10/22 Barrel Doesn't Appear Squared to Receiver

[Isher2000]

I have a pre-redesign basic 10/22 carbine that I bought to have rebuilt as a bull barrel gun in a custom stock.

The gunsmith managed to botch the bull barrel install when he added a Power Custom scope base that not only screwed into the receiver but required him to drill and tap 2 shallow holes in the barrel to allow screwing the scope base to the barrel too, I suppose Power Custom thought this would better support the barrel without going to the extra cost of threading it and screwing it into the receiver.

Long story short the gun never was very reliable and I soon discovered that the "gunsmith" missed top dead center slightly when he drilled the holes in the barrel. As a result the barrel was slightly turned and the extractor no longer aligned correctly with the extractor cut in the barrel. The extractor tended to bang into the barrel and proper extraction became a sometime thing.

I was disgusted and put all original parts back in the gun with the exception of a Jard trigger group and rubber recoil buffer.

The original slim line barrel went back into the receiver smoothly and the V block screwed down into place cleanly.

The original stock and original barrel had never been used at this point.

I had the front sight replaced with an M-16 style screw adjustable post between military style ears. I folded down the barrel mounted rear sight and screwed a windage adjustable aperture rear sight in the 2 rear receiver scope base screw holes. This is a commercial setup from Tech Sights (http://www.Tech-Sights.com). My iidea being to set up some cheap off-hand practice with a .22 that used AR style sights. Also for use in breaking in shooters who had never used an aperture style sight.

A (new) gunsmith zeroed the sights with a laser rig and I was pleasantly surprised when the rifle operated smoothly and shot to point of aim at 25 yds.

Then I made the mistake of looking closer at the new sights. The aperture base is fixed in one place by the use of the 2 rear scope screw holes to mount it. The rear windage adjustable sight was cranked almost full right to get the gun on target. The front sight was drifted into the existing dovetail that held the original front sight. Being M-16 style the post can only be screwed up or down for elevation. The front sight base appears well centered in the front dovetail.

When I removed the stock the V block holding the barrel in the receiver appeared evenly screwed down (I used a FAT wrench to insure that both screws in the V block were torqued to the same tightness). When I looked closely however it appears to me that the barrel may be slightly cocked to one side in relation to the front of the receiver.

Has anyone else has a problem like this?

Any idea how I can get my barrel trued with the receiver? (Again this is the old style slip fit barrel held in place by the stock V block.)

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Rick

 

[DGW1949]

If the face of your receiver is not "90-degrees plumb" to the bore which the barrel stub fits into, and/or if the centerline of the hole for the barrel stub is not parallel with the receiver's center line, nothing you can do to the barrel is going to fix things.
On the other hand, I've seen barrels with an off center bore, and I've seen sight mounting holes which weren't D&T'd "on center"...so then there's that.

Question is, which problem(s) applies to your gun?...A good gun smith or machinist could tell you, or even Ruger...but certainly no one on the internet. All we can do is guess, and your guess is just as good.

DGW

 

[Isher2000]

I'm afraid you're probably on the money there, with my track record with gunsmiths touching this particular carbine I was hoping for some idea of what could be done before taking the plunge again.

At least you've given me some ideas of the possible problems involved.

Thanks for your input.

Rick

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

A friend had a Ranch Rifle that the barrel was installed so crooked at the factory that with all the widage taken up in his quality scope it was still off by 3' at 100 yd. the barrel being installed crooked was easily seen by eye once it was shown to him by me. I suggested he send it to Ruger for repair. He did and Ruger replaced it with a new rifle. I would put it back to all factory parts and send it back.

 

[Precision32]

I find that when tightening the screws to secure the barrel that you need to get the screws to just bottom out. Then try twisting the barrel clock wise then counter clock wise. It will turn. Center it up between the maximum left or right. Snug the screws a little more. Again twist the barrel CW then CCW, center up and tighten down the screws a little bit more. You will finally get the screws tight and the barrel properly "clocked" so as to center the front sight post with the rear sight.

 

[Isher2000]

That sounds like a worthwhile way to approach it. Thanks much!