B-Team: Ruger 10/22 X Samson Industries B-TM

I wanted to build it great again. The Ruger 10/22 is a bit cheaper than I remember… and I want to pass something down to my kids that they will remember fondly. A plastic hunk of crap is not something to be fond of. A rifle needs to feel substantial… like rifles of old, like rifles of renown. Then again, it’s a .22LR… but so what? In the hands of a rifleman, a rifle is a rifle.

I surveyed the land and looked for components that would update the factory 10/22 into something I could be proud of. Too much tactical stuff. Some is of great quality, but not entirely something I was looking for. A traditional rifle needs to maintain those same lines in my opinion. Searching far and wide, I found just what I was looking for: Enter Samsons Industries.

Samson B-Team: What Factory Ruger’s Should be

Samson has put out quite the collection of Ruger accessories as of late. I ordered three items: The 10/22 B-TM Folding Stock, the B-TM Sight Package, and the B-TM Barrel Band. Adding these components to the cost of a bone stock $199 Ruger is a tough pill to swallow. At $259 the Samson B-TM stock costs more than the base package Ruger. Plus the sight set and steel barrel band puts you about $110 extra… Your 10/22 is now pushing well into $500 plus.

To those who seek quality, it’s the price we must pay. Let’s have a close-up of the goods.

American Walnut and thick, cast aluminum are the hallmarks of the B-TM stock set. What was once a featherweight 10/22 has been transformed into a solid, heavyish (for a 10/22) frame of beautiful walnut and aluminum. The stock is set with a brass inlay for the screw and overall the lines and metering of the stock are wonderful. Very smooth work here by Samson.

The stock mechanism is the real star. This has the most solid lockup of any folding stock I have ever encountered. The mechanism is a hinge that smoothly opens and locks behind a spring-loaded button. This button locks the stock open and provides constant spring pressure which adds to the solid feeling of the stock hinge. The buttplate itself has some wobble that follows the hinge, but the wiggle room is minuscule and comes to rest at the huge notch and from that point, it won’t budge.

One thing to note is that with this stock set, the factory irons of the Ruger become difficult to use. The comb is too high to get most shooters low enough on the gun to use the factory irons. This stock set should be purchased with the Samson optic rail at a minimum. That said, the irons are superb. The rail has built-in iron sights which are head and shoulders above the standard 10/22 and equips you for any optic of your choosing.

It’s another high-quality machined aluminum component. The rear windage detents click cleanly, and the peep is a small aperture that functions well in bright outdoor settings… but it may suffer in low light. There is no 0-2 wide aperture. It’s a single peep.

I can see this thin front sight post breaking if it hits something hard.

The front sight is another cleanly machined component. The front sight is a little thin and appears that it may be easy to break, so I would prefer it to be a bit thicker. It is not compatible with AR15 front sight posts… so Samson needs to offer some thicker sight posts to add to the variety of available options.

The last upgrade I purchased was the barrel band. The plastic factory Ruger barrel band felt like it was one fall away from breaking. It may be more durable than I suspect, but it isn’t more durable than Samon’s barrel band.

The metal barrel band with QD sling swivel and an oh-so-weathered and beautiful leather sling.

When equipped with a BX15, the 10/22 when so equipped looks fantastic and becomes a handy package. In an era of pistols and Ruger chargers… sure it isn’t as compact as other available options, but the length when folded down makes sling carry a comfortable experience for traipsing through thick brush. The sling position lays the rifle across your arm or back with the smooth side of the rifle against your clothing… nothing to poke you or cause discomfort.

Wrapping Up:

The whole setup is nearly perfect and a welcome addition to any 10/22. The downsides are the cost… and the rear sling position is somewhat of a bother. When it swings back towards you it can cause a stiff leather sling to compete with your face for stock purchase. Using a nylon sling that slinks down would eliminate this, so it’s largely a concern for my stiff sling. Even then, I can push it away with my thumb. That said, I had to file down the Uncle Mike’s sling swivel to make it fit the Ruger. Anything other than a standard, bare-bones sling swivel may not fit. The Uncle Mikes has ridges that needed to be removed to fit the B-TM. So long as you choose a sling swivel without bells or whistles it should be good to go.

The Samson BT-M set transforms the 10/22 from a cheap, chinesy feel to a hefty and quality piece of American hardware. Sure the internals are still factory, but the exterior feels all business. (We will get to the internals next) The stock, sight, and barrel band add to the quality of the 10/22 and make it something you will be happy to hand down to your kids.

All three of the components reviewed here are available at Brownells for Pre-Order. Each component was bought with my own cash money and I have had no contact with Samsons Industries for this review. The government sent stimulus checks, I spent them on gun. As it should be.

Small Cats Everywhere will fear this 10/22