Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires 10/22 why so popular

ive always been a Marlin guy when it came to .22 rifles , the first rifle i ever bought was a Marlin Model 60 , unfortunately i do not have that particular rifle ay longer but i have owned a model 60 for the last 25 years as well as a Marlin .22 mag Mod 783 for a few longer than that
they are dependable and accurate ,i can shoot a cotton mouth in the head with iron sights at 10-15 yards ive never had a instance where i needed or ran out of ammo so the added capacity of a 10/22 really was never a selling point for me
if you have one what exactly is your personal reasoning that gravitated you to it

I have Marlin 60s and Ruger 10/22s. I like the Marlin to use "as is" and the 10/22 to tinker with.

They work...well.

What's it to you what other people choose to buy and use? Shoot what you want - - for whatever reason.

The "glock" of 22's. Lots of models , lots of aftermarket.

10/22 are dependable and fun to tinker with, I've got two 10/22 projects going on right now.

They are sort of along the lines of an AR, first one you get...it doesn't take long to start thinking about what you can do to it

That being said, I do love my Marlin 99 and my 783.

May I have a period please Pat?

If you have a good M60, an ordinary 10/22 probably won’t do anything special for you, except give you a reliable, flush 10-shot magazine. If you want to futz around and make it special, there’s no end to the money you can spend on the Ruger. Check out the Midway catalog sections for those two models and you’ll get the idea.

I had a kinda ordinary Walmart Special 10/22 that was a good rifle, but nothing exciting. When Ruger brought out the Custom Shop Competition model, it had most of the bells and whistles, plus a rail integrated into the receiver, at a price I couldn’t beat by building one. Sold!

I really like the feel of that carbon barrel bergara "10/22". If they'd put a sporter stock on that thing I'd buy one tomorrow. Be tough to build one for that money.

Model 60 and 10/22 both great guns for 99% of the people out there. reliable, and have stood the test of time.

In 1968 it was new and modern and all the gun writers were singing its praise. At age 16 I could afford one on a grocery bag boy's earnings. Marlin made a great lever action .22 but I'd had a bad experience with a Model 99 semi-auto, it was a total jamamatic and wouldn't get through a single magazine without a feeding jam. Ruger's rotary magazine design was touted as being uber reliable.

It and I were very accurate with a Williams peep sight. Young eyes didn't hurt that none.

It was 100% reliable. Just for a test I did not clean it one bit for five years to see if it would malfunction. By my count it had some 30,000 rounds put through it during that time and never had a single failure to feed, extract or eject. It had one or two failures to fire but that was the ammo, a second strike fired each round.

Have two other 10/22's today but still have that 1968 model with the same Williams Foolproof peep sight. It's still 100% reliable with the original magazine and still very accurate.

Reliable, inexpensive, and accurate enough for the average shooter. That last bit is why I quickly culled one out of my collection going to bolt actions.

I've had both. Accuracy out of the box, the 60 had it by a little but it's gone and I've got two 10-22s. I like the 10-22 better for the rotary magazine, compactness, ease of working on or modifying and parts availability. Had some feeding problems with the 60 after a few years. I made the mistake of trying to fix it myself and ended up giving it to someone that said they could fix it. The last I heard they hadn't got around to it. My older 10-22 a 1979 model I've had a lot longer and shot it a lot more than the 60. So far the only part I've had to replace is the extractor.

The 10/22 is like food from McDonalds.
It's good enough.
I have had 10/22's, iconic workhorse rifle for sure.
I prefer my Nylon 66 personally.

I like the old sporters from '66 to '71.
They look better and feel WAY better than the others.
Also known as "fingergrooves"

Had one that shot great, one medicocre and this my last one...........sucked.
No GM 20" sporter bbls to swap in, so sold it.

10/22 came out in '64.
The one I posted pic of a '70.
Had a couple '67s.
Saw a '64 standard at a gunshow, well worn w swivels added, he wanted too much.
Cool, being a first yr..........but a standard model and I hate those friggin' stocks.
I got one brand new in '72 as a kid.

I have had a bunch of 10/22s and still have a couple... but my latest is a SS takedown and I like that idea a bunch!

I still prefer better, older Winchester bolts.

Mike213: I have owned Marlin Model 60's in the past and currently own a BUNCH of Ruger 10/22's (seven of them) and owned many others in the past - sadly IMO/IME the Marlin Model 60 does NOT hold a candle to the Ruger 10/22's in any way, shape or form!
The Marlin Model 60 first came into my hands back in 1965 and I have had only fair luck with them reliability wise and fair accuracy with Hunting type munitions.
Over a couple of decades I had a fair amount of trouble with them including a friend of mines Model 60 going full auto when we were shooting it!
Nope, do like I do and don't give the Marlin Model 60's a second glance anymore - stick with the far superior Ruger 10/22 and fix it up to your liking and "rock-on"!
Have as yet to have a Ruger 10/22 "break-down" or give up the ghost.
I have a number of heavy barrel Rugers (both factory stock and customized) that shoot notably better than the Marlin Model 60's I have been familiar with.
The Ruger 10/22 is a far better "investment" of ones dollars as well (the Ruger 10/22 holds its value better!).
There are a myriad of different models of the Ruger 10/22 for your consideration in many price ranges while the Marlin Model 60 is pretty much a one of.
The Ruger 10/22 passed the 7,000,000 (seven million!) units made mark way back in 2,015 - I am guesstimating there are 10,000,000 (ten million!) of them in existence today!
Yeah, that incredible and long lived popularity is there, for a reason.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Long live the Ruger 10/22!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

That - and priced well too..

Let me explain something to you newbie. When you start a discussion on a discussion forum, it's considered poor form not to engage in discussion. That's not a concept one man should have to explain to another, and I don't want to have to tell you this ever again.

10/22's work relatively well and are reasonably priced, their accuracy is enough to satisfy most average plinkers. But the real reason behind their success is that for the older generation guys they are like the Tinker Toy set they had as a kid, and for the younger generation guys they are like a Lego set.

There are about the only thing on the market, besides the AR-15/AR-16,that you can buy, change out some over the counter aftermarket parts and then brag about how you built your custom rifle. You can start out with a $200 rifle and turn it into a $1500, or more, rifle without leaving the comfort of your basement - and it MAY work as well as it did before spending the extra money on it.

drover

I always had a Ruger 10-22, until I bought a Savage A17. No reason to keep the 10-22 around anymore, unless its for burning up expensive 22lr ammo... With that being said, many/most people use their souped up 10-22's at my club for some of our events. They are great rifles for speed shooting and quick magazine changes. Their accuracy is only so so though. Yeah, you'll find one that is exceptional with ammo it likes, but for the most part a bone stock 10-22 isn't going to shoot great. Im talking consistent hits on golf balls at 50 yards, just as an example.. I know guys are rolling their eyes, calling BS. The custom barreled 10-22's, on the other hand, do alright with the right ammo

The last 10-22. I bought was too cheap to walk away from.

Took one to the gunshow today.................

I left it there, and came home with a 2005ish, unfired model 94 and $50............ not a single ding and I don't think a round has even push through the loading gate................

10-22 was a Canadian Centennial ...................

LOL

Do you shoot Steel Challenge?

It's the Lego of .22 rifles. Lot's of aftermarket stuff. Same with the Mark I-IV series of .22 pistols.

The base model is a good plinker as it comes from the dealer. With an upgraded trigger and a decent scope they can shoot pretty well and work for small game and general target shooting. With a red dot, an upgraded trigger and perhaps an aftermarket stock they work great for speed shooting games like steel challenge. Finally, with a custom barrel (not that expensive and easy to install) they can be tackdrivers for precision shooting. So that base gun can be adapted to perform many functions. That's one of the reasons they are popular.

The 10/22 was a departure from the way semi-auto rimfire rifles had previously been designed and it changed the landscape.
Modular, M1 carbine type firing mechanism and removable barrel are advantages.
Like Glock pistols, the 10/22 magazines contributed to the strength of the design and were eventually adopted by other makers.

Unlike the extinct Stevens, Mossberg, Winchester, etc, the Marlin 22 semi - autos survived because they will shoot and cycle at least as well as a (stock) 10/22.

Price, quality, and it was early to the dance.

My ol lady has a 50th yr blued/grey lam w RDS and it does pretty decent.
I got rid of my 10/22s and have zero desire to replace em.

Have a CZ455 and it does OK w SK rifle match. Could proly dump it and just get a decent .22rf pistol and be done.
Switched to the CZ bolt rig for subsonic, polite pest control.

Got a M60, handed down to us by the father in law. Well used, tube fed, makes you feel like you could hit anything, still or running. But if you ever have to clean it deeper than a lick and a promise isn't the Ruger easier to field strip?

You just touched on the real virtues and flaws of both rifles. In large part it is the "feel" of the m60s vs the ruggedness and function of the 10/22.

The Marlin m60s are a much more slender rifle making them feel better in the hand. They also historically had longer barrels and that combined with the full length magazine tube made them "hang" better for offhand work in the field. The old long tubed m60s held 19 22lr rounds in the tube and during plinking sessions never seem to run out of ammo..:) , The Marlin -Glenfields were also cheaper by about 20%.

The downsides to the Marlin were the slow tube reloading and the toy-like innards in the action. If shot a great deal the Marlins WILL require an action rebuild sooner than any 10/22. The feed ramps tend to wear and the recoil buffer in the back decomposes with use and age.

The 10/22 is by comparison, virtually a mil-spec design- simple and rugged. Easy to strip down , repair and maintain during hard use.

If bedded properly and fed good ammo, a 10/22 will run with any factory Marlin in terms of grouping. I own and like both designs, but if I had to pick only one it would be the 10/22 because of it's durability and simplicity .

My 10/22 is mostly stock, original parts with some tweaking. My home "gunsmithing", and a slight setback of the barrel by a local smith. No major aftermarket components, basically all stock. Past weekend I shot several groups in the 1/2 inch range at 50 yards, moved to 100 for the heck of it and put five rounds into just under an inch. 3-9X scope, Norma TAC22 ammo.

I just love to beat the high dollar customized 10/22s with my "working class" gun. Plus, those guys often struggle with malfunctions of one kind or another.

Paul

I agree, the 10/22 is awesome I have had one since about 1970 but if you are looking for accuracy a bolt action is the way to go

Just a general comment but it looks like "accuracy" is a pretty broad area. Lots of talk about "enough accuracy" with an off hand derisive tone like it was some unfortunate skin condition, but how much more does anyone need than "enough"?

1968 model 10/22 I mentioned earlier has always had enough accuracy to hit sparrows, squirrels and other small game out to 75-80 yards consistently and after a little artillery style ranging can hit standing ground squirrels at 125 yards, and those are no more than a couple of inches wide.

In 2010 I used a brand new, box stock 10/22 Tactical to win our club's annual .22 silhouette championship and that was competing against Anschutz and CZ bolt rifles. Won the 100 yard match and came in 2nd for the 200 but aggregate was enough to win the overall match. That rifle certainly had "enough accuracy".


I don't have a problem with folks that judge rifles solely by how tiny the groups are at X number of yards, while adding in that the further out you go with a .22 the shooter's skill at judging wind becomes almost as much of a factor as the rifle's mechanical accuracy. Those teeny tiny group shooters are certainly a pride to own, but why would "enough" be somehow inadequate?

Obviously, a 10/22 can easily and inexpensively be made "target accurate" by anyone who cares to do so.
Versus Marlin, out of the box the accuracy of an individual 10/22 is more variable.

I've shot several of the 10/22s, but never bought one. I prefer the Marlin tube fed models, because that's what I grew up with. If I found a Ruger at a good price I'd probably buy it. I believe most of these rifles are more accurate than I can achieve with my ability.

Except for the rear sight, the 10/22 is close to unbreakable.

good price,accurate,reliable , excellent magazine clip system ,my grandson gets one for xmas this year just because its a fun gun

What's the issue with the rear sight in case I ever buy one?

Bought my only 10/22 about 22 years ago because the guy wanted $100 for a used Deluxe in very good condition.

Didn’t shoot well at all. Changed the trigger and full length glass bedded the receiver and barrel. It shoots sub MOA at 100 yds these days. That is why I kept it.

I dumped my last 10-22 when I got the TC Classic Silver Lynx.....

I spent about 13 years gunsmithing for a busy retail outlet. They sold truckloads of Ruger 10/22's; along with some others. I never had a 10/22 in the shop because it didn't work. The only time one would fail to feed was when it was used with a faulty aftermarket magazine. Just like the Ruger 22 semi auto pistol, it was built to work and it did. GD

Least interesting .22 out there...Everyone has one.

I had a RSI that was crazy accurate, but sitting next to my old Glenfield bolt there wasn't a whole lot in the rabbit fields that the Ruger could do that the old bolt could not. Plus, the Glenfield was more comfortable to hold so I sold the Ruger for something I wanted more.

A dozen years later my mind is in a slightly different place. I love my Ruger revolvers when I go out into the woods, but carry Glocks every day for the proven tools that they are. That's why I picked up another 10/22 this year - in this case, one of the Magpul take-down models. It's a proven tool that sits in one of my utility bags with 65 rounds loaded in magazines, and another 350 or so sitting on a screw-top plastic jar that used to hold my woodworking biscuits. I've thrown it in the truck on a few trips and it has yet to come out of the bag. If it ever needed to though, I would expect it to work as-intended and get the job done.

FWIW the OP joined this forum to scam people. Go to his profile. Open his post in the classifieds.

If marlin got a nickel every time a model 60 jammed the wouldn’t have went under

I bought my stepson a 10-22 when he was young. It shot well enough to hunt with. LOP is short for an adult. I wouldn't buy one for me to use.

Nope. Not a chance

Of all the guns I've owned, I didn't buy a 10/22 for probably the first 25 years of my hobby.

Finally bought a couple & was unimpressed. Maybe the older ones were more so, but the dependability of mine weren't all that great. Here, never fail Nylon 66s had me spoiled. A friend told me to get a Volquarsten or Kidd ground extractor. I did & while in there I installed a lighter recoil spring in each gun. That would normally batter the gun worse with HV ammo, but I also removed the steel bolt stops & installed shock buffs. Huge difference. Palm smack to forehead, why didn't I do that sooner.

Not bad guns, light, handy, accurate enough for a platform like this. Some just need a little tuning.

Paid $75 for my first one many years ago. Used, like new, made in the late 60s and came with extra mags.

Handy little rifle to toss in the truck for trips to hunting camp. When my son was in second or third grade, he more or less took charge of it. Little pizzer would go through a brick of Winchester Wildcats in one weekend at camp.

Got even worse as he got older, at burning ammo in it. As Jim noted earlier, also once put it through a torture test for over three years and multiple thousands of rounds. Nothing other than a dry patch down the barrel now and then. It never faltered, although accuracy eventually went down hill a bit. No failures to feed or extract in all that time.

Only ammo that ever gummed it up (after the torture test period),, was Remington Golden Bullet crap.. But that ammo did the same thing if the Ruger was freshly cleaned and ready to roll. One summer Granny got my kid a milk carton box of Rems, that jammed the rifle pretty quickly. Gave him a 50 round pack of Mini Mags and he shot them off in less than a half hour, no issues.

That original 1022 now has a .920 A&B barrel and is in a synthetic Fajen adjustable thumb hole stock. Only 22 I own that loves Wolf Match Target. Bought another 1022 some years ago that's still pretty much original. Far more accurate than the older one was, with original barrel. Had two Marlin 60s over the past 55 years. Good rifles, both gone. Like the 1022s better.

I bought my fist 10-22 in 1964, because it looked a LOT like an M1 carbine, and it was cheaper to shoot.

Virgil B.

Ruger actually makes a m1 style 10/22. I've looked at them a 1000 times but never pulled the trigger. Bet you can't find one now.

I picked up this one at Rural King for cheap.





Only mods are the bolt release job I did on it and the scope rail mounted directly to the barrel.

My other 10-22 is from 1976 when they put them in actual walnut stocks. Really need to shoot that more

Marlin also made an M1 kinda replica years ago, with box mag. Girl that used to shoot indoor CMP matches with us, had one.

Getting ready to build a 10/22. Will not have a single Ruger part in it.

Easy to find, can be what ever your wallet will support. Not my " CUPPA TEA" however.

Have 2, first one is a carbine my dad bought for $35 new in 1970 at an AFB overseas. I shot all kinds of game with it, squirrels, rats, rabbits, coyotes, raccoons, beaver, muskrat and a bunch of others. Beat the schit outta of it, it's walnut stock has been refinished once and it's on its second barrel.
Second one is a 10/22 stainless in hogue stock with Nikon scope. Fun to shoot.

They are affordable, they go bang when you pull the trigger, you can buy extra mags almost anywhere. They aren't particular about ammo. you dont have to worry about when you drop it or leave it in the boat, you can buy big mags iffin thats yer thing, you can accessorize it as you please easily, they shoot pretty damn good and can be made to shoot as good as anything else.. And every new shooter can buy one, whats not to like?

I bought one in around 1978 and kept it stock for years. It worked great and shot fine. Then the tinkering bug got me and I had a trigger job done on it, a better mag release, had Claude Gatewood make me a stock and I put on a .920" barrel that I bought from Numrich. That barrel didn't make it shoot much better. Then, I put on Feddersen 18" .920" barrel on it and that made it shine. It's now a very accurate rifle. I have it set-up/sighted in for 25 yds as I have other .22s set-up for 50 and 100 yds. It won't win any benchrest matches, but it's pretty good. I full-length bedded the barrel but not the action. I didn't want that aluminum receiver trying to support those heavy barrels. Usually I prefer a free-floating barrel but this works well.

The 10/22 is a so popular because it's a fun and reliable rifle as it comes from the factory and it can be easily upgraded to one's heart's content. Some folks go crazy with them. I wanted to limit the extent of my tinkering as I preferred taking that money and buying custom bolt action benchrest rifles that will outperform the heavily modified 10/22 platforms. But the 10/22s are great for the guy who wants to do his own builds and just wants to see just how well they can be made to shoot. Their limitation (and other semi-autos) comes from the actions not having any camming action. The bolt actions used for match rifles have camming that allows for the use of a true match chamber where the bullets is engraved by the rifling upon chambering. Such a tight and short chamber in a semi-auto would render them very unreliable. The Benz Match chamber is a nice compromise, but there are better match chambers out there.

I have had several NIB 1022's ...I came into by default. Had a hard time selling them despite the the huge love for them.

Prefer Win. 63's or Weatherby XXII semi - autos.

Folks, it doesn't hurt to chat about the 10/22, but know that the OP has been outed as a scammer and hasn't been back here in a month.

My 10/22 is a $100 pawn shop find from the late 90’s. With Ruger mags it is dead reliable - with Butler Creek it’s more problematic. Even with the BC mags it is more likely to go bang than the Model 60 we had growing up. In the Marlin’s defense it was perpetually filthy from riding around in farm trucks and tractors but it got to the point that even after being cleaned up and oiled properly it was effectively a single shot. As far as accuracy goes my bare bones 10/22 will shoot the blue bull pack 36 gr. Federal ammo into .75 at 50 yards which is pretty good for a cheap plinking gun.

Yeah, I know - - just chatting to whomever.

Do you still have them? If so I will take em....!

My buddy and I each had Marlin M99's. We also had Marlin bolts. The M(('s had poor triggers and were not reliable. Accuracy was so-so. The bolt guns are still great shooters though we did change trigger springs.

Essentially I went to a 10/22 because I could change it to a configuration I liked.

I liked the stainless/aluminum feature of the 10/22. Bought one. So-so accuracy, slightly better trigger than the Marlins. I changed to a Volquartson sear and bought a .920 Green Mountain barrel with Firesights. Also a modified bolt release and stock. This has remained my favorite pest gun for 25 years or so. Plenty accurate for my needs but without the finicky target chamber. I added a 2-7x28 Leupold a few years ago.

I bought a couple of more SS carbines and they shot well after new triggers. They are gone with my sons. Bought a SS 10/22 TD and it is darn acccurate as is. It, too has a 2-7 Leupold, trigger mod, etc. on it.