So starting with a Brownells BRN22 receiver, I wish I could have landed the receiver without the pic rail, so I could have used barrel mounted sights or the Volquartsen reverse cantilever barrel mounted pic rail or Tech-Sights front and rear.
BRN22 receiver has a cleaning rod hole in the back of the receiver…totally u needed with a takedown rifle.
I love the Volquartsen DLC coated bolt with its internal round firing pin and different recoil spring setup…just be careful not to let that spring get away. As someone who keeps my firearms clean, having to unthread the bolt handle for disassembly is a tiny added Hassel. But the very smooth bolt is worth the effort.
The Volquartsen HP trigger kit delivers a very sweet break on the stock Ruger trigger. And it includes the auto bolt release for making it far easier to release the bolt…especially during the time constraints of an AQT. However, I did not care for the included Volquartsen mag release, the geometry is changed just enough so that if, when shooting offhand, you bring your support hand back underneath the magazine so you can embed your support elbow in your abdomen, it is actually very easy to accidentally disengage the magazine. I recommend sticking with the stock mag release, but I’m not so inconvenienced that I have near term plans to restore the stock Ruger mag release.
I did have an issue, at one point, where the trigger would not return to reset after each shot…having to manually push the trigger forward. Back home I found that the trigger return spring plunger was binding…a bit of lube and the problem was solved. No doubt the Volquartsen HP trigger kit features a lighter return spring to reduce the trigger pull weight. So be aware that performance parts can mean more careful attention to maintenance is necessary. It’s possible that if doing it all again, I would keep the stock Ruger trigger return spring and plunger. Otherwise I’m very happy with the Volquartsen trigger kit, but I’d be torn if choosing between the Ruger BX trigger and the upgrade kit.
The Ruger threaded cold hammer forged takedown barrel. With the Vortex Spitfire, I was able to shoot the rifle quite well, so clearly the Ruger barrel is not hindering accuracy.
The MagPul X22 Backpacker stock is excellent, but if the QD sling studs weren’t so expensive, I bet I could add 6-8 points to my AQT scores by using a sling as a shooter’s aid.
I wish the X22 had a 1” shorter length of pull, mainly to reduce the overall length of the takedown package to fit in a normal sized backpack/day pack.
While I'm quite satisfied with the Vortex Spitfire 5x atop the takedown, if I had a do over, I'd build on a receiver without a pic rail so I could run a Tech Sights rear peep with the Tech Sights front tower. I suspect I struggled with shooting the irons because of the large aperture of the KelTec rail mounted peep sight. I think that if I paired that front sight tower with a Tech-Sights rear peep, I’d be more successful.
Overall it's a very cool and complete backpack carbine, but unlike the Keltec SU16c you cannot fire in its takedown state. But it is 6 ½” shorter in its takedown state compared to the SU16c’s 26” folded.
Keep in mind that your might need receiver crossover pins (for trigger) as well as one or maybe two stock screws.
Irons: 10/22 Std vs TakedownLOP 11.5 vs 13Barrel 18.5 vs 16.5Sight Radius. 22.75 vs 19 ⅞ (almost 3” longer)Rear Sight Tech Sights vs KeltecTrigger. BX vs Volquartsen HP+Sling. Canvas GI vs NoneAperture. .062 vs .140Weight. 5.1 (4.74 without sling) vs 4.24 lbs (backpacker is 8 ounces lighter)Max width. 2.1” vs 2.5” (3/10 wider due to bolt handle)Buttstock to peep 12.75 vs 13.5” (¾” closer to peep)AQT 220 vs 205OAL. 35.75 vs 34/19.5 (16 ¼” shorter)