Ruger 10/22 Instruction Manual

Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated
areas, cleaning firearms, or handling
ammunition may result in exposure to
lead and other substances known to the
state of California to cause birth defects,
reproductive harm, and other serious
physical injury. Have adequate ventilation
at all times. Wash hands thoroughly after
exposure.
SHOOTING OR CLEANING GUNS
MAY EXPOSE YOU TO LEAD
!WARNING – LEAD EXPOSURE
Do not use .22 short, .22 long, .22 shot, or .22 cartridges loaded with blunt-
nosed, sharp-shouldered,...

10/22T Models have a target trigger that has
been carefully set at the factory to a
minimum safe weight of pull for precision
target shooting. Do not alter any factory
setting! You can create an unsafe condition
and the rifle may fire unexpectedly.
You should be especially careful to keep the
safety on at all times except when actually
firing and keep your finger off the trigger
unless you are squeezing it to fire, in order
to minimize the possibility of accidental
discharge.
DO NOT TAMPER WITH TRIGGER...

14
TO LOAD AND FIRE (WITH MAGAZINE)
Practice this important aspect of gun handling (with an unloaded rifle) until you
can perform each of the steps – described below – with skill and confidence. But
before you do anything with the rifle, please first read completely through this
manual.
1.Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. (See Rule 2, p. 39).
2. Pull the bolt handle rearward. Engage the bolt lock so that the bolt is held
open. Check the chamber to be certain it is empty. Engage the safety....

15
5. Insert magazine into the firearm, with bullet end of the cartridges toward the
muzzle. (Magazine cannot be seated if reversed).
6. Load a cartridge into the chamber by fully retracting the bolt handle, releasing
the bolt lock, and then releasing the bolt handle. Don’t touch the trigger.Do
not ‘ride’ the bolt handle as it moves forward. Do not apply force to the bolt
handle to chamber a cartridge. If a cartridge does not readily chamber, eject it
from the rifle, lock the bolt open, remove the...

If dropped or
struck with the
safety “off”, the
rifle may fire.
Keep chamber
empty unless
actually firing!
Keep safety “on”
unless actually
firing!
ANY GUN
MAY FIRE IF
DROPPED
!WARNING – HANDLING
16

SAFETY IN “OFF” (FIRE) POSITION
TO LOAD AND FIRE (WITHOUT MAGAZINE)
The rifle can be used as a single shot rifle in the absence of a magazine or for
safety or training purposes. To do so, follow step 1, p. 14. Then load a cartridge
into the chamber, and follow steps 6 and 7, p. 15, disregarding the...

17
TO UNLOAD
NOTE:This sequence must be followed exactly as spelled out. Failure to do so
can result in the rifle’s chamber becoming unintentionally loaded with a
cartridge!
1. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times and keep fingers
outside the trigger guard. If the rifle is cocked, move the safety to the “on”
position.
2. Remove the magazine. Rememberthat even though the magazine has been
removed, a cartridge remaining in the chamber can still be fired!
3. Retract the bolt to its open...

18
TO EXTRACT AND EJECT
A CHAMBERED CARTRIDGE
When the rifle is fired, the same gas pressure which drives the bullet forward also
acts through the cartridge case to push the bolt to the rear. That action causes
extraction and ejection of the fired cartridge case. But, when the bolt is operated
by hand, there can be a failure to extract the cartridge from the chamber, or a
failure to eject the cartridge clear of the rifle. These failures usually are the result
of the bolt not being pulled rearward...

19
TO MINIMIZE MALFUNCTIONS (“JAMS”)
Most malfunctions are caused by improper or damaged magazines, incorrect
ammunition, or poor maintenance. 
1. If it appears that the gun and magazine are not at fault and that the jam was
caused by the type of cartridge being used, then try another type.
2. If changing to another type or brand of cartridges does not at once eliminate
malfunctioning, then the following steps should be taken:
a. Make certain the gun and the magazine are unloaded and that the safety
is...

20
!WARNING – MALFUNCTIONS
!WARNING – DISASSEMBLY
TO DISASSEMBLE
(For Disassembly of International Model, See “Special Instructions” p. 21)
Make Sure Rifle is Unloaded!
1.With the rifle pointing in a safe direction, remove the magazine, open the bolt
and visually make certain there is not a cartridge in the chamber. Then allow
the bolt to close. The rear sight leaf should be down, and the hammer should
be cocked.
1
24
3
Always unload a firearm
before cleaning, lubrication,
disassembly or assembly.
UNLOAD...

21
2. Loosen the barrel band screw (B-69) and remove the barrel band (B-68). (Does
not apply to the Sporter Model).
3. Loosen (don’t remove) the take-down screw (B-65).
4. Position the safety so an equal amount of the button is exposed on each side. If
the safety is not in the middle when the barrel-receiver assembly is lifted out
of the stock, the stock will be damaged.
5. Swing the barrel-receiver assembly upward away from the forearm of the
stock. Be careful the two receiver cross pins (B-5) and bolt...