Ruger Goes Carbon Fiber for the…10/22?
Ruger changed the rimfire world with the 10/22 semi-auto series over 60 years ago, and its new Carbon Fiber model shows that the company is ready to keep innovating. We’ve been evaluating one of these interesting new carbines around for the past few months.
Ruger debuted our review model just before SHOT Show as the more affordable ($600-ish) companion to a series of $1,100 10/22 Competition rifles from the company’s Custom Shop featuring a Grey Birch chassis.
So, what do you get for the price?
For starters, a 16.1-inch cold-hammer-forged stainless-steel barrel tensioned inside a carbon fiber sleeve along with a lightweight Magpul MOE X-22 stock that carries a textured white speckle pattern. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
All up weight out of the box? Just 3.5 pounds, as verified by our postal scales with the standard 10-round rotary magazine installed. That’s light. By comparison, the Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun is listed as 3.35 pounds.
We added some extras while keeping the weight factor in mind, such as a Burris FastFire 4 micro red dot optic and a SilencerCo Switchback suppressor. In this configuration, with a loaded magazine, the 10/22 Carbon Fiber hit the scales at 65.7 ounces, or a hair over 4 pounds of pure joy, ready to go.
The 10/22 is always fun in any format. Deliver it in a carbon fiber format that allows you to have an outfitted 4-pound carbine that is accurate and dependable, and you have a solid winner. It is a mood changer.
When it comes to price, the $600 asking price on the 10/22 Carbon Fiber makes a lot of sense when you break it down. The basic plain Jane 10/22 with a pencil barrel and synthetic stock has an MSRP of $379. The Magpul MOE-X 22 stock runs $70, and the BX trigger is $96. With that in mind, you basically get the carbon fiber upgrade for free. The closest competitor would be the semi-auto (and very 10/22-ish) Bergara BXR, which is heavier at 4.7 pounds and has an MSRP of $719.
What’s not to like?
The full review is over in my column at Guns.com.