Sharp and detailed images will guide you through the disassembly and reassembly of the Ruger 10/22 trigger group. Use this as a reference to aid you with trigger jobs and/or installing custom parts…
Before you start, make sure that your gun is unloaded and all ammo is removed from the work area. Then, field strip your rifle as shown in these instructions.
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The Tools Required:
- A small punch (around 3/32″) to remove the cross-pins
- A pair of needle-nose pliers to hold small parts
- If available, a small padded vise to hold the trigger housing
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DISASSEMBLY PROCEDURE
Step 1: Remove the hammer main spring…
With the safety off, hold the top of the hammer with your thumb while you pull the trigger to release the hammer and swing it forward. Caution: Hammer spring under tension. Hold hammer firmly to avoid injury.
Pull the top of the strut to remove the hammer main spring. (Below)
If you wish to remove the spring from the strut, compress the spring with your fingers while you slide the retainer clip off in the direction shown (below). Caution: Don’t let the parts fly away.
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Step 2: Remove the ejector…
Use your punch to push out the cross-pin. Caution: Spring under tension.
Remove the ejector from the trigger housing…
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Step 3: Remove the hammer assembly…
Use your punch to push out the hammer cross-pin.
Remove the hammer assembly from the trigger housing.
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Step 4: Remove the bolt stop/release…
Use your punch to push out the cross-pin.
Pull the plate up and to the rear of the housing to remove.
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Step 5: Remove the trigger/sear assembly…
Use your punch to remove the cross-pin.
… then pull the trigger/sear assembly up and out of the trigger housing.
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Step 6: Remove the trigger return plunger/spring…
Pull the plunger straight out of the hole in the back of the trigger guard and replace the spring if necessary.
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Step 7: Remove the magazine catch/release…
Use your index finger to depress the magazine retainer piston while you pull the mag release lever out of the bottom of the housing. You may need to wiggle the mag release a little to get it out.
Great work! You have successfully stripped down the fire control group to a bare trigger housing.
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ASSEMBLY PROCEDURE
Before you begin assembly, make sure you clean and lightly oil all of the parts in the fire control group. Do not leave excess oil on the parts, as it will only serve to attract excess dirt. Replace any of the unwanted or worn parts with new or custom parts and follow the steps below.
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Step 1: Install the magazine catch/release…
Insert the retaining piston and spring into the hole on the front face of the trigger housing.
Use your index finger to depress the piston while you insert the magazine release lever from the bottom of the trigger housing.
Make sure the top portion of the mag release lever is in the correct position in the rear of the piston (below).
Test the function by pressing upwards on the mag release lever. It should depress the piston (below)…
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Step 2: Install the trigger return plunger/spring…
For steps 2 and 3 it helps to clamp the trigger housing vertically so that gravity keeps the trigger return plunger/spring in place.
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Step 3: Install the trigger/sear assembly…
First, piece together the trigger and sear using the cross-pin to hold it all in place. Make sure the spring is in the proper position in its retaining holes.
Carefully remove the cross-pin from the trigger/sear assembly, but don’t let it fall apart (above). Carefully insert the trigger/sear into the top of the trigger housing (below; double arrows) and align it with the correct cross-pin hole (below; single arrow). Insert the cross-pin.
Once it is installed, it should look like this (below)…
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Step 4: Install the bolt stop/release…
Place the bolt stop/release plate into the trigger housing from the top. Make sure the plate is flat against the shooters left side of the housing, and ease it into position so the bottom portion comes through in front of the trigger guard.
Align the cross-pin hole in the bolt stop/release plate with the hole in the trigger housing and insert the cross pin.
Make sure the top, flat part of the bolt stop/release plate aligns with the top of the trigger housing (below).
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Step 5: Install the hammer assembly…
Place the metal bushings into the hammer axis hole, and place the spring in the correct position on the shooters right side of the hammer (below).
Install the hammer assembly into the top of the trigger housing by lifting the rear of the bolt stop/release plate and sliding the hammer bushing under it (below). Align the cross-pin hole on the trigger housing with the hammer axis hole and insert the cross-pin.
Make sure the lower arm of the spring is correctly positioned inside the notch on the bolt stop/release plate (below).
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Step 6: Install the ejector…
Place the ejector into the notch on the top/front of the trigger housing.
Align the ejector’s axis hole with the cross-pin hole and insert the cross-pin.
As you insert the cross-pin, compress the top arm of the spring so that it goes under the cross-pin (below).
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Step 7: Install the hammer main spring and strut assembly…
With the safety off, pull the trigger and manually push the hammer into the forward position.
Insert the hammer main spring assembly into the retaining hole in the lower rear of the trigger housing.
Align the top of the strut with the groove on the back of the hammer.
Use your thumb to retract the hammer back into the cocked position, and engage the safety.
Congratulations! You have completed the fire control group assembly procedure. You may now reinsert it into the receiver. Have fun and stay safe out there with your Ruger 10/22.
The Brasstard
Thanks for your excellent instructions. It really helped me figure out installing my Volquartsen hammer without a lot of stress.
Tallie: I’m not sure what you’re asking. When you pull the trigger, it releases the hammer to strike the firing pin. The recoil energy of the cartridge causes the bolt to fly back, and the radius at the rear of the bolt pushes the hammer down to cock it again for the next shot.
very very interesting. I know very little about rifles.
Question: Once it is loaded can you just pull the trigger like a revolver?
Wow! Great instructions and pictures. Now my gun is nice and clean and it was soooo easy! Thanks!!!!
Great guide. Working on my third 10/22.
Took mine apart to replace a couple of pieces and could not remember how it came apart. A couple of other guides I read were terrible. Thanks for a great job in description and photos.
Many thanks for the notes, been many years ( maybe 20??) since I last worked with a 10/22. I just now had to “assist” my son after his detailed dis-assembly.
Odd, seems more difficult now since the last time I did it….something about 20 years gone by?!!
Thank you for giving such detailed instructions. I found a lot of stuff for how to take it apart but not a lot of detail on how to put it together. The explicit step by step instructions with pictures were extremely helpful
GREAT THANKS!!!!
Thanks for the simple instructions. Also, a #14 AWG wire cut to just shy of the length of the trigger/sear pin works great to hold the assembly together for installation. Use the pin to push the wire out when the assembly is aligned.
thanks for the information. I took mine apart and the exploded picture in the instruction were usless. thanks again
An Excellent set of clear and concise instructions that I really needed to complete this task. Thank You.
Excellant step by step instructions! Would not have got it right without your help. Only thing I did differently to reassemble was cut off a 1/8 inch welding rod the exact length of the trigger/sear hole to replace the long cross pin while I assembled it and placed it in the housing. Push the long cross pin in & the short welding rod out at the approprite time & it is installed. Thanks for your time & interest to help others.
Thanks for the help. Love this site!
I wish I could help you with that Mack, but there are several specific reasons why I did not cover the removal of the safety.
Just keep trying… I’m sure you will get it in there. It helps to put everything in a clear plastic bag when assembling items with springs under tension. That way, they don’t fly off into the next zip code when you slip.
Best of luck.
I need more help… I got the safety button and detent spring out. Now I can’t get it back in!!! Keep launching spring across the kitchen trying.
Thanks! I was just about ready to trade off my Mini 30 due to its inability to fire Wolf/Tiger ammo. I had acquired a stronger hammer spring (from Wolff) but had NO idea how to install it! Thank you for the effort you put into this!
Thank you. I could not have installed my trigger kit without your help. Thanks again.
Randy,
Glad you like the instructions. All of the instructional materials I have so far are under the “How-to Tutorials” on the upper right side of the website. More will come in the future. If you have something specific you want covered, let me know and I’ll see if I can swing it.
Regards
Hey much thanks it was a huge help, Do you have more instructions for other guns as well?
Thanks – the instructions I had were OK, but I didn’t really understand how the magazine plunger was supposed to work until I found your version – I’m not sure I would have figured it out otherwise!
These instructions are great. Went together and didn’t have
any problems. Now that I’ve done this, it is really simple.
Thanks so much for this site. It was a real help. I have it
bookmarked.
EXCELLENT guide with fantastic pictures and instructions.
Thanks very much!
KBP,
Good question. These cross pins are not tapered or notched, so it does not matter which way your take them out… they can come out in either direction. The direction in which I have removed them in the photos above was chosen because that was most comfortable to me. However, you may remove/install them from whichever direction you chose.
Thanks for the feedback!
Impressive – The best step-by-step manual re. 10/22! One question only (I could have missed the instruction): Is there a particular direction the way cross-pins should be removed and reassembled? For example, the GLOCK cross-pins are removed from port to starboard and reassembled in the opposite direction.
Thanks again for the outstanding instruction article!