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Ruger 10/22 Takedown

Right before New Year’s, I took a trip to the new Academy in town to see what was in stock and hopefully pick up some ammo, and perhaps a weapon or two if the price was right. As I scanned the empty racks where AR type rifles would normally be, the sales manager walked up and mentioned that those rifles disappear as fast as they arrive but then followed it up with “you want to see something cool?”. Any time those words are mentioned in a gun store you have to say yes and what’s the cool item of the day? It was the Ruger 10/22 Takedown model. This is Ruger’s newest version of their 10/22 line of .22 caliber rimfire rifles, and since the 10/22 line was introduced in 1964, more than 5 million have been produced. In talking with gun owners, it seems like everyone either owns one, or knows someone who has at some point in their lives.

I owned an old 10/22 as a teenager and had more fun that I can tell you here driving/riding around the back roads of East Texas and practicing with it. The 10/22 frequently makes the list of “firearms you must own” so I’ve been meaning to get one for years but never made a big effort at it. As luck would have it, enter the 10/22 Takedown.

Specifications

Caliber .22 LR
Capacity 10
Barrel 18.50”
Overall Length 37”
Weight 4.67 lbs
Barrel Finish Stainless Steel
Stock Finish Black Synthetic/Clear Matte
Magazine 1 – 10 round removable rotary
Safety Manual – Index Finger (located at the front of the trigger guard)
Front/Rear Sight Gold Bead/Adjustable
MSRP $399 (includes a Ruger Backpack-Style Bag)

Features and Ergonomics

In regards to features and ergonomics, this is where this the 10/22 Takedown separates itself from the pack – literally, as the Ruger 10/22 Takedown gets its name from being able to break the rifle down for storage.

The rifle has a nice, balanced feel to it. There’s a solid click when you lock the parts together, and there’s no play even though it consists of two separate pieces. It’s really well-built as you would expect from a Ruger. It comes with the Ruger 10/22 gold bead front and flip up rear sights and also comes with a rail mount for a scope. The rail is not installed on the rifle out of the box, you can choose to install it later using the screws provided.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

Putting the 10/22 together and disassembling it takes a matter of seconds. There is a lever in the fore end, just ahead of where the barrel and receiver meet. You pull the bolt back and lock it for both assembly and disassembly. To put it together, you insert the barrel into the ring on the receiver (which can be tightened or lessened to improve the fit of the two components) and turn the barrel assembly a quarter-turn clockwise until it locks. To disassemble it, you push the lever up and turn the barrel assembly a quarter-turn counterclockwise and slide the barrel out. Note: the clockwise or counterclockwise references are with lever and trigger guard facing you.

The ability to remove the barrel from the receiver decreases the effort needed to clean it and it’s easier than the standard 10/22 in that regard since you can insert cleaning rods down the back of the barrel and clean it back to front. Removing the barrel also helps make the bolt is easier to access and clean.

It also comes with a Backpack-Style nylon bag with the Ruger logo on the front. It’s a well-designed bag and it has more capabilities than just holding the rifle. There‘s a top pocket which is the perfect size for a small pistol like the Glock 26/27 and an extra mag or two (my Gen 4 Glock 21 with the Inforce APL mounted even fits in there!) or some extra mags for the rifle, and in the lower pocket there are pouches designed to keep the magazines separate from each other. I was able to get a couple of 25 round Butler Creek Magazines and a couple 50 round boxes of ammo in there with no trouble.

Inside the bag there are three pockets, a large one on the left side and two smaller ones on the right. You can put the receiver in the left side pocket and the barrel in one of the right side pockets or the receiver and barrel in the right side pockets and use the left side for other items. Each pocket has a hook and loop flap to keep items in place. The bag’s great for having everything you need packed on one place so you can grab it by the carrying handle or use the sling and head out to where ever you like to shoot.

Shooting Impressions

The trigger of the 10/22 Takedown isn’t match grade, but works just fine. I’ve put about 500 rounds through it so far and I’ve found it to be very accurate and a blast to shoot. I can shoot tight groups with it at extended ranges (50 yds +) no problem just standing. In other words, it’s your typical Ruger 10/22.

This is the first gun my son will learn to shoot with when he gets old enough and I know he’ll enjoy it even more than I do.

Wrapping Up

There isn’t much you have to do with a Ruger 10/22 out of the box. Buy some ammo, load it up and fire away. Some nice additions are a good scope, a sling, and some 25 round mags, but those are all “nice to haves” and not necessities in my opinion. They would simply help make a fun rifle even more fun. Personally, I bought 10 of the 25 round Butler Creek magazines, but haven’t invested in a scope or sling yet. The MSRP of $399 will be a turn-off from some people (I paid $329 for mine) but I couldn’t be happier about my trip to Academy that day and the 10/22 Takedown that made it home with me.

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8 Responses to Ruger 10/22 Takedown

  1. Eric Lopez March 27, 2013 at 9:08 am #

    I love mine more and more. How are those butler creek magazines working out?

  2. Jayson March 27, 2013 at 9:19 am #

    Be sure to get the magazines with metal feed lips. They actually have an ejector built in and are far more reliable. The plastic feed lips are pretty fragile and lack the ejector.

  3. Chad March 27, 2013 at 9:26 am #

    I put Volquartsen match components in mine the day I got it, and it outshoots my brother’s Kimber barreled Match 10/22. Something to be said for that.

  4. Ryan March 27, 2013 at 9:58 am #

    Great review, I picked one up last year and absolutely love it. Fortunately I was able to stock up on some BX-25 mags before the panic. Did you have any issues with the Butler Creek mags?

  5. TK March 27, 2013 at 11:42 am #

    The 10/22 is hands down the best auto loading .22 LR rifle IMO. Nice review, might have to look into the take down model.

  6. Matt March 28, 2013 at 7:42 am #

    Thanks for the comments! Yes, the Butler Creek mags are working out well so far. When I was researching them, there were a lot of negative feedback about the plastic feed lips ones and they seem to be the ones that are most likely to have feed problems. I got the metal feed lips and no complaints. Random misfeeds, but rare to this point and I’ll see if that continues as they get used more and more. I would have preferred the BX-25 mags made by Ruger, but between the availability issues and price drop, it just wasn’t worth it right now. That being said, I will definitely be getting some of those once things finally calm down.

    • Nikki April 17, 2013 at 10:32 am #

      Shopruger.com does have the BX-25’s available to backorder, I picked up a few the other day for my takedown also. I spoke to them on the phone and they said 6 – 8 weeks for delivery in case you wanted to check it out.

      • amistoso April 17, 2013 at 11:11 pm #

        Thanks!