The Rimfire Report: Why The Ruger 10/22 Will Never Die

The Ruger 10/22 is the undisputed champion of the .22 LR firearm world in the United States, and likely the world. With more than six decades on the market, it has faced numerous competitors that have tried, and sometimes managed, to out-spec or out-feature it, but rarely to replace its unique mix of charm, reliability, affordability, and familiarity. In just the last few years, a new wave of so‑called “10/22 killers” has appeared, only to fade into niche roles or carve out small corners of the market based on a single clever feature or gimmick. Today, my goal is to dig into why the Ruger 10/22 simply refuses to die, and to look at the few that have tried, have ultimately failed, to dethrone the undisputed king of rimfire carbines.

More Rimfire Report @ TFB:

• The Rimfire Report: Remington Magnum Rimfire 22WMR 40gr JHP Tested
• The Rimfire Report: Tips for Building an Off-Season Rimfire Trainer
• The Rimfire Report: Daisy 2202 .22 LR Rifle – BB to Rimfire

The Rimfire Report: Why The Ruger 10/22 Will Never Die

Before we get started, I’d just like to make it clear that while I’m giving the 10/22 a lot of fanboy love today, I’ve also often been known to be one of the platform's biggest detractors. This is especially true when it comes to updating the platform using modern materials and fleshing it out with better factory features. While the 10/22 is often cited to be the stalwart companion of every gun-loving boy in the country, the rifle is also very well known, at least in modern times, to be fairly cranky about specific types of ammo and magazines, and also known not to be made from the best of materials - at least when it comes to specific eras of Ruger-branded receivers. Despite all that, I still think the platform, much like the handy Glock, is unkillable.

Simplicity at Its Finest

Like almost every other semi-auto .22LR rifle currently in production, the Ruger 10/22 is fairly simple, but that simplicity is also backed up by a fairly robust set of parts. The original 10/22 typically came with a walnut stock, blued steel barrel, steel bolt and firing pin, and of course, a cast aluminum receiver that has seen a few slight variations in coatings and quality over the last half century. All things that aftermarket producers of the 10/22 and its components have tried to fix and or improve upon.

Fieldstripping the rifle is extremely easy, and has only been made easier by very unique and forward-thinking design updates like those from TANDEMKROSS with their ADX receiver, or Sebastian Unger and Fletcher Rifleworks with their OpenTop 11/22 design. While both could be considered completely different firearms, I think they still count towards the 10/22’s legacy simply because they make use of off-the-shelf 10/22 parts for the core of the operation.

Finally, nearly any bulk pack ammunition will be “good enough” for the 10/22 to eat regularly. While it does run better with higher quality ammo (like any gun), the Ruger 10/22, in my experience, hasn’t been nearly as picky as other semi-auto platforms like the newer Smith & Wesson FPC 22, or even the brand new TriStar Arms/Kral Arms KR-22, which accepts Ruger 10/22 magazines. Both of these firearms, I’ve found, don’t have as much leeway in terms of ammunition selection as the 10/22 does.

Familiarity Breeds Consistency

As I’ve been hinting at during the entire article so far, I think part of the 10/22s success goes beyond just its original legacy. In the waning years of the 1960s, the 10/22 had some tough competition but remained a staple in the .22LR rifle category. This allowed the platform to be adopted by thousands, and that meant the rifle eventually had aftermarket companies all trying to build off that success by providing everything from aftermarket barrels to optimized triggers, and higher quality internal materials.

As I alluded to in the previous section, the 10/22 is simple, largely because it has so few parts, a dozen or so, rather than hundreds of parts that all have to be put back together in the correct order. The basic 10/22 layout, both internally and externally, has not really changed in more than half a century, which means almost every shooter has either owned one, borrowed one, or learned on one at some point. The exception here, at least from an OEM perspective, is Ruger’s new breed of receivers that are made out of a single hunk of machined aluminum and have an integrated (non-removable) Picatinny rail. In a word, the 10/22 is the rifle that, no matter who you’re shooting with, won’t require an entire operational briefing before handing it off to someone new or not very familiar with the 10/22 platform. It’s about as ubiquitous as a Glock.

Plink to the Future

While I’m uncertain of what will come next for the 10/22 platform, I do know that, along with the B-52, the Browning M2 Machine Gun, and Taxes, the 10/22 is going to be sitting quietly in everyone’s safe or hung over the back door for the times we need it. As a final word on the rifle's immovable position in the firearms world, it's inexpensive and accurate enough to justify its cost. The 10/22 is still only about $250 from virtually any online or local gun store, meaning it’s accessible to everyone at a reasonable price, and it’ll perform admirably within a very predictable range.