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The Ruger 10/22 Complete Owner’s and Assembly Guide
The Ruger 10/22 Complete Owner’s and Assembly Guide – How to select, configure, operate, maintain and upgrade your own Ruger 10/22 by Walt Kuleck. WHY A Ruger 10/22 COMPLETE OWNER’S and ASSEMBLY GUIDE? This book is the latest volume in the Scott A. Duff Publications’ Guide series. The Ruger 10/22 Complete Owner’s and Assembly Guide is like the other Guides; its purpose is to give the new 10/22 owner a head start towards an in-depth understanding of the history, operation, maintenance, upgrading and use of his or her rifle, while providing the experienced owner knowledge that they don’t yet have, with the intent of giving even the expert new insights…
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Nelson’s Summer Special
Above from left: Bruce Nelson (Combat Leather), Milt Sparks (early with very thin leather, Idaho City marked), two Milt Sparks (contemporary, for 5″ and 4 1/4″, Boise marked), and lastly another Idaho City Milt Sparks, sans “sweat guard.” Of Bruce Nelson’s designs, the Summer Special may be his most original. Bruce reportedly granted Milt permission to use the Summer Special design, as we see here. I find the variations of Milt’s Summer Specials interesting. Of course, of these only the first and last were likely made by Milt because they bear the early Idaho City mark. The two with sweat guards are marked “TK,” for Milt’s successor, Tony Kanaly. …
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Rogers & Hackathorn Holsters
In contrast to Ernie Hills’ use of steel-lined leather, Bill Rogers contrived a means of permanently bonding leather to Kydex (US Pat No 4340437) to create a rigid holster that would not collapse under the weight of the competitor in a prone stage of fire. Rogers’ designs were generally more minimalist than Hills’. These Hackathorn Combat Specials are a case in point. Ken Hackathorn was an early member of Coopers’ Gunsite circle, even before Gunsite, if memory serves. This holster design is eminently practical for everyday carry in contrast to the more extreme and specialized holsters exemplified by Hills’. The Hackathorn Combat Special is concealable, conforming to one of Coopers’…
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WJK 1911
There has been a lot of positive reaction to my Facebook page’s cover picture of “WJK M1911,” one of the two pistols I built with and for “The M1911 Complete Assembly Guide.” I thought some might find this pistol’s background of some interest. The preparation for the Assembly Guide began with attending Larry Vickers’ second-ever M1911-building class. Larry had arranged for the students to begin with Caspian “gunsmith-fit” frames and slides; each frame’s serial number began with “LVP.” My frame was #11, hence “LVP 011.” Unfortunately, a family medical emergency took me away from that class when I was not yet halfway through it. Fortunately, during the photography and writing…
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The Mysterious Case of the Pachmayr & the Tussey
Some years ago, whilst researching “The M1911 Complete Owner’s Guide,” I came across a Pachmayr custom M1911 in .22 Long Rifle. It was built with a .22/.45 Conversion Unit. Nothing particularly puzzling there, except for one nagging question: what was the source of the frame? Clearly, the frame was produced prior to 1968*, at a time when, while the serial number (if present) of American-manufactured firearms was to be marked on the frame or receiver, the manufacturer was free to place the company name and address and model name anywhere it chose. In the case of automatic pistols, generally, the manufacturer and model were marked on the slide, with the…
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Ernie Hill Holsters
Back in the ’80s the trend to very specialized holsters for IPSC competition really took hold. One of the preeminent holster makers of that era was Ernie Hill. Ernie was an accomplished fast-draw competitor; his metal-lined holsters reflect that heritage. This holster is marked “Enos / Leatham,” two of the most prominent IPSC shooters of the time. The popularity of Ernie’s holsters is demonstrated by the picture (lower right) of a group of competitors at a European IPSC match in the late ’80s. This holster is surprisingly heavy because of the steel inside. It’s definitely not a daily carry rig! The magazine in the mag carrier is roughly contemporary to…
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In My Backyard: Tulle Fusil de Grenadier
One of the most interesting firearms I have had the opportunity to own is a Tulle Fusil de Grenadier. As a lifetime history buff, I knew from a young age that Forbes Road, the 18th century road from Fort Ligonier to Fort Duquesne, passed about two miles south of my home. As a boy it never entered my mind that I would one day own a French musket that may have been carried along Forbes Road. The French & Indian war lasted from 1754 through 1763. In addition to Jumonville Glen, battle sites in my area include Fort Necessity, Braddock’s crossing of the Monongahela River, Fort Duquesne, Fort Pitt, Fort Ligonier…
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Ruger 10/22 – Ch. 2: STANDARD NOMENCLATURE
Chapter 2: STANDARD NOMENCLATURE Why is Standard Nomenclature Important? During our journey through the world of the 10/22 we’ll be referring to the various components that make up the rifle. It’s important that we use the “language” of the 10/22 as defined by Ruger, so that you, and we, know what we’re talking about. Exactly. NOTE: For many years the author has been deeply involved in the world of the Garand and MI4/MIA. In this world, the language is at times counterintuitive-the “bullet guide,” for example, had nothing to do with guiding bullets and at other times, confusing was that an “op rod guide” or “op rod spring guide” you…
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Ruger 10/22 – Ch. 9: SELECTING ENHANCEMENTS
Chapter 9: SELECTING ENHANCEMENTS Overview The Ruger 10/22 is a deceptively simple, yet highly sophisticated rifle. Each of its components was designed as it was for a reason, and all the components were designed to work in harmony one with the other. However, because the rifle is a mass-produced product one of the considerations in its design was to manufacture it at a cost that permits a profit when the rifle is sold at a price attractive to consumers. Consequently, many owners believe that the rifle is subject to improvement in various ways. A robust industry supplying the desires of these owners has grown over the years. We shall describe…
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Ruger 10/22 – Ch. 10: ALMOST 10/22s
Chapter 10: ALMOST 10/22s Ruger’s “Almost 10/22s” ALMOST 10/22®s The Charger In 2008 Ruger produced a surprise, a pistol based on the 10/22. While it was discontinued in 2013 it was reintroduced early in 2014 with a revised stock, a shorter, threaded barrel, and a lower rail with bipod. In addition to the “standard” Charger, a Takedown version with a fitted hard case very “MI-6”-ish was added. PITFALL: Don’t try this at home. US law does not permit cutting a rifle down to pistol size. Thus, you cannot legally take a 10/22 rifle and tum it into a Charger. TIP: However, if you get a stripped clone receiver that has…
