KIDD bolt handle assembly

[ThePoet]

I'm installing a KIDD guide rod, handle, and spring on a 10/22. The set comes with 3 springs. I'm leaning toward putting in the high velocity spring which is 10% heavier. I loan this gun to students usually and give them Mini Mags or Blazer high velocity (1260 fps I believe). Does anyone have any experience with this set up?  Would it be better to put the standard spring in?

Thanks.

[Big John]

If the rifle functions well before the mod with the same ammo, I would put whichever spring feels closest to the stock one in.

[floydf]

Do people provide their own ammo?  Something that works well with good ammo might end up with all sorts of stove pipes when someone shows up with 20 yro chinese 22lr in stained boxes.

[2 clicks low]

I use the standard weight KIDD spring on a PC guide rod with the factory handle & bushing.

My goto ammo is Blazer. Works just fine. I would not use the heavy or light spring unless needed.

2cl

[Nero]

I'd avoid the heavy spring, unless it makes a significant difference to accuracy (unlikely). 

Using the standard weight with HV ammo gives you more margin when the action gets gunked up after a long weekend with dirty ammo. 

You might consider putting in one of the polymer bolt buffers to avoid having the buffer holes get pounded into ovals (steel buffer pin vs. aluminum action).

[RangeRat]

Persistent_1's mod'd 10/22 always tosses the first shot away from the rest of the group.  Anyone ever found a heavier spring to be helpful in this case?

RR

[2 clicks low]

I don't know what the mod is but I suspect the problem is that when loading the first round he is "riding the bolt forward" instead of pulling it all the way back and letting it fly. If you ride the bold the round may not be in full battery.

Persistent_1's mod'd 10/22 always tosses the first shot away from the rest of the group.  Anyone ever found a heavier spring to be helpful in this case?

RR

[Agrivere]

Persistent_1's mod'd 10/22 always tosses the first shot away from the rest of the group.  Anyone ever found a heavier spring to be helpful in this case?

RR

I have not personally verified this so please take it for what it's worth, but I've been lead to understand first shot flyers can be caused/fixed by pinning the firing pin. You can likely find more info on rimfire central if you want to explore that question more. None of mine do this so I have no personal experience with it.

[Guntuckian]

I had a Marlin Model 60 that would throw the first shot as a flyer every time.  Some ammo was worse than others.  The absolute worst was Federal Automatch.  The first round with it was always 4 MOA separated from the rest of the shots in hot weather.  I finally sold the rifle.

The Federal Automatch would throw first round flyers off by 4 MOA whenever the ambient temperature was above about 90 degrees.  Below  about 70 degrees, the first round flyer was only about 2.5 MOA offset.

--gb

[GoldFish]

I'd avoid the heavy spring, unless it makes a significant difference to accuracy (unlikely). 

Using the standard weight with HV ammo gives you more margin when the action gets gunked up after a long weekend with dirty ammo. 

You might consider putting in one of the polymer bolt buffers to avoid having the buffer holes get pounded into ovals (steel buffer pin vs. aluminum action).

+1 on that, particularly the part about gunking up the action with dirt and dust and carbon and crap.  I've seen it happen.  I'd always recommend standard weight springs unless, as stated by others, necessary.

[ThePoet]

Update:  I put the heavy weight spring in and a student used it all day Saturday with Blazer ammo.  No problems.  I was going to see what happened when it was used dirty on Sunday, but the student wasn't able to come back due to a schedule issue with his job.  I cleaned it and put the standard weight spring in.  I'll take it to the range and see how it runs with same ammo.  It makes sense to keep the standard weight spring installed.  I can see where reliability might be impacted when dirty.

Thanks for all the advice.