We’re going to have some fun, learn some things about home gunsmithing, melt the phone lines to the the Brownells GunTech Team, and hopefully not butcher a perfectly good Ruger 10/22 Carbine in the process. And all for a great cause.

At SHOT Show 2012, we got to talking to GunTech Team Leader Dave Bennetts. That alone can be a dangerous thing to do, but we persevered. Somehow we got on the topic of the Ruger 10/22 and what a fantastic platform it is. And we mean platform in the true sense.

Plat ・form [plat fawrm]

The basic technology of a guns design, parts, specifications and operating systems. A platform defines what other components may be used interchangeably or to accentuate the primary function of the gun.

OK, maybe we fudged the Webster’s definition a bit, but in plain English, the Ruger 10/22 is so extensible and ubiquitous (that’s our $.50 word of the day so we can claim to be bona-fide journalists) that an entire industry has evolved to provide quality accessories, replacement parts, and components that are optimized for specific purpose. In fact Dave bragged that Brownells carried so many aftermarket parts for the Ruger 10/22 that if we kept customizing we would eventually replace every single piece on the original gun. And he said that “regular” folks would be able to do this on their own. Yes, that’s people like us. And we’re not certified gunsmiths. In fact, we’re not certified in much of anything except making Twinkies disappear.

So we took him up on that claim.

We’re going to document the transformation process in a series of episodes. Brownells is donating the parts, Ruger is donating the 10/22 Carbine, and our staff is donating the labor and coverage. We’re going to photograph and document each step along the way and post articles here on exactly what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how it worked out. We think it’s going to take about 5 episodes from start to finish. If we’re still posting stories on this in a year or so, that simply means that the Brownells GunTech Team stopped taking our phone calls.

The best part of the deal is that when we’re finished, we’re going to Auction the newly customized Rifle on Ruger’s Auction Site, hosted by GunBroker.com. You’ll have a chance to bid on this fabulous rifle and make it your very own.

And to top that off, you can bid freely knowing that 100% of the auction proceeds are going to Project Valour-IT.

Project Valour-IT is affiliated with Soldiers Angels and helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. It’s a great idea and a great cause. Check out the link to see what they’re all about.

So sit back, enjoy the series, and get ready to bid generously knowing that your money will go to a great cause – and you’ll get a sick rifle out of the deal. “Sick” is what our kids say when something is beyond awesome. Apparently it’s a really good thing.