By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
When Sturm, Ruger announced it was observing its 75th anniversary this year, the company launched a special version of the renowned 10/22 rimfire carbine, which has become iconic among generations of .22-caliber semi-auto fans.
Admittedly, I drooled a little over the color photo of the two versions of the anniversary 10/22 because they certainly enhance the legacy of this amazing rifle.
There are more variations of this legendary smallbore rifle than most anyone can list without consulting various histories of the gun.
Announced with special 75th Anniversary editions of the MK IV and LCP pistols, two models of the 10/22—one featuring a stained hardwood stock with checkering while the other comes with an unstained hardwood stock featuring stained checkering—are offered.
The Ruger 10/22 might be the most customized, tricked-out little .22-caliber rifle on the planet. Millions have been manufactured, all right here in the USA, and they have earned a reputation for accuracy and reliability second to none.
I’ve had the opportunity to field test several variations of this straight-shooting little self-loader, and with my own 10/22 fitted with a Bushnell 1.5-4X scope I’ve managed to shoot the heads off wooden kitchen matches at 25 yards off a rest, put a grouse or two in the cooler and enjoy more time than I deserve just plinking away at tin cans, bottle caps and fir cones.
As my late amigo Dick Burnett once observed—while we were at the top of a ridge south of Ellensburg, Washington more than 20 years ago—the Ruger 10/22 is a “lead hose.” Translation: It is remarkably easy to burn through a 500-round brick of ammunition in an afternoon without thinking much about it other than just how much fun you’re having.
The first 10/22 showed up in the mid-1960s, according to a history of the rifle at Wikipedia, and it literally took the shooting world by the proverbial storm. There have been variations chambered in .22 Magnum and .17 HMR (I’d love to have a magnum version), but the standard .22 Long Rifle model is hands down one of the most successful designs ever created.
The patented rotary 10-round magazine, basic sights, easily-carried 5-pound weight (with a scope it comes up to about 6 pounds), simple hardwood stock all combine to make this a marvelous first rifle for a youngster, a great teaching tool for adults who have no previous experience with firearms, and a deadly small game getter.
I’ve had the chance to fire some models fitted with 25-round aftermarket magazines, bouncing pop cans around gravel pits or remote campsites, erasing any doubt that the little Ruger is anything but a first-class smallbore right out of the box.
As astonishing, and stupid, as this may seem, a gun control initiative adopted by Washington state voters in 2018 actually considers the 10/22 and other semiautomatic rimfires to be “assault rifles.” Because of this, nobody under age 21 can legally purchase one, and buyers must prove they have taken a firearms safety course within the previous five years.
Fortunately, I’ve owned my gun for a couple of decades, and am happy to report it still shoots as well as the day it came home from the dealer. Some years back, I installed Ruger’s BX-Trigger, which lets off at about 3 pounds and really enhances this little rifle’s capabilities.
As a trail gun, the 10/22 simply shines. I added a nylon sling and bought a spare 10-round magazine, and in the early fall, when grouse and rabbit seasons open, the 10/22 is a great hiking companion which can supply dinner.
Some years ago, I acquired a folding stock which seemed like a good idea at the time, but I eventually replaced the factory hardwood stock so the rifle would fit in the original case.
There is no doubt the 10/22 will go on…and on…and on as new generations of shooters come along and fall in love with this dandy Ruger. The only advice I would offer is to put away a big supply of .22-caliber ammunition, because you are definitely going to use it.
