Ideas on 10/22 barrel replacement

[Goofycat]

I am now using a Ruger-based Clark Special with 17" solid .920 SS barrel, titanium internals and Boyd's Evolution stock (just purchased the stock). The rifle weighs around 8 1/2 lbs with scope attached, and I was thinking about changing out the heavy SS barrel for perhaps a carbon fiber barrel.

I know nothing about carbon fiber barrels, other than I know they are much lighter than stainless steel. The only things I now like about my barrel is that it is steady to shoot from a rest in the wind, and it provides for good MOA accuracy.
Should I change it out for a carbon fiber barrel, or do the carbon barrels not provide good accuracy and/or stability if shooting in the wind?

It's not a particularly big deal if I just stick to what I have, but it might be easier to lug around a lighter rifle when using my portable rest when shooting ground squirrels. The fields I shoot in are 160 acres on the average, and my age is catching up with me. I know carbon fiber barrels are expensive, but I am willing to spend the money IF there would be particular advantages over the heavy SS barrel I now lug around.

 

[moorepower]

I would go with a std contour Green Mountain long before I would put on a carbon fibe barrel. It takes a high$$ carbon fiber barrel to beat a GM in accuracy. Get a 16.5" to save a little more weight. Do a little reading on Rimfire Central about it.

 

[mitch_04]

Kidd lightweight barrels would be a great buy. They are aluminum sleeves, but retain steel around the chamber area so your bolt face doesn't peen the chamber end. Kidd has an amazing reputation for great products, their 2 stage trigger has been proven over and over to be the best trigger available for target shooting.

 

[markr]

Myself....I would rather have a very high quality light weight barrel with a precision chamber than either a carbon fiber laminated barrel or an aluminum/steel insert barrel. I think your chances of having a light rifle that will really shoot are far better and will probably save some money to boot!
Mark

 

[mitch_04]

Search rimfire central on Kidd's lightweight barrel. I spend a lot of time there, and you will not find a barrel more recommended than Kidds. Also, a sporter taper barrel is not a lightweight, it's the standard. Lightweight would be anything lighter than sporter, as a heavy barrel would be anything larger.

 

[Balkandom]

Is Lilya still making barrels? I have one on my 10/22 and it's amazing with Wolf ME ammo.

 

[Steve Wilson]

Lilja is still making barrels but most will tell you that the quality isn't there since they started making barrels for the government. Too much of their production and manpower is focused on getting the government contract work out and not enough on the custom barrels anymore.

 

[Goofycat]

If I decide on changing the barrel, can I do this at home? It seems to me that I remember that there is a device that makes changing barrels easy, but I can't remember who makes it and how much it costs.

 

[Steve Wilson]

Barry,

You have me confused now. Are you talking about a straight replacement for a 10/22 barrel? If so, then there is no tool required to switch out a standard 10/22 barrel, simply take off the barrel locking wedge and put on another one. Or are you talking about swapping out a threaded barrel? In that case you would need a barrel vise and a means to twist the action off.

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[cmillard]

green mountain makes a good barrel for the 10/22. just put 2, .920 diameter barrels on 2 of my buddy's ruger 10/22s. also added hogue overmolded stocks. i tell you what, i have never had federal bulk ammo from walmart shoot that good before out of any .22lr. 10 shots at 25 yards could easily be covered up by a dime.

 

[shooter65]

Kidd.

 

[Goofycat]

Steve, about two years ago, I had to remove the barrel to take it to a gunsmith to have about 4 inches removed and have it recrowned. As I recall, removing the barrel was not easy because the barrel was so tight. It was the first and only time I have ever removed a 10/22 barrel.

I recently ran across this little gizmo while surfing online and assumed (probably wrongly) that a tool like this was either required to remove the barrel or at least to make it easier to remove or replace the barrel. http://barrelpusher.com/
BTW, the barrel I was speaking of is a Lothar Walther SS .920" on my Clark Special.

I have no idea if purchasing the barrel pusher would be money well spent or not, but I do remember that I had trouble either removing or replacing the barrel and thought this tool might be something worth having for at least any future barrel removals.

 

[Steve Wilson]

Well isn't that the slickest looking little deal? The Brownell's link even has a short vid showing how it works. Shooter's Discount price is $42 compared to $49 at Brownell's.

 

[Goofycat]

So, Steve, do you think the tool is something to seriously think about for anyone who anticipates a barrel change? BTW, I smeared an automotive product called "Never-Seez," ---an anti-seizing compound I use for my spark plugs---on the receiver end of the barrel before reinstalling it. I don't know if I really needed it or not, but...well....I thought I'd try it. I won't know how well it worked until I remove the barrel....whenever that is.

 

[Beau]

Use a heat gun to expand the receiver. The barrel will just slide in/out!

 

[Steve Wilson]

Barry,

I think I would try the heat gun first, as I don't recall any problem pulling the barrel off of my 10/22.....even without heat. We always use Anti-Seize on threaded barrels. And like you said, just be careful to only put it on the action threads so that it can't get between the barrel and face of the action.

 

[Dan Hall]

Buy the KIDD barrel. I have one of his standard heavy barrel models on my 10/22 and it's obvious that he knows what he's doing. The chambers are cut in a way that the bullet is engraved into the rifling as it enters the chamber. That's one of the reasons they are so accurate. I'm not sure about the rest of the manufactures. My gun will shoot, out of 5 5 shot groups on one target, 3 1/4" groups with Wolf Match Extra ammo. At least 3 out of 5 of the groups will be 1/4" at 50 yards. That's pretty good for a 10/22. I'm sure his carbon fiber barrels' chambers are cut the same way. By the way....to instal barrels on 10/22s....Put the barrel in the freezer, it will shrink the metal and the barrel will go right in. To remove the barrel heat the receiver, cool the barrel it should come apart easier.

Good luck

By the way. also buy the KIDD 10/22 bolt and a set of his receiver pins.. The bolt is very important because of the rim thickness on rimfire ammo.

 

[Goofycat]

Thanks, guys, for the invaluable information. I will take your sound advice. 8)

 

[cdparker]

Hey--Do any of you know what the torque specs are on the barrel wedge when you put the new barrel on? I've asked the techs at Brownells and no one there had an answer. I do know that it is easy to get it too tight.
Craig

 

[DOGCAPPER]

Buying a carbon fiber barrel depends on how many rounds you shoot...Experience with other peoples barrels seem to be they cannot be beat for accuracy (Volquartson) for about 3000 rounds of low velocity target rounds...After that they are too light for a boat anchor..they loose tension on the liner..If you replace a non threaded barrel place a shim between the barrel and the lip on the receiver ahead of the retaining lug,,it prevents some of the skew between the barrel and receiver that occurs when all the pull is exerted on the bottom half of the barrel for retaining..Spend the money you save over carbon fiber on a fancy fluting job.....LT