to post pictures of their tricked out 10/22, let's see what you got!

For less than 100 bucks you can upgrade a 10/22 to be more accurate than you are. Just the target hammer alone is a HUGE upgrade in my opinion. I did the hammer, bolt mods, extractor and bolt buffer for grins. Its for killing racoons, so its not tacticooled out. It has a deluxe walnut stock and a NIkon scope....otherwise its pretty much stock aside from Volq. parts.

These mods are easily done if you are even a little mechanically inclined and can follow directions (or youtube if it gets out of hand).

The 10/22 is one of the easiest and cheapest platforms to tinker with. If you can't figure it out on your own, there are probably 6,000 videos on Youtube showing how to do whatever it is you're doing.

Have at it...

http://www.kiddinnovativedesign.com/

Don't you have to change the original barrel to get a 10/22 accurate? Just asking. I have a 10/22 that I bought new about 30 years ago. One day I told a fellow worker that I was putting a new scope on my 10/22 and he asked me to sight in his Marlin .22 for him.

I set up at very close range and was getting significantly larger groups with the Ruger 10/22 than the Marlin. This is where I formed the opinion that I should change to a bull barrel if I ever wanted to drive tacks with a Ruger 10/22.

I have had fun with my Ruger but have always had a barrel change on my to-do list. The .17HMR that I bought here on Texags a few months ago has taken its place.... not because of power but because of accuracy.

Am I right or has Ruger changed to a better barrel in recent years? I am talking about a stock gun that you get from Walmart, Kmart, etc.

Maybe I got lucky, but my 10/22 is a tack driver with the factory bull barrel.

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Maybe I got lucky, but my 10/22 is a tack driver with the factory bull barrel

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There was no "bull" barrel at Walmart way back when I bought mine. This is what I am talking about. The "regular" barrel that came on it sucks, and no tweaking of other parts is going to fix it. Maybe Ruger saw the problem and now sells the gun with a bull barrel at most stores?

Anyway, back to the OP, I would like to put a bull barrel on my 10/22 but just have not found it a priority. And I have not tried just calling a gunsmith and asking what they would charge to do it for me.

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Anyway, back to the OP, I would like to put a bull barrel on my 10/22 but just have not found it a priority. And I have not tried just calling a gunsmith and asking what they would charge to do it for me.

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It's ridiculously easy. I got a blued fluted bull barrel from Tactical Innovations and it was quite easy to replace myself.

I upgraded stock and barrel first. Charging handle, mag release and bolt assembly are next on the list.

No experience working on their 10/22 stuff, but I did put VQ parts in my 22/45, and their instructions that came with the parts were easy to understand and very helpful.

If you're semi handy, you should be able to do it...and as someone else mentioned, there are youtube "how tos" for lots of this kind of stuff.

If the VQ trigger in a 10/22 is as good as it is in the 22/45, you're going to be incredibly pleased. Love what it did to my .22 pistol.

10/22's are easy as hell to work on. I think the only stock parts on mine anymore are the receiver housing and the actual trigger. Everything else has been replaced and upgraded.

And 22's are nororious for being picky with ammo. What shoots great in one gun could easily not group worth a crap in another.

I wish Winchester still made their Supreme line of .22 ammo, that shot far and away the best out of mine.