Well the buffing came from the fact that the receiver had a clear coat type finish that was peeling in some spots so I removed it by gently shaving it off with a razor blade, then using 00 steel wool and Break Free. This left the receiver pretty dull and I thought "What have I done?!?" Luckily being in the autobody business I have a small angle grinder and 3 inch buffing kit for metal. Low speed and heavy duty rubbing compound bought a gleam and shine to the receiver.
The barrel is a Butler Creek cheaper model from Natches Shooters Supplies mail order company. Its simple to change a 10/22 barrel and instructions are included with the new barrel. Two screws and correct alignment and you're all set. Like I said, Butler Creek's barrels come with easy to understand directions. That was about $100.
The Choate stock was from CombatStocks.com and was about $60. If you're using a bull barrel instead of the standard Ruger size diameter you'll need to order the correct model because there are two diferent ones. The bull barrel model has no upper handguard and is free floated with a little tweaking and adjustment of the stock, plus its comfortable, looks good, and has spacers and a cheek rest that can be added or removed for comfort. Again, simple to install and with great instructions. Choate makes incredible tactical accessories. I have a Norinco SKS sniper type that i'm building using the same style stock and a side drill and tap scope mount from Choate.
The BSA Cats Eye scope was around $75 from Natches but you can use any scope you want since these rifles excel at 50 yards you don't have to get fancy. It works for me and holds zero.
The biggest thing was the rings. The first 2 pair I tried had me all over the place with bad grouping. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong until someone mentioned rings. I thought "How can a pair of rings make such a diference? I used an alignment bar, lapped em' and everything" Then I tried Warne rings with a 1 piece base and that made all the diference in the world. Those too were from Natches for about $25.
These 10/22 rifles scream for upgrading and they're so easy for a novice gunsmith or tinkerer to work on. Everything from folding stocks to fancy wooden laminated stocks in crazy colors to German MG42 reproductions. You can add so many upgrades that the only original part left is the receiver shell. Your only limit is your wallet.
I'd recomend getting Mark White's - The Ultimate Ruger 10/22 Manual and Users Guide. You can get it for about $20 on the net by doing a search. This book covers everything!
