Another rez rescue - an old 10/22 this time.

[sigp220.45]

My very first gun was a 10/22, bought with paper route money from Frank's Sports Shop in Decatur, Illinois. That was 41 years ago, and I still have it and shoot it often. It's my main prairie dog gun.

I ran across this 1966 vintage 10/22 at a pawn shop on the edge of the Navajo reservation. These are popular guns on the rez, and they see hard use.

This one will take some fixing up, but it is mechanically sound, shoots fine, and killed a prairie dog with the first shot I fired from it.

The thing that looks like a crack turned out to a paint smear that rubbed out after I took the picture.

This half-a-sight will have to go, along with the snazzy fiber optic thing up front:

No warnings, no plastic, and I'm pretty sure the stock is walnut.

I'll refinish the stock, make the sights right, and hope for the best. At $200 out the door it is still cheaper than a new one.

Anybody else like these older 10/22s?

 

[Texas Star]

How accurate are those Rugers, out of the box? I've read mixed results, one reason why I bought a Marlin M-795SS instead.

People seem obsessed with re-working them. Why, if they shoot okay to begin with? They aren't bad looking guns, although the few I've examined had really loose inletting.

Do you eat prairie dogs? Does anyone? Are they full of parasites? Did Navaho or other tribes traditionally eat them? Just wondering if they'd be safe to consume, especially if one got lost and had to take any animals available.

 

[Onomea]

....People seem obsessed with re-working them. Why, if they shoot okay to begin with? ....

I recall a similar comment on the Coltforum by a fellow who wondered what all the fuss about Pythons was about. If they are so great, why do so many owners get action jobs for 'em?

I imagine with the 10/22 that it is similar to a 1911. It's a classic that lends itself to mods easily, so guys have a lot of fun fixing them up just the way they want them. Or, in an auto context, maybe like a '57 Chevy, which was a preferred platform to hot rod back when I was a kid.

 

[Fishslayer]

I would trade you my "modern" All Weather (more like "All Plastic") model in a heartbeat and walk away chuckling.

Nice find.

 

[sigp220.45]

Do you eat prairie dogs? Does anyone? Are they full of parasites? Did Navaho or other tribes traditionally eat them? Just wondering if they'd be safe to consume, especially if one got lost and had to take any animals available.

Nope - I leave them for the coyotes and hawks. I shoot them on Navajo agricultural land (with a permit) where they run amok eating up crops and leaving miles of burrows. I don't think anyone eats them - they are notorious for carrying the bubonic plague.

 

[pharmer]

Only thing wrong with 10-22's is the stock trigger. First one I bought was 1980, took two hands to pull the trigger. Bought one 20 years later (still have it) same trigger.

Don't have the mini 14 anymore though. Joe

 

[MDGasman]

There's an easy fix for the trigger with the Volquartsen kit from Midway; it dropped the trigger pull from around 7# to 2.6# (had it measured). Pull was so light and crisp it took me a few magazines to really get used to it. You don't end up changing the trigger, the kit is for installing a new hammer. Huge improvement.

 

[papajohn428]

I've had five 10/22's over the years, and I wish I'd kept the first one, it was the best of them all. Triggers and accuracy have gotten progressively worse with each purchase. The one I currently have got a Power Custom trigger kit installed, it helped the shootability but not the accuracy. The first one I had wound up being gifted to a daughter, who uses it to pick off Grackles on the back fenceline at a measured 105 yards. She doesn't miss many!

Any Ruger with out all the legalese stuff on it is worth hanging on to......congrats on a nice find!

 

[A10]

bought mine in 1977, stupidly sold it when I needed cash. I could knock the dust off a fly with that thing. Never had a problem with the trigger pull, it was a little heavy but it was crisp.

 

[2152hq]

Nice older one. 3rd year production.

American Walnut stock.
Lots of aftermarket bells & whistles available for these, but a nice early model is already a classic & hard to beat.
I agree,,,change the sites!

 

[cussedemgun]

Nice older one. 3rd year production.

American Walnut stock.
Lots of aftermarket bells & whistles available for these, but a nice early model is already a classic & hard to beat.
I agree,,,change the sites!

"change the sites" (the place or location of an person or object)

you already did, now you need to work on gitting the correct sights!

Jim aka, word police

 

[Stevie]

I believe most of the 10-22 customizing deal is mostly a fad...sort of like customizing a perfectly fine AR rifle or 1911 pistol.

A buddy of mine bought a new 10-22..stuck a $120 aftermarket fluted bull barrel in it..and then had to fit a synthetic stock onto it to accomodate the fat barrel...then fitted it with a expensive scope...and had a customized 10-22 that shot just as good as a stock 10-22 with a cheap 4 power scope..except was more picky on the ammo...He wanted to use cheap bulk .22 ammo..which sort of nullifys putting a match-grade barrel on the gun!

Most .22 rifles shoot great anyhow...the 10-22 is the same way..shoots great in stock form. The only real issues I've seen with 10-22 rifles is some have a rather heavy/nasty triggerpull..and the iron sights. Seems like all I've owned need a taller front sight so you don't have to bottom out the cheesy rear sight.

 

[2152hq]

"change the sites" (the place or location of an person or object)

... work on "gitting" the correct sights!

Jim aka, word police

Follow me,,,and you'll have much work to do as a Word Patrolman!
But first we must see about 'getting' the correct sites.

My old habits will not change..

 

[canoeguy]

I have never had much enthusiasm for Ruger 10/22's until I started teaching youth to shoot. Our club bought a bunch of Marlin 925 bolt action rifles that worked great for most of the youth, but the left handers and shorter kids were not doing well with them, so we bought two Ruger 10/22's. The youth enjoyed shooting them, they had good results accuracy wise at 50 yards, so I bought one for myself.

I have really enjoyed that rifle, I see it as my "Utility" .22 rifle, a rifle I'm not afraid to take canoeing, a truck gun, etc. If I need fine accuracy, I'll use a CZ 452 bolt rifle, for general field use a Ruger 10/22 can't be beat.

Just recently picked up a Moisin Nagant ammo pouch to carry spare 10/22 magazines, four 10 rounders fit nicely in one.

With a Ruger 10/22 and a .357 revolver, a man is reasonably well armed...

 

[dirty gary]

Only Ruger part left on this 10/22 is the actual reciever shell.
Magnum Research barrel, Volquartzen trigger, Zeiss 3-9, etc.
It shoots NICE, a lot of fun plinking

 

[BoDog]

About a year ago I sighted in a scope on a newer 10-22 for a friend.Totally stock ,as i remember it was 4-16 variable power scope from a major mfg. It would do 5/8 in at 50 yds and just over an inch at 100 yds.
My tricked out Valquarzen triggered,Clarke barreled, laminated stocked 10-22 with a 6-18 Bushnell can't do much better with match ammo.
These newer gun with died stocks and poor trigers still shoot pretty well.