Things That Don’t Suck: Faxon’s Ruger 10/22 Bolt Upgrade

 

There are many parts that make up a 10/22 rifle, and each one of them plays an important role. However, the most critical component of the Ruger is the bolt. The trigger may be what initiates every shot, but it’s the bolt that’s responsible for shot-to-shot operation.

A high-quality bolt affects more than just reliability. The bolt face, its consistency, and how the firing pin strikes the bullet significantly contribute to the rifle’s accuracy.

Faxon Stainless Steel Bolt Assembly for 10/22

Whether you’re building up a new gun or keeping an old favorite running, the Faxon 10/22 Bolt Assembly is compatible with the OEM receiver, trigger group, charging handle, and bolt stop pin. The Faxon 10/22 bolt is fully assembled and ready to drop into your Ruger 10/22.

Specs

• Material: 17-4 PH Stainless steel, H900
• Hardness: HRC 40 – 47
• Round Firing Pin
• Sharp Extractor

Why Upgrade a 10/22 Bolt?

Upgrading the bolt improves reliability and accuracy on any 10/22 rifle. A high-quality bolt aftermarket bold like Faxon’s is properly radiused and polished to enhance the reliability of the cyclic action.

Additionally, Faxon’s 10/22 bolt has the proper head spacing in order to improve the reliability of the bullets feeding from the magazine into the chamber. Lastly, proper firing pin protrusion ensures optimal striking of the rimfire case.

All these small improvements add up to better overall reliability, consistent performance, and improved accuracy.

Does The Ruger 10/22 Have a Bolt Hold Open?

Out of the box in the stock configuration, the Ruger 10/22 doesn’t have a last-round bolt hold open feature. To add the bolt hold open feature, you need a third-party upgrade such as the CST Auto Bolt Stop.

What is a 10/22 Bolt Buffer?

A bolt buffer replaces/upgrades the bolt stop pin in your 10/22 receiver. The OEM bolt stop pin is made from steel, whereas the bolt buffer is made from a polymer material.

Over time the steel bolt stop pin can cause micro-cracks in the receiver due to repeated impacts of the bolt during shooting. The bolt buffer mitigates that and several other issues by being manufactured out of a polymer material.

There are three main benefits of replacing the bolt stop pin with a bolt buffer.

1. It reduces the sound when the bolt slams rearward during the cycling action during shooting. This is also a benefit when shooting suppressed as it greatly reduces the noise signature even more.
2. The 10/22 blowback action is less shaky because of the dampening of the recoil and bolt cycling vibrations.
3. It can prevent cracks in the 10/22 receiver resulting from prolonged usage, high round count shooting, or the added stress of high-velocity ammo.

The Ruger 10/22 bolt by Faxon includes a bolt buffer to replace the OEM bolt stop pin. If you’re interested in learning more, check out more on the Ruger 10/22 Bolt here.

 

This article originally appeared at Firearms Press and is reprinted here with permission.