Complimentary Installation:
CST is happy to perform the installation of the 2nd Generation Auto Bolt Stop free of charge, allowing us the opportunity to verify proper function and performance of our products. With the vast array of 10/22* products available as upgrades combined with factory tolerances, minimizing variables will always be a challenge for any manufacture of 10/22* components. If you have a "special" application that needs compatibility verified, or just prefer us to complete the installation to insure proper function, feel free to contact us! We pride ourselves in providing top notch customer service!
2ND GEN AUTO BOLT STOP INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
The CST 2nd Gen Auto Bolt Stop will include full installation instructions. The following is more helpful information and pics:
First order of business is always following safety protocols by verifying the rifle is completed unloaded with magazine removed. Remove stock (make sure safety button is centered to avoid damaging the stock), trigger assembly via two cross pins, and replace the bolt with the Power Match Bolt completed by reinserting the bolt stop pin. You are now ready to install the 2nd Gen Auto Bolt Stop into the trigger housing.
Step 1: The factory Bolt Lock (left), Ejector (top right), Ejector Pin (middle right), and Bolt Lock Spring (bottom right) are all removed from the trigger assembly. To remove the Bolt Lock and Bolt Lock Spring, the Hammer will also need to be removed. Reinstall the Hammer properly engaged with the Hammer Strut and Spring after the Bolt Lock and Bolt Lock Spring have been removed.
Step 2: With the magazine latch pin moved slightly to the right, insert the CST 2nd Gen Auto Bolt Stop into the trigger assembly from the top. The lengthened Ejector/Lever will slip into the trigger assembly’s ejector slot. Take care that the Auto Bolt Stop torsion spring stays along the left side wall of the trigger assembly on the way down.
Step 3: Insert the magazine latch pin into the provided cross-hole of the Auto Bolt Stop. Check that the bottom leg of the Auto Bolt Stop torsion spring is sitting on the correct surface inside the trigger assembly and not in the safety channel just below (see pic). Auto Bolt Stop should rotate freely with no binding in the ejector slot .
Step 4: With the CST 2nd Gen Auto Bolt Stop correctly installed in the trigger assembly, the trigger assembly can now be reassembled to the receiver and the stock added to complete the rile reassembly.
Tips to Tuning Function of the 2nd Gen Auto Bolt Stop:
An advantage of the new CST 2nd Generation Auto Bolt Stop is the ability to easily tune the product for best function depending on your application. An example of different applications include shorter or longer barrels, the use of a suppressor, and of course different velocity ammunition. Any of these examples can have a cycling/feeding effect on simple blow-back design firearms like the Ruger 10/22*.
Generally the Ruger* BX-1 magazines (rotary 10-round) will always work the best and trouble free. The follower spring is very consistent and the cartridge load at full capacity is not overly intense. Provided the bolt stop device is installed correctly without binding inside the trigger housing and the ejector slot, these mags should work straight away.
A simple tweak is available with the torsion spring attached to the side of the bolt stop device. Not to be confused with the coil spring pressurizing the ejector/lever, the torsion spring has an extended leg that rests in the bottom surface of the trigger housing and produces the clockwise energy to rotate the bolt stop mechanism. Only very slight bends of the bottom leg of this spring up or down will create different clockwise pressure. This bottom leg can be very slightly bent upward to reduce clockwise pressure. This will create less of a hindrance on the cartridge rising into the magazine throat. Conversely, the bottom leg of the spring can be slightly bent downward to produce additional rotational pressure on the auto bolt stop mechanism. If the bolt stop is not stopping the bolt on the last shot, additional pressure from the torsion spring will create a stronger rotational energy to properly catch the bolt upon the final shot in the magazine. Keep in mind that delaying the forward travel of the bolt with the factory pin will have a beneficial effect in either of these scenarios.
For best function, we recommend using the factory steel pin behind the bolt versus common bolt buffers. The bolt buffer actually causes the bolt to "bounce back" at an accelerated rate, making feeding more difficult. Our testing shows that simply using the factory pin behind the bolt is more effective in actually "stopping" the bolt at full retraction and allowing enough time for the next cartridge to reach the magazine throat. Using the Mid-Weight Bolt Handle to add extra mass to the bolt will also decrease bolt velocity and can be beneficial when using hyper-velocity ammunition.
The BX-25 at full capacity produces the most challenging application as the follower spring is at its weakest state at maximum capacity with the heaviest load of cartridges needed to be elevated into the magazine throat. Timing becomes an issue. If the cartridge column is not elevated fast enough, the bolt will begin traveling forward without a cartridge available to deactivate the bolt stop mechanism, thereby causing the bolt to be held open as if the last shot was just fired. This creates a "single shot", requiring the bolt to be manually closed to load the next cartridge in the magazine. This scenario should solve itself once the capacity of the magazine gets below 20, reducing the weight of the cartridge column and allowing the next round to be elevated quick enough. As the BX-25 mag becomes dirty, the additional friction from the grit will exasperate this issue.
* “Ruger” and “10/22” are registered trademarks of Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. Custom Shooting Technologies, Inc. is not associated with Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.