Late Summer 2010
Performance Enhancements for the Ruger 10/22 work in the Classroom
This Summer I had the chance to use Doug Yenshaw's e-book, PerformanceModifications and Enhancements for the Ruger 10-22, as the text for teaching my Ruger 10-22 class at Trinidad State Junior College.Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) hosts the NRA Summer Gunsmithing Program.
As a visiting instructor, I taught two classes for the Summer Session this year during July, and one of my classes was Accuracy Improvement for the Ruger 10-22.
TSJC has a regular Full-Time Gunsmithing Program and gives a degree certificate ingunsmithing. As one of the premier gunsmithing schools, they attract students andNRA Summer Session attendees who come equipped with high expectations of theclass curriculums, and their instructors.
At the end of last years Summer Session, I had been asked by the program directors to offer a class on the popular Ruger 10/22. I agreed, but then realized I was going to have provide a quality, organized protocol for accurizing the little Ruger rifle.
Fortunately, I know Doug Yenshaw! He has offered his e-book Performance Modifications and Enhancements for the Ruger 10-22 for several years.It is a thorough, and well organized step-by-step program for accurizing andimproving the 10-22 without using expensive aftermarket parts.The book has many clear color photographs that illustrate each step.In other words, this is exactly what I needed for my class!
Fortunately, Doug graciously allowed me to use his book in my class for avery nominal fee. That was a huge relief!
Normally I have to work on a classroom manual for five or six months toprepare for the summer session. Having Doug's completed book to usein the class, meant I could spend some of my prep time gathering my classmaterials.
When July finally rolled around, I loaded the van and drove to Coloradoto teach my classes.
Summer Session at TSJC is very busy, as the classes run from 8AM to 5 PMMonday though Friday, with a short break for lunch at noon. Classes are 12students, so with everyone needing personal instruction, it is a very intenseexperience for the instructor!
My first week concerned bolt action rifle work, using my own manual which, sadly,is NOT illustrated, so I had to demonstrate every move in the shop and diagram them in the classroom.Add to this the high altitude of Trinidad (6800 feet) and the high temperatures of July,and you can understand that I was working very hard. Even breathing was sometimeshard!
The second week, I met the students of the 10-22 class, and discovered that among12 students we had 17 rifles! They were all very enthusiastic about the class.I handed out the class materials, which consisted of a small goodie bag and Doug'sfabulous manual. They immediately dived into their manuals and I had a hard timegetting their attention back for the class lesson.
In the class, we just followed the manual front to back, and the class went very smoothly.I had a lot fewer questions and requests to repeat information, since they had Yenshaw'smanual to guide them, when I wasn't available.This made the class very easy for me, and I spent my time showing how to use specialgunsmith tools and do the barrel machining on the lathe. I also demonstrated ways ofworking on the breech block. Everybody had a good time with this.
I had requested that the students take their stock 10-22 to the range and shoot it for group at 50 and 100 yards (if it would hold a group together at 100 yards) before class began, to establish a performance baseline.This they did, and we posted their names and targets on one wall.50 yard groups averaged anywhere from 1 ½ inches to 3 ½ inches.Pretty much the usual for the little .22 carbines.
We worked our triggers, barrels, breech blocks, and stocks and then bedded our rifles.Amazingly, most of the rifles were done by Wednesday! A few straggled on throughThursday. Fourteen of the 17 rifles were completely finished! Getting all students to finish their work during a full week is normally very difficult. Getting everybody doneearly was miraculous!
So, off they went to the range for testing. I waited a bit uncertainly, because although Ihad utilized the techniques in Doug's manual myself, I had never seen the results thatamateur gunsmiths and novices would derive from his method. It seemed too easy!
I had no reason to worry! The students returned with big smiles and small 50 yard groups! The groups that had been in the inches at 50 yards, were now around 5/16ths to 3/8ths extreme spread for 5 shots. Huge improvement!The lone woman in the class came in with some good targets, but one intrigued me. It was about a 1 inch diameter ragged hole in the center of the bullseye. I remarked that it was a pretty large group. She replied that it was 100 shots at 100 yards! We put up the final groups on the wall, below the starting groups. Then we all walked back and forth comparing our progress. Everybody was all smiles and amazement.
Doug's system had really worked, even for the novice gunsmiths and rank beginners in the class! I was relieved and gratified, and for a change, not overworked!
The class evaluations were very positive, and one even said that the 10-22 class should bethe standard to which all the other classes should be held. Wow!
Thanks Doug! I couldn't have done it without your book Performance Modificationsand Enhancements for the Ruger 10-22. It helped all my students sail through the work.
Doug Yenshaw's fine book is available from his website www.easy1022modifications.com
Phil Lebow,
Senior Engineer, master gunsmith, instructor
Tactical Operations, Inc
Beverly Hills, CA |
