What better way to celebrate 10/22 Day (October 22nd) than with the new TandemKross Spitfire 10/22 barrel? This lightweight barrel is the latest release from TandemKross, and it’s a winner. Combining light weight with high build quality, this innovative barrel is unlike anything I’ve seen to date.
Lightweight barrels aren’t new. Shrouded barrels aren’t new. And M-LOK certainly isn’t that new anymore. But the Spitfire is the first 10/22 barrel with a shroud that offers M-LOK slots built right in. If you’re wondering what purpose the M-LOK slots have, hold that thought. I’ll get to it shortly.
TandemKross Spitfire Lightweight Barrel for Ruger 10/22 specs:
Nestled inside a 0.920″ aluminum shroud is a skinny stainless steel barrel. That thin barrel and very skeletonized shroud contribute to the crazy light 11.5 oz weight (11.6 on my scale) with the thread protector installed. Under the thread protector are 1/2 x 28 threads for comps or a suppressor. Designed with Steel Challenge-style shooting in mind, you can order one with a black or red barrel, covered by a black, gold, or stainless shroud. My review sample is stealthy black on black. Note that it’s only available in .22 LR, with a standard 1:16 twist.
While it’s listed as a 0.920″ diameter barrel, the shroud is actually more square than round. That places the M-LOK slots at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, but on “flats” rather than curves. One reason for this is directly related to Steel Challenge. If you’re planning on competing in RFRI (Rimfire Rifle Irons), TandemKross offers an excellent set of M-LOK fiber optic sights. They included some for this review, and I am impressed (though momentarily frustrated) by their innovative design as well. It shouldn’t be long before someone comes out with a super light M-LOK forward grip or hand stop, once the barrel gets into circulation.
Eagle Eye Fiber Optic Sight Set for M-LOK
Perfectly suited to the world’s first M-LOK 10/22 barrel, these fiber optic sights attach directly to the TandemKross Spitfire 10/22 barrel with two M-LOK mounting points each. At the rear are orange pipes, up front is green. An extra front orange pipe was included, and TandemKross offers spares as well. They’ve even got a rear peep sight option, should you prefer that over the dot-style sights. Use the included wrench to easily adjust for windage and elevation.
My frustration came about when I realized that the Fletcher 11/22 receiver with its extra-long rail isn’t quite compatible with the sights. The rear sight would need to sit too far forward. So I had to swap around some parts for this build. Not a big deal, just keep in mind that a receiver without a rail is the best option, or at least one with a short rail. See the above photo.
Installation of the TandemKross Spitfire 10/22 barrel
If you’re starting from scratch, then you probably don’t need to worry about your rifle being unloaded. For those doing a barrel swap, make sure there’s no magazine in it, and check the chamber twice before starting. With the v-block screws removed, some barrels come out easy, others not so much. Holding the barrel and tapping the receiver with a wooden block usually works. Worst case, you’ll need a heat gun. That’s a topic for another day though.
Before installing a barrel, I suggest some anti-seize on the tenon. Auto parts stores will sell you some for a couple of dollars. Coat the tenon, and hope it slips into place. Try to get the extractor slot lined up first, as timing the barrel is easier when it’s not already in the receiver. Make sure the barrel is fully seated. Sometimes another whack with a wood block or nylon mallet on the back of the receiver is in order. Install the v-block, making sure it’s squared up with the cut in the barrel.
Installation of the M-LOK Eagle Eye Fiber Optic Sights
These are M-LOK, so I’m not sure I even need to provide instructions. Place the front one right at the front of the barrel and lightly snug the screws. For the rear sight, try to mount it as far back as possible. Then snug it down. It’s a very simple process, thanks to Magpul. Adjustments are equally simple thanks to a windage screw on the right on the rear sight, and an elevation screw on the body of the sight.
The complete build specs
My base for this build is the TandemKross Manticore X lower. It’s got the Pro bundle, which includes a grip, folding stock, and handguard. Topped this off with an Elite 22 receiver along with a match bolt and an aftermarket charging handle. I keep thinking that there should be more parts, but that’s it. As soon as it was all together, I threw it on my scale for giggles. Weighing in at 59 ounces, this rifle is under four pounds, but feels even lighter.
Range time with the TandemKross Spitfire 10/22 barrel and Manticore X
These parts play well together because they were designed to work together. Handling is great – the balance point seems to be between the rear of the magazine, and the magazine release. With most of the weight over my hand or behind it, this rifle swings from target to target quickly. And it stops on target just fine. This isn’t my first light rifle, nor is it my lightest, but it’s one of the best handling. That may be because all the parts were designed to work together.
Looking at the design, it’s clear that the barrel is meant for speed over precision. Yet I plan to throw a scope on my rifle at a later date, and see how this barrel groups. Plenty of rain and cold weather prevented that from happening before my deadline. For big steel targets, it seems to be more than accurate enough though. After all, it’s a full-length barrel, not a stubby barrel in a sleeve. I’ll also shoot it suppressed, because I can see this being an option for a very light small game rifle.
Conclusion
Pricing for the barrel currently varies from $299.99 to $334.99, and the sights run $74.99. This is not an inexpensive proposition. Yet that’s not out of line for a specialized barrel, or a piece of competition equipment. I think the M-LOK mounted sights are pretty genius as well. While they are proprietary to the barrel at this time, they’re super effective and competitively priced. Overall, the TandemKross Spitfire 10/22 barrel checks all the boxes for me – light weight, high-performance, and innovative. Of course, that’s just what TandemKross does, they make good guns great!
As always, I’d like to thank TandemKross for sending out early copies of their Spitfire 10/22 barrel and Eagle Eye Fiber Optic Sight Set for my testing and evaluation. Just when I thought I had seen everything for this platform, they came out with something new. Check them out at TandemKross.com.
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