Ron V. wrote:The most common route to perform a conversion for the project you are intending to do is to first start with a Ruger 10/22M (.22 mag) and not a regular 10/22 (.22 lr). The 10/22M utilizes a steel receiver (with integral scope base) instead of aluminum alloy as what used for the 10/22. With a 10/22M, the conversion is essentially a drop-in replacement conversion (simple barrel swap and stock change if a bull barrel is used).
There are a few problems with this conversion, however, the most significant of which is that Ruger discontinued the 10/22M about 3 years ago. They are still available if you keep an eye out at gun/pawn shops and gun shows. Unfortunately, they, even the used ones, will command a much higher price than the original ~$350 they use to go for when they are available. Used ones from someone who knows the history of the 10/22M will go for around $500+, a little less from someone who doesn't (I recently got a slightly used one (3rd one for me), appears to be less than a mag or two through it, for $450 with some minor mods, 30mm rings (slightly dinged up), and 2 mags. You'll be hard pressed to find a NIB one for under $550. The reason for the jump in price is probably due to folks like me who mod them.
Also, the original 10/22M always had an issue with reliability with regular failures to eject issues. This carries over to the .17HMR conversion. It can be fixed for the most part with the replacement of the stock extractor with a sharper pointed one like the Volquartsen Exact Edge (which is what I use). At around the 290-34000 serial number range, Ruger made an attempt to correct this problem by adding a secondary extractor on the inside of the bolt. This, however, didn't help much. What's more, the notch created for the second extractor supposedly weakens the bolt to the point that some folks have had the bolt break in the area after the .17HMR conversion (but some folks have also not seen any problems). The problem could have been resolved by the inclusion of a sharper extractor but Ruger didn't go in this direction and (IMO) they probably didn't want to use another company's product (Volquartsen) in their guns. Ruger was at one time about to release the 10/17 (from catching wind of the rise in the the number of folks who have been sonverting them), essentially the 10/22M chambered for .17HMR, and even had the manuals revised to included that model as well as advertising it on their website but that died on the vine and the 10/22M discontinued at the same time.
Parts breakage is also major issue as Ruger will not service the 10/22M. They also will not return any 10/22Ms sent to them. In its place, they will offer the owner a replace of either a 77/17 or 96/17 (and possibly other current rimfire offerings).
Another popular mod to perform to increase reliability further is to round the bottom rear of the bolt.
Of all of the 10/22s I own and have gaged, none were less than 6 lbs on the very creepy trigger. The trigger also stacks during the creep as the notch for the sear on the hammer is undercut and pulling the sear out of engagement cause the hammer to cock further to the rear. The simplest mod to fix this is to square the sear notch and lower it with a Dremel(-type) tool or file. Lowering the profile cuts out the creep, squaring it eliminates the stacking, doing both will reduce the pull weight. If you don't think you can or want to do the operation yourself, there are a number of aftermarket hammers (and sears) available for drop-in as well as folks doing the service for a fee. Also, a recoil pin buffer.
Some of the other common and simple mods to do for all 10/22s is replacing or modding the bolt stop to make it quick release and replacing the stock flush mag release with an easier to operated extended one. Very easy operations.
There are a number of other mods and replacement drop-in parts that folks do to the 10/22s to make them better performers but these can get pretty involved and/or costly.
There are a few 10/22M .17HMR barrel manufacturers. I've had very good results with Butler Creek's barrel (the older blue unfluted) and bought two additional ones on sale at CDNN a few months ago (plus an additional one I bought from Natchez where I got my first one in a the BC barrel/stock combo package). Back then, the barrels were under $125, the CDNN sale was for $90. Now they are going for over $200. I also bought a .17HMR barrel from Whistle Pig for my second 10/22M-.17HMR build. It, however, was taking a long time to receive as WP does them in batches and so I got one more barrel from Lilja in the mean time. I figured it would be a good time to try out their legendary barrels. Ruger 77/.17 barrels will also drop in but need a spacer as the barrel shank that goes into the receiver is slightly longer than the 10/22's.
As an option, there is a .22 lr 10/22 to .17HMR conversion procedure available at rimfirecentral.com by Chief Dave but it requires significant modification (cutting, milling, drilling, etc.) to the receiver. Also, reports of aluminum alloy receiver failures with the higher pressure .17HMR.
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php
Another option is to go with Volquartsen's fully built "10/17". These are a bit pricey, however.
https://www.volquartsen.com/vc//pages/p ... s.jsp?id=1
For a .17HMR build from a 10/22M, the basic build (barrel, extractor, extended mag release, you do all the work on the hammer and bolt release) should be around $800 not including rings and scope (estimating a 10/22M cost of $500). The hitch, though, is to find a 10/22M.
