New (< 500 rds) Ruger 10/22 jamming problems

[TGO David]

Last weekend I picked up a stainless Ruger 10/22 carbine to use for plinking and teaching our kids the fundamentals of firearms safety and use. I've shot several 10/22 rifles in the past and always found them to be very reliable.

Unfortunately the rifle that I purchased is jamming very often. It has less than 500 rounds put through it to date, all of which has been Federal Americal Eagle 38gr JHP bulk box ammo bought at Wal-Mart.

The problem seems to be failure to fully eject. Spent casings are stove-piping and appear to be severely bent by the extractor, and the subsequent round is being jammed in beneath and behind.

I've noticed that some of the unfired rounds have bullets that are pressed loosely into the casing. Loose enough that you can twist the bullets around inside the casing, but not so loose that you can pull it out of the casing by hand.

That said, I'm fully open to the idea that the ammo we're using is just crap and that it's causing the problem. I just haven't had a chance to buy some traditional ball ammo and try that in the rifle. I'm also open to the idea that the rifle is still within the "break in" period and this problem may go away after a couple hundred more rounds.

Thoughts?

[Guest drewi]

I would buy another kind of ammo. That may just be a bad lot or something. If new ammo doesn't fix it I would send it back to the factory. I'm assuming the gun is clean and you are using factory magazines.

[TGO David]

Yes, the gun is reasonably clean, oiled and using a new factory mag. I'll try new ammo and if that doesn't do it, off to Ruger it will go.

[shaftbass]

I've had bad luck with Winchester Super-X HPs in my old bolt action Mossberg .22. The gun is over 60 years old and has never had a problem cycling anything until I put that ammo through it. As an opposite of your problem, the Federals cycle great in that gun. The Federals also cycle great in my Marlin model 60.

How many magazines do you have? I think Wal Mart sells them.. maybe you could get another new magazine and see if the mag is the problem. If it isn't you can always take it back to wherever you buy it.

[TGO David]

A spare magazine wouldn't hurt anyway. May pick one up and try that along with different ammo.

[shaftbass]

Yea, but try the same ammo in the new magazine so you see whether it's the magazine or the ammo. If it does that in both mags with both types of ammo then the problem is the gun. You probably knew all that already though since the process is about the same as when you are troubleshooting a computer

[Cannon Fodder]

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Edited June 11, 2021 by Cannon Fodder

[ZZRguy]

I would try different ammo if that does not work, you might try asking the same question at www.rimfirecentral.com there is a great 10/22 section but beware you will be tempted to hot rod your 10/22 after going there .

[TGO David]

By way of an update... Hornet Handler and I visited the range yesterday an we tried out some Federal round nose ammo. Same problem occurred. It's definitely not the ammo, but rather the rifle.

I will be calling Ruger today to speak to customer service and see about sending the rifle in for some service work.

[shaftbass]

Did you try a new magazine yet?

[molonlabetn]

Problem sounds exactly like what my Beretta CX-4 used to do when the extractor claw would bind... You may find that there is a bur/roughness under the extractor claw, or it does not move freely. If you look at some of your spend cases, this will be evidenced by abnormal deformation on the forward face of the case-rim, 90* from the firing-pin indentation.

If the extractor is not pivoting the case out and clear of the port, when ejecting, it will 'stove-pipe' sideways, or jam against the ceiling of the breech, holding the next round halfway chambered.

Finger-nail files work great to smooth up the extractor claw, plus a good dis-assembly of the bolt... which may uncover some small metal shavings in the slot which the extractor pivots in.

Of course, it could also very likely be a bad magazine... As already noted.

[TGO David]

Will disassemble and check the extractor and bolt. Thanks for the info!

[Guest RN MEDIC]

Tungsten, yours is the first one I've ever heard of giving trouble. I have two of them and they both just 'humm like a sewing machine." Yes, since various types of ammo give you the same trouble, and if a different magazine doesn't cure it as one fellow suggested, then the next step is to get it back to Ruger. They usually always do people right on stuff like that. I've NEVER EVER had anything from them that was a problem.

RN

[Guest GlocKingTN]

Hard to believe its doing those things and Brand New. Usually it waits a while to mess up. Usually a day or 2 after the warranty runs out. Thats how things go with me anyway. All these suggestions sound like they could be your problem.

[James Yeager]

FYI - The most common reason a gun is sent back to the factory is either too much lube or too little lube.

[Guest triggertime]

Be aware that bulk .22LR ammunition from Federal and Remington frequently causes jams in semi-automatics because of the poor fit of the bullet in the cartridge case. As you've already noticed, you can twist these bullets freely...You can also rock them back and forth, which causes feeding issues.

Also be aware that bulk .22LR ammunition has too many variances in the powder charge, which results in cycling problems and general failures to extract.

Try CCI MiniMags. More expensive, but better quality ammo.

[Guest allen820]

I think your rifle is screwed up. Sounds like the action is too stiff to be kicked fully opened to eject properly. You could get by with using hotter, more expensive ammo, and it might loosen up with time. But, I wouldn't screw with it. Ruger will take care of you. PIA to have to ship it back and be without it, but that's exactly what I would do. (BTW, the ammo is fine. Lead is often "loose" in rimfire. The action on the gun is just too stiff -- I think.)

Allen

[Guest GlocKingTN]

Did you get the mis-firing straightened out Tungsten?

[Guest macho999]

My 10/22 jams on the federal bulk pack. It's the longer barreled model but not a "Target" model. The bulk pack from remington or winchester with the drawing of the wildcat on it that cabela's sells works good in my 10/22.

[Guest utarch00]

My 10/22 absolutely will not feed any Federal ammo. It will feed Remmington and Winchester Dynapoint. I have hopped up most everything but the trigger. The biggest problem with the 10/22 is that it does not have feedramps and all of the internal parts are rough. The 10/22 uses the magazines as the feed ramps and with the rim of the bullet, it catches and does not feed properly.

I would suggest going over to rimfirecentral and doing alot of reading. You may also want to polish all of the parts and reciever.

[Guest Phantom6]

I've never had a jam in my 10/22. If the ammo change didn't do it I'd have to agree with molonlabetn. Sounds like an extractor problem to me too. After checking the assembly if you can't get it resolved, I'd send it back. I've never had any warranty issues with them but I'm sure that Ruger will make it right.

[Guest Phantom6]

BTW ReefBlueCoupe, is that "old Mossburg" you shoot one of the old army trainers (mfg. 1936-1946 I think) with the 3-4 different front sights that flip up into place?

[shaftbass]

BTW ReefBlueCoupe, is that "old Mossburg" you shoot one of the old army trainers (mfg. 1936-1946 I think) with the 3-4 different front sights that flip up into place?

Negative.. just a simple bolt action with adjustable iron sights and an old 4x scope that is screwed into the receiver.

[TGO David]

Rifle will be going back to Ruger this week.

• New Mag = still jamming
  
• Different ammo = still jamming
  
• Cleaned and relubed = still jamming
  

[TGO David]

Here's what it is doing...

I will be sending these pictures to Ruger along with a few smashed empty casings along with the rifle. Maybe they will be able to quickly diagnose and correct the problem. It's a shame, really. I'd always heard that 10/22 rifles functioned as smoothly as sewing machines. Makes me wonder what sort of quality control they really do with these before they let them leave the factory. I know there's not any other Ruger firearm that I'd even want to own.