Building Speed Steel rifle

[ZackJones]

The Taccom barrels for the Ruger 10/22 will be ready later this week. Should be the hot set-up.

It's out. I ordered the threaded model (http://www.taccom3g.com/ruger-10-22-17--ulw-barrel-.html)

[Gooldylocks]

The Taccom barrels for the Ruger 10/22 will be ready later this week. Should be the hot set-up.

It's out. I ordered the threaded model (http://www.taccom3g.com/ruger-10-22-17--ulw-barrel-.html)

I saw that, let us know how it goes. I think I am going to be picking one up at some point.

Has anyone used the universal 90 mount he sells? I was wondering about using one of those instead of the much more expensive bearcave mount...

[photoracer]

Most guys around my way shoot the 15-22s but I can't understand why either. I have been shooting a 10/22 for a few years at SCSA matches. Runs great and no problems. I have a Volquartsen trigger in it that is under 2lbs. I recently bought a 15-22 on a whim. Been messing with the trigger and I cannot even get it close to the Volquartsen without getting light strikes or just total failure to fire. So far I really am not impressed with the 15-22. Even with the Volquartsen trigger in my 10/22 I still have less money in it than the stock 15-22. In the 10/22 I only use Ruger mags. I have tried a few other brands and every one has had major feeding issues. For steel I just use the 10 round Rugers since they always seem to run. I run a Cmore railway on both the 10/22 and 15-22. I have also tried other brands of red dots and nothing is as bright or work as well as the original Cmores. Just my 2 cents.

You are doing it wrong. You don't bubba an AR trigger for 3-gun why would you do one for SC? And comparing that to a VQ trigger is ridiculous. You put a decent 3-gun type competition trigger in a 15-22 and you will have a totally new rifle. I have talked to a lot of pros over they years and the majority agree the 15-22 is the reliability king even over the 10-22. One thing the 15-22 can do that the 10/22 can't is dump 4 mags on the timer in under 25 seconds (I did it in 22s for the S&W 15-22 forum and faster is possible). The guy who wins the rifle division of the PSA Rimfire Challenge every year uses a 15-22 with an S3G trigger and a C-More as his only mods. Last year in the 2014 NSSF worlds I brought another friend of mine for his first major event. He used a 15-22 to get an outright stage win (stage 10) even over BJ (1 of 2 rifle stages in which he beat BJ) (he finshed 9th overall). This year both of us are shooting 10/22s because we are both faster with them.

[photoracer]

The Taccom barrels for the Ruger 10/22 will be ready later this week. Should be the hot set-up.

It's out. I ordered the threaded model (http://www.taccom3g.com/ruger-10-22-17--ulw-barrel-.html)

I saw that, let us know how it goes. I think I am going to be picking one up at some point.

Has anyone used the universal 90 mount he sells? I was wondering about using one of those instead of the much more expensive bearcave mount...

The universal sits higher so you lose some of the advantage of the laydown C-More. Its only for firearms that have nothing but a rail mount available. While I currently use a Bearcave mount on my Browning, the one I built myself back in late 2009 is actually slightly lower than the Bearcave. I used 1/16" aluminum alloy V-channel on top of an Allchin direct mount. I only switched to the Bearcave because I wanted to do something else with the Allchin mount and the Bearcave seemed to be the best of the ones I saw (except my own). I actually had people who wanted me to make them copies of mine over the years but I declined as I did not want to get into the parts business. Instead I put photos of my rig on various shooting forums I belonged to hoping someone would get the idea and make some.

[photoracer]

That is true. How light can a 15-22 get? And is it possible to get them to run, no questions asked?

Right now I'm looking at possibly a kidd barrel, home brew trigger job, and allchin mount. That makes the rifle price stay pretty low, and get the majority of the weight savings. which are good things, the way I look at it.

I have the lightest 15-22 you can make without shortening the barrel and that is 4 lbs. 12 oz. with a comp. Standard 16" threaded barrel version, Geissele Super 3-gun trigger, Magpul Fixed Carbine stock, Taccom carbon fiber handguard, and optionally the Allchin 15-22 comp. About 4 and 10 if you put the barrel protector on instead of the comp. If you pay $400 for the 15-22 the total cost to replicate that would add another $420 (no comp), $490 (Allchin comp). Adding an optics like a C-More would bring the total for everything to over $1k. The best of the cheap dots for the rifle would be the TruGlo Dual Red/Green reflex sight, about $60. I used one for years on mine with no issues and it is about the only red dot under $100 that is bright enough for use at high noon on a sunny day.

Now about the 10/22. If you already have one then use that as the base for a speed rifle if not then just go on GB and buy a receiver. If you use the good parts you will not need a gunsmith, period (if something does not work then you call a gunsmith but try getting advice from the RFC site first). I built 2 10/22s from receivers, (1 stripped and 1 complete) both of which run like a Rolex watch. The only "machining" I did was remove a tiny area in one receiver to get the VQ CNC Competition Bolt to operate smoothly. The rest was just buying and installing. Rifle #1, Ruger complete receiver, removed all the internal parts, installed VQ Ultralite CF barrel w/Forward Blow comp, TacSol V-Block, VQ CNC Competition Bolt, aftermarket bolt stop, Timney Competition trigger w/extended mag release, Allchin C-More mount, C-More w/16 MOA dot, Magnum Research Glacier Ridge thumbhole polymer stock. Rifle #2 similar, Ruger stripped receiver, added VQ trigger kit to the previous removed trigger from #1, Christie's mag release, OEM bolt w/VQ parts kit, aftermarket extended bolt handle and recoil assembly, TacSol alloy fluted barrel and V-Block, aftermarket bolt stop, EGW extended rail, Walther Competition II reflex sight w/10 MOA dot, same stock as #1. Rifle #1 weighs 3 lbs. 14 oz. while rifle #2 weighs 3 lbs 10 oz.

Hard to get a 10/22 below that as both have 16 oz barrels which is at the lowest weight level of all 10/22 barrels available (Kidd ULW is 20 oz). #2 has a trigger in the stock polymer housing, with a polymer mag release which is much lighter than the alloy Timney (but I like the Timney trigger a lot so I use that rifle for speed) and the TS barrel is unthreaded. A few ounces either way won't feel a lot difference, but a 1 lb difference you can feel easily. I built #1 to shoot and #2 as a backup but I have yet to use the backup even for parts. So I will likely purpose it for something else or sell it.

10/22s and 15-22.

Edited June 9, 2015 by photoracer

[ZackJones]

My Taccom barrel arrived yesterday. Install was easy. Hopefully going out to the range this evening to try it out.

[Gooldylocks]

Pictures!

[photoracer]

Here is a picture of just about the lightest semi-auto .22 rifle you can build for steel. The upper rifle is my speed 15-22 for comparison at 4 lbs. 12 oz. The lower is an AR-22 I built from my old CMMG .22 conversion kit and liberal use of parts from Tim at Taccom. Currently it weighs 3 lbs. 4 oz. just as you see it complete with optics.

Upper parts:

Aero-Precision upper receiver with forward assist plug

Taccom 17" aluminum alloy sleeved bull barrel, unthreaded

Taccom carbon fiber handguard

BCM Gunfighter charging handle, medium latch

CMMG .22 conversion BCG with Taccom AR barrel block

Taccom firing pin, and extractor

C-More Railway w/16 MOA dot on custom 90 degree mount

Lower receiver parts:

Mag Tech magnesium alloy lower receiver

Timney 3# Competition drop in trigger

Taccom carbon fiber stock

Umbrella Corp. angled grip

Unnamed mag release extension

Unnamed extended AR receiver pins

Its possible that the Taccom AR CF barrel on the way to me might get it below the 3 lbs. weight goal.

[Strip]

I dont know about steel challenge, but I heard someone was told no in the NSSF matches for short barrel.

[Dwight Stearns]

Correct Strip. The ruling was made last year. No short barrel rifles in NSSF rimfire. I guess of its legally a pistol it can be shot in the pistol portion.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Dwight Stearns

[Dwight Stearns]

In my personal opinion, it is possible to get the rifle too light. As the rifle gets lighter it becomes more flighty or unstable. You end up trying to find a balance. That balance for me is in the 4.4 pound area. My open rifle (which I rarely use anymore) is 4.2 pounds. My limited rifle is a little heavy at 4.9 pounds. Both are on the AR platform. The other thing to keep in mind is the location of the weight of the rifle. A rifle with the majority of the weight in the back half of the rifle will handle differently than one with more weight forward.

[FlightMurse]

Interesting read. I just picked up a CMMG dedicated .22 for playing at the range and my buddy has a 15-22 with a CMC trigger in it. I am not sure I prefer either over my 10/22 but I will have to get the three of them on a timer and see what comes out faster.

[photoracer]

For me initially the weight made the difference. I shot the lighter rifles faster. The 10/22 is butt heavy due to the CF barrel compared to a 15-22 with an all steel barrel. which means I can move the barrel end faster. In Steel Challenge since going to the 3.5# 10/22 verses the 4.75# 15-22, I have lowered my personal Showdown record from 10.20 to 8.61, S&H from 9.97 to 9.09, Accelerator from 12.19 to 10.29, Speed option from 13.39 to 10.61, and Roundabout from 10.91 to 9.48. My RFRO classifier total is down to 59.69 from about 65.32 when they announced earlier this year they intended to do classifications for all divisions (time will tell if this actually happens). I was 5th in Rimfire rifle at the Tier 3 Old Bridge SC match (my teammate Mike won). We could only do Sunday so we just shot the rimfire open divisions. Likely doing the same thing at the PA State SC match in late Sept.

I have also converted my backup open 10/22 to a Limited rifle, going with a factory 10/22 Carbine barrel, the one with the Williams Firesights as those are the same ones as on my Limited Buckmark. Could not use the Magnum Research stock with that barrel as the cheek weld is too high so I am going with an Axiom stock for that. Figured that the iron sight TacSol and Kidd barrels are too expensive for the amount of use I may make of it. Going to start shooting both pairs in the monthly SC matches at PNTC and see what happens. Might decide to change my NSSF entry to Limited (but I doubt it).