Why is the 10/22 so popular?

Imo I think the Ruger is so popular because it is inexpensive for the reliability and the fact that it is not picky about what ammo you use. The other reason, like you said, is that it is like the Civic/Mustang of the gun world as far as the "aftermarket" world goes. I also am in the market for one to just go with some crazy aesthetics and make it my own creation. I just recently purchased Sigs .22 and I do not have a single bad think to say about it other than it doesn't come with sights (which didn't bother me because I knew I would be getting a scope and red-dot). It is a little more expensive, but not by much. I got mine for $375 shipped from BudsGunShop.com

The 10/22 is the smallblock chevy of rimfires. After market stuff abounds and people can "fix" them up. Pretty much the same as an AR 15, you can take a nice rifle and spend three times what it origanaly cost then talk about it with your gun buddys.

The 10/22 is so popular because of the aftermarket support and because of its simple, reliable design. If you are going to "mod" the gun, the 10/22 is the way to go. Theres no limit to what you can do with a 10/22 with enough time, imagination, and of course,m money! From your basic backyard pinker to match grade accurate rifles to assault rifle clones to deadly short range varmint rifles....you can set up a 10/22 to do just about anything a .22 LR is capable of doing, while looking more or less EXACTLY how you want it to. From a krinkov Ak clone to a Hello Kitty pinked-out get-up, there's no limit to what you can find to do with a 10/22. Marlins are awesome shooters out of the box usually, but aftermarket suport is virtually nonexistent when compared to the ruger. If you want a plain jane rifle that shoots wheres it aimed, the marlin will typically fit your needs. I have no experience with the Mossberg offerings, but do own both a 10/22 and a Model 60 marlin....

Just spend the little extra and get a new one. You can pick them up for like $200 in their stock form, which everyone I know that has one doesn't keep it that way for long. I am by no means a 10/22 expert, but there seems to be plenty of knowledgeable people on here to give you better reasons.

Jmorris, I like how you went with the car logic as well. lol

If you wanna take it up a notch go to the 77/22 V-Bolt

People like them because they are a proven design, are magazine fed (quicker reloads than a Marlin Model 60), have really good magazines (both factory and some larger aftermarket), they are not made to be child-sized, plus they work using all kinds of ammo. Why wouldn't you have one?
Some will hate me for this, but I think that the 10/22 is the quintessential American rifle. I know, the Winchester 94, M1 Garand, and Remington 700 are great rifles, but there is just something about a 10/22, a brick of ammo, some improvised targets and a summer afternoon.

Quality inexpensive detachable magazines are a big part of the appeal. The magazine is the weak link in all 22's. Many of the other guns have cheap detachable mags that do not always work well. The tube fed magazines wear out long before the rifles and replacing them is more expensive than the guns are generally worth. The nicer Marlin and Winchester leverguns being exceptions.

Ruger 10 round magazines are cheap, easily optained and generally work very well. They can be taken apart and cleaned or easily replaced if needed. The ability to purchase after market 25-30 round magazines that actually work is another big plus.

Rugers were very popular long before the aftermarket options were there. I say the good magazines were the main reason.

Of course today you can turn a 10-22 into anything you want. That is certainly a big part of the appeal today. I put a $200 barrel and aftermarket stock on one of mine and it outshoots target rifles costing much more. I set up another with a lightweight Tactical solutions barrel, it is around 5 lbs scoped and shoots better than most factory 22's.

A 10/22 is all about options. A Marlin 60 has some options (aluminum triggerguards, match triggers, bolt handles, sometimes stocks...if Boyd's does antoher run, etc). The Mossberg has nearly no aftermarket options at all.

Provided the marlin 60 is a tube-feeder as well, which has it's own problems (you need special speed loaders if you don't want to spend moee time reloading than shooting if you are at Appleseed for example)...but Marlin has a mag-feed verison, but it costs more, approaching the cost of the 10/22.

The 60 is more accurate out of the box, but the 10/22 can be made more accurate overall since there's match grade barrels, upgraded trigger groups, etc availible for it that simply do not exist for the other options.

It's all about if you want something that has exceptional performance out of the box, or if you want a "tuner" rifle.

I would say the same as jmorris...

The 10/22 is very much like the Chevy Small Block engine...you can run it factory-box-stock, to full-blown "Unlimited" with more accessories and performance parts than you can imagine, or anywhere in between.

And it has been around, essentially unchanged for 40+ years.

Brother-in-law has one of the early 10/22's, I have the 40th Year model. Biggest difference I see is the instruction manual...his is 2 11"x17" sheets stapled together, my owner's books is more like "The Great American Novel"...about 60 pages, but printed on smaller sheets.

"Why is the 10/22 so popular?"

I have no idea. I didn't like them when they came out and I still don't. Oh well. They must not feel clunky and shoot poorly for other people. I hear if you replace every part on a 10/22 it's a really nice gun.

John

Bought mine used in 74 for 50 bucks, still runs like tank.

They are fun to shoot. That simple. I shot my hunter's safety test one one, and so will my boys. And yes, a non-gunsmith can change out pretty much everything the rifle, if they were inclined. But if I wanted to build a super-tackdriver, I probably wouldn't use a Ruger receiver anyway, I would buy one of the aftermarket ones.

Like someone else said, they were very popular BEFORE all of the aftermarket craze. My dad bought his in the mid 70s, and he proudly proclaims that he has probably shot 100,000 rounds through it, and even cleaned it once or twice. When I stripped it to clean it, a bajillion little crescent-shaped lead shavings fell out of all of the nooks. It had never malfunctioned with Ruger factory mags, and still hasn't. My dad told me he hasn't shot it in 20 years, so I might as well take it for my boys to learn on. I just ordered some Hi-Viz sights to put on it, and I might consider a peep-through scope mount, but other than that, I don't plan on doing anything to it.

As for the critic's article, if he is mostly criticizing the plastic parts, and complaining that the price stayed the same, I wonder how he would feel if the parts were still aluminum, there was no difference in how the rifle functioned, and the price went UP, like everything else in the industry has in the last couple of years. I doubt there is any difference in longevity, if my dad's old one had been made with the plastic parts, I don't see how any of them would have failed. I don't mean to bust anyone's bubble, but......the gun industry uses plastic. Lots. (Don't tell anyone.)

The ruger 10/22 always seems to be a favorite, but I can't help but notice that it is at least $50-$100 more than offerings from mossberg and marlin

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The short answer is; "Because they're worth it" My first one lasted from 1971- 1998 before it was lost to a natural disaster. I'd probably still be shooting it, if I still had it. I've also owned a Marlin model 60 produced for Montgomery Wards under the "Glenfield" name. In my mind, there is no comparison between the two. IMHO, the Ruger 10/22 is far superior mainly because of its rotary magazine. I currently own a 1999 stainless/synthetic model and have been just as pleased with it. The only two accessories I've purchased for it are a scope and an extra 10 round magazine. Accessories do abound for it, if that appeals to you. I'd spend the extra money, you won't be sorry.

...because 10/22 owners didn't try Marlin 60s first. And yes, I'm biased

I don't understand a detachable magazine being that big a pro over a tube mag; one more thing to lose and it doesn't that THAT much longer to reload 14rds in a tube vs. 10 in a rotary mag and I guess volume of fire hasn't ever been a concern of mine with a .22. To each their own, however.

I won't ever get rid of my 60, but I am thinking of a Stocky's Anschutz Thumbhole in Cobalt Blue with a .920 stainless steel barrel for my 10/22...you know...just because I can. Which is probably why they're so popular...

1) the magazine is detachable, reliable, are available in high capcities, and are easy to find.
2) The design allows and encourages customization
3) They are reliable and reasonably accurate
4) they are available in a variety of configurations (ie stainless, different factory socks, etc)
5) it is easy to mount a scope to them and the mount maintains zero well

If your thinking of the aftermarket AR look google armscor 22 lr. Ive had one for about 25 years and its still going strong. 14 round clips.

I think that they have been pushed on us HARD by the gun media for some unknown reason. I feel the same way about the 1911. I used to own one and sold it. I now have a model 60 that shoots great.My personal opinion.

As an aside, does anyone make a good child-sized stock for a 10/22? My daughter just turned 10, and definitely needs a youth-length stock suitable for her arm length. I have kicked around the idea of a Cricket, but due to finances I'd rather buy one gun than two, and a 10/22 will grow with her better; it's something she could keep and enjoy for the rest of her life.

benEzra said:

does anyone make a good child-sized stock for a 10/22? My daughter just turned 10, and definitely needs a youth-length stock suitable for her arm length.

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There are collapsable stocks available for 10/22s. That has the added advantage of allowing you to adjust length of pull (six positions) as she grows. It comes in a bunch of colors including pink:
http://www.tapco.com/products/ruger/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=142#b


I have an Armscorp model 16. It is reliable and reasonably accurate. It is limited to only 10 or 15 rd magazines (it doesn't use clips) and replacement mags are expensive. Also, disassembly for cleaning is a PITA and it has alot of small parts when you disassemble it.

Marlin model 60s use essentially the same design as the Ruger for their bolts and are very good rifles. I think that the marlins are marginally more accurate, and tubefed magazines have advantages (can't lose it) as well as disadvantages (expensive to replace if damaged)

I like them because they work for what they do. I personally wouldn't go mod crazy. Mine has tech sights and a Volquartsen hammer and extractor.
They also work just like most semi auto centerfires, so they work well for cheap practice that will transfer to those.

BoilerUp,

A 10-22 mag can be replaced for $12. The tube magazine on your Marlin will wear out and when it does it will cost you more to get the gun fixed than the gun is worth. Got a couple of non useable Marlin 60's in the closet that I had as a kid, I'm not willing to get them fixed because of the cost. The Rugers, which have had many, many more rounds through them are still going strong.

10/22's are popular because they work and shoot very well. They were the most popular 22 semi well before the era of aftermarket parts as well.