Does anyone know why Ruger specifically says not to use CCI Stinger ammo in the MkII?

Stingers are a bit lighter bullet and a bit faster; and may not cycle all semi-autos well.

I've never had a problem with them in either my 10/22 or 22/45, FWIW.

i don't know, but i do anyway. one of my MKIIs has had several thousand rounds of stingers thru it and i cannot see any wear that is abnormal. they function fine, probably better than standard velocity ammo. accuracy is usually less than match ammo but on par with other high velocity ammo.
the only difficulty (and maybe the reason for the warning) is extracting an unfired round from the chamber is sometimes difficult. this is because the bullet is shaped so that it engages the rifling when the round is chambered.
i have two MKIIs and two .22/45s and they all get stingers if i'm shooting gophers and such, but i shoot the cheaper stuff at targets.
i'm not saying it's ok, just that in my ignorance i've had zero problems doin' this in ten or so years.

monty

Does anyone know why Ruger specifically says not to use CCI Stinger ammo in the MkII?


Not sure about the MkII, but I can tell you that my Trailside REALLY doesnt like the stuff. Bad cycling and lots of crap deposited in the breech area. Same goes for the Velocitors. However, have had little problem with other brands of "high velocity" .22 ammo.

Expensive and not worth the trouble for me.

In the owners manual of my 10-22T it says not to shoot stingers because the case is a tad longer then most other LR ammo. I have shot thousands of stingers through my mark1 though without a problem.

the reason is because some of the barrels have a match or a close to match type chamber and the stingers in time will mess this chamber up and screw your accuracy up big time.

DoniphanRedneck

how? i guess i don't see it. both my 10/22 T and my MKII target competition seem to gradually improve over time, and both have had thousands of stingers thru them. that's about all i use. the exception is just plinking, but most of my ammo is shot at gophers. so i use stingers.

monty

how? i guess i don't see it. both my 10/22 T and my MKII target competition seem to gradually improve over time, and both have had thousands of stingers thru them. that's about all i use. the exception is just plinking, but most of my ammo is shot at gophers. so i use stingers.

monty

Haven't seen a Ruger (esp. handgun) with a chamber short enough for Stinger length cases to be a problem. Haven't bought a new Ruger in a long while (at least not in .22) so haven't seen that warning.

Do have an old Krico (rifle) with a chamber so tight and short length that if I try to chamber a .22stinger, it attempts to engrave the CASE. Admit, it's a freakishly short chamber (and not one of mine...factory did this one). On match .22ammo, it pre-engraves abut 70-80% of the bearing area of the bullet...with a stinger length case, it trys to preengraved the last .006" of brass along with the bullet.

Think what may be worrisome and the cause of that warning is for those that let fouling build up in the chamber (too many people brag about how many thousand rounds they can go without cleaning...is there some contest going on?...is there a trophy for the filthiest gun being awarded?). As fouling builds up, chambering becomes harder...and with a semi-auto, would be possible to lhave the bolt crush the rim before the case is all the way into the chamber.

If a semi-auto had the same chamber as that example Krico bolt action, would probably cush fire the case about .006-.008" out of battery when clean. Make that about 1/10" when fouled and I'd proable have a ruptured rim.

THe warning says not to be use in a target chamber right? Or thats what mine says anyway. ;)

Not all factor barrel have a target chamber but most of the after market barrels do unless they say it is safe to shoot stingers through them.

If you take the time just take the mag out and with your fingers slip a stinger in the chamber and see if it will slide down all the way into the chamber with light finger presure. Then pull the case out and look at the case and bullit if you see any rifeling markings on the case I'd say that it wouldn't be wise to shoot a stinger through the barrel. Thats the way I do all my .22's just to be sure that the barrel chamber will take the stinger case. And you also need to make sure your action is "heavy" enough to take the pounding that the stingers will give it.

just some thoughts

DoniphanRedneck :D

Poor man's chamber-checker:
Some full match chambers in bolt actions will engrave a part of a standard .22LR round...you'll notice little "spots" as you extract the round.

If your .22LR chamber will accept rounds with out leaving any marks on the bullet of rifling engravemnt and you want to know how long that chamber is, there is a cheap way of doing it.

Find a fired stinger case. Break a .22LR bullet from a loaded round (suggest strong fingers and tumbs...can usually grab the case with your fore finger and "thumb" it sideways until it snaps out). Toss the primed/charged .22LR case.

File the base of the .22LR bullet until the rebated heeled part will enter the .22stinger case. EPOXY the bullet into the fired case and let it cure. Waht you are left with is a full length .22LR bullet in a long stinger case (kind of recreating the .22 extra long).

Lock the action back and push the "extra long" round into the cahmber...see if it bottoms out. IF it does, you know chamber length is pretty dern long.

IF not, can push the case in hard enough for the lands to mark the bullet bearing area (DO NOT FORCE IT...use hand pressure). Once seated fully, allowing the bolt/breech to close normally, better to remove the test "exra long" round with the aid of a cleaning rod being pushed in from the front (or it just may leave teh bullet in the barrel and extradct the case). Measure from the start of the rifling engravemnt on the bullet to the case head, and you've got you max. (zero headspace) chamber length.

If the chamber is very long, all isn't lost for accuracy. Diameter of the chamber is more important than length.

As i remember CCI changed the bullet on their Stingers some years ago so that they would fit into the standard chambers ! If i remember right the match 22 lr chamber only engraved about the first 3 to 4 thousands of the bullet ! I watched a crazy guy try to check the 22's at a gunshow with a round looking for a match chambered rifle ! They showed him to the door ! JAGG