How To Make A Ruger 10 22 Select Fire

So, you want to turn your plinky-plinky Ruger 10/22 into a full-on “pew-pew-pew” select-fire machine gun? First, let’s check your pulse. If you’re not an ATF-licensed manufacturer with a seven-figure legal budget, you’ve just failed the fun check.

Here’s the unpopular opinion: Your 10/22 is perfect the way it is. It’s the Toyota Corolla of rifles—boring, reliable, and utterly lovable. Turning it into a select-fire abomination is like putting a rocket engine on a skateboard. Sure, it’s wild, but you’ll probably lose a tooth.

Step One: The Legal Reality Check

Stop right there. Select fire means the gun fires multiple rounds with one trigger pull. That’s a National Firearms Act (NFA) machine gun, and the ATF will visit you with flashlights and handcuffs.

Making one without a tax stamp is a one-way ticket to Club Fed. The only “select” you’ll be doing is selecting a prison jumpsuit color. Orange is trendy, but not in a good way.

Step Two: The Fake “Bump” Illusion

Let’s pretend you ignore the law and try a “lightning link” or a shoestring trick. You know what you’ll get? A jam fest and a bruised shoulder.

The 10/22’s blowback action is a gentle giant, not a racehorse. Forcing it to bump-fire is like asking a hamster to pull a freight train—cute, but futile.

“A select-fire 10/22 is the holy grail for gun nerds, but a practical nightmare for everyone else.”

Even if you magically welded parts together, the 10/22’s magazine feed wouldn’t keep up. You’d get two shots, then a click, then a sad silence.

Step Three: The “Kitchen Table” Gunsmith

Thinking of drilling holes and installing a selector switch? Congratulations, you just became a felony gunsmith. But wait, you also need a machine gun receiver, which is a totally different part.

The 10/22 receiver is stamped from sheet metal, not milled from a solid block. You can’t just drop in a full-auto sear; the geometry is wrong. It’s like trying to fit a V8 engine into a tricycle—technically possible, but why?

Your best bet is buying a pre-1986 registered receiver. That’ll cost you more than a used Honda Civic. Then, you’ll still need a $2,000 parts kit and a gunsmith who’s not afraid of loud noises.

Step Four: The Amusing Alternative

Here’s the secret: Buy a binary trigger. It’s semi-auto (legal in most states) but fires on the pull and the release. It feels like select fire, minus the federal crimes.

You’ll burn through .22 LR ammo faster than a kid eats candy. Your neighbors will think you’re Rambo, and your wallet will cry softly. But hey, you’ll have a smile the size of Texas.

Just be prepared for jams. The 10/22 is picky about high-speed shenanigans, so use quality ammo. Cheap bulk ammo will make it choke like a bulldog with a hotdog.

Step Five: The Real Easy Button

If you truly want full-auto fun, go rent a MP5 at a shooting range. It’s legal, safe, and costs about fifty bucks for a mag dump. You’ll get the giggles, then go home to your trusty 10/22.

Your 10/22 is a squirrel-killing, plinking, teaching tool. It’s not a war crime waiting to happen. Appreciate its simplicity.

So, the easiest way to make a 10/22 select fire? Don’t. Instead, buy a new stock, a red dot, and a big box of ammo. You’ll have more fun, and you’ll keep your freedom.

“The best modification is the one that doesn’t land you in a courtroom.”

Remember, the law is not a suggestion—it’s a heavy brick wall. Your inner child wants a toy, but the adult in you wants a future. Pick the future, and let the 10/22 be the lovable, single-shot-ish workhorse it was meant to be.

And if you still insist on select fire? Write me a letter from jail. I’ll send you a picture of my stock 10/22. It’ll be smiling, and so will my trigger finger.