Orville, Texas knows (courtesy ruger.com)

Ruger reads TTAG. But I bet we weren’t the only gun guys disappointed by the lackluster quality of the 10 finalists for their design a 10/22 contest. Why else would the company send an email blast linking to three non-entries with the words “vote for me” underneath the pics? “Your feedback could influence another future Ruger product” the email teases. So it’s a contest within a contest without a prize. Go figure. Checking out the three also-rans, I reckon they’re at least as good if not better than the ones Ruger chose for the final vote. Orville from Texas’s modded 10/22 [above] uses after-market parts to create a “tack driver” of a rifle with which he “nailed a Tom at 80 yards.” Now for Dick and Harry . . .

Modded Ruger 10/22 is just Garand (courtesy ruger.com)

Actually, Robert from Vermont and Mark from Texas (go Lone Star!). Bobby Boy’s ballistic bauble mimics the G1/M1 carbine. Apparently this modded 10/22 can “foster historic significance for youth and adult as well.” That doesn’t mean what Bob-o thinks it means but I think I know what he means.

A hunting we shall go, with a modded Ruger 10/22 (courtesy ruger.com)

 

Mark from Texas takes the cake. His very carefully modded 10/22 looks perfectly balanced and finely wrought. Mark says he named it the “Slade Special Safari Grade” after a hunting classic. The rifle’s workmanship, simplicity and utility put all the other entries to shame, although I still like the red race gun.

38 COMMENTS

  1. The m1 carbine isn’t new, you can get one from some other manufacturer or you can just buy an aftermarket stock. Not exciting at all.

    The one with mini 14 sights, a flash hider and the new American .22 buttstock looked much, much more interesting and useful. You finally get a 10/22 with a threaded barrel and good irons.

  2. I got the Ruger e-mail to go and vote… looked at the contenders and said “ahh, nevermind…”

    While Orville’s gun certainly looks nice, bragging about an 80 yard shot doesn’t prove much. My bone stock Savage Mark IIG with cheapo Cabela’s scope easily nails 2″ targets at 100 yards all day long with Remington Golden Bullets that most people hate. Or is this actually an impressive feat with a 10/22?

    • I use my plinkster to take groundhogs and other farm pests at 100 to 130 yards with a BSA scope all day long. Just got a 10/22 to improve from there.

  3. If they want to sell something, just bring back the 10/22 magnum (without the self cracking bolt this time). I don’t personally know what’s so great about an auto loading .22 mag, but they go for $1000 used easily. There’s some market there.

    • ^THIS!!! oh and in something other than 30 carbine. How bout .38 special, .45 ACP, .44 mag, .357 mag, .50 AE, .50 GAP, .223/5.56, .300 BLK, .458 Socom, or even 9mm?? Oh and of course the original .30 carbine as well as giving the option of full wood stock or the paratrooper folding wire stock maybe one of the new polymer telescoping stocks as well and different sight mounting options too.

  4. Had a wife and a Ruger once. Put up with the wife fore 12 looong years. She did have some positives about her. The Ruger pistol was a POS from day one, and Ruger checked over twice and said that nothing was wrong with it. It couldn’t fire 2 shots without jamming. After the lesson with the wife, I dumped that Ruger in 3 months. Much happier but poorer now.

  5. they should reduce the magazine capacity of those death machines to 7 rounds.

    honestly, other than slapping lipstick on it, there isnt much to you can really do to one that has not been done….they should just have a plain one with an anniversary stamp on it and sell it CHEAP with 2 25rnd mags.

    • Hey RUGER,

      Especially since the M1 Garand has been heavily featured in video games for over 10 years now:
      http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/M1_Garand#Video_Games

      You’ve got a whole generation coming of age that “grew up” with that virtual rifle. What could be better than having an affordable .22lr version of it to plink with? Please use actual M1 Garand sights on it too!

      -D

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