When did Ruger start using plastic parts on the 10/22?

[hometheaterman]

I keep reading how the new Ruger 10/22's have plastic trigger guards and a lot of plastic parts now. Anyone know which year Ruger switched to the plastic? I keep reading to get older ones but what exactly is considered older? Is 2005 older or is 1995 older or what?

 

[Z-Michigan]

I think it was around 2007 or 2008. Gunblast.com has an article in their archives, I think.

 

[jmr40]

I wouldn't worry about the plastic trigger group. Several companies are using them now and they are proving to be stronger than the aluminum parts they replaced. The newer 10-22's that I've fooled with have better triggers than the older ones as well.

 

[CajunBass]

I'm with JMR, but the chance came about S/N prefix 351.

 

[rangerruck]

It may be stronger, but they look like crapola; also the finish on the outside of the receiver and bbl, looks like it was put on with a hershey bar. And finally, the front site assy; looks like a shiny piece of plastic now; none of it looks metal at all, except maybe the sighting post itself.

 

[bhk]

If you go WAY back to the late 60's, even the buttplate was metal. My late 60's carbine even has a walnut stock. This is a standard production carbine. Things sure change, and not always for the better.

 

[CZguy]

I have one with a walnut stock that I bought in 1969.

And I don't think that it's just Ruger that's holding costs down to the bare minimum.

To me that's one of the things that makes foreign firearms like CZ so attractive. Traditional wood and steel.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Well plastic is cheaper than aluminum and steel, especially as of late. In order to keep prices down, Ruger switched to cheaper parts. Its our own fault, if we were more concerned about quality and willing to pay for it this wouldn't happen. Gun folks are some of the whiniest cheapskates out there. (myself included)

Look at all of the the threads on this forum about price.

 

[eye5600]

If you over 60, as I am, you remember a time when "made in Japan" meant cheap and shoddy, and anything made of plastic had to be treated carefully lest it would break. Nowadays, they are building airliners out of plastic. Things change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Manufactured items tend to get cheaper, but sometimes they get better at the same time, as has happened to watches.

One of my favorite examples is flatware. When I was a kid, good flatware was Sterling silver. It was very beautiful, but tarnished and conducted heat like crazy. Now it's all stainless. If SS was invented 2000 years ago, no one would have ever made flatware out of silver.

And if John Browning had today's plastics to work with, he would have used it.

 

[shootr]

I bought a new 10/22 and I'm loving it - plastic and all. My Beretta shotgun uses a plastic trigger group housing as do a number of other rifles that cost many times what the Ruger did. I have to think it's an improvement on the 10/22 over the aluminum. I could live without the plastic barrel band, but on the whole, my new 10/22 is a fine shooter, has a great trigger and I'm not changing a thing.

 

[ArmedBear]

[strike]In order to keep prices down,[/strike] Ruger switched to cheaper parts.

Fixed it.

 

[ArmedBear]

But really, why should Ruger put in expensive parts, when people will happily pay ever higher prices for their 10/22s, and not even complain when they toss most of the parts in favor of aftermarket versions that multiply the cost of the rifle?

 

[CZguy]

Gun folks are some of the whiniest cheapskates out there. (myself included)

Me too............but I prefer the term frugal.

Quote:
, Ruger switched to cheaper parts.

Fixed it.

Thanks.

 

[Encoreman]

I'm like CZ i prefer frugal. However HGun is correct we all want it cheaper than our buddy paid. My motto is this about tools and I put guns in the tool category. Buy a good one that will last and you can pass it down to your grandkids and they can pass it on to their grandkids. I have not one tool that properly cared for won't last at least 3 or 4 gererations. I hope they look back and say "thanks Gramps" !!

 

[CZguy]

I agree with Encoreman completely.

I'm still shooting some family heirlooms, and using other tools as well. I plan to leave them all still serviceable for my kids and grandkids. I'm not at all sure if I could do that with plastic. Maybe you could, but I'm kind of set in my ways.