The Worst Mods ever performed on a 10/22

 

When you can't afford a tactical stock, but really want that pistol grip experience......This is what a transgender would look like if it were a rifle.

When you want the pistol grip experience so badly that you are willing to destroy a rare finger groove sporter stock

A lot of these ones were probably built for criminals to conceal, but still horrible modifications and probably illegal.

Looks like this guy was able to find a factory Charger barrel, but not a factory stock, so he improvised

These folding pistol grip stocks were made by Ramline and are possibly the worst aftermarket part ever offered for the 10/22

When you want that full auto experience so badly that you do this...

The rarest 10/22 rifles

 

Many people believe that every 10/22 is the same, while it is true that the 10/22 has remained mostly unchanged since being introduced in 1964, there have been some rare factory offerings over the years, here are some of them in no particular order.

The Green Beret 10/22, a total of six (6) of these special 10/22s were made on May 31st, 1973, probably as a tribute to Vietnam War Green Berets. Sequential serial numbers with a 110 prefix, all metal parts were coated with olive drab green teflon coating. The typical 10/22 in 1973 had the receiver, the trigger, trigger housing, barrel band and butt plate were black anodized, and the barrel and screws were blued steel. Later Ruger did coat the 10/22 receivers in black teflon (circa 1976), then later switched to powder coating.

These Green Beret models were never offered to the public and were held in the Ruger collection until 2012 when they auctioned off for a charity.

Below are two of the six, serial numbers 110-63734 & 110-63735

Only a hand full of 10/22s are known to have left the factory with factory engraving, one was a gift to then 7-year-old son of Skeeter Skelton (Bart) another was a gift to writer R.L. Wilson. A third one went to Heb Glass (serial #16) Both Herb's and Bart's had their name on the side (Herb Glasse's gun said "To Herb Glass from Bill Ruger"). The Skelton & Wilson rifles were 10/22 SP models with the checkered walnut sporter stocks, done in late 1971/early 1972, while Herb's was a 1st year production.

When we say factory engraving, we mean the factory sent them to be engraved, then they were returned to the factory before shipping out.

There were supposedly some done for Ruger employees including Bill Ruger himself, but I have yet to see proof.

In 1971 due to a screw up in the serial number application, 94 10/22s received a B121 prefix, making them not only rare, but a somewhat unknown rarity.

There is a very rare 10/22 that is actually a pre-production prototype, one of one, labeled the X1, below are pictures showing the differences with an actual production 10/22

There is supposedly a 10/22 out there with serial number 102222 made in 1967 that left the factory with no rifling, just a smooth bore.

5 millionth 10/22

in 2008 Ruger auctioned off the 5 millionth 10/22 produced (it was actually produced in 2005, but held for this special auction). It was stocked with the best figured walnut, the metal parts were ornately engraved.

There was also this one made for the USA Shooting Team fundraiser

The first 10/22 to leave the factory, serial #4, was purchased by long time Ruger employee Walter Berger, he purchased the serial #4 of every gun made while he worked there (from 1950 - 1975). The 10/22s with serial #1, 2 & 3 are still at Ruger HQ.

There are also the last 10/22 made at the Lacey Place plant in Southport, CT in 1970, serial # 110-25721 and the first 10/22 made in Newport, NH (the current home of the 10/22) serial # 110-25722

While the original SP (SPorter) models with the finger-groove stocks are rare, only 2000 of them got checkering (SPC).

only 4000 1967 Canadian Centinials were made, not quite in the "rare" territory, but you don't see them everyday

In 1965 (second year of production) a factory worker screwed up the roll marker that printed the serial numbers, he accidentally moved the first two digits to 8 instead of the blank position, as a result 576 rifles (serial #s 881045 to 881620) of the 22,453 produced that year were erroneously marked and are now collector's items.

not rifles, but receivers, these two pre-production receivers, with no serial numbers, these were built for SE Overton company, which made the stocks for the 10/22 for the first 8 years

The Most Interesting 10/22s

 

In my years of researching all things 10/22, I have come across some very interesting 10/22s and Chargers, I thought I would post some of them here.

The Full Auto conversions always got my attention, the amount of machining and ingenuity required makes these very interesting.

Custom made stocks are awesome, especially when executed with the detail like the one below 

SBRs also get my attention

There are so many ways to paint your 10/22, here is a Cerakoted one from Magpul, a tribute to the neon decade I assume.

Anodizing is a skill I hope to learn soon, look at what can be done....

Another great and quite interesting Cerakote job in safety orange

Once I had my own SR-22 I went in search of SR-22 porn and was not disappointed, check out this suppressed SBR

Another bullpup, while interesting in design, it isn't going to win any beauty contests

The guy who designed this stock for his 10/22 built many types of homemade/modified stocks. This one was a tribute to the cavalry carbines of the late 19th century. Which is what inspired the M-1 Carbine and thusly the 10/22.

I was so taken by the project above that I decided to build one of my own, I added a few touches like a saddle ring from a Krag Carbine, I also added a receiver mounted peep site, sling mounts from an SMLE rifle (with a homemade sling from an old 1.5" wide belt) and an extended mag release. I then blued the bolt and added a brass charging handle. See this project here.

Stippling can be overdone, easily overdone, this owner got it right, he stippled the grip and the bottom of the stock, they then added the Ruger blackhawk logo for a nice effect.

Another item that always grabs my attention is homemade receiver; this one is made of brass and only vaguely resembles a Ruger factory receiver. The builder also crafted his own stock, Mannlicher style with brass crescent but plate, forend tip and forward sling swivel

This one was interesting, a removeable top plate for easy cleaning, maintenance and repair.

Not actually 10/22 rifles, but 10/22 Chargers, designed to look like a pirate pistol

This is a themed gun, with some unique carvings in the stock.

You don't see too many 10/22 receivers that are engraved, so that makes this one interesting just for that reason.

Another bullpup, this one styled after the Steyr AUG only in wood.

Another one I built myself, this is my Continental Project, using a factory walnut "International" stock (Mannlicher style), with a Kingston Armory steel receiver, factory 18.5" tapered barrel (both with a high polish blued finish) and a Pike Arms anodized aluminum trigger housing. I also made my own take down screw. Check out the project here.