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, or “explosive” bullets. They will not function reliably
and may jam the mechanism or discharge before being fully chambered. Use
only ammunition that functions correctly in your rifle. See “Malfunction
Warning”, p. 20.
!WARNING – AMMUNITION
Death, serious injury, and damage can
result from the use of wrong
ammunition, bore obstructions,
powder overloads, or incorrect
cartridge components. .22 cases are
very thin and sometimes split when
fired. Always
wear shooting glasses
and hearing protectors.
IMPROPER AMMUNITION
DESTROYS GUNS
AMMUNITION
The RUGER®MODEL 10/22®CARBINEis chambered for, and designed
to properly function with, only the 22 caliber Long Rifle rimfire cartridge,
standard, high velocity, or hyper-velocity, manufactured to U.S. industry
standards.
12  
						

							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 -
KEEP SAFETY ON UNLESS FIRING
13
SPECIAL SAFETY NOTE
10/22 TARGET RIFLE ONLY
The special model you have selected is specifically designed for rapid fire
precision target shooting. As such, it demands that you take extra safety
precautions.
The trigger of the Target version of the RUGER
®10/22®has a lighter, target
trigger pull than standard 10/22 rifles, for more precise placement of shots. You
should practice “dry-firing” an empty
rifle (with it pointing in a safe direction) to
learn the “feel” of the trigger before ever loading it with ammunition.
NOTE:The following warning applies to RUGER®10/22 Target rifles only:
“Stinger” cartridges have a longer case
than .22 LR cartridges loaded to U.S.
Industry specifications. They can stick
in the tighter chambers of target rifles,
including the Ruger 10/22 Target Rifle,
which can result in a hazardous
ruptured case and release of hot
powder gasses and brass when fired.
DO NOT USE
“STINGER” AMMUNITION IN
10/22 TARGET RIFLES
!WARNING – “STINGER” AMMUNITION
S
T
I
N
G
E
R.22
.22LR
.22 "Stinger"
.22LR
zWARNING – TARGET TRIGGER
SAFETY IN “ON” (SAFE) POSITION 
						

							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. (See
Figure 1, p. 9).
Figure 3.The safety should be “on” when the
magazine is being removed or inserted.
When the forward section of the magazine
latch is pushed in (pivoted upward), the
magazine is released. Depress the latch with
the thumb and at the same time grasp the
magazine between the thumb and forefinger
and draw it out of the gun.
Removing Magazine
(Safety “On”)
Figure 4.To load the magazine, press 
the rim of the cartridge against the 
magazine rotor at the widest section of
the magazine throat until the cartridge
enters far enough to be pushed to the rear
end of the magazine. Each succeeding
cartridge is pressed against the body of the
top cartridge and slid to the rear of the
magazine until a maximum of ten
cartridges are in the magazine
Loading
Magazine
3. Remove the magazine by using thumb to depress magazine latch and at the
same time grasp the magazine between thumb and forefinger of the same
hand to draw it out of the magazine well. (See Figure 3).
4. Load the magazine by sliding up to ten (10) cartridges into the magazine
throat-opening. (See Figure 4). The Ruger 10/22 is designed to function
properly only with standard Ruger 10-shot rotary magazines loaded with .22
Long Rifle cartridges of the correct type. (See “Ammunition”, p. 12) 
						

							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 magazine and see
MALFUNCTION WARNING, p. 20.
7. The rifle is now fully loaded. If the rifle is not to be fired immediately, the
safety should remain “ON”(See Figure 1, p. 9). When the safety is moved to
the “off” position, the rifle will fire each time the trigger is pulled until all the
cartridges in the magazine, and the one in the chamber, have been fired.
Firing will automatically reload and recock the rifle.Note that every time the
trigger is pulled, if a cartridge is in the chamber, the rifle will fire – be careful!
8.Immediately following the firing of a shot, and if a subsequent shot is not to be
fired at once, put the safety “ON” while the rifle is still pointing in a safe
direction down range.The safety should be moved to the “on” position as soon
as firing is completed, and it should be “on” at all times except when the rifle
is on target and being fired. 
9. The bolt does not remain open after the last shot has been fired, nor does the
bolt automatically lock open when the magazine is empty. When firing is
completed, manually retract the bolt, lock it open, and visually check the
chamber to be sure it is empty. If the bolt is shut, the shooter should always
assume that there is a cartridge in the chamber. Don’t rely on your memory to
know if a gun or magazine is loaded. Visually inspect the magazine and the
chamber.
!WARNING – FIRING
The bolt automatically opens
and shuts quickly while firing.
Keep face and hands away
from it. Hot brass and powder
gas are ejected quickly and
can burn you. The rifle should
be fired from the right
shoulder. Always wear
shooting glasses and hearing
protectors.
BOLT OPENS FAST–
HOT BRASS EJECTED  
						

							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 magazine.
Engage the safety between shots.
!WARNING – UNLOADING
So that the rifle can be used as a single loader, it
will fire whether or not a magazine is in the gun
if a cartridge is chambered. Removing magazine
does not unload rifle! To unload, first remove
magazine, then pull bolt to rear, eject chambered
cartridge, and visually inspect chamber. The safety
should always be in the “on” (safe) position when
loading or unloading the rifle.Keep safety “on”.
GUN WILL FIRE WITH
“MAGAZINE” OUT 
						

							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 position and lock it there. This should eject any
cartridge in the chamber, but...
4.Always visually double check the chamber to be certain it is empty.
5. The only “safe” rifle is one in which the bolt is open and the chamber and
magazine are empty.
6. Cartridges can be removed from the magazine by simply pushing them lightly
downward and forward with the thumb, forefinger, or the rubber eraser end of
a pencil against the rim of the top cartridge. Do not use a loaded cartridge as a
‘tool’ to strip cartridges from the magazine.
7. If desired, the bolt can be left in the open position, being held there by the bolt
lock. If it is desired to close the bolt, again look to be certain the chamber is
empty. Put the safety “on”, retract the bolt to its rearmost position, release the
bolt lock and let the bolt snap forward. Keep your fingers out of the receiver!
8.With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction,push the safety to the “off”
position and pull the trigger to decock it. The rifle can be “dry fired” for
practice as long as it is empty and pointed in a safe direction.
9. Push empty (unloaded) magazine into the rifle until the catch locks it in place.
CORRECT UNLOADING SEQUENCE
1
24
3 
						

							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 vigorously, coupled with an accumulation
of bullet lubricant in the chamber. From the foregoing it is clear that the gun
user must:
1.Always visually check the chamber after opening the bolt to eject a chambered
cartridge.If the bolt is not vigorously retracted when being operated by hand,
the extracted cartridge can be ‘ejected’ into the magazine area, instead of
outside the rifle.
2. Thor
oughly clean the chamber and the extractor as often as necessaryto
prevent the accumulation of grease and dirt.
3. If an empty magazine is in the rifle when the bolt is being hand retracted to
extract a cartridge, the cartridge may drop on top of the magazine. Then when
the bolt goes forward, the cartridge will be chambered again! Always remove
the magazine before clearing the chamber, and visually ensure that no
cartridges remain in the gun.
TO CLEAR A MALFUNCTION (“JAM”)
Any autoloading firearm may occasionally malfunction. If it does:
1.Be certain the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction and the safety is “on”.
2. If possible, first remove the magazine. It may be necessary to manually remove
a jammed cartridge which has only partially been stripped from the magazine. 
If so, use extreme care. Lock the bolt open with the bolt stop before
attempting to clear the jam. Drawing the bolt fully to the rear may bring the
jammed cartridge along. Keep your face away from the ejection port during
this operation.When attempting to clear a jam, use only wood ‘tools’ so that a
cartridge will not be ignited if you strike a primer, and so that the chamber
and magazine will not be damaged. A 3/16” wood dowel rod with a point on
one end is useful.
3. Visually check to make sure all cartridges have been removed from the rifle.
Safely dispose of any cartridges involved in a malfunction incident. Do not use
damaged ammunition in any firearm. 
						

							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 “on”. Remember, the magazine should be removed first, then check the
chamber and be certain it and the magazine-well are clear of cartridges.
b. Thoroughly clean the magazine (See “Magazine Inspection and Care”,
pp. 22 & 23) and bolt mechanism, paying particular attention to removing
accumulated grease. Use a bristle brush and solvent to remove grease and
fouling from the bolt face, the extractor, the chamber, and the feed ramp.
(See the “Care and Cleaning” section of this manual for detailed cleaning
instructions).
c. Check to see that the magazine rotor spring tension is adequate.
d. Check the magazine throat to be certain they are free of nicks and burrs
and are not deformed.
e. Remove excess oil and solvent from all cleaned components, load the
magazine, and try the firearm again. As always, proceed slowly. Be certain
bystanders are not close and that you are wearing eye and hearing
protection and that your face is a safe distance from the rifle so that any
discharge resulting from a jammed cartridge will not injure anyone.
If the above procedures do not result in a smooth and reliably functioning
firearm, don’t use the gun. The rifle can be returned directly to our Newport,
New Hampshire Product Service Department for repair. See the Service and Parts
Policy section (p. 28) of this manual for packing and shipping information.
Another precaution:When using any firearm chambered for rimfire cartridges,
form the habit of examining fired cartridge cases. If they have bulged heads or
frequently show splits on any part of the case, the rifle or pistol should be
returned to the factory for inspection. 
						

							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 BEFORE
CLEANING
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge fires when the
firing pin impacts the relatively soft cartridge case
rim, and also can be “discharged” before it is
chambered if its rim receives a sharp blow. If a
cartridge hangs up, jams, or binds when being
chambered or when being fed from the magazine
into the chamber, do not attempt to force it into
the chamber by pushing or striking the bolt.Any
jam or feeding problem is a signal to immediately
stop  using the gun until it can be determined
what is wrong. Most failures of a cartridge to feed
or to chamber are caused by a damaged magazine,
improper gun handling, or defective ammunition.
Whatever the cause, rimfire cartridge jams can
result in the potentially dangerous situation of a
cartridge discharging before it is chambered. If this
occurs, the cartridge case will rupture and its
fragments will fly out of the gun with sufficient
force to cause injury. Always wear shooting glasses
and hearing protectors! Keep face away from
chamber!
CRUSHING RIM CAN BURST AMMO  
						

							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 stop pin (B-46) do
not fall out.
6. Remove the trigger guard by simply drifting out the two receiver pins. It is
recommended that the components of the trigger guard assembly not be
disassembled from the trigger guard.
This is the extent of disassembly required for routine inspection, cleaning and
lubrication.
If it is desired to thoroughly clean the inside of the receiver by removing the
bolt, be aware that although removing and installing the bolt (along with the
bolt handle-recoil spring assembly) is simple, it must be done correctly.
7. To remove the bolt:
a. Position the rifle upside down so the bolt is fully accessible.
b. Drift out the bolt stop pin, located at the rear of the receiver.
c. Pull the bolt handle fully to the rear of the receiver with the left hand,
and while it is in that position, using the right hand, lift up the front of the
bolt until it is disengaged from the bolt handle.
d. Remove the bolt handle assembly through the ejection port.
e. Lift bolt out of receiver. If it does not come out readily, turn the rifle over
and the bolt will drop out of the receiver.
SPECIAL DISASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS FOR
INTERNATIONAL MODEL
1. Follow steps 1 through 3 of the standard disassembly instructions above.
2. Befor
e attempting to remove the barreled action from the stock(see steps 4 
and 5 above) be sur
e to unscrew and remove the muzzle cap screw, part 
#D13200 (located in the underside of the muzzle cap).
Once the screw has been removed, gently tap the muzzle cap for
wardoff of the
barrel with a non-marking object (plastic, leather or wood mallet). Do not “pry”
the muzzle cap off of the stock with a screwdriver or similar object between the
stock and the muzzle cap – you will create an unsightly permanent gap in the
stock-muzzle cap fitting line.
The Rifle is now ready for further disassembly in accordance with steps 4 - 6,
above, once the muzzle cap has been r
emoved!