Fun Facts about Ruger 10/22 Rimfire Rifle

• The Ruger 10/22 was designed in 1964 by Bill Ruger, Sr. and Harry Sefried II. 

• With more than 7 million 10/22 in circulation, the 10/22 rifle is arguably the most successful rimfire rifle design in history.

• When introduced, the unit cost for the base rifle was $54.50 in U.S. currency. That would be about $512 today

• The MSRP for a base model 10/22 is $379 today. Modern manufacturing techniques and an economy of scale keep prices down.

• The patented rotary 10-round magazine that comes standard with the rifle was revolutionary for its day.

• The Ruger 10/22 has seen limited combat use in the hands of Israeli forces battling Palestinian insurgents.

• The 10/22 is one of the most customized rifle designs ever created. Nowadays, a complete 10/22 rifle can be built from aftermarket parts without using a single Ruger component.

• Ruger offered a .22 Win Mag version of the rifle titled the 10/22 Magnum from 1998 until 2006.

• In 2004, Ruger listed a variant of the 10/22 firing .17HMR in their catalog.

• All modern 10/22 rifles come from the Ruger factory, drilled and tapped for a scope mount that is included. The rifle’s rear sight folds out of the way to accommodate an optic.

• The 10/22’s unique two-screw, V-block system, allows barrels to be exchanged easily without requiring the services of a gunsmith.

• As of 2015, Ruger offered the 10/22 in eleven different discrete models.

• All 10/22 rifles available today, orbit around an investment cast aluminum receiver. The receiver of the short-lived Ruger 10/22 Magnum, was cut from steel.

• The standard model 10/22 features an 18.5-inch barrel and is available with either a hardwood or black synthetic stock. 

• 10/22 Receivers can be had either black anodized or silver.

• The 10/22 Target sports a 20-inch bull barrel and no iron sights.

• Magazine options for the 10/22 range from flush-mounted rotary ten-rounders up to fifty-round drums.

• Aftermarket conversion kits allow you to transform a standard 10/22 into a replica of the HK G36, the WW2-vintage German MG42 belt-fed machinegun, an M1 Carbine, an M1 Garand, or a tripod-mounted crank-fired support weapon.

• In 2012 Ruger introduced the 10/22 Takedown Model. This version breaks down readily into two halves and comes with a backpack carrying case.

• TacSol (Tactical Solutions) has made a brisk business out of designing top-end sound-suppressed precision targets and utility rifles that orbit around the basic 10/22 action.

• Ruger Custom Shop produces custom 10/22’s and they now offer a Custom Shop Left-hand model. 

• Drop-in BX-Trigger offers a Drop-in trigger (model #90462) which takes a 10/22trigger down to 2.75 lbs. It’s reasonably priced and easy to install.

• MagPul offers a plethora of 10/22 accessories 

• Currently, Ruger offers 8 families of Ruger 10/22s with 61 models listed

• Magnum Research produces a line of custom target rifles called the Switchbolt that is designed around the 10/22 action. At age 19 and equipped with a customized Switchbolt rifle, shooter Chris Barrett set a world record for speed shooting in the Rimfire Rifle Optic Steel Challenge competition.

• Acadia Machine and Tool, the same company that made the .45 Hardballer Longslide pistol used in the first Terminator movie, once produced a 10/22 clone around a stainless steel receiver. A subsequent lawsuit forced them to discontinue production.

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Article Written by Dr. Will Dabbs MD, GunBroker.com Contributor