Test fire report: First range trip, function testing and rough zero
First range trip for the Ruger 10/22 Takedown (henceforth, 10/22 TD) was interesting. The primary purposes of this trip were to function test various ammo types and get a rough zero for the iron sights (on a 50-foot indoor range). Accuracy testing will be done during a later range visit, with optics, outdoors, after the weather improves (give me a break, this is March in North Dakota; most of the snow will be gone by late May. Probably. Seriously.).
Function testing
Summary: 500 rounds fired, with one stoppage, which I characterize as a magazine-related feed interruption (see description below). Rounds fired included:
- 200 rounds of CCI Mini-Mag round-nose
- 100 rounds of CCI Mini-Mag HP
- 50 rounds CCI Stinger (20 at beginning of test, 30 at the end)
- 50 rounds CCI Blazer
- 50 rounds Remington bulk-pack HP
- 50 rounds Federal bulk-pack HP
Two different BX-25 magazines and two 10-shot rotary 10/22 magazines were used for all testing, with the vast majority (400+ rounds) going through the BX-25 mags. Rounds were fired in the order listed above, except for the CCI Stingers, as noted. I wanted to see if the Stingers were suitable for this 10/22, as the instruction manual cautions against their use in the 10/22 Target and 10/22 Tactical. As the 11125 model of 10/22 TD is somewhat similar to the Tactical (threaded barrel with flash suppressor), I wasn't sure if the Stingers were going to give me any trouble. Because of this concern, I started out with 20 rounds of the Stinger (2 full 10-shot rotary mags), and checked both the rifle and the fired cases for any problems/signs before continuing (none were found). I also ended the test with the Stingers, to see if a buildup of crud in the chamber from the other rounds would cause any problems with the Stingers' longer case; again, no problems were observed, and fired cases looked normal.
The stoppage I experienced happened while firing the CCI Mini-Mag HP ammo and using the new BX-25 25-shot magazine that came with the rifle. I describe the stoppage as a magazine-related feed interruption because the fired case from the previous round was extracted and ejected properly, and then the bolt closed on an empty chamber due to the BX-25 magazine not presenting the next round in feeding position. When the bolt was retracted after hearing the empty-chamber-dry-fire "click", the next round was visible in the magazine feedway, in a lower-than-normal position, below the feed lips. A few light taps on the side of the mag encouraged the round to pop-up into the normal feed position, then the bolt was released, chambering the round normally. All other rounds fed/chambered/fired/extracted/ejected normally (as did the mis-fed round, after it was assisted into proper feed position as described). Note: I have also experienced a few similar problems with other BX-25 mags and CCI Mini-Mag ammo in my other 10/22 rifles, so I don't necessarily think this was a rifle problem as much as it may have been a "mag+certain ammo" problem.
Firing observations
Adjustment/tightening of the barrel collar was done prior to firing, in accordance with the instruction manual. After firing about 200 rounds, I noticed the barrel seemed a bit loose, so I re-adjusted the barrel collar, tightening the fit 2 more clicks. I checked the fit again after another 150 rounds or so (rifle was getting pretty hot by then), and re-adjusted the collar, adding one more click (barrel could still be removed and remounted with the same amount of force). I then realized that the collar may have been moving under recoil/vibration, so I marked it with a felt-tip permanent ink marker in the collar groove lined-up directly above the spring detent. At the end of the test, the rifle was too hot to hold the barrel against a bare hand without discomfort, and the collar had not moved since the last adjustment. However, I was able to add another click of collar tightening adjustment and still remove and reinstall the barrel without any excessive force. I cannot say for sure the collar did not move during the early firing, so some of the added tightening clicks may have been just adding back clicks that had been lost to recoil/vibration. It's possible that heat expansion ( I rarely get a .22 rifle this hot during any kind of shooting) and "seating"/break-in of the new parts may account for some of the tightening, but now that I have a reference mark on the collar, I will be keeping a close eye on this to see if it is an ongoing issue.
After the range session, I checked some other screws to see if there had been any loosening, and several did need to be tightened/adjusted. The elevation screw on the rear sight had moved about one-sixth of a turn, and the action screw in the bottom of the stock had loosened almost two full turns(!). The stock screw had been checked prior to the first outing, so either it loosened, or something in the stock compressed during firing, allowing the screw to be tightened farther after the range outing. Again, heat may have been a factor. The forend screw, barrel band screw, and the two hex-head barrel block screws in the front of the receiver (visible when the barrel is removed from the action) were all still tight.
The last observation concerned the flash suppressor (FS). A little more than halfway through the testing, I went to lay the rifle on the carpeted firing-point shelf, and I brushed the FS on the shelf as I laid the rifle down. When I brushed it across the shelf, the FS turned (began to unscrew). When I checked, it was about two full turns from fully tight. I completed the testing, periodically checking the FS for tightness and snugging it down by hand if it was loose. The FS was installed using a crush washer, similar to the method used for .223/5.56mm AR-type rifles, but I've never seen an AR's crush-washer-mounted FS come loose during or after firing, and they get a good bit warmer than a .22 rifle (and have more recoil and similar vibrations, too). The FS had been hand-checked for tightness along with all the other screw-threaded parts prior to firing. Not sure if the FS just wasn't torqued securely enough at the factory, or if something caused it to loosen during firing (or a combination of both). I'll probably take the FS off and get a thread protector for the barrel in the short term, although I'd like to get a real suppressor for it someday.
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Summary: This sample of the 10/22 Takedown (model 11125) is reliable with several different common ammo types/brands, and both the standard 10-shot rotary and 25-shot BX-25 mags made for the 10/22 rifles. Potential problems exist with fasteners loosening under hard use, but this can be addressed with LocTite or similar products in most areas, although the flash suppressor might still be a challenge. The iron sights were very close to zero (minor elevation addition was needed) right out of the box, and the fiber-optic inserts are a nice touch for fast shooting, even under the lower light conditions of an indoor range. Further testing will be required to see if the barrel collar will need constant attention, or if it has settled-in for a while.
