Banana Clips for Ruger 10/22

[Confederate]

I really like those Ramline and Butler Creek hi-capacity magazines, but I'm curious if the steel-lipped versions are well worth the extra $$$. The ones I've had tended to get dirty pretty quickly and I don't know if getting three cheap ones is better than getting one steel-lipped one.

How well do the springs normally hold up on these mags? Does Butler Creek make a better product overall than the others? And what about the 25-, 30-, and 50-round mags? Are they all reliable or are the 50-round models more prone to malfunctions than the others? Finally, who makes a good loader for these mags?

Thanks!

 

[Avenger29]

The best high capacity 10/22 mags are made by Tactical Innovations. They make aluminum or polymer mags with steel feed lips. The mags are adjustable for feeding angle, and can be taken apart. The Aluminum mags cost $60+, and the polys around $30-35. Those would be the best mags to get. The poly mags, if you can get them, leave no reason to get Butler Creek steel lips, as they are a better mag for nearly the same price.

I've got the Butler Creek steel lips mags, and they work pretty good, too, but wobble back and forth a bit. I've got about 5 of the hotlips mags (got them on sale for $10 apiece), and they work OK for the price. One doesn't work, though. And they wobble a bit.

The Ramline and Eagle mags are junk. Particuarly the Ramline mags. I had a Ramline 50 rounder that was pure crap. The MWG and Promag mags are junk, too.

The Butler Creek loader is the best loader. I love mine, and it actually works. Works best with the single column mags, but can also work with the factory rotarys with some patience.

 

[jmr40]

I have some of each. I have never had a problem with any and have found them to be just as reliable as the factory mags. In other words 100%. While I have never had a problem with either I would think the steel lips would last longer. I really like the Butler Creek 10 rounders best. They are long enough to get a grip on while inserting and removing the magazines and don't get in the way like the longer ones.

I do have one of the Ramline 30 round magazines and like that it is a double stack and is a lot shorter than the Butler Creek 25 round magazine. It has been perfect for me as well but have not had it long enough to give it a positive thumbs up at this time.

 

[drphil]

I have always used butler creek steel lips but recently purchased a few Tactical Innovations composite mags. The Butler Creek mags sometimes required a little finessing to fit but once they did, they worked fine. I haven’t gotten a chance to put the Tactical Innovations through their paces but they look to be a high quality product (and adjustable).

 

[HighRoad]

Hi real quick question about hi-cap .22's

For high cap mags, is the ruger 10/22 the only option? Or is it just the best option? I was looking for a .22 rifle that would take high-caps and was wondering what I should go with.

 

[Flash!]

The butler creek mags are good...

You could not even give me anything made by Ramline.... Any Ramline product you give me will be thrown in the garbage can...they do not work!

 

[Mr White]

Agreed, Ramline mags are junk. Learn from my mistake and don't waste your money on Ramline mags.

 

[jmr40]

They make a 30 round mag for the Remington 597. It comes in a Remington blister pack but i do not know if Remington makes them or not. I have no idea if they are any good or not.

 

[Avenger29]

For high cap mags, is the ruger 10/22 the only option? Or is it just the best option? I was looking for a .22 rifle that would take high-caps and was wondering what I should go with.

It's probably the best option, but not the only one. The Rem. 597 has hi caps available, then their are dedicated uppers for the AR-15 that have hi caps (made by Black Dog). The GSG-9 (MP-5 .22LR clone) also has 30 round magazines. The Ruger 77/22s take 10/22 magazines.

But for the most part, .22s take lower capacity magazines, especially the bolt actions. And the tube magazines are hi-cap magazines, but are fixed.

 

[22HM77]

I've had good luck with Eagle 10rounders, but I havn't gotten a chance to test the Eagle 30rounders. I've heard they were junk, but that's what I've heard about nearly every non-factory 10/22 mag.

 

[Dksimon]

I have a butler Creek mag and have had good luck with it.

I wasnt to sure the plastic lips would hold up but they have been good so far. I only have about 300 rds through them so they might still be crap i just havent worn them out yet

 

[flynlr]

I have 6 eagle 30 rounders . 3 I bought in the late 80's and 3 about 2 years ago.
all work just fine. load 30 rounds shoot 30 rounds. the 3 from the 80's are showing some wear now.

 

[ConfuseUs]

I have the Butler Creek Hot Lips and Steel Lips magazines. The Hot Lips function perfectly but after some use you can tell that the feed lips aren't going to last forever.

Unlike others who have used the Steel Lips, mine suck. The rounds get caught on some rough part of the steel lip insert and won't even get into position to feed. Fixing that means I have to beat on my rifle with my fist to knock one loose after a FTF then charge it. Some people have said that this problem goes away after a couple hundred rounds; I've had this problem for 300+ rds through each Steel Lips mag. I don't think it'll go away on its own.

The "fix" I'm contemplating is loading the mag with 25 rds, drilling a hole through the mag body and bottom of the follower and pinning it, dumping the rounds, polishing the #$%& out of the steel insert, and unpinning the follower. Butler Creek sonically welds the magazines together specifically to make people like me go when I can't fix what they can't make properly.

With that much effort involved, I suggest the Tactical Innovations mag. It's a little more $$ than the BC Steel Lips, but polishing the steel feed lip insert (should it be necessary) on those should be waaaaay easier.

ETA: the Butler Creek banana mag loader is very good. You can crank a 25 rd magazine full in less than a minute. Definitely get that if you want to do a lot of hicap plinking. You can also use it on the standard rotary mag if you hold it in the loader with your thumb.

 

[jlangton]

The Ruger 10 round rotary mags always seem to work well,so why has nobody duplicated the "design" in a higher capacity magazine?
JL

 

[Avenger29]

The MWG mag kinda duplicates the rotary design (you wind a spring up that drives a belt to lift the rounds up to the feed lips). It doesn't work very well from what I have read.

The rotary mag allows Ruger to cram 10 rounds into a package that fits flush with the bottom of the stock, allowing for a rifle with sleek lines. Once you are going higher capacity, you are goind to have to come out of the bottom of the stock (and the mag might even have to be wider, now that I think about it), so might as well go with the conventional mag that sticks out of the bottom.

 

[jlangton]

I'm not concerned with size of the magazine,or shape for that matter.I'm looking for durability,and I've never had a malfunction or failure of the 10-round Ruger mag. Just was wondering why(since the Ruger mags seem to work so well) nobody had duplicated it in a larger capacity.
JL

 

[Ghost Tracker]

I've spent considerable time & money on various hi-cap 10/22 mags. I've decided they (like most things) run the range from toys to tools. Ramline designs were a consistant disappointment. Butler Creek was mid-grade with inconsistant reliability. Tactical Innovations is high-grade and high-dollar. If it's a tool you're lookin' for, T.I. is my pick.

Vorquartsen is now marketing (making?) an extended 10/22 "banana" clip. If the quality & dependability of their rifles is an indication...they could be VERY good mags. Has anyone tried them?

 

[foghornl]

I have some of the 25-round Butler Creek "Hot Lips".

Work fine....I have put about 500 rounds through each magazine.

 

[eventer289]

I have the Tactical Innovations mag and love it. It just takes a bit of adjusting to get it feed correctly. It is also easy to take apart and clean.

 

[Avenger29]

I'm not concerned with size of the magazine,or shape for that matter.I'm looking for durability,and I've never had a malfunction or failure of the 10-round Ruger mag. Just was wondering why(since the Ruger mags seem to work so well) nobody had duplicated it in a larger capacity.

That's more of better quality control and not the design.

But I have had a bad Ruger rotary that gave me problems right out of the package.

Go with the Tactical Innovations mags if it is the best quality you are concerned about.

 

[ImARugerFan]

The plastic lips version has held up for me for the past 13 years. Countless rounds fired, no problems (until the gun gets dirty).

 

[41magsnub]

The plastic lips version has held up for me for the past 13 years. Countless rounds fired, no problems (until the gun gets dirty).

Same experience here, mine loves the stack of regular old hot lips I have and have been using since the early 90's. The only Ramline I have left is a 50rd and that only works because it sucks so much to load I don't use it often. Mine also gets very temperamental when the action is dirty no matter what magazine is in it, this is the only situation when it jams.

 

[mainmech48]

Let's face it: rub two dissimilar materials together enough times and one or both of them is going to be affected to some degree.

The main reason that the feed lips and ramp on the Ruger mags are made of steel is because the bolt is. It resists the wear from sliding contact with the bottom of the steel bolt far longer than any polymer will, and thus will give a lot longer service.

The material Butler Creek uses for its "Hot Lips" feedway is more resistant to that than the polymer used for the body of the mag, but it will still wear more quickly than steel.

The Ramline mags' feedway is integral with the body and the material wears away even faster. It's also the main reason that they're so much less expensive, IMO.

My "Hot Lips" mags have lasted quite a while. They show some wear, but they still function reliably after approx. 3.5K rds each. I wore-out a Ramline 25-rounder in less than 2 bricks of ammo.

To me, it boils down to how much service life I can reasonably expect for the buck. If it takes, to pick an arbitrary number, 4X as many rounds before a mag becomes worn enough to warrant replacement then it's the more cost-effective choice even if it costs twice as much initially.

The factory mag that came with my original 10/22 steel feedway has seen more use than all of the aftermarket mags I have combined, but it still shows far less signs of wear than any of them. My guess is that the service life one could expect from a Butler Creek mag with steel lips would likely exceed that of the "Hot Lips" polymer more than enough to offset the additional cost.

 

[T J]

I have had good luck with the Butler Creek hot lips so far, the old Ramlines I had finally gave up on me. Never tried the steel lip or aluminum types.
The Butler Creek loader is a real time / thumb saver when you are running through hundreds of rounds in a sesson. I made a little crank handle that goes on the knob that you twist to load the rounds. Easier on the wrist and a LOT faster.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

The steel butler creek mags are the best. If you want something that will last forever, get the steel ones.