Are new Ruger 10/22's made as well as older modles.

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Backwoodsmike

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I want to get a Ruger 10/22. My Dad is selling his it was made in the early 80's. Are the older 10/22's any better then new ones such as more steel parts, made better or is a new one just as good.
 
I think the old ones are better. But thats just my opinion. The 10/22 I had back in the late 80s had no plastic other than the mag that I can remember.
 
I don't know if their any better, but the older ones definitely had more metal than the newer ones do now. I don't know all of the parts that were metal but trigger guard is one I know for sure is metal on the older models and plastic on the newer.
 
Overall......almost.

Trigger guard and plunger on the new ones are plastic which makes for a jerkier pull. On my newest, when the trigger assembly is out, one of the pins falls free of the housing by tilting the assembly sideways. I've seen another that does the same. How would you like to lose your mag. release pin?
Also, the barrel band is made of plastic. If you get the synthetic stock; you'll find that it feels real flimsy.

If you plan on tricking it out that won't matter: if you plan on keeping it stock it matters a lot.

My newest was bought to be converted so it didn't matter to me. I replaced the stock, barrel, and trigger group. I also dehorned and smoothed the bolt assembly and firing pin.
 
I bought one in the early 70's. Didn't pay much attention to them after that but 2 years ago we had one donated for a NRA event we held. It looked pretty decent but then I, picked it up I was disapponted at the quality of the new ones. Like so much today, it had almost as much plastic as metal. Have no idea how they shoot.
 
I had an older 10-22 that I eventually tricked out and installed a laminated stock, bull barrel and volquartsen trigger parts more the 15 years ago and sold it to a friend.

I just bought the new plastic stocked version, I installed a new volquartsen trigger and like it just as well if not better.

Note: I have a plastic Glock pistol and like it, and the Swiss Army is now buying plastic Glocks instead of "Swiss made" metal SIG pistols. :eek:

They didn't like the aluminum and plastic on the M16 when it first came out and said "Its made by Mattel" the plastic toy company.

The barrel band on my old one was made of pot metal and I broke it the first time I took it apart because I thought it was aluminum.

I'm saying this as someone who worked over 38 years in the mechanical field at a military overhaul base. Plastic will not rust, plastic gun parts can be made as durable as metal and they require less lubrication. If a metal pin falls out "OR" a plastic pin falls out the cure is still the same.

Bottom line, I like my new plastic 10-22 better than the old wood/metal one, so remember this, a wood stock can be effected by humidity and moisture and the fore end can warp and move with the seasons and a plastic stock will be unaffected.

Get over it, I cried when they put plastic bumpers on cars and we lost all the beautiful chrome.................................

That you had to keep polished and waxed to keep it from rusting. :banghead:
 
they still shoot the same as far as i can tell

i have three one from the 70s one from 2008 right before the metal went away and one from 2010 with plastic parts

i feel ruger put plastic parts in where everyone was replacing stuff

the trigger pack is usually the first thing to go on a 10/22 and everyone kept saying how junky they are (even the old triggers with metal) and thats the very first thing you should replace... maybe ruger listened and said well if they are just gonna junk it anyway why keep using our money on metal when plastic is cheaper
 
In general I feel quality control has become very lax since Bill Sr died. However if you get a 10/22 today that was put together right it will do as well as one made back in the day. The poly trigger housing doesn't bother me in the least...it will last as long as the cast ones and work just as well.
 
The original 10/22s had anodized aluminum receivers, metal trigger housings, finely finished internal parts and walnut stocks.

Over the years as inflation has taken its toll on the value of a dollar, they have made a series of cost cutting measures such as painted finishes, plastic trigger housings, less fitting on the parts and birch stocks in an effort to keep the price in the $200 region despite rising costs.

They could still build them the way they used to, except they would cost $650 and nobody would buy them.
 
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