Need to date my 10-22 to see if it has walnut stock and DOB.

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EVILDOCTOR235

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I tried to use the the Ruger website to date it, but it said sorry, no habla. I bought this in the late 1970's in Commiefornia at Wards. I want to find out if it has a walnut stock or not. The serial number is 118-541xx. Date of birth would also be nice. I paid $64.00 plus tax for it. I got $15.00 off the original price because the sales lady could not find the magazine for it. I have 3 other stocks also from other 10-22's I use to own. Anyway to just look at a stock to tell what type of wood it is ? I am thinking of making a jig to hold a 10-22 stock to make my own finger groove stock using a router. I have always thought the common 10-22 stock was kinda chunky in the fore end.

EvilDr235
 

hittman

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The $10 verification letter from Ruger is well worth the money.

Ruger web site shows 1979 for that serial number.

See the top thread in the Collecting Section here.
 
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yes you would have to have th e letter to see what it shipped as,,BUT you say you bought it NEW / back then,,,,,,,take the action out of the wood and look on the inside of the stock if it is lighter, if the SAME inside and out most likely walnut if thats what the box said...any wood guy could tell at a glace the difference between "walnut" and American hardwood , birch (coated with a stain), my wood guy used to call it "peruvian piss pine"....... 8) :roll: :wink:
 
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Agree with last post most anyone who has much interest in guns with wooden stocks can tell you within seconds if its walnut. Back in the day I was selling 10-22s about every day. The first box I opened when they switched from walnut to birch I knew before I got it out of the box.
 

EVILDOCTOR235

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After doing some research on the subject I dug out some of my books and found in the 1994 book by Wm. E. Workman on 10-22's. He says on page 126 that in 1981 is when Ruger started using birth stocks on the 10-22 carbine. I then dug out a 1979 Ruger ( road map catalog ) and it lists the 10-22 as having a solid American walnut stock. My 1980 Ruger ( road map catalog ) lists the stock as American hardwood. I took the stock off my 1979 dated 10-22 and the stock is the same color thru out. When I originally bought the rifle in 1979, I did not get a box, manual or a magazine with it. Wards was was reducing prices on all their firearms just to get rid of them. I went to another Wards in a nearby town and bought a 6-1/2 inch New Model Stainless Steel Blackhawk in 357 mag for $237.00 plus tax. They also had a Smith & Wesson model 41 target pistol for the same price, but I liked the look of the Ruger better. Even tho the model 41 is worth much more now, I still would take the Ruger.

EvilDr235
 
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Considering the extremely plain grain of the walnut used on the later 10-22, there's not that much diff (in appearance anyway) between birch and walnut. I do feel that even the low grade walnut is stronger and more stable than the "stained white wood" birch.
FWIW, I've removed all of the walnut stocks from the older 10-22's that I actually use and replaced them with plastic. Never a worry about environmental challenges-they don't swell, split, or hold moisture that will rust the barrel.
 

EVILDOCTOR235

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I only have two 10-22's anymore. The 1979 one I talked about above and one I believe that was a 40th anniversary model. It now has a Butler Creek folding stock and 25 round magazines. It is my grand daughters favorite gun to shoot. Due to the latest ammo shortages, I shoot mostly muzzle loaders. One thing I have been doing lately is stock piling spare parts for all my firearms.

EvilDr235
 
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"One thing I have been doing lately is stock piling spare parts for all my firearms."
For the 10-22, your basic needs are a spare barrel or 2(mostly in case you get a squib stuck in the bore), a spare FCG(that's where all the little bits and pieces are), some extra polymer buffer pins, and spare bolt with extra op springs(one bolt for 2-3 rifles and a spare oprod/spring for each). This parts list will keep 2 or 3 10-22's running for a L O N G time.
 

jimd441

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A L-O-N-G time indeed. My 2009 1022 DSP merely has several thousand rounds through it with only routine cleaning being performed. I have spoken with someone who has "over 10,000" and someone else who estimates "about 20,000" rounds through their 1022s with nothing more than cleaning being performed.

Jim
 

EVILDOCTOR235

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I guess I may worry about things too much, but I remember years ago when you get get a lot of replacement parts from Ruger and now they sell very little to the general public and the prices are four times what I paid a few years ago. Years ago I bought many parts for my Ruger 22 autos including a bunch of new take off barrels for them from Volquartsen and Clarks Guns. I do admit in 40 years of shooting my Ruger 22 autos I only had one part that failed. It was a ejector. I recently got enough parts for my single actions and I am working on parts for the 10-22's. I have done a lot of searching for some of the parts. eBay seems to be the most expensive place to get parts. Brownell's still have some parts and Midway has a few. Years ago I bought the tool for setting the extractor rivets on Ruger 22 auto pistols and two weeks ago I bought the receiver wrench needed for changing barrels on same. What happens when you can't get parts anymore or you are not allowed to work on your own guns. It could happen. I also look at these parts as a investment, they are never gonna get any cheaper. That ejector that failed a few years ago was on a Mark 2 model. I replaced the ejector with a aftermarket one and just in case I have a complete backup bolt I keep in my range bag.

EvilDr235
 

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