Volquartsen's .22LR Featherweight

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 8/25/20 | O Volk

[w1n1]

Volquartsen's .22LR Featherweight - The original function of the basic Ruger 10-22 was reliable shooting with passable accuracy. Over time more specialized models appeared, such as heavy-barreled target versions for utmost accuracy, and lightweight take-down designs for portability. Gunmaker Scott Volquartsen’s genius was to find a way to combine light weight with high accuracy.
His UltraLite .22 is a featherweight even by rimfire standards, with the barreled action massing under 2.5 pounds, and the lightest of the stocks adding less than a pound to that. The lighter weight is mainly attributed to the materials used for the barrel: a carbon-fiber tube with a thin steel liner.

Carbon fiber has been used in the aerospace industry since the 1970s. Light, strong and distinctive looking, it has more recently become the prestigious and coveted component of fast cars, super-light bicycles, portable but rigid camera tripods and last, but not least, competition rifles. Thermal expansion of carbon-fiber parts is half steel and a third aluminum. That's a great plus for all carbon-fiber constructions, but presents additional challenges to mixed-metal and composite designs. The same challenges are, of course, present whenever any two materials are mixed in an area subject to intense heat.

More importantly for the shooters, carbon fiber conducts heat half as quickly as steel and nearly ten times slower than aluminum, protecting the shooter’s hands from burns. Wood insulates even better, but a much greater thickness is required for the same strength. The insulating quality of the material is terrific for hunters who don’t subject their barrels to intense heat. This is also true for rimfire shooters whose guns burn miniscule amounts of powder with each shot.

On the down side, carbon-fiber composites are expensive, and machining them uses up drill bits fast! That’s partly the reason why the Volquartsen UltraLite lists for $1,100. The other is the adjustable 2-pound trigger which, by itself, sells for $260. The fit and finish of this gun is far ahead of the standard 10-22, which the UltraLite shares an overall design with, but the details are much finer. Read the rest of this Volquartsen .22lr review.

[baclava]

$1000 .22 barrel? LOL Nope

I can buy 2 handguns for that and stil have my 10-22 with a Boyds Evolution stock, it has 10x the cool factor, allows a floating barrel and is lightweight too

[DCBryan1]

Meh.....my 10/22 with Gemtech suppressor and John Norrell, Inc auto sear and a micro dot is all I need.

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting. WOW!

Arm up Americans, CIVILIANS. PREPARE to be UNCIVIL toward the UNCIVILIZED.

Civilization

Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.

The precondition of a civilized society is the barring of physical force from social relationships—thus establishing the principle that if men wish to deal with one another, they may do so only by means of reason: by discussion, persuasion and voluntary, uncoerced agreement.

The necessary consequence of man’s right to life is his right to self-defense. In a civilized society, force may be used only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use.

Ayn Rand

[Lurker]

Sounds like a fun little boom stick you got there.

L

[DCBryan1]

You can also build your own 10/22 on a blank receiver. NO serial numbers or ATF/FBI involved.

Select Fire LLC 80% 10/22 you can build yourself

[gundog]

I think the $1100 is for the entire rifle. Still....

[Magnum44]

I built one of these on a 10/22 platform about 10 years ago. Its really nice and is a little more expensive, but great for kids. Very accurate without the bull barrel weight.

[baclava]

Machining full auto guns in your garage is a great way to get ATF to visit u in the middle of the night, no thanks, just a drop in stock and barrel is fine with me