- According to Ruger's website they only made 452 10/22s in the first year of production, however there were more than 1000 guns made with incorrect serial numbers that are not listed.
- Some more cool stuff: here are some 10/22 pre production receivers and trigger guard. They were sent to the SE Overton Company (maker of the 10/22 stocks from 1964 to 1971) to check tolerances on the stocks they were building for Ruger.
photo courtesy of Ruger Owners and Collectors Society
- For a few years beginning in 1988 Ruger offered the option of a walnut stock (birch stock was standard since 1983) for an additional $20 over the $176 cost of the standard carbine.
- The 10/22 continues to gain popularity: Ruger produced 5 Million rifles in their first 44 years (1964-2008) which averages nearly 114,000 rifles per year. Since 2008 Ruger has produced more than 2 Million rifles, an average of more than 200,000 rifles per year
- In 2012 Lipseys commissioned a commemorative 10/22 for the Bicentennial of Louisiana
- While several collectors have managed to acquire a 10/22 and 44 Carbine with matching serial numbers, only one set was actually sent as a matched set. Because the 10/22 came out 3 years after the .44 Carbine the chances of getting both guns with the same serial number were slim. You had to look for the particular gun to match your existing one, except for a small run of 10/22s (a little more than a 1000) made in 1964.... someone at the factory mistakenly marked the 10/22s with the same serial numbers as the .44 Carbines (early 89xxx range) .... 10/22's were nowhere near that serial number range in 1964, they were still in the 3 digits. The error was caught and corrected but not before at least one set was sent out of the factory as a set.
More on the serial number snafu:
- Fast forward to 1966 when Ruger reaches serial number 88999 in the 10/22. They look at the day books, see that 89000 through 90146 were already used, so Ruger stamped a "D" in front of the serial numbers of the 1966 production 10/22's, "D" for duplicate.
- One of those people who had matching sets was Elmer Keith, although word is they were not shipped at the same time.....the 10/22s and 44 Carbines with serial numbers 28 & 29 were in the Elmer Keith collection and sold at auction, here they are below:
- In the year 2000, the Ruger catalog only listed 10 different 10/22 models, in 2017 there were 100 different models
- When the 10/22 was finished Bill Ruger told Jack O'Conner that....." from a technological point of view, the new 10/22 is one of the best things we have done."
- Back in 1976 Ruger had plans for a special run of colored magazines, there were plans for Red, White & Blues ones to celebrate the Bi-Centinial, but when Bill Ruger learned of the costs for the colored resins, he canceled the plan.
- The retail price for a standard 10/22 carbine in 1983 was $134
- In the very first advertisement for the 10/22 (June 1964) Ruger described it as "the ultimate in logical design."
- Below is one of the 40,060 1 1/2" wood cubes that Chief A.J. Huffer shot when setting his World Ariel Target record in 1987
- In 1968 a 10/22 with the serial number 102222 left the factory with no rifling in its barrel, questions about why this happened have never been answered to the satisfaction of collectors. One has to wonder if the serial number is just a coincidence or the "mistake" was done on purpose. This gun is considered the "Holy Grail" of 10/22s collecting.
- Pictured below is a Norrell trigger pack and anti-bounce bolt for full auto fire. Rate of Fire is said to be in the 1200-1300 rpm range.
- Ruger did not raise the price of the 10/22 until after the sixth year of production, in 1971 the MSRP went from $54.50 to $56.50
- In 2010 Ruger introduced a special commemorative Boy Scout 10/22 model, about 7000 were produced in 2010/2011
Special Thanks go out the Ruger Owners and Collectors Society for the pictures and information
Shooting Illustrated