Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .22 RF alternatives

I did take those pics down, likely will not return to the 10-22 Center Fire project...

First, if my past postings suggested that I had any input in the development of the 22GTC, I didn't. That was wholly DDs doings. And he gets the credit..

While at his backyard range and shooting his project, I, off the cuff, callously, without pondering it too much said '...this needs to work in a 10-22...'

And so, alligator mouth and such, or writing checks that can't be cashed.....led to an attempt!


The 10-22 was an interesting project, to convert to center fire.

But I did it, it was crude, still have the bolt, and it did function, chamber, fire, cycle and rechamber.....

Whacked off the end of the stock firing pin, had a local welder weld on a drill bit, files, Dremel tools, JB weld, completely ruined the body of a bolt and the firing pin for standard rimfire use, but it worked for this......

The problem with the 10-22 and the 22GTC, is in my humble estimation, chamber size.

The 10-22 in its basic form does not have a match chamber, and you get a little more case expansion than is desirable, for reloading back to specs. Which is why match chambers and the Contender are just the cats meow. That and the center fire pin.

It is a bit more labor intensive than 'normal' reloading...



I use the little reloading tool, that is available for reloading RIMfire 22s, to make a bullet and crimp the loaded round.

BUT. Once you cast the bullet it is run through DDs swage die, couple of mallet whacks to get that done, poke it out of the swage, that leaves a lead 'flash' that needs to be cut off, then tap it through another 'collar' that sizes the bullet and trims off the flash, then it is lubed....

Maybe it's the water, IDK, but the whacky seems to run deep in West Central Florida....