10/22 Stovepipe Diagnostic Guide

[FiremanBob]

While breaking in a new 10/22 I have been suffering occasional stovepipe FTEs. While searching around rimfirecentral I found the following diagnostic guide and have shamelessly copied it here. I plan to keep a few hard copies of it in my shoot folder to give one to any participant who encounters these.

Stovepiping: the partial ejection of a fired case, usually leaving the open mouth of the case sticking out of the ejection port, looking like a "stove pipe", and thus jamming the action of a semi-automatic firearm. 

Stovepiping is caused by the slow or incomplete cycling of the bolt...

Causes of the slow or incomplete cycling of the 10/22's bolt: 
0 Gummed-up action: the Ruger applied 'preservative' was not removed before firing, or oil was used as a lube...
0 Rifle was stored vertically after cleaning, allowing oil to run into the action & gum-it-up...
0 Unlubed or rough "Bolt Handle Guide Rod" [B-7]...
0 Action not lubed with a dry Teflon type spray lube or "CLP"...
0 Action not 'broken-in' yet..! ! Normally it takes 1 - 2 bricks [500 rds ea.] of High Velocity ammo to 'break-in' a 10/22's action...
0 Use of Standard Velocity or Sub Sonic ammo...
0 Aftermarket action parts misinstalled...
0 Scope base mounting screws rubbing on the top of the bolt.
0 "Hammer Strut Assembly" reassembled with the 'slot' of the "Retaining Washer" facing down; it must face UP...
0 Use of a non Ruger magazine...! ! Use a Ruger BX-1...
0 Magazine not seating with a 'click'...
0 Dirty or untuned magazine(s)...
0 Magazine touching the stock in magazine well; can you pass a business card up both sides of the magazine all-the-way to the receiver...?

Note: The 10/22 is a "blow back" action, and it does not need an "extractor" to extract and eject fired rounds... The "extractor" is only need to extract unfired rounds... The primary "ejector" is the last 1/4" of the left lip of the BX-1's magazine throat...

You will have to see which cause(s) best fit(s) your particular situation...

[Unbridled Liberty]

Thank you for posting this, especially for those of us who do not have Ruger 10/22's.

UL

[Nero]

I've seen a lot more of the 'not broken in' issue in the last year, probably due both to getting more new shooters, and Ruger's machining on the receiver and bolt on recent 10/22s being rougher than before. 

[douglas34474]

Your problem is more likely to be an improperly fit extractor than most of that list. The extractor has to hold the spent cartridge case tightly to the bolt face until it recoils far enough for the ejector to come into play. If the extractor allows the case to react to gravity and pull away from the bolt face, the case will not line up properly with the ejector and the case will not be kicked out of the action as it should.

When you slide a cartridge up under the extractor the extractor should move out 0.015". Lacking this pre-load the extractor can not properly hold the case to the bolt face. I have never found a 10-22 with an extractor that meets this standard.

I have bought most aftermarket extractors and found most to be worse than the OEM units.

As to the claim that the extractor is needed only for unfired rounds, try running SV ammo in your rifle without one. With a properly fit extractor I can shoot SV ammo and 22 LONGS, a 22 SHORT in a LONG RIFLE case, all day long without stovepipes. Those making the claim that the extractor is un-needed can only run their rifles with Hyper-Velocity ammo.

[2 clicks low]

Doug,
Where would I measure for this .015?
Thanks
Ron

[douglas34474]

Doug,
Where would I measure for this .015?
Thanks
Ron

You would look at the slot that the extractor rides in. When there is no case under the extractor, the extractor rests hard against the side of this slot. When you slide a case up under it the extractor will move towards the outside of the bolt. It should move at least the thickness of a business card.

The extractor should push the case hard against the opposite side of the rim cut from the extractor. You should be able to place a live round under the extractor and with the bolt in hand, have the cartridge stay in place when the bolt is shaken with some force.

It is a simple fitting, requiring only a small flat file. If you look at the extractor there is a hook at one end and a square lug at the other. By filing the flat area between the hook and lug, you effectively make the hook longer. Being longer, the hook will push the case harder against the rim cut. This simple fix corrects stove pipe jams 99% of the time.

If you have a 10-22 that will not run without the "C" clip on the hammer spring strut facing up, I want to examine your rifle. I'll give a free trigger job just to see this mythical beast. 

[oladcock]

FiremanBob, looks like a pretty complete list but some parts are questionable. Like the "oil" thing. That's a question of what kind, how much, and where. The rest are all plausible. 99% of the time, good ammo, good cleaning/proper lube, breaking in and or dig into it and smooth up appropriate parts by hand. I've never seen an extractor fix a stovepipe problem, the cleaning they do in the process of changing the extractor fixes the problem. Shot many a round with no extractor at all, unless you want to extract a live round or a dud, it has no function, and yes, I've run SV.......O.L.