There’s little doubt that Ruger’s timeless 10/22 auto-loading rifle is the ideal firearm for beginners and has been for decades. A rugged and reliable design that lets shooters accurately put round after round of cheap .22lr ammo downrange, it quickly became the favorite firearm of newbies from coast to coast.
But while the 10/22 rifle has been around since the 1960s, not much about it had really changed. It was the same old rifle, albeit with some different window dressing for different models. There really hadn’t been any updates to the mechanism. Until now.
There are two minor issues that I’ve had with the original 10/22 design, issues which have kept me from plunking down the $200 or so that it takes to bring one home.
First was that it was a pain to clean. The design of the 10/22’s receiver is such that disassembling it for a thorough cleaning isn’t really a viable option. Call me crazy, but my disassembly procedure for cleaning a gun usually stops when something needs to be drifted out with a hammer and punch. I’ll usually just squirt some CLP in the action and call it a day.
Second, while the gun had the minimum required 16 inches of barrel length and hardly a micrometer more, it was still a little on the large side. One of my friends back in Virginia was looking to buy her first gun, but she needed it to fit in the storage space of a soft top Jeep Wrangler. Anyone who knows that car knows that the storage compartment is big enough for a sandwich, a European-sized can of Coke and not much more. The standard 10/22 she wanted simply would not fit.
That’s where the 10/22 Takedown comes in.
We first saw this at last year’s NRA show and after many months of waiting, the rifle finally showed up at my FFL. When it finally arrived, my gun store gal couldn’t believe her eyes. She had never seen one before and damn near entered the thing into her book as a “pistol” before she realized what she had.
The 10/22 Takedown is designed for those who simply don’t have the space for a full size rifle. For example, maybe you live in one of those capsule hotels. Or you ride a motorcycle and don’t want to roll down the street with a full sized rifle bag conspicuously strapped to your back.
The barrel is the longest part of this rifle, clocking in at 18.50 inches. That means you can stuff it into almost any backpack and head to the range with your neighbors being none the wiser. Forget having to hide your heater in a guitar case, if you have a Takedown, a violin case will more than do the trick.
One side effect of having a smaller overall size is that it also becomes a very viable option as a survival firearm. Simply throw it in the trunk of your car and forget about it. Or dump it in one of the millions of compartments of your Cessna 172 before taking off to ensure you don’t starve to death before SAR gets to you.
The only thing that really compares is the Henry AR-7, which was specifically designed for survival situations. That single-minded focus on survival, though, keeps the AR-7 off my list of guns that are fun to shoot. So where the AR-7 would be a sole-purpose rifle that I’d never take to the range, the 10/22 Takedown fills both roles quite nicely.
The whole idea was to make something that didn’t scream “GUN!” when you walked out of your front door. And to that end the Takedown’s design is perfect. However, the carrying case that comes with the gun is a little less discrete.
Yes, nothing says “move along, nothing to see here” more than a black bag with MOLLE straps and a big, attention-grabbing red logo from one of the most popular firearms companies on Earth. Not really all that well thought out, eh? But while the exterior might not be as subtle as I’d like, the interior is perfectly designed.
The pockets on the front are designed to make your range trip that much more enjoyable, and even come with some suggestions. There’s a full-size cardboard cutout of a Ruger SR-22 handgun in the top pocket to suggest that it might be the perfect thing to slip in there to compliment your 10/22. And you’ll find some similarly full-size cardboard cutouts of extended 10/22 magazines in the lower pocket. There are even specifically designed pouches in there to keep the magazines from bashing against each other.
On the inside there’s room for the receiver in the left hand pocket and room for two barrels on the right, each with their own sleeve and velcro flaps to keep them in place. It’s cleanly designed, and the bag’s great for grabbing and heading out to the range.
The rumor is that additional barrels will be made available shortly. The 10/22 Takedown is available right now in either the standard version or with a threaded barrel. And it’s hard not to think that extra pocket in the bag means Ruger will be offering more barrels as a standalone upgrade to the stock rifle. The ability to have a new barrel shipped straight to your door with no FFL required is very appealing. That’ll mean your 10/22 can easily keep pace as your shooting skills grow.
That right there might be reason enough to buy a 10/22 Takedown. If you ever want a different barrel profile, or just a different barrel, you simply pull off your current barrel and slap a new one in. And the process, as we saw at NRA, is surprisingly simple.
The ability to remove the barrel makes the Takedown a whole hell of a lot easier to clean than the traditional 10/22. The ability to access the chamber and shove cleaning rods down the barrel without fear of getting more crap in the receiver makes cleaning a breeze. And while the bolt still isn’t exactly easy to clean, it’s easier without the barrel in place.
Enough about the features, let’s talk about how the thing actually functions on the range.
In terms of accuracy and performance, its par for the course for a 10/22. The trigger is a tad squishy and not exactly “crisp.” Accuracy (even with match grade ammo) is just about quarter-sized at 50 yards. But the real party trick comes when removing and re-seating the gun.
The more astute of you may have noticed that the scope mount is on the receiver, which separates from the barrel for storage. Normally this would screw up your zero and wreak havoc with accuracy. But thanks to Ruger’s ingenuity there’s an adjustable ring that keeps the connection between the receiver and the barrel nice and tight no matter how often you take it apart. With that wobble-free connection, the worst change I saw after disassembling and reassembling the rifle was a difference of about an inch at 50 yards.
In short, what we have here is a brilliant improvement on the classic 10/22 design. They didn’t just slap a new barrel on it or change the color, they actually taught an old dog new tricks. And they did it brilliantly. While I could sit here and pontificate on how great this thing is until the cows come home, the best endorsement is this: when I was finished testing it, I sent a check back to Ruger instead of the rifle. There’s no way this thing is leaving my collection — to me, it’s just too perfect a training tool for new shooters.
Specifications:
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Barrel: 18.5″
Weight: 4.67 LBS empty
Capacity: 10 round magazine (included)
Sights: Folding iron sights, scope rail included
MSRP: $399
Ratings (Out of Five Stars):
All ratings are relative to other similar guns, and the final score IS NOT calculated from the constituent scores.
Accuracy: * * *
Compared to other 10/22 rifles, its about average. Nothing spectacular, but no one expects Anschutz-level craftsmanship here.
Ergonomics (Handling): * * * *
One star lost because I still don’t like that bolt hold-open mechanism. Otherwise, pretty darn good.
Ergonomics (Firing): * * * *
The trigger is a little squishy, just like all the other 10/22 rifles.
Reliability: * * * * *
Never had a problem. Ever. And thanks to the ability to break the thing apart, it will be even easier to clean!
Customization: * * * * *
Not only does the rifle come with a scope rail, the rumor is that additional barrels will be available soon, too. That’s some pretty serious customization ability right there.
Overall Rating: * * * * *
This is one of those situations where the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts. A superb rifle for new shooters or those looking for a survival rifle.
I have the USA special edition with the blue stock and red bag. I put tech-sights on which still let both sides fit in the two long puches on one side of the bag and on the single large pouch I have a Kabar Chop Stick and I can still fit a Browning Buckmark in a seperate pistol case inside the bag. Then a leatherman tool, watherproof matches, extra magazines a couple boxes of CCI mini-mags, safety glasses and ear buds I think I’m good to go for short term survival.
This is always in my trunk whenever I plan on driving more than 50 miles from home.
More than 50 miles? You should downgrade that to more than 15 miles, If SHTF travel will be more slow going than you think…
Why? Less than 50 miles is just over a 30 minute drive and if the SHTF, it’s not like you’ll be worried about being pulled over for speeding so you could do it closer to 15-20 minutes.
If you work and live in the (same) sticks, okay I can see 50 miles in 45 minutes, taking into account turns, accident avoidance, and ignoring lights, speed limits, and stop signs. If you live in a built-up area, like the suburbs or in a city of over 150,000 people, that 50 mile trip just became a couple days, some of it possibly on foot. Traffic jams, people having accidents that massively block thru-ways, caring for family members and friends with you, roving gangs, other people wanting to cling to you (and slow you down) because you seem to be the only person who knows what to do, injuries, lack of food and water, etc. all have to be taken into account. WROL sucks royally in a society with low morality, like in a city. Just ask some Katrina or Sandy survivors.
Love a 10-22. Cleaning one is a bit of a hassle. My current 10-22 has been with me for about 15 years. Just once I’ve taken the action out of the stock and did a complete cleaning. It will usually go several trips and I don’t know how many rounds before I wipe out the action, run a rod thru the barrel and spritz a little CLP in the guts. Doesn’t phase it in the least. In all those years I’ve had to throw out 1 mag. Factory standard Ruger mags are just about as murphy proof as the gun.
I seem to recall paying less than 150 for mine new with the black synthetic stock.
Take your receiver out of the stock. Remove the bolt. Drill a .25″ hole in the back of the receiver, inline with the bore. Deburr it. Clean your bore from back to front. Reassemble your rifle. Can’t see the hole at all, can you?
Why would you do that and void the warranty / resale value when you can just clean your barrel with a bore snake back to front?
Void the warranty? Void the warranty?! A gun’s not really yours until you’ve voided the warranty.
Take your receiver out of the stock. Remove the bolt. Drill a .25″ hole in the back of the receiver, inline with the bore. Deburr it. Clean your bore from back to front. Reassemble your rifle. The stock should hide the new access hole and keep crud out of it.
As for the bolt hold-open, 15 minutes and a small file will make it run like every other semi-auto- pull the charging handle back to release it. Google ’10/22 bolt hold open’ and you’ll find instructions.
Another 15 minutes and you can get your trigger break cleaned up and lowered to around 4lbs.
needs threaded muzzle!
The new version of the takedown has just that!
Now if I could only find one. I’ve been looking for one locally for almost a month now.
You and me both. 10/22s are as rare as hen’s teeth these days.
I went to Guns, Fishing and stuff on March 5, 2013, paid for a TD…still waiting 0n 6/2…called yesterday and they said I’m next but they don’t know when it will come in…
Picked up one for £150, very pleased with it.
Not one to comment much guys but I picked up one on GrabAGun and had it shipped to my local FFL with a Threaded barrel because I plan on shooting mine with a Can. I plan on testing Eley ammo in it (Subs) soon.
I bought my 10/22 Takedown last year and have had many hours of range fun. The bag has 2 BX-25 mags, a brick of ammo and room for my MK III. I’m running mine with a Leupold Mark AR 1.5X4 optic. More optic than necessary but I like how compact it is and I had it on another rifle. It is small enough and positioned just right for eye relief that I can leave it mounted on the receiver in the bag.
I hope to see additional stand alone barrels sooner than later. Preferably one with the threaded barrel. I’m currently waiting for my tax stamp for a .22 suppressor.
i want one i want one i want one
but i can’t find one
gunbroker.com… but their prices are off the scales
“Off the scales” and “can’t find one” are equivalent to me.
They are in gun shops all over in the Ocala/ Leesburg area.
it was a pain to clean.
An understatement to be sure. Cleaning the 10/22 is about as easy as giving a bubblebath to a tomcat. Other issues include the numb trigger, the horrid bolt hold-open and the fumble-prone mag release. But with all it’s faults, it’s still a great little rifle, and the takedown makes it better.
It’s a lot more enjoyable with the Timney drop-in replacement trigger group. Great trigger with an easy reset, a lever magazine release, and a much better bolt hold-open.
Of course, adding the Tech Sights and a Hogue stock means that I spent more on parts than the original rifle. That’s a 10/22 for you…
I just went ahead and got the Tactical Target model, which comes as a bull barrel with the Hogue stock and a better trigger. Less middle man. I did, after having it for several months, pull out the bolt hold-open and do “that modification” on it, and I like it much better now.
For people who really want to run a brush down the bore of a 10/22, you could always drill a co-axial hole in the rear of the receiver. I’ve seen this done on several competition 10/22’s.
I’m of the opinion that most people’s complaints about cleaning the 10/22 can be solved by feeding them something other than the cheapest crap ammo from Walmart (but then, any .22 pistol or rifle benefits from feeding it premium ammo). Feed them ammo that isn’t over-lubed, that isn’t too hot (ie, use nominal velocity .22LR ammo, so you have less unburned powder) and then clean the bolt face, clean the extractor, hose down the bolt and trigger group every so often with some cleaner, re-lube, re-assemble and you’re pretty much done.
Agreed. I buy my “cheap, crap” ammo at Cabelas or Bass Pro Shop. Of course, Wally World is cheaper.
Volquartsen makes all the parts needed to make it run like butter
I picked one up last year and of course now they offer a threaded barrel version. I sure hope they offer the barrel separately. No forget that I’ll just buy another one.
I have been considering the Tech-sights as well and need to order a set of those. Not like I can buy ammo or mags at this time anyway. I wonder how long a backlog they have on the BX-25 mags?
Salivating at the thought of a silencer on the new 10/22 threaded model, with a 50rd BX-25×2 mag attached. Oh boy!…….
I sent my barrel to Dude47jp on eBay. Paid $125. He moved the font site back in perfect position and came with a nice looking matching thread protector. Took only a week total.
FYI: my Silencerco 22Sparrow SS is awesome, although the sound reduction is much more noticeable on my Walther P22 than on the Ruger 10/22 Take Down. When shooting Subsonic CCI rounds, it is about as loud as my pellet gun.
Cool thanks for that info. The 22sparrow SS is what I actually have too! But it’s in jail for a while 🙁 Was looking on threading my Takedown for the Sparrow spec threads sometime this year.
Lucked out and found one at my friendly local gun store last April for $320. Love it. Mine does not change impact when I take it apart (with a scope mounted). It seems to shoot best with CCI Velocitor, but each .22 will like a different brand. If your groups are not what you want, try a few other brands. I also discoveered that even with a .22, you need to put LockTite (blue) or a similar removable threadlocker goop on all of the scope mounting screws – on the base and the rings. My scope loosened up after about three weeks of shooting.
The hard part was finding a short enough scope that the receiver will still fit in the bag comfortably – 8″ to 9″ is about as long as you want the scope. I put a little BSA Optics “Tactical Weapon Series 4 X30 mm RifleScope” on mine – it came with Rings, AR and SKS Mount for about $65. Not fancy, but it works. The Ruger 25-round mags are also the first ones I have found that will feed a mixture of different ammo without jamming.
Looks as if I will have to buy a threaded barrel when they come out.
And if you want/need to disguise the bag, buy an embroidered peace symbol or a HelloKitty patch, and sew it over the Ruger dragon. Tell people it’s a game controller with accessories.
Heh. “Game controller”. I see what you did there.
I have a Bushnell Banner 1.5 x 4.5 x 32 scope on mine that fits perfectly in the bag. A nice scope for the price.
I just used a sharpie marker and blacked it out.
I also use a UTG leapers 3-9x with light reticle, it fits in the bag just fine
Folks are modding folding stocks to fit them so they are even more compact, youtube has some vids, I have also heard some aftermarket companies are gearing up to make a drop in folding or adjustable stock for them.
The beauty of the 1022 is all the aftermarket parts available to build them into just about anything from a match grade rifle to a copy of the WW2 M1 carbine.
Use the Otis cleaning kit for regular 10/22 due to a wire instead of a rod.
Have the camo version – distributor exclusive – if you find one, make sure the breach end part of the barrel is heat treated like Nick’s in the photo. and when you put it back together, Ruger recommends allowing the bolt to work a few times. In other words, let it slam forward a time or two to properly seat the barrel, which should help prevent accuracy changes.
Also, Williams Firesights now has an ACE in the Hole sight set for the Ruger 10/22. A rear rail with peep sight and fiber optic front. My plan is to be able to use iron sights, and then slap on and be able to remove a scope or red dot for my takedown when the situation calls for it.
Yep, you just gots to have one.
I use a see thru rail
“First was that it was a pain to clean.”
The 10/22 barely needs to be cleaned at all. Maybe once every thousand or two thousand rounds? And like any rimfire the barrel should never be cleaned.
I’m guessing you belong to the Cleaning Your Guns Ten Times As Often As Necessary religion.
” And like any rimfire the barrel should never be cleaned.”
That’s news to me. Care to elaborate.
Most .22LR rimfires won’t lead unless they have a rough bore. They’re moving at low velocities, the bores usually only have powder fouling in them.
I’ve seen very nice, high-dollar target .22’s ruined by obsessive cleaners with a brush. Don’t do that. Use some MPro-7 on a patch, wet the bore down, run a brush or bore snake from breech to muzzle once or twice ever few hundred rounds and then follow up with a couple dry patches, then a patch with some light oil on it. You’re done.
Target .22’s have to them be re-fouled (1 to 10 rounds, usually) to get them to print where they were.
The worst fouling .22’s are always semi-autos, and then semi-auto’s fed with waxed or heavily lubed bullets. Their actions become positively filthy with unburned powder and lube sprayed all over the inside of the action.
To give an idea how infrequently I clean my high-end bolt-action target .22’s, let me put it like this. Every 500 to 700 rounds, I’ll put a damp mop through their bores to pull out some powder fouling. That’s it.
DG, I love you man. I always seem to learn something when you start typing. I’ve got a 10/22 Target with the bull barrel. Since I got my bore snake, I just wet it, pull it through a couple times, and then run an oiled patch down the bore. It appears I’m doing it right.
Interesting. Thanks. But I’m curious, how does a brush ruin a bore? If a bore can handle having hot, copper-jacketed bullets jammed through it repeatedly at high-velocity, how does a brush hurt it?
I clean my guns after every single use. I spray some CLP down the bore and I then run a bore snake through from breach to muzzle twice. For all other parts of the gun that need cleaning, I spray some CLP on cotton squares and and rub everything down and then come back with a clean square and clean any excess off. I may use a patch with a little lube oil on it for a few parts. I almost NEVER use a brush and when I do it is only on heavy carbon build up and only with a nylon brush. What should I be doing different? Keep in mind, my guns can go several months between use.
The copper or bronze bristles of a brush are harder than the lead. The lead deforms to match the bore (actually, the term is “obturate” – meaning deformation to fill the bore). The bristles, however, just bend – and they want to spring back. It is this latter issue that matters.
When you run the bristles over a sharp edge in the bore (eg, the front of your chamber, the throat or the crown), you can and will cause wear on these machined edges if you over-do the cleaning. I’ve seen some people obsess about cleaning .22’s like they were cleaning a black powder rifle. .22’s just don’t need that much cleaning unless you’re using really terrible ammo or the piece is getting dusty, or you live in a high-rust environment (eg, near the shore, or the deep south).
On high-accuracy bores, you never want to pull a brush backwards into the bore or put the brush into the muzzle – you always want to clean from the breech end, exit the muzzle and then pull off the brush to pull the rod out. The brush picks up abrasive residue from your powder and you should not drag that backwards over the crown.
Oh, and on a bolt gun, use a bore guide to insert the brush into the chamber and keep the rod from wearing/running on the sides of the chamber. Use a one-piece rod, never a jointed rod. On a 10/22, a bore snake pulled in from the chamber end is probably a good way to go unless you drill out the rear of your receiver.
Never, ever, ever try to reverse a brush in a bore. Ever.
Charles, you’re not doing anything wrong. Brushes are what wear bores. Copper/bronze are OK for occasional cleaning, the stainless steel brushes that some people use are horrible. A plastic bush can pick up a fair bit of abrasive, but if you exercise proper brush control (per above), it should be OK.
A patch wet with CLP is just fine. MPro does a better job on powder fouling (follow MPro-7 with some light oil on a patch at the end), IMO, but CLP, Hoppes #9, etc are just fine. Just don’t use a jointed rod.
Thanks DG. Good stuff. How often would you recommend using a copper remover when using jacketed ammo?
DG, I imagine the problem you describe of brushes wearing out sharply machined edges is somewhat dependent on brush diameter, no? For example, the bristles on a .45 brush will be a lot more flexible than one for a .22 and would be much less likely to cause wear. Is this right? Looks like I’m guilty of over brushing some of my handguns – should I be beating myself up about it? Luckily, I haven’t had my 10/22 for very long so I’ve only cleaned it a couple times – from now on, I’ll do it the way you suggested. Thanks for all the information. This is great.
When necessary. Without seeing the bore, I can’t tell you how often that is. Offhand, I’d say that there are some bores that, due to being a bit rough, get more copper fouling that premium barrels.
When a barrel is new, I’ll clean it after the first 10 rounds, have a close look at the patches. Then I’ll clean after 50 rounds, look at the patches. Then clean after another 100 rounds, looking at the patches. As I break the barrel in, I’m looking closely at the patches and brush residue to see what’s coming out of the barrel. From that, I make a judgement call of how much that barrel will tend to foul.
Because I like shooting a lot more than I like cleaning, I’ll pay up for high-end barrels on my rifles, which minimizes cleaning. I have some accurate barrels that are as rough as a cob, but they take an hour to clean. That’s an hour I could be reloading, fixing other people’s guns, making more guns, etc.
Completely off subject, I have a great site for you if you do any bullet casting. This is a list of nearly every bullet mold ever made by Lyman and Ideal, with weights and a drawing of the bullet, listed by mold # in numerical order from the 225s through the 600s.
OL’ BUFFALO BULLET MOLD TABLES by Blaine S Nay, Cedar City, Utah,
http://www.three-peaks.net/bullet_molds.htm
Got mine for Christmas instead of a reloading kit. I was able to get a few thousand rounds of .22 LR before the world went nuts, and have been shooting that instead of 5.56. This review is spot on. This gun is decently accurate, has a mediocre trigger, and its totally awesome!
You’ll go through ammo quickly, so only take 100 or 200 .22 LR rounds so you don’t burn through the whole brick. I want to get a Burris or Leupold red dot on mine, but I’m pretty dang short on cash at the moment.
Just spoke with Ruger in NH. A customer rep said they have no plans on selling standalone 10/22 barrels as they don’t want customers interchanging parts. So I can’t purchase the new threaded barrel portion and attach to my original stainless steel version? Booo…..
In light of this info, I think the extra pockets inside the bag were meant for cleaning rods and such, not for extra barrels.
Take it to your friendly local gunsmith and have them thread the existing barrel for you.
3rd party barrels are on the market, some already threaded.
Hey, Nick–I got my 10/22 TD at a gun show last year and really like it. I was excited to see the threaded barrel version announced at the SHOT show. I contacted Ruger to see if I could get the threaded barrel.
Look on Brownells and MidwayUSA’s sites. There’s no shortage of threaded barrels out there.
AFAICT, none of those barrels fit the takedown model.
Richard.
You’re right – you’ll have to have it fitted.
That’s what gunsmiths are for. 😉
Wonder why they didn’t use the dead area inside the buttstock for additional (and waterproof) storage?
crap i cant find one anywhere,…except on gunbroker.com but its out of my $$$ range
Usually I am one of the last people to get my hands on a new firearm design, particularly those that are in high demand. I had been considering the Takedown as my survival rifle for a while now but figured with my luck I would never see one for a year or more. However, I recently acquired through a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy, the NEW Ruger 10/22 Takedown with the blued finish and the threaded barrel. I paid $500, and he probably made over $100 off me, but I don’t care, because I would have had to wait forever to get my hands on one through an FFL. The first upgrade I did to it was ad Nodak Spud sights, seen here:
http://item.brownells.com/categories/nodak-spud-llc-sights/index.htm
They are about $125 including shipping, but the sight picture is SO much better and I get a rail. Yes, I know that you can get a set of Tech Sights for $60, but again, I get a rail with the Nodaks. (Note, the front sight adjustment requires an AK/SKS sight adjustment tool…or a set of needle nose pliers if you don’t care about scratches) I also added an aftermarket bolt handle and recoil spring system, seen here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FN1EUM/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00
The system comes with 3 different strength springs depending on what velocity ammo you are shooting. The lighter spring is especially good with the subsonic ammo for the suppressor.
I also added a Volquartsen bolt and target hammer set:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/145851/volquartsen-bolt-release-and-target-hammer-ruger-10-22-stainless-steel
It reduces the trigger pull down to about 2.5 lbs and I can now just pull back on the bolt handle to release the bolt, without messing with the bolt release. Unfortunately, you still have to use the two handed operation to lock the bolt back.
I have a Sightmark Ultra Shot Pro with a quick detach base. It is no Eotech, but it has always handled the recoil just fine mounted on my other Ruger 10/22 just fine, with no loss of zero. I took that off my old Ruger 10/22 and mounted it on the new 10/22 TDT.
To test the whole setup out, I headed out to the range to do some zeroing at 100 yards. Since I am still waiting on my Suppressor paperwork to come through, I rented two guns, one with a .22 suppressor on it and one with a 9 mm suppressor on it. I tried both of them on the Ruger (threading is 1/2”-28 by the way and I did have to use an adapter to get this particular 9 mm suppressor to work). The 9 mm suppressor wasn’t bad, but the .22 Suppressed fire was AWESOME. Sounded more like an air rifle. And the recoil spring setup seemed to reduce the noise of the action cycling, but that could be just me. As far as accuracy, at 100 yards, I noticed about a 1 – 2” movement from zero with the red dot when I broke it down and reassembled it. The iron sights wavered by maybe an inch at most. Not bad considering it’s a takedown model.
Overall, I am very pleased with this setup. I have a little over $700 in to the gun, not including the red dot or a suppressor. Why so much for a .22? Well, this will be my survival rifle and I want it to meet my requirements. The bag is great for carrying extra ammo and parts and tools (for the breakdown and cleaning). Incidentally, an 18.5” home defense shotgun barrel off a Remington 870 will fit nicely in the extra pouch next to the Ruger barrel section. That works well for me, since my primary bug out gun is the 870. I can have a a barrel more suited for hunting mounted on the shotgun with the home defense one as a backup in the case. It is a great setup for me.
My next project will be to buy another stock and modify it to fit the take down and allow for storage in the butt stock.
Charlie5 google “AGP Folding Stock For Ruger 10/22 Takedown”. It has the storage feature you were wanting and its plug and play. I have a Ruger Walnut stock I am debating whether or not to try modifying to fit mine.
I reworked the trigger and reworked the bolt a bit and find it’s a very nice range gun. Since I noticed someone else had fit a Bull barrel to theirs I know it can be done. Its a bit beyond my metalworking skills I imagine but I suspect sooner or later we will see barrel options. The release and other parts may have to be moved from the old barrel unless Kidd or one of the other shops decided to clone them.
KelTec’s SUB-2000 and SU-16 (with a hitch pin) are interesting folders also if one is interested in this kind of thing. SU-16CA is even California-legal.
Wouldn’t an extra barrel in .17 Mach 2 be awesome?
You would have to have a conversion bolt and probably a different weight recoil spring. But, to answer your question; yes, yes that would be awesome.
Unless something has changed (I bought mine in 1995) you don’t need a hammer to take down a 10/22. The pins are quit loose and are kept from drifting out by the stock. The bolt comes out pretty easy. If you want to clean out the trigger assembly, that can be quite an adventure with all the little springs to shoot across the room. But a couple of Q-tips does a good enough job without taking it apart.
Best survival rifle I have ever purchased. I have not packed my AR-7 since. I always take it to the range no matter what other firearms I plan to fire. It is amazingly accurate for its caliber…far better than I expected.
I feel like i’m the only person on the planet who doesn’t really care for the 10/22.
I don’t like the magazines
i don’t like the magazine release
i don’t like the bolt release
it’s a pain in the ass to get back together
And, if this makes any sense, it doesn’t feel like it has a soul.
i have no inclination to buy a gun that i do not like now in the hopes that i will like it after a few hundred dollars worth of mods. Although, a threaded barrel is tempting for when i can afford a can.
I don’t dislike my 10/22, but I like my Marlin XT-22 better.
Something about working the bolt makes me feel more connected to the gun. That said, I kind of wish my Marlin had a box magazine like the Ruger. For whatever reason, I dislike the little 22lr magazine sticking out of the rifle.
As far as soul goes… out of the guns that I have shot, only 3 “have it”: M1 Garand, S&W 686, an old Stevens 22-410 O/U.
You are right, and Ruger is only 101 years late anyway. The Browning SA-22, produced since 1914, is a takedown 22LR rifle that —
-Is of the highest quality without the periodic, annoying Ruger defects that show up these days.
-Is all steel (not like Ruger’s painted aluminum receiver).
-Has a checkered real walnut stock, not cheap birch or ugly plastic.
-Has bottom eject for left or right handers (just wear a long sleeved shirt).
-Has a scope mount that holds zero.
-Doesn’t require magazines that can get lost or damaged (and you can use a drink straw as a speedloader)
-Has nice engraving (some with gold or silver).
-Since it is steel, hardly evers wear out, so any used one you find (either European or Japanese-made) will probably be in decent shape; and used ones can be had for the same price as a 10/22 Takedown.
-Is not a gun that everyone has, so everyone at the range wants to shoot it.
A gentleman’s gun, with style, with soul.
Actually, I don’t think the bag is that bad. As for the logo, Ruger may be popular, but that is to people who own firearms. When i walk down the street, I’ll see the deer from browning, the eagles from ruger, or the snake from bushmaster, etc. and i will recognize it instantly however my friends have no clue what they are. As for the straps, there are backpacks that do have straps out in front for people who want to clip on water bottles or the such. Granted that they aren’t MOLLE straps but it will probably take more than a second glance from people who don’t have a clue about firearms to even think that there is a rifle in that bag.
You can make the bolt hold open auto-release. Pop the bolt hold open out of the action and the large hole that has a big pointy bit of material sticking into it, just round that bit off. I’ve done it on my regular 10/22 and Takedown. Works great.
Hmmm, I already have a takedown rifle that can accept 22lr as well as higher calibers. It’s an AR15.
Nonplussed,
“…a takedown rifle…”
I do not think that means what you think it means. But I admire your ingenuity and imaginative spirit.
I got one of these last spring just after they came out. My only gripe was that the iron sights did not seem to line up. By that I mean when I had a correct sight picture, my shots were going low and right. I popped in my laser bore sighter and the red dot was high and left. Just a bit, but it was annoying. I mounted a simple holo sight on it and got her dialed in and now she shoots perfect. No deviation in shot placement even after multiple assembly / dissassembly cycles. The only gripe now is that the rubberized scope cover drags on the stock compartment when pulling it out. And this gun has fired every type of 22LR ammo I’ve fed it, from the “value pack” cheapo ammo to the CCI Stinger HV ammo. No malfunctions or FTF/FTE issues.
First thing that needs to be done is go to Tactical Innovations and get a metal trigger group, a decent mag release and a decent bolt release.
Have two standard carbines,one for me the other for my wife,we love them.have a few 25round mags to go with them,one of the best guns of all time,great fun,great hunter,probably would be good for defense too.It is just hard to find .22 lr right now,maybe after the gun laws get kicked out it won’t be so scarce.Keep your powder dry.
I eat dinosaurs
+1
I just bought one of these and a Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 3-9 x 40 scope for it. While I don’t regret the gun, I regret the scope because the back sight scraps the scope on assemble/disassemble. Obviously, I should have thought that but I have to loosen the scope mount and slide it forward to have enough room to take it on and off. What sort of scope are you using to not have that problem?
whoa….
what are the rest of those guns in the closet with your 10/22?
Mine will not hold it’s group, not with the fixed 4 scope on it. It is not accurate enough for me. Any .22 needs a scope, without a scope it is not accurate enough! If a .22 is not very accurate it is usless as a survival gun. You have to be able to hit a grouse in the head and big game behind the ear. You need a rifle that will group an inch at 50 yards!
By the way you want to use 40 grain bullets in the thing, (CCI Mini Mags), if you have to kill a moose etc. you want a heavier bullet.
I am going to buy a regular 10/.22 and put a folding stock on it.
I bought a takedown just before they came out with the threaded model. I called ruger to see if I can purchase a spare takedown barrel with the threading. The customer service rep told me they will not sell the barrel alone. She said(kind of rudely in fact that I would have to buy another gun to get a threaded barrel. So for that price I’ll l just buy a CMMG .22 upper for my AR 15. Ruger you just lost $200 or whatever you would have charged me for a spare barrel. Ruger’s loss is CMMG’s gain I guess.
As a side note: I bought two Ruger 22/45 pistols and both had canted front sights and one regular 10/22(non takedown) with a canted sigtht.
If you buy and ruger .22’s pistol or rifle, make sure the sights are not canted, it seems to be a quite common occurrence. I
I’m still waiting for Ruger to make the extra barrels available to purchase standalone. I emailed them about getting the threaded barrel they have for a special edition release and they said they had no plans to release them. I;m starting to get the feeling that gun companies don’t like to provide spare parts on a regular basis.
Be careful with the spray solvents on the Take Down. It dissolved the clear finish on mine. I used a Qtip to check it and had to touch it up. It wasn’t a perfect repair so it has a spot on it now.
Love all this chatter here and ideas and sharing, thank you all….I hope to ad to this after I pick up my 10/22 CAMO model with the flash suppressor , etc on it tomorrow!!!! This is a new rifle for me and the take down feature is a plus….I also have an S&W MP- 15 AR I love, one hell of a rifle with a precision accurate barrel…. steven
Now Ruger needs to get serious and turn this into a true survival gun and create a survival stock that holds survival items including ammo etc, and not in the regular old rifle stock pattern like an AR-7.
+1.
My Ruger 10/22 Takedown is a highly priced piece of crap! I can’t wait to get rid of it and replace it with something worthy like a Savage Mark II FV.
Be careful when picking one up at the big box stores. Check them out thoroughly. I bought one at Academy yesterday. I asked for the “new in the box” model rather than the dusty and fingerprinted display model. There was a barrel mis-alignment where the fore grip was not a smooth, flush fit with the rest of the stock. It was a definite quality control issue. It should have never left the factory like that. I had to clean up the display model and take that one.
Just got the “Marine” version (locking case) for my kids. Except for the front sight the gun is “all that and a can of beans!” Can’t refill the 25 round mags fast enough. Great plinker, great for anything I can think of. Ordered a red glow front sight and extended mag release and wouldn’t change another thing.
I sold mine after a couple of months.
Hated the sights & trigger pull.
Other than that it was ok.
I replaced my take down 10 -.22 with a Marlin XT 22, .22 magnum, laminate stock with a 3 to 9 32 mm scope on it. (I wasn’t hard to deal with!)
Now I have something worth carrying, shoots under a half inch at 75 yards.
Wow! Another good one. I like it most for the packing use.
I have tried two different scopes with three different mounts, but my zero ALWAYS walks. And not just an inch but sometimes feet at just 50 yards. I’ve used Loc Tite but nothing works. It is the most frustrating experience. I want to love this gun, but why am I having so much trouble with this? Is my gun flawed from the factory? Any ideas are appreciated, because I have run out of ideas.
What a load of BS… There’s no such thing as an accurate ‘take down’ you are a Ruger shill and FLAME DELETED
racket-sport, harveysport,
sipnwin http://www.sipnwin.com/
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