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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_6xUhmF1nc
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.
Well seeing two people of the same sex kiss in public “shocks” and elicits a “visceral” reaction in many as well, but I am fairly certain she wouldn’t suggest we ban gays from being in public, now would she.
I don’t understand why these people refuse to understand a viewpoint that is so easily re-framed in terms they would understand and even, dare I say, empathize with.
“A man in Fresno, California is facing an attempted murder charge after he shot himself during an attempted armed robbery early Friday morning.”
The legal system is downright comical sometimes.
Pink? Really? PINK? Don’t give me pink *anything* or I’ll shove it where the sun don’t shine. Gaaaaaaaahhhh.
When I am hunting, my priorities, in order, are: 1) As little suffering to the animal as possible and 2) Giving the quarry a sporting chance. When I am fighting for my life, I will take whatever advantages I can to make it through alive; there is no such thing as overkill. Stallone is just another typical example of an useful idiot*/mouthpiece for the agendas of the anti-gun.
*Incapable of critical thinking.
It’s not his fault. He grew up before latex-based paints became prevalent.
Because nothing conceals as well as neon pink. Gaaak.
I can’t count the number of times I have posted (specifically to you), that the charts are for the 110gr Barnes, … NOT 123gr.
When I speak of the versatility with regard to barrel length, you obfuscate with “In the real world the vast majority of AR owners can’t own a SBR. ” I’m speaking of the performance of the round, not the intricasies of the law. I own an SBR btw.
You make the comment that the 300 blackout is nothing more than a 30-30. I posted the chart from Barnes that clearly shows a 30% improvement over the 30-30, and your response is that, “well I can see that it is a little better”. Thats like saying a 338 Lapua Magnum is “a little better” than a 30-06.
I have never contended that the 223 isn’t a viable option. It is a wonderful cartridge. However, it has some severe limitations… limitations that I feel are in part corrected by the 300 Blackout. I don’t have to rely on one optimal round. Everything the 300 blackout feeds performs well. And the same weapon can go subsonic and supersonic with only a change of the round.
For my money the 300 blackout is as close to a “one-gun” solution as it gets. For virtually any scenario from home defense, to whitetail and hogs, to urban combat, I cant envision a better choice. If I need a 1000 yard shot, I’ll use my 7mm-08.
And speaking of hunting, most states where I have lived do not allow .22 for hunting anything but small game.
Frankly, I doubt that anyone is even paying attention to this thread anymore. It has turned into a pissing match about things beyond the intent. I hope that you enjoy your .223 as much as I enjoy owning my 300.
Umm…. is it just me, or does it seem like the photographer either had lightning reflexes (to capture the smoke in the picture) or it was photoshopped? additionally, that shotgun (based on the smoke coming out behind the muzzle) would appear to be compensated…. would that not mean that the president uses “Assualt Weapons” as DiFi’s new bill will make even compensators verbotten (from my initial glance at the bill’s “Cliff Notes”).
Note: I know my language is technically incorrect here, I believe it is referred to a “porting” on shotguns now that I think about it.
Do any of these @ssholes realize that we protect ourselves from the SAME people that the police (or secret service) use their “assault weapons” against??? I’ve never seen the police go up against an army either.
Precisely. He’s taking heat for releasing a violent movie called “Bullet To The Head” right after Sandy Hook, so he’s trying to walk it back. “See, media elites, I’m on your side! My movies are just make-believe! Please, won’t somebody go see my crappy movie???”
Robert, really enjoyed the article, thanks for the heads up. Don’t sweat the bad stuff; you’re hitting bullseyes [especially re women: “If they’re not into guns, I can’t hang w/them…” Priceless]. I had your site bookmarked for about a year & never got back to it until after the shooting in December and am now back soaking it up at least twice a day…my new one issue newspaper [actually connects w/a number of issues as well…]. You’re well spoken & a great beacon; keep it up. No compromise, not an inch. Cheers. 🙂
RAMBO KNIVES” are heretofore to be referred to as “Patriot Knives”.
Covey leader to raven. We don’t want to talk to you anymore Johnny.
Way to alienate your fan base sly. (sly with a small s).
maybe you will find a new career in chick flicks. Work on your sensitive side.
I’m confident this was just “oh crap this one was provable” and could not be recalled by way of his default move “…as I have always said – [insert thing he’s never said].”
They either dug around in the folder for the President’s Cup (my 8 year old can get 6/25) or they scooted him out and set the camera on continuous shooting and chose one where he was not wincing or limp-wristing it like the famous highwater-baseball pitch.
Its not that big of a deal compared to all the other things going on in this gentle coup. DNC just feeling a Kim Jong Un level of freedom to claim anything and media eat it up without question then go to proving the claims of Unicorn Lairs.
Congratulations and have fun
Wonder why they didn’t use the dead area inside the buttstock for additional (and waterproof) storage?
I’m excited to get a behind-the-scenes look at professional 3-Gun teams.
Congrats, Nick!
Wow… congrats to Nick!
So I’m guessing you’re going to get seriously hooked with some custom FN stuff, like a shiny new FNX9 or FNX-45 tactical? Or SCAR?
Damn Nick, that’s awesome, congrats
Why do you need an AR and 30 round magazines? Why do you need life insurance? Why do you need property and homeowners insurance? Why do you need car insurance and buckle your seat belt? Why did you need a prenup? Why do you need a spare tire? Do you expect to die or kill yourself when you sign the paperwork? Do you expect someone to burn down your house or place of business or are you going to burn it down? Are you expecting to get in an accident or going to crash your car into the first thing you see? Do you expect your future spouse to cheat or leave you or are you planning on it? Do you expect your tire to be blown out or are going to test the effects of a nail board on tires? The first scenario is always considered paranoid, “why would you ever expect something to happen?” and the second is the common assertion “if you bought it you’re planning on abusing it”, yet in most facets of our lives we employ seemingly pointless protections we will most likely never have to use and never plan on using, and from the stats we know gun abuse by law-abiding citizens is near non-existent. If we ever do have to use them those protections can save our lives or allow them to continue relatively normally. The (mostly) unrestricted Second Amendment Rights gives us the choice to take responsibility for our own protection, whether that be theft, bodily harm, or governmental tyranny, in order of likelihood. I pray I never have to use that protection, but denial will not protect you or your family.
Why the double standard? The go-to for police when escalating a situation is the AR-15. Before the police get there you are the first responder. Why shouldn’t you have the right to respond the same way the police do? Why do they have better protection than the citizenry? Even assuming police are better trained “professionals of the gun” we have seen from real situations in the DGU of the day section that in most cases all it takes is the presence of a defensive gun, some cases require “ineffective” defensive shots, fewer take a hit(s) on the assailant(s), and a small number require lethal action. Now apply the fact most police are not as well-trained as most assume, and the well-trained officers have to suit up, drive over from anywhere in the county, and grab their AR-15 first. I’m sorry if this is news to anyone, but in most cases the police are there to fill out the reports after the incident has occurred, not stop the incident in the first place. Personally, I want an overwhelmingly effective response as soon as possible, whether that comes from myself, my wife, the neighbor, or the police. I know I can count on myself first so taking responsibility for myself is the first step.
Congratulations! That should be an awesome gig.
See if you can get some ideas for setting up a FN SLP for “open” division.
So far I have not seen one of those running with a speed loader. Mine is proving to be….challenging.
STFU, you mush-mouthed, ugly midget.
Woah, Congrats Nick! Can’t wait to see all the coverage.
Damn, Nick. I had no idea you were up for this kind of thing. I’ll talk to some people and try to get you back in some American-made hardware for the 2014 season 😉
Will Obama be visiting Gatlin, Nebraska?
Stellar performance. Can we get him to run for NRA pres?
Gun control gives me a headache. Gun CONTROLLERS really give me a headache. OW.
It’s Organised Crime that brings them in, but to stop that the Pols would have to confront those who put them in office
Statism has nothing to do with collectivism. 🙂
the Bolsheviks resisted the literal tyranny of Tsarist oppression by using guns. If you think the peasants were better off under the monarchy than under the Bolsheviks, you are completely ignorant of the topic and have read too much Ayn Rand. 🙂
What happened after Stalin seized power had nothing to do with the Bolshevik revolution, Leninism, Marxism, or socialism generally. They are as unrelated as Napoleon and French Republicanism 🙂
Kent State shows what happens when a crowd pushes folks with rifles into a corner. (they were pushed downhill against a fence) Thats why we should always leave bad guys an escape route. It also illustrates the concept of no place to retreat to in home defense doctrine.
I have always wondered what would have happened if the Guard troops had had the discipline to fix bayonets and hold the line instead of firing.
Hate to break it to you, but all of the invective and hate spewing forth from The Post’s commenters isn’t because a gun made you “feel grown-up.”
It’s because you’re rich.
Everytime Ted brought up a valid point, Piers threw it to break it ended the show.
hypocrite Gk hypokrites stage actor, hence one who pretends to be what he is not.
Christ called the Pharisees hypocrites. Actors, LIARS. Won’t be wasting my money on this show, even with senior discount. Would rather buy bullets if I can ever find them.
Piers Morgan and his ilk totally miss the point. The 2nd Amendment isn’t about hunting. It’s about allowing citizens (who form a citizen’s army or militia) to keep and bear military grade weapons. And no, Piers, not tanks, RPGs or jet fighters (though I do know a guy who collects tanks. None of them capable of firing, of course, but still cool as hell.) The 2nd applies to arms one can bear, that is carry. Piers would have to be as strong as he is ignorant to walk around with a tank on his back.
Numerous cases in the 19th and 20th centuries which invoked the 2nd Amendment to protect a certain type of weapon from being banned, such as Bowie Knives and sawed-off shotguns, were decided against those weapons because they did not have a clear military value and were of little to no utility for a militia.
In other words, it was the AR-15s the 2nd Amendment was written to protect, not the .22LR Crickets. The Founders wanted us to have guns with which we could actively resists tyranny, whether external or internal. Not going to resist much tyranny with only 7 shots in a magazine.
Some say they won’t patronize a buissinees that restricts they’re gun carrying rights. Some say they won’t give thier money to any bussiness that do the same. Did you all know, that the NRA, does not allow visiters to carry guns into thier HQ or any of thier office buildings. I guess NRA spells hypocrite.
CTD has jumped the shark and there’s no jumping back. Thanks for the gestures, but they helped give the anti’s momentum when they needed it. They didn’t do the same for us. Ralph’s analogy is spot on. I’ve never been unfaithful once my position is take, I’ve never tolerated infidelity, not going to start now. They chose popular opinion and capitalizing on panic buying over us. What’s the big deal of not selling what you don’t have? PDs wouldn’t pay their prices anyway.
But the discovery that this idea is out there, somewhere, is deeply worrying.
Wasn’t a very similar idea the major plot point in ‘The Pelican Brief’?
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?
Kids should not be judged by their parents. It is clear he is extremely creative and wants peace for all people. As he gets older he will have to come to terms with the fact that other people don’t want peace and will take whatever they can until stopped with force. He will have to make the choice whether to take responsibility for defending those he loves and want peace against those who mean them harm or to be a victim.
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/