There are many iconic firearms that are pictured in history books or on the silver screen. But there are few firearms that are so ubiquitous in the firearms owners safes than the Ruger 10/22. Over the years the 10/22 has morphed from a rifle to an entire industry. Why has this simple blowback 22 been so wildly successful?
History
Bill Ruger had a knack for creating guns that people wanted to buy. Realizing that the other manufacturers made 22LR’s designed as youth rifles, he set about designing a 22LR with adult ergonomics. After fitting it with a full-size stock and a clever flush fit magazine he completed his design in 1964.
The 10/22 enjoyed commercial success which has led to a number of different variations. Ruger has made tactical, target, sporter, carbine, and takedown versions of their popular rimfire. Once the patents expired in 1984 a large aftermarket developed. Today many companies make copies of the 10/22, and even more manufacture aftermarket parts.
Specifications
The Ruger autoloader is a 5.2lb rifle with an 18.5 inch barrel. The sporter comes with iron sights and a birch wood stock, although there are variations with different stocks and sights. The solid receiver top facilitates easy mounting of optics. There is a crossbolt safety in the trigger guard.
Some important design features are the 10 round rotary magazine, which makes it more comfortable to shoot offhand. Reliable larger magazines are available if having a flush fit magazine isn’t important to you. Another key feature is the barrel attaches with a V-block system which means anyone with a screwdriver and a vice can swap barrels fairly quickly.
As far as the operating system the 10/22 uses a simple blowback action. In an ingenious design decision, the primary ejector is also the magazine feed lips. The rifle does not have a last shot hold open. The trigger on the 10/22’s is about 6lbs with a bit of take-up.
Strengths
First of all, the Ruger sets the standard for reliability in a rimfire autoloader. Most Ruger 10/22’s are incredibly reliable with our custom 10/22 having 100 percent reliability apart from a couple of dud primers through many thousands of rounds. Even bone stock 10/22’s rarely falter, with the rifles running standard, high velocity and hyper velocity 22 and even some subsonic 22 well.
Another strength is the rifles accuracy potential. I say accuracy potential because the stock rifles themselves shoot around 2 MOA in general. This is not terrible but is also nothing to write home about. However, because of the direct blowback action the rifles have the potential to be fantastically accurate.
Most semiautomatic systems have some moving parts attached to the barrel that capture recoil or gas in order to actuate the action. Because the Ruger uses a direct blowback action there are no moving parts touching the barrel besides the bolt. This leads to a more repeatable action, and a high quality aftermarket barrel will make a 10/22 shoot sub-MOA.
This leads to the next big advantage of the 10/22: The aftermarket. It is possible to build a 10/22 without using any Ruger parts. This means a 10/22 can be almost anything. Options from Kidd and Volquartsen are very high quality for those who like to make their rifle their own. For many though, the stock 10/22 already does everything that they need.
Weaknesses
Despite its popularity, there are some common complaints about the 10/22. One of these is the bolt release. When the bolt is locked open it is a little finicky to release it, especially if one is not familiar with the system. There are many replacement parts that can convert the gun so that the bolt is released when the charging handle is pulled back. A frugal handyman can also make the factory part function like the aftermarkets one by altering the bolt release with a dremel.
Another shortcoming of the rifle is the lack of a last shot hold open. While Ruger claims that the rifle is okay to be dry fired, many people still prefer to avoid dry firing rimfires. Without a last shot hold open this means that one must count their rounds if they want to avoid dry firing. Personally, the author has never had any issues from dry firing modern rimfires.
The final weakness in Ruger’s design is also one of the designs strengths. The V-block barrel attachment system which makes it so easy to change the barrels attaches the barrel to the receiver asymmetrically. When paired with a heavy barrel profile, if there is a poor barrel to receiver fit the barrel can eventually droop slightly which will negatively affect accuracy. This can be remedied using parts made to tight tolerances if one wants to install a heavy barrel.
Competition
Popular competitors include the Marlin 795, the Savage 64, The Savage A22, and the Winchester Wildcat. The Savage 64 design has aged much more poorly than the Ruger and the Ruger is better in most respects besides price. The Savage A22 and Winchester Wildcat are very similar designs to the Ruger, with the Winchester having the advantage of being lighter, although there is a lot of plastic parts on the Wildcats. The downside of the A22 and the Wildcat is the aftermarket is much leaner.
In my opinion, the Marlin 795 is a better general purpose 22LR in certain use cases. Namely, if you are not planning on customizing it or shooting very high round counts. Accuracy is comparable, reliability is as good if not better with the Marlin, and the Marlin is cheaper. However, for high round counts or customization the aftermarket and durability of the Ruger gives it an edge.
Closing Thoughts
The Ruger 10/22 is the king of the rimfire autoloaders for a reason. The rifle comes out of the box as an accurate, reliable, and durable rifle. In addition, Ruger makes many variations of the rifle which when coupled with the aftermarket makes it possible for owners to make their rifles into anything they desire.
There is something intangible about the design that makes it feel like a rifle and not a toy. The Ruger 10/22 is an exceptional rifle that is a great target gun, practice rifle, or small game hunting rifle depending on configuration. The Ruger 10/22 will remain a hallmark firearms design for years to come.