A cash-strapped, right-thinking politician appealed to TTAG for some friendly firearms advice. As that happens about as often as an Israeli supermodel drops by casa Farago to borrow a cup of sugar (and ask why no link love), I thought I’d put it to you, our Armed Intelligentsia.
“Hello, I am 55 years old, and live in Mars (Pa), in fact in addition to my full time job, I am also Mayor of Mars, a town of about 2000 located 25 miles north of Pittsburgh. I used to shoot quite a bit, then life, kids, college, family, work all took a toll. I recently purchased a used 1911 Taurus, and when I picked it up yesterday, I saw several Military style .22 rifles. I hope to get back into shooting more. As far as hunting, the only hunting I do is archery with a crossbow, and I very much enjoy that . . .
Back to the .22s, I saw four: a Ruger based on the 10-22 for about $340, a S&W M&P for $559, a Mossberg (I was not interested) and a Beretta. I would like to buy one of these, the appeal is cheap shooting, and in a pinch possibly a home defensive weapon (although some may disagree).
Which if these is the best value/quiality? I asked an older gent who worked at the shop “if it was your money, which would you buy”, and he said the Ruger.
Do you have any opinion on these? the S&W seemed to have more plastic, a little heavier duty, but the Ruger seemed nice too. My choice would be between the Ruger and the S&W.
Next question, if I select the Ruger, can or could I accessorize the gun with same components used on the full size 10-22?
Reason I ask, is if there are more an better components for the regular 10-22, I may just get a regular 10-22.. I like the short carbine, collapsable stock, of the mil, the rugged design, so the Mil style would probably be my first choice.
Thanks
Terry Onufer
Mars, Pa
The Ruger is probably the most customizable rifle out there. An industry has built up around that humble little rimfirerifle for a reason. I have two .22 rifles. A ruger and a Winchester bolt gun. Both are excellent rifles for different reasons. For your purposes the Ruger is the champ.
For sure. However, I still stand behind my Remington 597 review that’s on TTAG here. I have NEVER shot a 10/22 that was as reliable, and I’ve shot a bunch of friends’ 10/22s varying from bone stock to highly modified. Something about the magazine catch allowing it to wobble too much, in addition to the fact that the feed ramp and the ejector are built into the mag, leads to jams. I think the dual, tool steel guide rods for the bolt, the last round hold-open, the method of barrel attachment, and the things I mentioned above (better mag catch, feed ramp on barrel, dedicated ejector in receiver) make the Remmi a better gun. It’ll never be as popular, but there is some decent aftermarket for it.
Once I replaced every part that volquartsen makes a replacement for, my 597 went from failures every other round to very reliable.
An industry has built up around that humble little rimfirerifle for a reason.
Yes, and the reason is ‘the stock parts are very mediocre’. 🙂
A friend of mine has a S&W M&P 22, I’ve shot it, it’s probably the best of the 22LR ar-15s out there.
I say get the m&p so in 6 months you can step up to an AR15 in 5.56mm
The M&P is a great gun, just as reliable as the River. IMHO, it’s also a lot more fun, as you can customize it with most AR accessories, and the controls are the same as an AR. Your shop is asking $100 too much, though – find a cheaper one elsewhere.
Ruger, not River. Damn autocorrect!
My kids love the M&P – no recoil, eminently customizable, shoot all day inexpensively. Can’t go wrong with either that or the 1022.
I have a 10-22 that has the tapco tac stock. My friend recently scored a M&P at gun show for $380. I kinda wish I had gone that route.
The AR market is tanking. There are going to be some good M&P deals available.
I’m wondering if the 10/22 has the ATI Strikeforce stock? Mine does and it’s great.
The 10/22 is not picky on ammo, unlike a lot of .22 autos. You can accessorize the hell out of it. Also, it actually has some decent 25 round magazines, especially if you can find the Ruger BX-25’s but I’ve also had success with the ProMag Archangel magazines as well.
I’ve heard good things about the S&W but it seems pricey for what it does and is more of an AR-15 trainer than an all-rounder .22 rifle. I’d love to own one but can’t justify the price.
Don’t know about the Beretta unless it’s the ARX model. In which case, for the money I’d rather go with the S&W. Avoid the Mossberg. It is just a dressed up 795 and they recommend only using CCI Mini-Mags. Good rounds but unnecessary to pay that premium if you own the 10/22.
could you give me some advice? I put a Volquartsen ejector pin in a new 10/22. It fails to eject (CCI lead) after 6-8 rounds. But CCI Stinger (copper) work fine. thanks
Better for the money? The Ruger 10/22. If your usage will primarily be range plinking…
The S&W M&P 15-22 is a fun gun, and I bought one to simulate training with an AR platform, which it does very well. Ive never had any issues (short of tracking down the oft expensive magazines). My 15-22 has seen thousands or rounds of every type of ammo, and the number of malfunctions is less than 10 (several caused by faulty ammo to boot).
That being said, if you dont want or need a gun that mimics an AR-15 for training purposes, I would buy the Ruger. Good luck in your selection – both are great little guns.
Oh, I should also mention that taking the S&W 15-22 apart for cleaning/maintenance is a breeze. The 10/22? Not so much…
get the 10/22. You can make it into anything you want. There are so many after market parts available I hardly ever see a stock 10/22 at the range. When people get bored with the 10/22 they seem to just change it from match barrels to AR like stocks you name it.
“I saw several Military style .22 rifles.”
LOL…. “Military Style” – You mean affordable, modular, durable, readily available, and cheap enough to mass produce? Was it black and scary? Ohhh did it have a detachable magazine? Only the military needs those! Did it hold more than 10 rounds?
*HUGE PET PEVE* I can’t stand that phrase. “Military Style.”
Why not, at the very least, educate yourself enough to describe the long gun using proper terminology. You don’t walk in to car dealership selling pickups and say “hey I noticed you got some family sedans available” unless of course, you noticed they are in fact selling mid sized sedans and the like. Calling something “military style” is like calling a pickup “a four wheel drive vehicle” or a minivan a “family style car.” What? Who says that? If it’s in common use by todays military, at lest refer to it by the closest, proper nomenclature.
“I was shopping for a new rifle and noticed .22 cal [AR15’s, 10/22’s, Walther P22’s, etc, etc, etc]”
It’s not that hard…
Relax.
Yeah, no kidding.
Flag for unnecessary roughness and unsportsman like conduct!
MOAR COFFEE!!!!
If you are willing to look, most flavors of coffee are now sold in a decaf form. You should try it.
10/22
But don’t try to take the thing apart.
Agree with everyone who voted 10/22. My only complaint with mine is it is a royal pain in my @ss to properly clean from the breach end. Field-stripping is basically impossible.
If he can find a 10/22 Takedown (rare where I live), that’s what I’d suggest. The takedown setup makes for a gun that is much easier to maintain.
I know some people are not fans of the boresnake, but I find that it makes cleaning the 10/22 much easier. At least, for routine cleanings. Every once in awhile I still clean the 10/22 with a brush and patch and just live with doing it from the “wrong end.”
Been doing it from the wrong end on one for about 15 years now with no issues…eh, that sounded better in my head.
Or buy an aftermarket receiver with a bore plug in the back to fix the issue if you’ve got the cash/are building one from the ground up.
I’ve owned a 10/22 for at least 15 years. My cleaning routine consists of. Lock action open. Spritz some clp down the bore. Run a bore snake thru the barrel. Spritz clp into open action. Wrap cloth, usually old t shirt, around booger hook and wipe out action. Wipe magazine feed lips down. Done.
The Takedown is great for basic cleaning, but you loose some aftermarket stock options short-term, but I expect compatible versions to come to market eventually.
I’m partial to Ruger myself, so guess what I’d pick.
Ruger 10/22. Inexpensive, Versatile, Reliable, and it has a huge “aftermarket” presence.
One thing I’ve never understood about a lot of .22’s is why they use open-sided magazines. 22’s are already (generally) notorious for feeding issues compared to other calibers; the open mags have always struck me as an invitation for trouble.
I have a Sig 522 w/ black dog mags that works very well; I picked that over a 15-22 based on the closed magazine and some good reviews on the Sig, and I haven’t regretted that decision.
Even though I love the 522, I’d still recommend a 10/22 over it for Mr. Onufer. There’s just no end to the customization you can do with a Ruger, and they’ve got a well-established reputation as a good platform for .22lr. Simply put, you can have exactly the rifle you want, and you’ll always be able to find parts & accessories for it. If you’re going to have one .22, you can’t go wrong with a 10/22.
For a compact, reliable .22 I wouldn’t even bother with the AR lookalikes. Pick up a nice used standard-barrel 10/22, get the Butler Creek folding stock from Cabella’s, and you are good to go for about $200. (Based on what I’ve been seeing used 10/22s go for.) I have made so many choices I regretted over the years buying semiauto .22 rifles because I was bored with 10/22s and everyone has one. (The Remington Viper, which I bought because I have fond memories of the Nylon 66 from when I was a kid, was a piece of junk on a par with my Charter Arms AR-7.) Currently have a nice 80s-vintage tube-fed Marlin which I like because it was a gift from a deceased friend, but it’s not nearly as versatile as a 10/22.
Yup. Got one just like that. Takedown better.
A little less room in the backpack better resale.
Shoot a year iron sights…and then decide if you need a scope. KISS for more fun…
By the way, that 10/22 “compact” model in the presser photo looks pretty cool. Would make a good trunk gun.
I have both the Ruger and S & W you mentioned. I love both guns, but for different reasons.
10/22 – My first gun. Except for the reciever and bolt nothing on the gun is original. After some trial and error of parts I have the perfect gun for me. With the right ammo I can put 10 rounds in 1/2″ hole at 25 yards. (The distance of my local indoor range). That’s the great thing about the 10/22, there is so much stuff out there that you can build exactly what you want in a gun. Once I get around to getting another reciever and bolt, I’ll have a second gun to boot.
M & P AR 15-22 – like someone else on here said, this is a great trainer for a real AR. Most of the internals and all the external controls work just like a real AR so it is great to learn and practice on. None of the other brands of 22 ARs can claim that. I bought this one for my kids. They wanted a ‘cool looking’ gun to learn to shoot with. The adjustable shoulder stock, that my Ruger lacks, made it much easier for them to hold correctly. Not much if any internal after market parts out there for it, but just about anything for an AR will mount to it externally.
So, if you plan to buy the rifle and keep it as is, the S&W will be cheaper in the long run. If you want something to customize go with the Ruger.
One last thing, the Ruger is a great rifle out of the box. Shoots damn near any ammo except some of the lightly powered quiet rounds. It is never a mistake to buy a Ruger 10/22
I have an MP15-22 and love it. In fact we loved it some much we had to buy a 2nd one as we were fighting over who got to use it at the range. Stay away from the Mossberg cleaning them is beyond belief. As someone else pointed out the 10/22 is like the AR15 of the .22 world there are more stocks and parts then you can every use in your life time and they are cheap to get. Sig Sauer also makes a nice one it tends to get a little better reviews then the MP15-22 not that the MP15-22 reviews are in any way bad but it can be hard to find.
Thanks
Robert
Unless y0u are getting a 22 as cheap trainer for your AR I would stay away from 22 chambered ARs. I still have a “nonfunctioning” Savage Model 64 autoloader which is on par with the standard 10/22 for poor maintainability. If you want a 22 rifle as plinker I recommend a bolt gun. Easy to maintain and they will eat any ammo you throw at them.
I have an iteration of the venerable 10/22 which comes with the ATI folding and collapsible stock, and picatinny rails. As such, it is extremely versatile.
Add a red dot sight, and some 25 round mag factory mags to the equation, and watch it uses increase even further.
AND….unlike Beretta, Ruger is a 100 % (parts, ownership, service, manufacturing, etc.) all American company. It’s not a bad idea for a politician to show his patriotism through buying domestic products.
none of the above.
semi-auto .22? meh. if i want to do backyard or short distance plinking, shooting cans off a fence, the 10/22 fits the bill: highly customizable, a lot of fun, and easy on the wallet. I have never experienced or seen the mythical accuracy of a semi-auto .22. I have experienced it with bolt-actions .22s (I thoroughly enjoy shooting my savage mark ii heavy barrel .22 .From a bench with the right ammo its a 1-moa gun out to 100 yds (i am not always 1 moa shooter) ). Like a gun grabber who claims to uphold the constitution, i have seen many claims on the internet and heard legends at the range, but I’ve seen little real evidence semi-auto “accuracy” exists. T
he 10/22 is a heck of a lot of fun for the money. Despite what the great state of CA might say, I think a semi-auto 22 is good for plinking and the occasional squirrel, and that’s about it. I would not stretch my wallet for a plinker.
But, short barreled carbine that one can accessorize and that might be used for self defense? .223/5.56 . Choose the AR platform in .223, a ruger mini 14, or something like that.
I think you missed the part where he said “the appeal is cheap shooting”. Even with the current prices of .22LR, it’s still a heck of a lot cheaper than 5.56.
Anyway, back to the original question. Of the list presented, I’d choose the 10/22. But if you want to expand your search a bit, there are some really great .22 bolt-actions out there, or you could get a Henry lever action. The Henry is an absolute blast to shoot.
i did not miss it. cheap shooting is why i’d pick up the 10/22 (of the four). but i’d pick up a bolt action or lever action before any of these four listed. And truthfully, the reason i am “meh” on semi-auto .22 is that i can plink anytime i want in my backyard with the air rifle I have, which has decent accuracy and power. But i have to go to the range with a .22. I can take the air rifle and the kids a lot of places I cannot take the .22.
As most have already said… I vote Ruger 10-22.
Just advise him / her to try and secure a few thousand rounds of ammo first!
I have both a 10/22 (in a squirrel slayer setup: standard10/22, butler creek folder, tasco 3-9×40, ruger BX-25 magazines) and a smith m&p 15-22 (magpul edition, stream light tlr-1s 300lumen, utg bipod, sight mark sure shot red dot)
The ruger is reliable and accurate. I’m certain it will outshoot me. The only pet peeves are loading the thing (bought a loader and it was a piece of crap. Kept denting cases, would t load any faster than by hand.) and of course cleaning.
The smith is a great gun, probably the most “fun” gun that I own. It allows me to train with it like I would train on my center fire ar-15, but at a cost that is much less than feeding 223. Loading it is also a breeze. The open sided magazines aren’t an issue. At all.
To choose? Man that’s a tough one. You are good in choosin between those two.
I will say skip the mossberg. The gun looks very cheap and it is.
Good luck with your purchase. Keep fighting the good fight.
Sincerely,
A Texan.
there’s also the archangel kits for the 10/22 and rem 597. I have a heavy bbl 597 with AA kit, and 10/22 marauder. Is very nice, both of thems.
Get the Ruger 10/22, DO NOT think of it as a home defense firearm. Yeah, it’s better than a rock but you should not think of it as real protection. Get a larger caliber handgun for that.
10/22 all the way, built/modified quite a few and love them. Great as a basic package and the thing becomes a chameleon with aftermarket parts.
As far as personal defense and “military style.” Everybody spits on .22 as a defense round, but in a DGU I’ll take the caliber I know I (and more importantly my SO) can control over missing every shot with a heavier caliber. If you can’t put the money/training into a decent pistol, AR, or shotgun a 10/22 is a great plinker and home defense gun. Especially if you’ve got a few of the 25 round Ruger mags.
When Ruger is putting their AR flash suppressor on a damn .22 and ATI is making stocks for them you can build an extremely, unnecessarily depending on your opinion, military looking 10/22. Scary looking guns scare idiots. Considering most criminals fall into the stupid category, if the crook thinks he’s staring down a scary black rifle that cost half of a real one all the better.
.22 is good for home defense if you are attacked by squirrels. anything bigger, get a real gun, it wont cost you that much.
you can buy a perfectly fine 12 ga shotgun like a stevens 320 for under $200. Under 30 feet, any 12 ga shotgun will spit 00 buckshot as well as any other 12ga shotgun.
Go stand in my door and let me put 25 rounds of .22 LR into you. We can talk afterwards and see how you’re doing.
Nothing beats a shotgun or AR, but haters gonna hate I suppose.
if you can afford $560 for an M&P, you can afford $340 for a 10/22 and $200 for a shotgun.
I’m a fan of the Ruger 10/22 and so long as you have a ready supply pf shells and magazines you’ll have a lot of fun. But no matter what you buy the grass will always be greener on the other side of the hill. Today, a .22 rim fire but tomorrow it’ll be a bolt action rifle in a larger caliber and the week after this it’ll be a semi-automatic.
Best advise I got about a first motorcycle, “Don’t spend a lot on your first one because it won’t be your last one.”
First, you sure this isn’t like one of those Nigerian lotto emails?
Second, what has the good mayor done for gun rights?
I have a M&P15-22, and the mags are touchy regarding loading. I also have a CZ452 which is the most accurate .22 I’ve ever owned (if you use the ammo it likes). Second in accuracy is my Henry H001T lever gun which isn’t as picky regarding ammo. I’ve heard Savage rifles are very accurate as well. Beyond all that, the 10/22 is probably the single most popular .22 rifle ever made. As others have pointed out, the aftermarket is beyond brisk, and the gun can be made to be quite accurate if you’re willing to spend money on it.
Damn, John beat me to it while I was typing…lol.
If you’re having trouble reloading MP 15-22 mags, you’re doing it wrong. They are not touchy.
10/22 gets my vote, I have 3 along with several other makes/models of .22 semi auto. Get a simple scope(tasco 3-9 to start) or red dot and soda cans at 100 yds will be no problem once you’re dialed in. I don’t know why people seem to have a problem with maintenance…a full cleaning takes 10 minutes tops. They work quite well dirty, wet or dry too! If you get 500 rounds or so downrange and get any jamming problems just open the action give her a squirt of Rem oil and the kids can start shooting again. .22 ammo is dirty stuff.
If you’re looking to wring the most accuracy you can out of a .22 try looking at the kimbers similar to the ones they sell through the CMP or my favorite…. CZ 452 LUX. They’re both bolt guns but they can be quite a bit of fun when you get tired of setting up MASSIVE amounts of targets to knock down with the 10/22.
Every household needs a 10-22 as a starting point…
Although a ruger 10/22 is a fine plinker and highly customizable I’m going to go with DWB and vote “none of the above”. I’d look at a bolt gun first preferably CZ or Savage. Also shop around a bit. There are not a lot of good gun stores (price wise) on that end of Butler county. Take a 30 minute drive up to Sportsman Supply Co in Butler out on Freeport Rd. Reasonable prices and they carry a broad selection of items.
Ruger 10/22. Any one. Doesn’t matter.
Get the MP 15-22. I’ve shot my friend’s 10/22 and own the Smith, its the better gun. I am more accurate with it, and the AR style controls/ergo’s are much better as well. I’ve run several thousand rounds through mine and have only had a handful of ammo related failures, no issues with the gun at all.
Interesting to read through the replies. I have the pleasure of serving as an Appleseed Program instructor. As such I’ve seen thousands of .22’s come through our line. In my experience, there isn’t a .22LR out there that’s 100% reliable. Some however are more reliable than others, and some are more accurate than others.
You’re going to find a good number of Ruger 10/22’s at any Appleseed event you might attend. Overall they’re proven performers. The factory magazines tend to work pretty well, so long as they’ve been maintained. The aftermarket magazines can go either way. Reliability tends to be centered around the magazine and extractor. Pretty typical of a semi-auto .22 LR. Accuracy is marginal from the 10/22. The factory sights are horrible, probably the worst of any offering out there, if you want iron sights on your 10/22 invest in a set of Tech Sights. Otherwise an optic is a viable option. The trigger on a factory 10/22 is plastic, and tends to be creppy and gritty. Volquartsen makes a great alternative, as long as you’re willing to pay the $200. For myself, I own a 10/22, but wouldn’t buy another one off the rack, I’d build one from all the various parts companies out there.
The S&W 15-22’s do fairly well, and represent the only AR look-a-like .22LR that I’d even conside. We shoot between 200-500 rds at a weekend Appleseed Clinic, and the S&W 15-22’s tend to do…okay. Stay away from the Mossberg .22 AR’s, they are absolute junk.
My .22lr semi-auto rifle of choice as a plinker is the Marlin 795. Out of the box accuracy is far superiour to the 10/22. There’s decent aftermarket support for the 795, and it’s cheaper than the 10/22. More importantly from my foxhole, Marlin is offering an Appleseed Liberty Training Rifle package based on the 795 which includes Tech Sights and a good GI sling. We own a couple Marlins, my Marlin 70 (the predecessor to the 795), and a 795. Both run pretty well.
Seconded on the Marlin 795. 1000% easier to take down than the Ruger, and (in my experience), Marlin .22s are both more reliable and more accurate than their Ruger counterparts. The feed ramp and ejector are not integral to the Marlin’s magazines, and I believe that their proprietary rifling in their barrels make them higher quality.
Thank you! Voice of experience.
Once again why Ttag rules.
I have the Ruger 10/22 carbine, Stainless steel takedown and Remington 597. Beretta Neos, but have not bought the carbine conversion for it yet. Two Marlin 60’s. Henry lever action. I know the original question was which semi-auto to buy. What about lever action or bolt actions. Henry lever action would be nice, if you can find and afford it, Winchester 9422 (which I don’t have). Even a Cricket, w/ adult stock. Granted it’s a single shot, but there are Winchester 67a single shot available (you have to look for it). Have that one too. Negotiating to purchase a Marlin model 122 auto safe.
There are many 22LR’s out there. My advice is don’t narrow your choices to semi-auto.
Must it be a semi auto? If not, the Browning BL22 lever action is a high quality fun gun. Shoots shorts, longs, and long rifle ammo without a hitch and holds plenty in the tube magazine. No jams, just fun. Short lever throw allows for fast shooting if you’re into that. Just an alternate you may not have considered.
Get a Marlin 795 ($150) and tech-sights ($70). You will be able to hit a half dollar at 50 yards with iron sights, and have cash left over to enjoy other firearms or ammo.
I do get annoyed that people are so stuck on 10/22 being the only 22 rifle out there.
to be fair, a lot of people did mention others, but the writer only “saw” four.
Me, i’d go on gunbroker. But how about that headline – MAYOR OF MARS PA BUYS MILITARY STYLE GUN, AMMO ONLINE.
holy cow, Bloomberg would have an aneurism.
now that i think about it, i would pay to see that.
+1
Just got back from plinking with buddies, me with a 795 and them with various degrees of souped up 10/22s. Still liked mine better and was significantly cheaper.
None of the current semi auto options for .22’s really appeal to me in terms of reliability or accuracy.
The 10/22 while highly customizable and well made is a bitch to service in field conditions–if you MUST have a 10/22 get the takedown model for this reason. I’ve never been a fan of the rotary mag (and the aftermarket conventional mags while nice seem to be more prone to jams from what I understand–we can’t get them in NY anyways).
Never been a fan of the M4gery look for a rimfire carbine, step up to a real AR and get a .22LR upper receiver if you want that. Or Ruger Mini-14 if you’re like me and don’t like tacticool and/or live in a people’s republic that frowns upon Scary Black Rifles.
Don’t know anything about the Mossberg or Beretta. The Remington 597 seems to be an okay option if you can find a good one but I’ve got an aversion to most things Freedom Group.
Someone above me mentioned Marlin, they still make some decent .22’s despite the aforementioned Freedom Group involvement (just stay away from the lever actions) but if you can find a well cared for Model 60 or 39A of pre-Remlin make you won’t regret it.
Really for the money you’re talking about a lever or bolt action .22 seem like better options. More reliable, tack driver accuracy and will feed .22 Short and Long as well as .22LR. Consider the Henry HM001/Golden Boy, CZ 455 Lux, Savage Mark II, etc.
Ruger 10/22 highly customizable,best mags to me,butler creek Steel Lips 25rounds,otherwise I leave the rest up to you.One other thing the Military rifles cost more and you can buy more parts for the 10/22 to “make” it yours,with the difference in price.Be prepared and ready.Keep your powder dry.
… Mars Needs Women! Uh, Guns. …
No, no, no, Mars Needs Guitars!
I agree with many of the previous replies. The Ruger is an excellent quality firearm and is versatile and Ruger stands behind their firearms. I have 2 family members that work for Ruger in NH and I have seen their manufacturing first hand. My recommendation would be for the Ruger 10/22. Please check out our fair prices and excellent customer service at http://www.jlfirearms.com.
Read all the replies. Most I agreed with. My choice would be the 10/22. I own 3 right now. One has the TAPCO M4 stock and looks cool, it is also my oldest (76) My wife has one that is all stock except for a poly bolt stop pin. My newest is a stainless with synth stock. I put in the poly pin and a volkstien (sp) trigger and hammer setup. An old 2.5 weaver scope tops it out. The ONLY feeding problem was with Winchester rounds. I had 10 misfeed/misfires out of a box of 50. I also would recommend the BX25 mag. I have tried all the others and have had problems with all of them. I have 400 rds through the BX25 with no problems so far. A friend of mine has a 10/22 numbered 3000. He called me up and said his gun wouldn’t shoot. I grabbed my gun kit and set out to his house. I looked at the old gun and about cried. The REAL walnut stock was way beat up and rust in the barrel. I asked him when he cleaned it last. Never, he said. 10 min. later the gun was completely striped including the bolt and trigger group. I have never seen a dirtier gun in my life. Wyoming dust and grit, powder fouling and some mouse poop in the stock. ” This is my jeep/ranch gun and I keep it under the seat.” Took the better part of an hour to clean it. I used a rod and brush, patches and a bore snake and lots of solvent. Used boiling water on the trigger housing after the solvent bath. Oiled it; put it put it back together (10 mins) went outside and he put 10 rounds downrange freehand at 25 yds in a 3 inch group. Since then I have put in a trigger job and a poly pin in for him. Hard to clean? In this case yes! Otherwise not so much. Reliable? YES! Accurate? best out of the box on the market today. My wife hits 9 out of ten on a 8 inch steel target at 100 yds with open sights. I guess I would buy the gun you like, feel comfortable with and can afford. But don’t whine about a Ruger 10/22 being unreliable, hard to maintain or inaccurate. This gun can outshoot most owners! And probably outlast him too!
Probably wont outshoot many people in Norway but thats what you get when you learn with a match rifle with diopter sights. Marlin aren’t bad I liked the one I tried especially the price.
He knows exactly what he is talking about, he doesn’t need help, he’s busting chops. You want my opinion? Let’s see your voting record first.
A fellow Martian? Represent!
My vote is a 10/22 with the blackhawk axiom stock on it. The adjustable stock and light weight means my kids can use it just as easily as I can.
10/22 was my first rifle, I think I got it Xmas 1984, and I still have it. It jammed for the first time in my experience just the other day when my 11 year old son was shooting it with a 25 round Butler Creek mag, probably about as old as the gun itself. Just had to cycle the bolt and give it a shake to clear it. I’ve never shot anything but cheap bulk ammo with it. There’s nothing tacticool about my 10/22, but I did take it a apart to do a mild hillbilly trigger job, polishing all the mating surfaces, including the bolt. I was careful not to remove much material from the sear/hammer interface. The trigger is now a lot smoother, and I think the bolt cycles better. I did a bunch of drop tests after the trigger mod, I’m confident that it’s safe. It’s got a cheap Simmons 4x scope, and it’s insanely accurate.
I don’t get the idea that the 10/22 is difficult to disassemble. It does have some pesky springs and tiny pins, but you can do it. I’ve done it lots of times, and I’m a libtard. I would not own a weapon that I could not completely disassemble.
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