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I like 10/22 TDs. They're a fun little gun, and the tons of aftermarket support means I can get each one set up well for its individual purpose. Recently I've been shooting more classic 22 rifles, but I still like them and often they're the right choice for a specific use.
My first 10/22 I set up with the Magpul backpacker stock, and added a volquartsen barrel because I wanted to mount the scope on a cantilever. I ordered a trigger at the same time, and eventually added the volquartsen bolt as a random pike arms bolt I had didn't work with the volquartsen trigger due to tolerance stacking issues. This worked nicely for a while, but eventually I wanted to try a different stock so I picked up the hunter x22 stock.
At that point I realized I had a trigger, bolt, barrel, and stock sitting around. So all I needed was a receiver to get a second 10/22 built. Why not, right?
For my second 10/22 I figured I'd get a tactical solutions receiver since I shoot lefty and you can swap the charging handle to the left side. I got it, but even adjusted for maximum looseness the barrels still wouldn't swap back and forth. Both the volquartsen and Ruger barrels were too large in diameter to mate correctly with the tacsol receiver. Tactical solutions did offer to machine down a barrel to the diameter needed, but I ended up buying a tactical solutions barrel which worked beautifully. Unfortunately when I reassembled everything I sheared the pins off the Ruger trigger pack, and so ended up buying a tactical solutions trigger (didn't want to risk more tolerance stacking issues, I learn slow but I learn).
Now recently I've been shooting with my wife more, and she has some interest in shooting rifles so the second 10/22 would be perfect right? But the backpacker stock wasn't really doing it for her (she likes a really short LOP and something more fun) so I ordered a adaptive tactical stock with the m4 style buttpad. She loves the stock, but it doesn't work with the tacsol trigger (the rear geometry isn't compatible).
Ok, so I'll swap the tacsol trigger and the volquartsen trigger, have first 10/22 with volquartsen barrel, Ruger receiver, hunter or backpacker stock, and tacsol trigger. Second 10/22 with the ati stock, volquartsen trigger, tacsol barrel, and tacsol trigger. Nope, the tacsol trigger doesn't install correctly into the Ruger receiver, again tolerance stacking rears its ugly head.
So last night I order another trigger. Volquartsen again, they're a pretty good deal right now imo since their prices haven't really gone up in the last two years. But of course I start thinking "well you'll have an extra barrel (Ruger), extra stock (either the x22 or the backpacker), and extra trigger (tacsol)... You know you're basically 90% of the way to another pretty nice 10/22. All you need is a receiver and maybe a bolt."
Now this is heresy on calguns, but maybe I don't need another 22 rifle. 90% of my 22 shooting is with my marlin 39m or my Winchester 62a. I probably don't even need 2 10/22s, let alone 3. I'm planning on giving the first 10/22 to my son when I think he's ready to start shooting (it's a really nice rifle, way more accurate than I can shoot), the second 10/22 is for when I bring people shooting with me (mostly my wife) and I want something that has an adjustable stock. I could easily build a third, it would be really neat I am sure, but what would I use it for?
I'll probably end up doing it sooner or later, I mean it sounds fun. And I'll probably end up with some extra parts at the end.. maybe almost enough to build another 10/22. And I'll have grandkids someday more likely than not right? There's always a good excuse to buy another gun.
But I do think it's a valuable experience that maybe offers something to the folks here that are looking at buying their first 10/22 and maybe just doing one or two minor upgrades. Parts from different manufacturers don't always play nice with one another. The volquartsen parts I have are all great. They tend to work best with other volquartsen parts. The tactical solutions parts I have tend to work best with other tactical solutions parts.
Slight variations in tolerances between different manufacturers means that companies a, b, and c can all work great just not necessarily with each other. I haven't had any bad experiences with any of the manufacturers, as long as I tend to stick to just one or maybe two if I am lucky. So my advice is to keep builds on the simpler side, unless you want the pile of 10/22s to keep growing. Which isn't an entirely bad thing either.
My first 10/22 I set up with the Magpul backpacker stock, and added a volquartsen barrel because I wanted to mount the scope on a cantilever. I ordered a trigger at the same time, and eventually added the volquartsen bolt as a random pike arms bolt I had didn't work with the volquartsen trigger due to tolerance stacking issues. This worked nicely for a while, but eventually I wanted to try a different stock so I picked up the hunter x22 stock.
At that point I realized I had a trigger, bolt, barrel, and stock sitting around. So all I needed was a receiver to get a second 10/22 built. Why not, right?
For my second 10/22 I figured I'd get a tactical solutions receiver since I shoot lefty and you can swap the charging handle to the left side. I got it, but even adjusted for maximum looseness the barrels still wouldn't swap back and forth. Both the volquartsen and Ruger barrels were too large in diameter to mate correctly with the tacsol receiver. Tactical solutions did offer to machine down a barrel to the diameter needed, but I ended up buying a tactical solutions barrel which worked beautifully. Unfortunately when I reassembled everything I sheared the pins off the Ruger trigger pack, and so ended up buying a tactical solutions trigger (didn't want to risk more tolerance stacking issues, I learn slow but I learn).
Now recently I've been shooting with my wife more, and she has some interest in shooting rifles so the second 10/22 would be perfect right? But the backpacker stock wasn't really doing it for her (she likes a really short LOP and something more fun) so I ordered a adaptive tactical stock with the m4 style buttpad. She loves the stock, but it doesn't work with the tacsol trigger (the rear geometry isn't compatible).
Ok, so I'll swap the tacsol trigger and the volquartsen trigger, have first 10/22 with volquartsen barrel, Ruger receiver, hunter or backpacker stock, and tacsol trigger. Second 10/22 with the ati stock, volquartsen trigger, tacsol barrel, and tacsol trigger. Nope, the tacsol trigger doesn't install correctly into the Ruger receiver, again tolerance stacking rears its ugly head.
So last night I order another trigger. Volquartsen again, they're a pretty good deal right now imo since their prices haven't really gone up in the last two years. But of course I start thinking "well you'll have an extra barrel (Ruger), extra stock (either the x22 or the backpacker), and extra trigger (tacsol)... You know you're basically 90% of the way to another pretty nice 10/22. All you need is a receiver and maybe a bolt."
Now this is heresy on calguns, but maybe I don't need another 22 rifle. 90% of my 22 shooting is with my marlin 39m or my Winchester 62a. I probably don't even need 2 10/22s, let alone 3. I'm planning on giving the first 10/22 to my son when I think he's ready to start shooting (it's a really nice rifle, way more accurate than I can shoot), the second 10/22 is for when I bring people shooting with me (mostly my wife) and I want something that has an adjustable stock. I could easily build a third, it would be really neat I am sure, but what would I use it for?
I'll probably end up doing it sooner or later, I mean it sounds fun. And I'll probably end up with some extra parts at the end.. maybe almost enough to build another 10/22. And I'll have grandkids someday more likely than not right? There's always a good excuse to buy another gun.
But I do think it's a valuable experience that maybe offers something to the folks here that are looking at buying their first 10/22 and maybe just doing one or two minor upgrades. Parts from different manufacturers don't always play nice with one another. The volquartsen parts I have are all great. They tend to work best with other volquartsen parts. The tactical solutions parts I have tend to work best with other tactical solutions parts.
Slight variations in tolerances between different manufacturers means that companies a, b, and c can all work great just not necessarily with each other. I haven't had any bad experiences with any of the manufacturers, as long as I tend to stick to just one or maybe two if I am lucky. So my advice is to keep builds on the simpler side, unless you want the pile of 10/22s to keep growing. Which isn't an entirely bad thing either.
