In early August Ruger announced the release of two new 10/22 budget models that it calls "optic ready". The models are 31139 and 31145. These are said to represent a limited production run. These models come with a new molded synthetic stock, light grey for the 31139 and charcoal for the 31145. I believe these stocks have also been made available for sale separately by Ruger. The stock is somewhat like a Sporter wood stock in that there is molded checkering at the pistol grip area and the fore-end, and there is no step off at the front and no barrel band. The problem I encountered was with a model 31139. But exactly the same issue has now been documented on rimfire central with one other model 31139 and four separate 31145 models.
In all six of these rifles, removing the barreled action from the stock as directed in the owner's manual rendered the trigger assembly group non-functional. In my case it did so twice. The first time I removed the barreled action from the stock, the safety no longer had any positive detents, and the cocked hammer could not be released by the trigger. Since I had not encountered this issue before, it took me some time and research to figure it out. The problem was that the safety lever, when centered, had become rotated to a position in which it was inoperative, and would not allow the sear extension clearance for the sear to release the hammer. Unfortunately, when this occurs, the safety lever often cannot be simply rotated back into the correct orientation without using some narrow, thin tool to press in on the little detent ball that holds the safety lever in the "on" and "off" positions. And to do that complete or near complete disassembly of the trigger group is required.
So the first time this happened I chaulked it up to a fluke, fixed the trigger assembly, and returned the barreled action to the stock. As I did so I noticed that the perfectly centered safety lever was actually pushing the sides of the cut out in the synthetic stock that it had to pass through apart to get through. Armed with this knowledge, I removed the barreled action again the relieve the sides of the cut out with a file. I did so as carefully as possible but nonetheless the safety lever got rotated again requiring another disassembly and reassembly. I measured the width of the cut out with a caliper and found it to be about .125" narrower than the same cut out on a birch carbine stock and a synthetic (barrel band) carbine stock, and about that much narrower than the width of the safety cylinder itself.
What happened with these six rifles is that removing the barreled action from the stock by centering the safety and pulling up on the barrel in front of the fore-end pinches the safety cylinder in the stock cut out securely enough that the safety is rotated in a direction counter to the direction the barreled action rotates in.
If anyone has purchased one of these models and not yet removed the barreled action, the first time you do so to use the following procedure. First, uncock the hammer by dry firing. The safety lever might get rotated whether the hammer is cocked or not, but if it does with the hammer cocked and you have to disassemble the trigger group to fix it, at least you won't have to drive out the hammer pin against the force of the hammer spring. The carefully center the safety with your fingers and try to remove the barreled action in as vertical direction as possible by pushing up on the trigger guard as you pull up on the receiver with your fingers. As soon as you get the barreled action out, carefully check the safety lever to see if it has lost its positive detents. If it has, it probably got rotated in a counter-clockwise direction looking at the trigger assembly from the right side. Immediately try to rotate the safety cylinder back in the opposite counter-clockwise direction. If it has not rotated too far, it may turn back freely. If it has rotated all the way over so that the detent ball is now pressing on the flat step cut out for the sear extension, you will probably have to disassemble the trigger group to fix it.
If you successfully get the barreled action out, use a caliper (if you have one) to measure the width of the safety cylinder and the width of the cut out that it has to pass through in the stock. The cut out needs to have a width of at least .900" for the safety to clear. If it is less, relieve the cut out with files and sandpaper before you reassemble the rifle.
In all six of these rifles, removing the barreled action from the stock as directed in the owner's manual rendered the trigger assembly group non-functional. In my case it did so twice. The first time I removed the barreled action from the stock, the safety no longer had any positive detents, and the cocked hammer could not be released by the trigger. Since I had not encountered this issue before, it took me some time and research to figure it out. The problem was that the safety lever, when centered, had become rotated to a position in which it was inoperative, and would not allow the sear extension clearance for the sear to release the hammer. Unfortunately, when this occurs, the safety lever often cannot be simply rotated back into the correct orientation without using some narrow, thin tool to press in on the little detent ball that holds the safety lever in the "on" and "off" positions. And to do that complete or near complete disassembly of the trigger group is required.
So the first time this happened I chaulked it up to a fluke, fixed the trigger assembly, and returned the barreled action to the stock. As I did so I noticed that the perfectly centered safety lever was actually pushing the sides of the cut out in the synthetic stock that it had to pass through apart to get through. Armed with this knowledge, I removed the barreled action again the relieve the sides of the cut out with a file. I did so as carefully as possible but nonetheless the safety lever got rotated again requiring another disassembly and reassembly. I measured the width of the cut out with a caliper and found it to be about .125" narrower than the same cut out on a birch carbine stock and a synthetic (barrel band) carbine stock, and about that much narrower than the width of the safety cylinder itself.
What happened with these six rifles is that removing the barreled action from the stock by centering the safety and pulling up on the barrel in front of the fore-end pinches the safety cylinder in the stock cut out securely enough that the safety is rotated in a direction counter to the direction the barreled action rotates in.
If anyone has purchased one of these models and not yet removed the barreled action, the first time you do so to use the following procedure. First, uncock the hammer by dry firing. The safety lever might get rotated whether the hammer is cocked or not, but if it does with the hammer cocked and you have to disassemble the trigger group to fix it, at least you won't have to drive out the hammer pin against the force of the hammer spring. The carefully center the safety with your fingers and try to remove the barreled action in as vertical direction as possible by pushing up on the trigger guard as you pull up on the receiver with your fingers. As soon as you get the barreled action out, carefully check the safety lever to see if it has lost its positive detents. If it has, it probably got rotated in a counter-clockwise direction looking at the trigger assembly from the right side. Immediately try to rotate the safety cylinder back in the opposite counter-clockwise direction. If it has not rotated too far, it may turn back freely. If it has rotated all the way over so that the detent ball is now pressing on the flat step cut out for the sear extension, you will probably have to disassemble the trigger group to fix it.
If you successfully get the barreled action out, use a caliper (if you have one) to measure the width of the safety cylinder and the width of the cut out that it has to pass through in the stock. The cut out needs to have a width of at least .900" for the safety to clear. If it is less, relieve the cut out with files and sandpaper before you reassemble the rifle.