Looking to upgrade your Ruger 10/22?
Well, you're in the right place because we are going to talk about the best bolt upgrades on the market. You'll get to discover whether 10/22 bolt upgrades are worth your money, or not.
We'll also help you choose the best bolt upgrades by defining their pros and cons.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for 10/22 Bolt Upgrades For Your Ruger
Comparison of the Best Ruger 10/22 Bolt Upgrades
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Features of Quality 10/22 Bolts
The bolt is the most important part of a rifle. It is the place where all the important action happens. Having a good bolt on the rifle not only improves accuracy but helps overall with all the functions of the rifle. For the sake of simplicity, we have outlined several features of a great 10/22 bolt.
Material and Design
The most basic attribute of a good bolt is its durability and design. It should be made from a durable and strong material like stainless steel or blued steel and must be cut/machined with precision, ensuring there are no nooks and edges, and that the bolt fits perfectly inside the 10/22 receiver. Having a strong bolt ensures that it won’t crack under pressure, or at least will last for a long time.
Head Spacing and Firing Pin
The bolt must have proper head spacing so it doesn’t bang on the receiver every time it cycles. Proper spacing also ensures flawless action of the bolt. Another important aspect to consider is the firing pin. A good bolt must have a pinned firing pin. This prevents the pin from rising up and also delivers consistent ignition.
Inner Surface
A bolt must be properly radiused and polished for improved cycling of rounds. The polished bolt rides smoothly over the hammer, which improves the cycling of rounds and prevents any avoidable malfunctions.
Good Extractor
Another key component of the bolt is the extractor. It facilitates proper removal of spent cartridges so a new round can be chambered. A steel-based extractor is quite helpful for the bolt as it improves cycling and prevents jamming.
Review of the Best Ruger 10/22 Bolt Upgrades
Now that you've read some of the advantages to upgrading your 10/22's bolt, we'd like to present you some of the best options on the market.
Best Overall:
Volquartsen Ruger 10/22 Competition Bolt Assembly
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Most recent buyers used their Ruger 10/22 rifles for competitive purposes. So, when they needed a new bolt for their rifle, they wanted something reliable and fast-moving. Sure enough, they got their wish with this bolt. One user said his shooting was a lot faster and reloading was smooth like butter during his practice sessions.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Some bolts are designed for general purposes and some provide excellent operation like nothing else, especially when your rifle is designed to be the kind used for competitive purposes. This bolt fits most rifles and is able to move faster than regular Ruger 10/22 bolts once installed. Plus, it’s so durable both inside and out, you won’t even have to worry about wearing it down. It’s dang near impossible to do so.
This right-handed 10/22 Ruger bolt upgrade assembly is ready to be added to your rifle. The bolt has been designed for right-handed users and carries a shiny blued finish.
Who Will Use This Most?
This bolt will likely be used by Ruger 10/22 competition shooters but it can also be used by other shooters who want nothing more than consistently fast shooting and smoother reloading. If you want something that is more of a turbo charge for your rifle, this might be the bolt you’re looking for.
What Could Be Improved and Why?
The rods need to be re-sized so they can stay in place each time the bolt moves around. Specifically, the rods should be slightly longer so it can prevent any kind of slippage in the future. Other than that, the design could use some improvement for performance purposes.
Bottom Line
If you’re a competitive shooter that relies on a Ruger 10/22 to get an edge on the competition, you’d be insane to pass up the opportunity to give the Volquartsent Ruger 10/22 Competition Bolt a closer look. If you want fast, smooth, and durability, this bolt will be your kind of accessory.
Runner-up:
Ruger - Bolt Assembly, Complete
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
A lot of recent buyers were satisfied with this bolt. They were able to move it back and forth without any issues at all. Even better, they were able to fit it on almost any Ruger 10/22 rifle (even the older models dating back before 2005). One user said he used this as a replacement for his old factory default bolt.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is made from high-quality materials and finished with silver, which makes it a lot more durable and impervious to any kind of abuse. The bolt allows for reliable movement and loading without any failure to speak of. The best part is that it’s compatible with all versions of the Ruger 10/22. After all, it is a factory replacement coming from the source itself.
This is a complete bolt assembly for the Ruger 10/22 rifle. The assembly includes the bolt body, firing pin, firing pin spring, extractor, extractor spring, and plunger. It works with all models of Ruger 10/22 rifle. This bolt assembly can be seen more as a replacement than an upgrade to your Ruger 10/22 bolt.
Who Will Use This Most
This will be used by those who want to replace their factory default bolts and who want something much smoother in movement with excellence in reliability. If you want a Ruger 10/22 bolt that doesn’t fail, this might be what you’re looking for.
What Could Be Improved and Why
A possible improvement might be to make it so that it can fit some rifles that often handle .22LR rounds. Yes, they are larger than standard Ruger 10/22 rifle rounds, but it could be large enough to accommodate any size .22 rounds.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a factory replacement that will be way better than a factory default, the Ruger Bolt Assembly might be something you should consider. Just remove your old bolt, add this new replacement, and you’ll be good to go in no time.
3. KIDD Bolt Upgrade (Ebay)
Pros
Cons
This is by far the most loved 1022 upgraded bolt in the market. The bolt screams of its quality and precision because of its CNC-machined design.
4. Power Custom Ruger 10/22 Match Bolt
Pros
Cons
The Power Custom Ruger 10/22 Match Bolt has been manufactured using modern CNC and heat treatment processes. The precision in design is reflected in the appearance of this upgraded bolt. It also features a second generation auto bolt stop of improved performance. The bolt is for right-handed users and comes in a stainless steel finish.
Is Upgrading Your Ruger 10/22 Bolt Worth it?
Bolt upgrades are of prime importance to improve the accuracy of your rifle. Many people are quite skeptical about whether bolt upgrades improve accuracy or not.
Well, they do.
Modified bolts reduce the group size of your rifle, thus providing improved accuracy for repeat shots. The modified bolt arrangement is properly radiused and polished, which improves cycling. This ensures that the rifle doesn't get much of a jerk while loading new rounds into the barrel.
When a cartridge is fired, the metal to metal clank is also reduced a bit.
This may not make any considerable difference unless you are aiming for distant targets. These upgrades are for making small gains in consistency and performance, thus affecting the accuracy of your rifle.
The upgraded bolts also have proper head spacing, which allows the bullet to feed properly, thus reducing the group size. This also helps in a smoother bolt action while mobilizing the aim of the barrel from the target.
The proper firing pin protrusion ensures optimum contact with the rim of the case.
The staked area on the top of the 10/22 bolt is there to prevent the firing pin from rising up, but it doesn't work well in most rifles and is a big reason for most upgrades.
The upgraded bolts fix this by placing a cross-pin through the bolt and over the top of the firing pin. This prevents the firing pin from rising up.
Upgrading the bolt of the 10/22 provides durability to your rifle in the ways mentioned above. The word upgraded is appropriate, as it does provide an improvement. The new polished bolt adds to the beauty of your rifle, as well.
Conclusion
Bolt upgrades are useful to improve the accuracy of your 10/22 Ruger. If you are more into hunting and precision shooting sports, you should consider upgrading your bolt assembly. If you are happy with the present performance of your rifle, you don't have to bother spending money on upgrading bolts.
I WISH the kid bolt was 1/3rd the price… Might need to change that. A Kid bolt that costs 1/3rd the price would be a pro, not a con. I think you mean 3x the price 😀
Hi Michael,
I’m not reading it the same way you are, I guess! It’s 1/3 the price of a new Ruger 10-22, just to switch out the bolt. KIDD has the bolt listed at $99 and Ruger lists the 10-22 carbine at just over $300.
Did you understand it to mean it’s 1/3 the price of a new bolt from Ruger? There, yeah, it’s 3x.
Let me know if I just have a mental block on it – I guess I’m not reading it the way you are, but of course I wrote it so I know what I meant to say and maybe can’t see it the way the reader does.