New Ruger 10/22 have polymer parts

I have been a fan of the Ruger 10/22 rifle for many years. Ruger has decided to make the trigger guard of polymer as well as the trigger and sear parts. The sear is plastic and has a steel insert that contacts the hammer notch. This setup makes for a spongy trigger pull. This makes for a changing trigger pull as compared with the 10/22 rifles made with aluminum alloy trigger guard and parts. We bought 5 Ruger 10/22 carbines for our Junior Club and they were all rifles with polymer trigger guard and parts. It was very difficult to do trigger jobs on the rifles and make them stay consistant.

Another change in the newest Ruger 10/22 rifles is a cast in one piece hammer. The original hammer is made of a high quality steel forging and has 2 inserts that fit into the hammer and the hammer pin slides through the inserts. The new cast hammer is not of the same quality and the inserts are cast in one piece with the hammer.

I guess I just don't like change made for the sake of cheapening the firearm.

Doug Bowser

Nope,

They made a bunch of them the right way. Buy a used one. Guns wear out less than people do.

Doug

encoreman wrote:Hey Doug is it pretty easy to spot the new polymer gun? I heard about a like new blue 10-22 and I want to be sure it is the old style.

The trigger guard is plastic. You can tell by tapping the trigger guard with a key.

Doug

TomBomb wrote:Just watching "Guns and Ammo Classics" and what comes up? This very question... here's the Ruger director of product development (Roy Melcher's) explanation: "We know that what we've done is made a vast improvement over the original component part, it is tougher, it is more accurate, more stable and more impact resistant than the original aluminum trigger guard." Then they performed an impact test (4.5 lbs dropped 3 ft) on the trigger guard assembly...the polymer survived, the aluminum did not.

However, he did not address the trigger or seer................

This is typical CYA from Ruger. I do a LOT of trigger jobs on the Ruger 10/22 rifles and the polymer trigger guard creates problems with the trigger being spongey. This , of course, means nothing to the average shooter. To the target shooter, it means a lot. The reason Ruger changed the material in the trigger mechanism was monetary. They also changed the way the hammer is manufactured. It's material and method of manufacture has also been cheapened. When they first made the polymer trigger guard, the sear was also plastic. They went back to aluminum sears and the trigger pulls are not as spongey. The trigger is still plastic.

If the plastic trigger guards are superior, why are the aftermarket trigger guards being offered? Why did Clark Custom Guns buy a large quantity of Ruger factory (aluminum) trigger guards and make them available.

Doug Bowser

TomBomb wrote:I hear you Doug, espicially on the CYA... the Midway USA catalog alone has an 2 or 3 pages of replacement 10/22 trigger assy..... What's your recommendation for a reasonably priced upgrade?

Clark Custom Guns has the old style parts for sale at a reasonable price.

Doug