Ruger 10/22 autoloader.

Mine doesn't jam. Accurate, even with cheap Remington bulk Wally World ammo.

I wipe the magazine feed area (not really lips, but some cheap metal crap) with a rag every few loadings.

Trigger feels like 10 lbs., though, and the stock sights aren't worth a tinker's damn. Hi-Viz improved that for $25. Trigger improvement would be $55 or so.

There are other guns out there. A 10/22 plus the inevitable accessories will pay for a Browning SA-22 or BL-22, Remington Field/Speedmaster, Marlin 39A, or CZ-452. If I had the money back, that's what I'd do with it.

Almost never jams. Keep it clean and it will serve you well. Mine generally takes 2-3k rounds and two months in this wind blown dusty environment bouncing around in the fields and setting in the truck before it begins to jam. This may not seem like much, but the TX Panhandle is a VERY DUSTY PLACE. I just wipe the dust off the scope so I can see my dinner and it goes BANG every time. I have put untold hundreds of thousands of rounds through it over 15 yrs. If you get one and can resist hanging all the bells and whistles on it, it will serve you well. A good investment.
~z

I have the stainless/synthetic model. The first time I shot it jammed, but this was due to the magazines. After lightly oiling the mags, I took the gun out. Since then, it has not jammed with the factory 10 round mags. I also have 30 round Eagle mags. They cause more jams, but I think they just need broken in a little.
So, in a nutshell I am pleased with my 10/22. Jamming is not an issue. I recommend federal ammo. It seems to shoot cleaner than Remington Thunderbolts and CCI. The gun is extremely accurate for having only a 18.5" barrel. Some people will criticize the trigger pull, but for casual plinking or hunting it is just fine. Also, go with the Ruger because of the crapload of add ons that can be had.

I think by heavy trigger he is referring to trigger pull weight. The amount of effort that it takes to pull the trigger.

I like my 10/22. I have a volquartsen hammer so my trigger is actually a lighter than stock. Not necessary really. But a big improvement for 25 bucks or so.

They are good rifles for small game or plinking. Just try and avoid sinking $600 in to it in aftermarket goodies and don't expect to shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards.

Make sure you look at the non carbine models. They have a new "compact rifle" and they have had the DSP "deluxe sporter" for a long time. These may cost a little more but have better stocks and sights than the carbine.

Anything you don't like about the rifle can basically be changed, there is a huge aftermarket. Unfortunately as you spend more and more money you begin to spend so much that you could have bought other rifles which may have been better from the start.

V4Vendetta said:

So you don't like it? I just want something for plinking. What does a "heavy trigger" mean?

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Ignoring general "feel", one-stage vs. two-stage, etc., triggers are measured by pulling on them with a fancy spring scale until the hammer drops, and measuring the "weight" of the trigger pull at the point of release.

So, a 10-pound trigger feels like you took a 10-lb. weight, tied a string to it, and lifted it with your finger by the string.

A typical service pistol has a 5-6 lb. trigger. Some CCW permits require this. Any lighter, and they go off in a shaky hand. A basic target pistol or rifle has a 2.5 lb. trigger; a competition accuracy rifle can have a 2 oz. trigger.

Anything much over 5 lb. starts to feel "heavy." To put it in perspective, some good double actions are 10 lb. when they're not cocked, and they're smoother.

You can buy off-the-shelf parts to get your 10/22 down to 2.5 lb. for about $55 from Cabela's and other vendors.

A 10/22 also does not have last-shot-hold-open. That means that, when you empty the magazine without counting rounds, you get a dry-fire "click" when it's empty, and you can't just put in another magazine and release the bolt to keep firing. 99% of all semiautos have this feature. For another $50 or so, you can add it to your 10/22.

The bolt release sucks. It can be a PITA to lock and unlock it, and ranges require you to lock the thing open during ceasefires. Plan on cussing a bit. Oh, yeah, for another $25 you can fix that.

You're getting the picture...

It's a cool platform to start modifying, but I wanted to keep the thing stock for plinking and maybe some small game. I don't want to get mud all over a $500 gun.

bofe954 said:

They are good rifles for small game or plinking. Just try and avoid sinking $600 in to it in aftermarket goodies and don't expect to shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards.

Click to expand...

The thing is, for $100 over the price of a 10/22 these days, you can get a rifle that WILL shoot 1" groups.

the Ruger 10-22

The currently produced ruger 10-22 is a bit of a pig out of the box. i owned one a few years ago and it wasnt very accurate and the trigger pull was atrocious. i sold it in frustration.

I found out about all the cool stuff you can do with it if you want to spend some money. went and got myself a used one cheap, in fairly good shape.

I threw away everything but the reciever and trigger group and bought the following:

Clerke 16" BBL -$60
Corelite Stock - $40
Volquartsen Bolt buffer -$10?
Power Custom Target hammer- $30 (just this took trigger pull to 2 1/2 lb's!
Butler Creek extended mag release - $5
Butler Creek Steel Lips Mags -$25 each.

i also added a Simmons 3-9x40mm scope. this rifle is now a solid shooter, very accurate.

If you want a good 10-22 shooter, build one, its fun and it'll be very rewarding. good luck! -Eric

for me the key to loving my 10/22 is not putting a ton of stuff on it. scope, and stock extention are the things i really think it needed for me to love it. rubber bolt buffer, and extended mag release were cool but not that big an improvement.

ruger 10/22's are a cheap, good, gun. accurate and reliable. easy to work on as well. kinda like the vw bug of the gun world. people like to tinker and like a vw bug, ruger 10/22's arent hard or expensive to work on.

When I took mine out for the first shooting session (I bought it used), the first three-shot group was less than a quarter inch at 25 yards. I continued to shoot the rest of the 10 rnd magazine and the group didn't get any bigger. It just kept putting them in the same hole.

Can't really go wrong with a 10/22. I was going to get one and had plans for upgrades up the wazoo...instead I just got a loaded version - A Marlin 7000T




One day I'll be able to afford a Clark 10/22....one day.

bofe954 said:

I think by heavy trigger he is referring to trigger pull weight. The amount of effort that it takes to pull the trigger.

I like my 10/22. I have a volquartsen hammer so my trigger is actually a lighter than stock. Not necessary really. But a big improvement for 25 bucks or so.

They are good rifles for small game or plinking. Just try and avoid sinking $600 in to it in aftermarket goodies and don't expect to shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards.

Make sure you look at the non carbine models. They have a new "compact rifle" and they have had the DSP "deluxe sporter" for a long time. These may cost a little more but have better stocks and sights than the carbine.

Anything you don't like about the rifle can basically be changed, there is a huge aftermarket. Unfortunately as you spend more and more money you begin to spend so much that you could have bought other rifles which may have been better from the start.

Click to expand...

That's the truth! All those little upgrades start to add up.


I agree with what kennyboy said about the Federal ammo, MUCH cleaner than Remmington.

I like my 10/22, so much fun to shoot...and cheap to shoot too!

The 10/22 is a decent rifle but to make it really good often requires upgrades. Better off IMO going with something better out of the box like a marlin model 60.

If you want good out of the box get something else

If you want something to upgrade up the wazoo get the 10/22

The search function is your friend. There's more info on the 10/22 here than there are 9mm vs .45 threads.
RT

The 10/22 is the Small Block Chevy Engine of the rimfire world.

You can run it box stock, or add on up to as much as 10x the base rifle price.

Although one car nut I know spent over $4,000 doing a balance/blueprint/hi-perf build on a SBCE. So maybe it is more like you can spend 100X base price...

A Ruger 10/22 was the first firearm I ever owned. I carried it in the Mountains around here for many years. I treated it like crap, never cleaned it, tossed it into bushes before climbing down a cliff in case I fell, strapped it on my back for dirt bike rides. Shot it so much I stopped needing to use the sights. After I owned it for over 20 years I bought an overmolded stock with a bull barrel channel and a Clerke barrel to match for a bit over $100 and I have a new rifle for the next 20 years. A good investment in my book.

borrowedtime69 said:

The currently produced ruger 10-22 is a bit of a pig out of the box. i owned one a few years ago and it wasnt very accurate and the trigger pull was atrocious. i sold it in frustration.

I found out about all the cool stuff you can do with it if you want to spend some money. went and got myself a used one cheap, in fairly good shape.

I threw away everything but the reciever and trigger group and bought the following:

Clerke 16" BBL -$60
Corelite Stock - $40
Volquartsen Bolt buffer -$10?
Power Custom Target hammer- $30 (just this took trigger pull to 2 1/2 lb's!
Butler Creek extended mag release - $5
Butler Creek Steel Lips Mags -$25 each.

i also added a Simmons 3-9x40mm scope. this rifle is now a solid shooter, very accurate.

If you want a good 10-22 shooter, build one, its fun and it'll be very rewarding. good luck! -Eric

Click to expand...

Thing is, you can go buy a Thompson/Center Classic off-the-shelf for $335 brand new, and it comes with fiberoptic sights and a nice walnut stock, a good trigger, a steel receiver and a screwed-in barrel (2 things that the best 10/22 custom won't ever have), and sub-MOA accuracy out of the box, no modifications, no money spent. Or you can get a stainless/synthetic one.

http://www.tcarms.com/TC_HTML/TC_Semi01.htm

A new 10/22 in most basic form (crap wood stock, useless sights and 10 lb. trigger) goes for $200 now, and goes up from there if you want the rifle version, a nicer stock, or anything else. Ruger's pushed the price up slowly until it's a bit out of line IMO.

Also, Remington 597's feed well now that Remington has changed the magazine, but Remington botched the introduction of the piece. This keeps the price down. The only real complaint I've heard is the trigger, so you go get an aftermarket one just like with the Ruger. But the Remington comes with the other features (hold open, etc.) standard. And it's a lot cheaper, especially as you get into the nicer versions. $250 will buy you a laminated stock, heavy barrel or stainless one, new.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/rimfire_rifles/model_597/

There are so many options. Henry's octagon barrel lever gun is nice, Marlin's 39A is world-class, Browning's SA-22 is wonderful to hold and shoot even if it's odd-looking... Lots of people love the Marlin 60, which is still priced 20% below the Ruger.

Then there are some interesting toys like the Walther mini assault rifle thingie and the guns from Feather.

Just some thoughts...

If you buy a 10/22 like I did, you will be able to put lead downrange where the gun it pointed. It's just that, as your tastes become more refined after a few thousand rounds, you'll want something else, even if it's just a highly-modified 10/22.

i absolutely despise my 10/22...






...and what it has done to my bank account.





B&C Anschutz stock
B&C extended mag release
Adams & Bennet 18" blue fluted
Simmons 6.5-20x44 Mil-dot 44 Mag w/sunshade
VQ Edge Extractor
VQ Hammer
Power Custom scope mount
Weaver rings
WeaponKraft take down screw
WeaponKraft recoil buffer (if i can one day get the bolt pin out)
Shooters Ridge 9-13" bipod w/harris adapter #9.

Had to drill the stock for the stud and countersink the stud bolt.

10-22...The coolest rimfire ever made. I think when you buy one you automatically intend to mod it. There is so much you can do with this rifle. Granted, it may get pricey, but the build will be fun and the satisfaction from the results will be well worth it.

Thought: If you're intending to mod the stupid out of a 10/22, you could probably get a solid deal on a used one -- even one in crappy condition, if you intend on rippin' it to bits and redoing it -- for deliciously little money.

~GnSx

No honest man needs a Ruger.

Since you'll end up ripping everything out anyway, think about starting with a Volquartsen receiver.