This year we will have another 10/22 stock build, a complete custom rifle build (that will be given away), a post detailing parts and upgrades you can do, along with a follow up post on customized 10/22 stocks and more.
An early ad for the 10/22
In 2009 Ruger introduced a tactical version of the 10/22 that mimicked the look of the AR-15 and even used some AR-15 accessories. They called it the SR-22 Rifle, the SR22 name has since been used on their .22 semi-auto pistol.
In the 53 years Ruger has been making the 10/22 only twice has the beginning serial number ended in a 1. The first rifle in 1964 (obviously) was the first and the second was in 2004, coincidentally (or maybe not??) the rifles 40th Anniversary.
The pictures below are of the original prototype for the 10/22 labeled "X1"
photos courtesy of Rugertalk forum
The American Gunsmithing Institute has a dedicated program for the 10/22 rifle, see more here
In 2015 Shooting Times magazine called the 10/22 "one of the finest rimfire rifles ever conceived"
Some 10/22s left the factory with a serial number suffix:
U meant the gun was for demonstration or a sample
S meant the gun was a blemish
D meant the gun had a duplicate serial number (a snafu that happened during the first year of production)
The 5 millionth 10/22 was given to the 4H Shooting Sports Program, it sold at auction in 2008 for $7,525.01
The new Ruger Precision Rimfire rifle comes with the BX-15 magazine from the Charger, but can use any 10/22 magazine
The 10/22 extractor interchanges with the extractor for the Ruger Standard/Mark series pistols.
In 1999 someone commissioned 100 of these special 10/22 rifles to celebrate Elizabethton, Tennessee's Centennial
In 2005 someone did the same to celebrate Bend, Oregon's Centennial
Ruger day is October 22nd.....10/22.
In March of 2017, the website Range365.com listed the 10/22 rifle as one of the Ten Best .22 rifles of all time.
In 1976, the MSRP for the standard 10/22 Carbine was $73.50.
In 2010 Ruger produced 100 special edition 10/22s to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Gosehinski's Fin Fur Feather.
The 10/22 was introduced in 1964, the same year that the Ford Mustang and Buffalo Wings made their debut.
The first few hundred 10/22s came with a 27" x 9" banner that was a smaller version of what was given to dealers.
In this table display by Rod Kirian at the 2014 Tusla Arms Show you can see the large dealer banner displayed (the actual banner used by Ruger at the 1964 NRA Annual Meeting), with the smaller owner's banner on the table
photo courtesy of Ruger Owners and Collectors Society
The Excel Arms X22 rifle and pistol use the magazine from the 10/22.
Ruger built two versions of the SR-22 Rifle. A standard model and the SR-22SC. The "SC" stood for "State Compliant", the SC version was missing the flash hider and the collapsible stock was pinned in place.
Chief AJ commissioned some 10/22 rifles in 1999, this is the first of the series. It was listed for sale online, the asking price was $899.
At the 2017 SHOT show Ruger introduced the Silent SR barrel for the 10/22 take down rifle, it features a 10" barrel and integral suppressor.
Some of the first ads for the 10/22 compared it to that of its big brother, the .44 Carbine: "The mechanical perfection of the 10/22 makes it a worthy companion to the dynamic Ruger .44 Magnum Carbine.".
Ruger made a special run of 100 10/22s for the 50th Anniversary of Kittery Trading Post (in Maine) in 1988
Another special run of 275 were made in 2013 for KTP's 75th Anniversary
The S.E. Overton company (who produced the 10/22 stocks for the first 7 years) also produced more than 2 million stocks for the M1 Carbine during WWII and because the 10/22 was partly inspired by the M1 Carbine, it made sense to have them be involved.
The new Ruger PC Carbine uses trigger components from the 10/22
In July, 2017, the website Off Grid Survival, named the 10/22 as the "best survival rifle".
In 2013, Shooting Times Magazine listed the Hogue overmolded stock as the best replacement stock for the 10/22
The standard 10/22 carbine has never had a safety recall
Ruger donated this 50th Anniversary prototype 10/22 to the Ruger Owners and Collectors Society in 2015
Some raw 10/22 bolt forgings at the Newport, NH factory (photo courtesy of Gun Blast)
At one time Ruger was offering a raspberry colored version of the BX-25 magazine. The part # was BX-25R
The SR-22 version of the 10/22 weighs 1.28 lbs more than the standard wood stocked carbine
When the 10/22 was introduced in 1964 it was priced $6.55 more than the Winchester model 77 (semi-auto .22)
A Colorado gun dealer commissioned 500 of these 9/11 commemorative 10/22 rifles
Most 10/22 collectors tend to agree that the best 10/22s, in terms of quality and fit/finish were made between 1964 and 1968. They had walnut stocks, no plastic parts and the receivers were anodized rather than painted.
On December 1st, 2017 this first year production (1964, serial number 83) sold at the Rock Island Auction for $2,588
Ruger released a series of six special commemorative "Green Beret" 10/22s, the rifles were built in 1973 and never issued. They featured a "Ruger Green Beret" roll mark and the metal parts were finished in an olive drab teflon coating.
photos courtesy of Ruger Owners and Collectors Society
Cut-away of a 10/22 Trigger Mechanism
Parts listing courtesy of ruger1022.com
