Ruger 10/22 misfire

[knots2011]

I had a misfire with my 10/22 upon inspection it seems you can activate the hammer with the side still partially open,is something wrong with my rifle?if so whats the fix? Thanks

[Turo]

[Peter.Steele]

I've had that happen with 3 different 10-22's. Seems to be a symptom indicating a need to clean the gun, or at least when I've cleaned the gun it has always stopped doing it immediately.

I've still got chunks of brass in my right hand from the first time it happened. The second and third times I was paying attention, and noticed that the brass was still showing even though the bolt was closed. Verrrrry carefully - and just to test the theory - I stepped behind something, one-handed the 10-22, and pulled the trigger. Sure enough, both times it fired. Once it blew the magazine out of the gun, although there was no damage.

[xibunkrlilkidsx]

mine does it to..just checked it. the hammer can will fire with the bolt about 1/4" pulled back. i have had mine for 6 years or so and have never had it "fire" out of battery that i know of, basing this off of i can never remember a round going off with out my input.

[Turo]

I've had that happen with 3 different 10-22's. Seems to be a symptom indicating a need to clean the gun, or at least when I've cleaned the gun it has always stopped doing it immediately.

I've still got chunks of brass in my right hand from the first time it happened. The second and third times I was paying attention, and noticed that the brass was still showing even though the bolt was closed. Verrrrry carefully - and just to test the theory - I stepped behind something, one-handed the 10-22, and pulled the trigger. Sure enough, both times it fired. Once it blew the magazine out of the gun, although there was no damage.

Did it look like mine? No brass embedded, but it stung for a few days though.

[Mail Clerk]

Turo,

From your description that is normal. As far as your mis-fire is concerned everyone gets a few bad rounds now and then. Everytime I shoot I always can expect a few myself and it's no biggie to me. Most likely it's just ammo related. If you realize just how many the ammo manufacturers produce in one sitting? The amount is ememse and so suib rounds are easily rejected. If you consistantly get more than one squib roundd per magazine it's obvious your bolt and chamber needs cleaning. It'a also possible your entire lot/brick might be bad so try a different brand.

Mail Clerk

[Peter.Steele]

Did it look like mine? No brass embedded, but it stung for a few days though.

Pretty much, yeah.

I was shooting off a picnic table, supporting the rifle with my off-hand directly under the magazine, with my elbow holding it all up. I had the Ruger logo off the bottom of the mag tattooed on my hand for a month or so. Every now and then I'll get a little speck of something come to the surface of my hand. Brass, and I guess unburnt powder or carbon or something. This happened 25+ years ago, probably.

[ojisan]

While the hammer may drop, it usually won't hit the firing pin or hit the pin hard enough to cause a round to fire.
The hammer and bolt are made so that the hammer can't reach the firing pin unless the bolt is all the way forward.
If the bolt is back just a bit, the hammer will contact the lower back corner of the bolt before the firing pin.

Firing out of battery is usually either a defective round or possibly a gummed up firing pin hitting a round that can't squeeze all the way into the chamber because the chamber is too dirty.
Just the hammer hitting the bolt can be enough to fire the round if the bolt is jammed against the rim of the cartridge.

Do a detailed cleaning of the firing pin channel and everywhere else too.
Gummed up guns do all sorts of bad things.

Greasy ammo like that Russian Junior stuff can cause problems quickly in any .22

[knots2011]

Thanks,thinking about it that might very well be the problem

[knots2011]

Thanks everyone for the feed back,yes Peter.Steele it looked just like that.

[BrianRodela]

FYI, that "Russian Junior stuff" is actually made in the Lapua factory in Germany.

[51colt]

Sounds like a gummed up bolt. Rim fire ammo is dirty if you have a lot of oil in a 10-22 receiver they gum up fast. The fouling sticks to the oil on the bolt and receiver. If i use oil use very little put a small amount on a rag and leave very little on the receiver and bolt or better yet use Rem dry lube or Elmers Slide-All dry lube on the bolt, receiver and hammer. I put a pin drop of Hot sauce reel oil in the fireing pin channel and on the ejector pivot. I get more misfires with Winchester bulk than any other kind of 22 ammo.
51

[DesertRat810]

No case failure but I've had my 10/22 when it's REALLY dirty fire slightly out of battery bulging the case. Never had it happen before that one time. Previous to changing the extractor and spring it usually would just start FTEing all the time once it got really dirty, and I would just put it away for the day to clean later. Still does FTE when really dirty, but not as frequently as previously.

The buildup of fouling caused the bolt to not fully go into battery and when fired bulged the case. I actually noticed it later when looking at some of the brass on the ground.

I've tried it even w/ a clean, empty rifle, and it seems the design allows for the hammer to drop on a not fully in battery bolt, but usually when not super-dirty that's not an issue.