Free floating the barrel

[Ranger188]

I've had a Clark's custom 10/22 for a long time and just noticed the barrel is not
free floating. Does that make a difference with a 22LR?
Is their not enough barrel harmonics to effect accuracy?

 

[garandman]

Yes, it makes a difference. Any time the stock / handguard touches the barrel it can change harmonics.

There's alor of good options for Ruger 10 /22 free float stock / chassis.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

I've had a Clark's custom 10/22 for a long time and just noticed the barrel is not
free floating. Does that make a difference with a 22LR?
Is their not enough barrel harmonics to effect accuracy?

I have to ask, up till you noticed the barrel was not free floated, how did it shoot? I mean if it shot fine and to what you expected why assume it is a problem or short coming, if there really isn't any

Lee

 

[tmwinds]

I don't know if I just lucked out or if this would carry over to other Ruger 10-22's. But the following is my experience.

I bought a $179 10-22 that was on sale. It would shoot about 1 1/2 inches at 50 yards. I floated the barrel and it improved slightly. I then started applying pressure at the tip of the fore end with plastic shims and the groups improved dramatically. It now shoots 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups at 50 yards. I'm not saying this works every time, maybe I just got lucky.

 

[linekin]

I had a Volquartzen many years ago that had a rubbery soft substance under the 1st inch of the barrel & again out on the fore end that I removed. It shot worse w/o it. It kinda resembled an adhesive/ sealant I use at work, 3m 4200.
I believe it probably helped with resonance thru the stock more than anything?? Which I suppose helped with accuracy.

Keith

 

[Bill K]

I have the same question, how did it shoot and group all this time, prior to you noticing it is not free floated on the barrel ?
Some need free floated, some need pressure points of full contact, you never know until you play with and find out.

 

[Ranger188]

Actually, it's shoots really well. Just wondered if it would shoot better.
It's in a laminated stock and would hate to take some off and have it shoot worse.
I'll call Clark's Custom tomorrow before I do anything and see what they say.
Just wanted to hear from some and get their point of view.

 

[Outrider27]

10/22s do not follow the "rules" where free floating the barrel is concerned. A large percentage of them (most, with the ones I have knowledge of; YMMV) require some pressure on the barrel, sometimes just beyond the receiver and sometimes out toward the muzzle, sometimes in between those extremes. And a few do shoot better free floated. Best advice, if it ain't broke don't fix it, and if you do float it, don't be surprised if it shoots worse and you have to add pressure back in. The experiences of tmwinds and linekin posted above are typical.

 

[Paddyd]

I have a 10/22 that shot OK. Then I bought a Volquartzen 20" bull barrel with a trigger kit and put it all in a nice laminated thumb hole stock. It shot a little better, but still not up to what I expected. Then I started experimenting with shims, not under the barrel, but along the sides of the receiver. What I found with 10/22's is their main engineering fault lies in the lack of a rear tang and screw. The action if not bedded all the way back tends to pivot slightly around the single front action screw. If you want a 10/22 to really shoot up to it's potential bed it from the first 1 1/2 " in front of the recoil lug under the barrel, all the way to and around the rear of the receiver. This rifle now will put 10 rounds of cheap Norma TAC-22 into a group less than 1/2" @ 50 yds. It averages 5 shots in 7/16" at 50 yds.

 

[USMCDOC]

If you bed that receiver, you will find that it will shoot better, then free float that barrel..

 

[Bill K]

Sounds like a hard quarantee to say. Every rifle can be different in bedding and/or free floating of a barrel.

 

[Paddyd]

10/22s do not follow the "rules" where free floating the barrel is concerned. A large percentage of them (most, with the ones I have knowledge of; YMMV) require some pressure on the barrel, sometimes just beyond the receiver and sometimes out toward the muzzle, sometimes in between those extremes. And a few do shoot better free floated. Best advice, if it ain't broke don't fix it, and if you do float it, don't be surprised if it shoots worse and you have to add pressure back in. The experiences of tmwinds and linekin posted above are typical.

I've been playing with these 10/22's for about 20 years now and I think the reason why the heavy barreled ones need that soft pad under the fore end is due to the fact that the barrel simply slides in and is clamped into the receiver. For great target use not the best design as depending on the tightness of the fit will affect where the crown is at from shot to shot. IF and I say IF you have a sloppy fit in that area, some epoxy bedding material inside the bore of the receiver with release agent on the barrel tang will tighten that up. Still those bull barrels are heavy, don't have much inside the receiver and tend to droop. This is exagerated by the fact that there is no rear action screw. I glass bed the entire receiver to include the rear and just in front of the receiver to support the barrel and relieve the stress on the receiver. Without this bedding support in the rear of the barrel you'll no doubt not have a great shooter without that pad at the other end.

 

[LitLBoy]

Bed the receiver and the first 2" of barrel, IF you have a ruger receiver ( one receiver bolt only) After market receiver with two receiver bolts you can completely float the barrel.
One bolt receivers will rock up and down in the stock if you don't bed a little of the barrel.
LitLBoy