Ruger 10/22 Facts for 2020

You probably thought that I had already posted every possible factoid about the Ruger 10/22, well I found more....

For reference, here are my previous posts on Ruger 10/22 facts:

2016
2017
2018
2019



2019 saw the introduction of the Winchester Wildcat .22 rifle, it uses a 10 round rotary magazine which is a copy of the Ruger 10/22 magazine, in fact 10/22 magazines work in the new rifle

Then in January of this year (just in time for SHOT show) Patriot Ordnance Factory announced a new 22 pistol that uses 10/22 magazines. See more here

Youtuber Adam Eater calls the 10/22 the "Greatest Gun in America"

When first introduced a buyer could add factory installed sling swivels on their 10/22 for $1.50 extra 


In March of last year Ruger announced a different stock option for the Custom Shop 10/22, a brown laminate stock is now available

Ruger followed up with another Custom Shop stock option in September

In late 2018 Ruger began offering a distributor exclusive model called "Go Wild Camo". The barrel and receiver were finished in Bronze Cerakote, the factory synthetic stock was probably hydro-dipped.

At one point Ruger offered the BX-1 Magazine in a 5 round capacity, photo courtesy of the Ruger Owners and Collectors Society

A stripped plastic trigger housing is less than 1/2 the weight of what the original aluminum trigger housing (also stripped) weighs. 


In 1981 a special edition 10/22 was commissioned for the 100th anniversary of Kingman Arizona. The metal parts were gold plated and the stock had special engravings

In 1988 Casper, Wyoming had their centennial and a 10/22 was produced for them as well

below is a 1 to 5 (5 times actual size) mock up of the 10/22 trigger mechanism

picture courtesy of Ruger & His Guns by R.L. Wilson

The patent for the BX1 rotary magazine was filed on March 24th, 1964 and was granted almost two years later on March 15th, 1966



In August of last year Ruger announced they would begin offering the choice of a "factory installed" weaver scope base. I guess this is for those who find the installation of the long supplied scope base too difficult?

An early Ruger 10/22 (serial number 11) with original box and announcement poster

The 10/22's trigger guard shape, size and style came from the Ruger .44 Carbine

In the early '90s Walmart convinced Ruger to produce a special model just for them, model 1115 featured a black/gray laminated stock, stainless barrel with an aluminum trigger housing & barrel band and a Ruger branded sling.

Ruger announced that the 10/22 would be getting it's aluminum parts replaced by plastic and the coating on the receiver would be switched to "crinkle finish" powder coat at the SHOT show in Orlando in January of 2009
In 2011, Ruger went back to a polished blued barrel and standard satin black powder coat on the receivers.

Some of the early 10/22 bolts had the firing pin rebound pin (that keeps the firing pin spring in place) hole drilled all the way through. In later production a step was machined into the firing pin channel so a pin was no longer needed.

Photo courtesy of the Ruger Owners and Collectors Society

an x-ray of a Ruger 10/22

Gun blogger Gun mann chose the take-down model as the best 10/22 model

The clear BX 1 magazine was originally made to be a salesmen's sample to show dealers how the internal components of the magazine worked. In 1994 it was included with the 40th Anniversary model and subsequently made available for individual purchase.

Ruger shaved 2.7 ounces of weight when they switched the aluminum components (trigger housing, barrel band and butt plate) to plastic

The last Finger Groove Sporter model produced was serial # 110-78890 in 1971

The BX15 and BX25 magazines are slightly smaller that the original BX1 mags, this could cause feeding issues in some guns

photo courtesy of _daymender_

When the 10/22 first appeared in the Ruger Catalog on June 1st, 1964, it was simply listed as "Model 10/22"

The standard, wood stocked 10/22 Carbine weighs 5 pounds, nearly 2 of those pounds reside in the standard taper barrel which weighs in at 1 lb, 13 oz.

We'll finish with this special edition Trump 2020 rifle. Available in limited quantities from Heroes and Patriots LLC, it is engraved with Trumps accomplishments and there is only one available per county, per state