Tuning the Ruger Charger Pistol

The work shown features a Ruger Charger Pistol take-down model in the illustrations but virtually all aspects of the various parts tuning and action bedding applies equally to the 10/22 rifle in both standard and take-down models.  For a more detailed view, click on each illustration to see the enlargement.

 

The Ruger Charger take-down model has the potential to be an outstanding survival weapon because it takes down into two parts, neither of which exceed 11 inches in length and will fit into a compact carry case. Based on the proven reliable 10/22 rifle action, they have the potential to be accurate. As sold by Ruger, however, the actions are roughly machined. With a little time and effort they can be accurized. My Charger would not shoot better than 2 ½'’ groups at 25 yards so it really needed to be tuned up. The trigger pull on my Charger was 6 ½ lbs of gritty, overly-long travel. Two pins and the trigger group was removed from the action and ready for work.

TRIGGER WORK

 

Above left, the trigger group has been removed from the action.  That only entails the removal of two pins.  Then the two highest pins on the trigger group are removed so the hammer, hammer spring, ejector and hammer spring can be removed.  Above right, the pin holding the trigger and sear has been removed and those parts shown in the order in which they fit together.  Don't lose that small spring!

IT IS TIME TO DO SOME POLISHING

 

The hammer (above left) and the trigger sear (above right) appear to be rough investment castings. I flat-sanded every flat surface with 200 grit emery, then repeated the process with 400 grit emery. There are many Youtube videos showing how to file the sear notches to lighten the trigger pull. 

MODIFYING THE BOLT HOLD-OPEN LEVER

While the trigger group is apart is a good time to work on the bolt hold-open lever. The factory bolt hold-open lever is double-duty and must be manipulated to release the bolt to travel forward. A hot aftermarket item is an automatic bolt release.

Look at the illustrations at right and you will see that a chainsaw file can easily remove some metal so the bolt release is automatic. How much to file down?  The point  in the left photo above must be filed down and the "web" remaining between the new hole should be the same thickness as the web on the small hole on the left side. Now when you pull the bolt back it is free to slide forward  automatically without fumbling with the small release lever. This modification just saved $20.00, the cost of a new replacement automatic bolt release.

FLAT SAND THE BOLT

The bolt was roughly machined and any roughness leads to dirt & grit accumulation, to say nothing of creating friction on bearing surfaces. At right is the top of the bolt. It was polished mirror bright, then a brick of ammo fired. The wear marks are clearly visible in the polished surface.
At right, the bottom of the bolt. Note the visible wear marks where the flat bottom of the bolt cocked the hammer during recoil after each shot. The surface was mirror smooth, as was the mating hammer surface. Without polishing those two surfaces would have created considerable friction.

REASSEMBLY OF THE TRIGGER GROUP

Reassembly of the trigger and sear can be difficult. I used Scotch Tape to hold the trigger return spring and plunger in as the trigger and sear were positioned in place. There is nothing to hold the two sear levers in place but there is a small spring to pop them apart, so I used a 22 gauge wire to hold the two pieces together and the spring compressed while lowering the trigger group into the trigger housing. A thin nail will fit through the hole for the trigger pin with room for the copper wire to hold the assembly in place. The wire can then be pulled out with pliers and the thin nail chased out of the pin hole with the proper pin.

At right the trigger group is being reassembled. Small nails are used to hold the parts in place, then the small nails "chased" from the holes by the proper pins. It just makes things easier. There are many Youtube videos showing the step-by-step reassembly process. Before the trigger group can be reinstalled in the action, the bolt needs to be flat sanded to eliminate all possible friction to maximize action life and eliminate chances for parts breakage. Ruger sells a replacement "BX trigger" for $75.00, and I bought one. Long, gritty pull and not crisp at all. The trigger I modified as shown here has a 3 lb pull with a crisp let-off, much better than the BX trigger.

MAKING A BUFFERED BOLT STOP/RECOIL PIN

 

The OEM bolt stop pin is 1/4" x 1 1/4" of solid steel. When the bolt recoils hard from the use of high velocity ammo, the back of the bolt slams into that pin. Buffered pins are sold as aftermarket items but it easy to make them. At right is a 1/8'’ hardened steel roll pin and a 1/4'’ vinyl hose with a 1/8'’ hole in the middle. Push the roll pin through the hole in the hose and the result is a savings of $10 to $20 for an aftermarket pin.

It is now time to reassemble the action and install it in the stock. There are Youtube videos which show the step-ty-step process of reassembly, if needed.

THE ACTION IS NOW SMOOTH AND THE TRIGGER PULL LIGHTENED

The Charger was reassembled and tested. Bad news. Now that it was easier to test for accuracy, shooting groups instead of patterns, the groups showed a distinct vertical spread. Group showing the barrel needs to be bedded. The forearm had too much upward pressure on the barrel so wood was removed to free-float the barrel, then glass bedded.

The forend on the Ruger Charger takedown has a deep groove all the way from the action to past the sling swivel screw. There is no recoil lug at all! Plumber’s putty was used to make dams between the action screw and sling swivel screw to contain the bedding compound, and JB KWIK Weld put between the two dams to form a recoil lug to hold the forend securely against the barrel.

THE ACTION NEEDS BEDDING

Bench rest shooting with a now-smooth action and trigger and bedded forend eliminated the distinct vertical group stringing. The horizontal spread shows the action needed to be bedded. The action screw was examined and was too long (bearing against the barrel tightening band) so it was shortened 1/8" to properly pull the action firmly into the stock.

BEDDING THE ACTION (Remove the trigger group BEFORE glass bedding.)

Wood removed for recoil lug	Recoil lug glass bedded	The rear of the action bedded

Note the photo above right. The area of bedding that is rough, right in the lower center, must be filed back a bit to clear the trigger group.  Had the trigger group not been removed it would have been glassed solidly into the stock forever when the glassbedding compound extruded from the rear of the action.  With the action now firmly bedded into the stock it cannot move and shift position during recoil. 

AFTER ALL THE TUNING AND BEDDING

It was all worth it. The group shown at right was shot at 25 yards from a bench rest. All three holes touch. Shooting conditions were abysmal with wind, rain and failing light. That is a good group considering the weather conditions and a cheap 2X forward eye relief scope. This Ruger Charger now shoots well enough to justify replacing the scope with a quality 2x - 6x pistol scope to extend the range potential for accurate shot placement. Accurate shot placement plus the ability to lay down a withering barrage of fire from high capacity magazines makes the Charger a very versatile pack pistol.

POINT OF IMPACT SHIFT

There is still a point-of-impact shift of up to an inch at 25 yards when the barrel is removed and then reinstalled.  The problem is the tension post/stud on the rear of the barrel half bears on a plate 1/2'' or so beneath the barrel - there is always a slightly different upward pressure on the barrel in lockup and no way to solve that problem I can see because the barrel itself is not threaded.  This would not be a problem for the fixed barrel Charger and 10/22.