I acquired my first Ruger 10/22 during the Regan administration, though the model has been around since 1964. There’s no way to even estimate how many rounds of .22 LR ammo I’ve run through that rifle, or how many rounds it had burned before I bought it used from a friend in need of quick cash. As a trapline rifle through the raw-fur peak of the 1980s, it lived a rough life, never receiving a thorough cleaning that I can remember, often covered in dust or mud or snow while riding on the handlebars of an early ATV and used since for everything from casual rabbit and tree-squirrel hunting to slaughtering farmyard hogs.
Still, that rifle seldom failed to cycle any ammo type, from cheap bulk fodder … to hot CCI Stingers or Remington Yellow Jackets.
The argument could easily be made that Sturm, Ruger & Company’s semi-automatic 10/22 is the most popular .22 Long Rifle (LR) firearm of all time. This stems largely from their affordable price tag (basic models running around $300 to this day) and incredible reliability. The 10/22’s compact 10-round rotary magazine comes as an added bonus.
More recently, the Ruger 10/22’s modular design has made them wildly popular for another reason entirely, which has absolutely nothing to do with affordability. An entire industry has emerged to create aftermarket parts for the classic 10/22, reviled only by the marketplace of
