As we reported, Ruger’s running a contest to create an out-of-the-box modded 10/22 50th anniversary model. The judges have chosen the final ten. The gun above is . . . tasteful? Still, props to Bill from Montana for going all American Graffiti on the finish while resisting the urge to do anything else at all. In fact he disses his fellow entrants by asserting that the anniversary rifle shouldn’t be “some strange conglomeration of aftermarket parts.” Yes, well, let’s see what his competition has to say about that . . .
Joe from Nebraska shares Bill from Montana’s distaste for ballistic bling, and then some. Joe brassed-up the bits and cut the 10/22’s standard stock to look like a straight stock—making a classic rifle look decidedly goofy. Staining the stock doesn’t do much for the wood, either. Still, retro, no?
Rick from Alabama is a man of few words. “My take on a classic sporter,” his caption reads. The stock look much better than Joe’s effort but one wonders if one needs to be sitting in the next room to get a proper sight picture.
Is that a banana clip [sic] I spy with my little eye? It’s part of Chris from Tennessee’s “theoretical” take down model, with two barrels to boot. This makes his entry suitable for any “shooting activity,” whether it’s precision shooting, plinking at the range, or going on a long hike.” A survivalist he is not.
Alan from Colorado is a doo-dad kinda guy. He calls his AR’ed 10/22 the BABY SCOUT and claims it’s a great foraging and utility rifle. Don’t know if I’d want a red dot scope on a gun that’s headed into the wild—or anything else that could be knocked off the rifle or run out of juice. Still, props for side rails. I guess.
Gary from Michigan’s modded the 10/22 with existing Ruger parts, which will please the gunmaker’s marketing department no end. It’s an all -rounder that looks like a rugged, tastefully modified 10/22, strangely enough.
Jeremy from Vermont imagines the Ruger 10/22 as an AK-47 wannabe. He’s not the first person to transform the Ruger rimfire into a faux “assault rifle.” Or not so faux as the Norwegians might tell you. Where do you grip the thing with your off-hand?
This reminds me of Ricardo Montalban’s famous remark, “I love what they’ve done to my car.” The 10/22’s wood is giving me same and two barrels are better than one (as above). And another banana clip [sic]. Someone might want to tell Tyler from Washington about Bill Ruger’s position on the Assault Weapons Ban and then ask if it’s a good idea to include anything more than a 10-round mag to please a riflemaker [still] selling products in New York, NJ, Massachusetts, California, etc.
Finally someone who’s thinking outside the box. Burke from California’s modded 10/22 has more than a touch of Volquartsen-envy to it but at least it’s something bold and fresh (and not in a Bill O’Reilly sense of the term). My fave by far.
There’s a whole lot of scope goin’ on with Kevin from Wisconsin’s rifle. By his own admission it’s a benchrest rifle. I like what he’s done with the stock but that bipod looks like tits on a bull, as they say in the UK. He would have done better to have displayed the gun on a shooting bag.
Something between the scout concept and the all weather one looks good, IMHO
This
I’d like to see a takedown 10/22 with a full Mannlicher stock, really nice wood and a canvas and leather case.
I like the baby scout.
I’m leaning towards the classic 10/22 wood takedown first version (not the overly glossy second one) and the modified 10/22 with the ruger “american rifle” parts.
My vote is the wood takedowns.
If they could put a scope mount on the barrel of one of the takedown guns they would have the option of scope/no scope. doable and pretty cool.
Robert…that red and white one is awful. Even if it were normal colors it would be awful. Different strokes.
Thanks, Jay. I’m Alan, I built that Baby Scout. See my reply to “don’t tread on me” below. I built that rifle just ’cause, it was fun. Then the contest came along and I submitted it. Talk about a surprise when it made the top ten! That is a factory laminated stock, I cut it down, trimmed it , trimmed and flattened the forearm, shaped the grip to my hand, routed out a battery compartment under the buttplate, and left the stock unpolished. Took it to a 180 grit finish, good grip. Grooved the under forearm. Put the forearm sling stud on the left side for a muzzle-down carry. Put a rail on the right side for a flashlight. Left the open sights intact as back-up. Put the birdcage flash hider on simply to protect that front sight. Put on a reflex sight with 4 reticles, zeroed it at 75 yds with Velocitors. The laser is sighted at 15 yards. It’s just a fun, very useful rifle, handy and versatile. Hope you voted, thanks again for your support!
I did an Archangel tactical conversion with my 10/22, which I bought used from a local pawn shop for literally pennies on the dollar. It’s a great training/plinking rifle, and it’s great for my family, too. We’ve even had my two-year-old shooting it, with lots of help from Mom and Dad. Now every Saturday is “boom boom” day.
I’m kinda digging on Gary’s…seems the most practical all weather, all season, any sized shooter setup.
I went target with mine: thumb-hole laminate stock, bull barrel, all Volquartsen goodies inside, scope. The mods cost more than the orginial rifle- and it already shot better than me right out of the box. But I had fun doing it, and have a real tack driver now.
You do realize the ‘banana clip’ is actually made by Ruger, right? They even make a double one so you don’t have to tape 2 together. Regardless of how they feel about assault weapons, we all know how they feel about profits.
I wish now I had submitted mine (Razor receiver, bull barrel, and Hogue stock, M16 birdcage, and of course a banana clip). I was expecting much stiffer competition.
Um Bill Ruger is dead. And Ruger sells AR10s with 3 20 rounds mags now. Welcome to now.
Bill Ruger is not dead, he is in a high level meeting with company co-founder Alexander “Alex” McCormick Sturm. (sorry, I couldn’t resist)
I am not a fan of any of them.
I agree. I don’t know why, but I thought there would be some more innovation on display. It just looks like they slapped varying amounts of lipstick on this particular pig.
I’m really digging the red and white space gun.
Whaaat? No silencer bull barrell sbr versions?
Leghorn call your office.
I’m not impressed. I’m regretting not submitting mine, if for nothing else than I think the Blackhawk Axiom stock is one of the best for a general purpose 10/22; improved ergos and light weight.
I’ll take the racy red with the red dot. The only thing that would make that hotter is if it was in KJW’s hands.
I really like the Gary – the one with interchangeable stock/comb configurations.
I like the Tyler – fancy wood take down one, but I think the market for something like that will be narrower.
I like the Burke – target stock fancy red one, but I don’t like the paint job. Laminated blue, green/brown, or gray/black would be sweet.
I’d most of all prefer:
-A 10/22 with a sporter-profile Bell and Carlson kevlar stock (aluminum bedding block), a match barrel and a match trigger, with integral picatinny rail for optics mounting.
-A 10/22 M1 Garand clone with actual M1 Garand iron sights.
Gary from Michigan has the best commercialy viable version. A 10/22 with a 1) comb and LOP adjustable stock, 2) aperature sights that don’t require spending an extra $80 for Tech Sights and 3) a rail that’s the perfect for either a co-witness red dot or see through scope rings? I could see myself buying that.
Granted, I’m posting this after the contest is over and the winner chosen, but I wanted to comment on this comment regarding the sights. I bought this rifle and the sights suck. The front post is too thick and the rear sight adjustment is horrible. The sight is held in place by two screws – one on each side. To move the sight left to right, you need to loosen the left screw and tighten the right – certainly not a precision operation by any standard. To raise/lower the rear sight, you need to loosen one of the side screws a lot then unscrew or screw down the rear sight ring, then tighten the side screw. Again, not a precision operation. The tech sights are far superior. A shame that Ruger did not work with tech sights and simply incorporate theirs on this rifle.
This is one of the stupider contests I have ever seen based on the entries has chosen for voting. The “theoretical one” looks photoshopped and I doubt it even exists. The other entrants are disappointing and nothing that would appeal to the masses and are definitely not worth voting on. I predict that the entrant with a name closest to a female sounding name will win. That seems to be the ticket these days. After all, a female won the Ruger essay contest and the TTAG essay contest.
Actually I think that 2 of them are photoshopped, the ‘Deluxe’ takedown with 2 barrels and the ‘baby gunsite’ rifle with the flash suppressors. Both look like some copy and pasting off of Ruger’s website photos.
I’m Alan, my entry is in the final ten,I put together the “Baby Scout”. I assure you it is NOT photoshopped, and I’m curious as to why you think it might be. I put in a bit of work on it, modifying that laminated stock is not an easy task. I had built this rifle pretty much for the fun of it, about six months ago. So when I saw the contest, I thought why the hell not, and submitted it. That pic is taken with a small Sony digital camera, laying on my floor. I have more pics if you need proof, and the testimony of many who have seen and shot it. I’ve already won my pick of any Ruger gun, so I’ve already had a win. I want another one. I’ll bet you $10,000 it’s not photoshopped, and pay the shipping to send it to you for your inspection. You on?
I like the brass one and the takedown one.
Thats what they should make:
A takedown 10/22 with brass receiver (with scope rail), trigger(and trigger guard) etc. and an threaded octagonal barrel with some Tech Sights (with a tritium front sight. Maybe have a adjustable ambidextrous thumbhole stock out of walnut.
Add some mags with it (4 25 rounders and 4-5 ten rounders) and you would have a great all around package.
Not all that impressed with any of them. If I had to choose it would be a takedown model of “Gary from Michigan’s” Rifle.
It’s a magazine, not a clip. And, it’s a BX-25 not a “banana”
I want a wood Take-Down with really nice wood and bull/sporter barrel choice.
Either Chris from Tennessee or Tyler from Washington versions will do.
Tired of cheap plastic.
Mini-Scout is a close third.
I remember the story of three boys sitting on the front stoop of their apartment bldg in some big city reading magazines. A man walked up and asked the first boy that was reading a car magazine what he wanted to be when he grew up. “I wanna be a race car driver!” The second boy was reading a sports magazine and his response was, “I wanna be a baseball pitcher!” The third boy was reading a nekkid girly magazine. His lament was, “Man, I just wanna grow up!”
Man, I’d like any of those rifles….
In hindsight I wish I’d had the funds to get my 10/22 project off the ground – imo it would certainly have been competitive with the entries above.
Biggest tech hurdle would be modding a carbon fiber barrel to a QD mechanism and mounting an optic – epoxy a picatinny rail to the barrel perhaps? On the other end the other technical challenge, reaming a butler creek folding stock forearm to accept the .920″ barrel might not turn out to be necessary – simply chop it a la marlin papoose. the you have the best of all worlds – a folder AND a takedown. Add a couple BX-25/-50 mags, package with the ruger soft case and it’s good to go!
Tom
#4 from TN is perfect. Simple and elegant. Wood stock to commemorate traditional history….and the takedown feature to celebrate modern times. Thread both barrels and you got yourself a winner!
#8 from WA is very similar too. I like them both.
I want Ruger to make a .22 Magnum version of the 10/22.
Now that would be really cool.
I wanted a 22 Magnum version of 10/22 also, but waited too long. Ruger stopped making them almost the minute they announced them. One website claims they had problems with the extra massive bolts breaking, or something. *Sigh*
I like the very first one.
I had a pink molded Monte Carlo stock laying around for years, then my granddaughter came to live with us, sooo I got a fairly decent 10-22 and put it in the pink stock, and she is deelighted with it. This was after I taught her how to shoot with a single shot Winchester 67 bolt action. That pink 10-22 is a big hit with her and her teenage girlfriends. My take: At least I finally found a use for that darn pink stock, now I also have a lemon yelllow stock….
I’m Alan, my rifle is in the top ten, I built the “Baby Scout”. See my replies and specs to “Andrew” and “don’t tread on me”. I appreciate the positive comments on here about the Baby Scout, it was fun to build. Surprised as hell it made it to the top ten, but hey, at least I had the nuts and went through the effort to submit it. If you like it, go vote for it and I appreciate your support! If you don’t, no big deal, I’ve already won my pick of any Ruger gun. Guess which one I want? My fb address is on the Ruger fb page under the first featured article, feel free to message me if you want. Thanks, guys.
I was going to photoshop my take on a customized 10/22 but never got around to it. Mannlicher stocked, threaded barrel, scout rail and aperture sights.
Hey Guys,
This is Gary from Michigan. Ruger cut the description of our rifles down so I want to explain my concept. Basically I wanted to see an out of the box rifle with decent iron sights, provision to mount a scope and a stock that adapts for high and low comb and for large and small shooters. I wanted it to be all weather and I wanted it to be made with existing Ruger parts and concepts so that it would be easy and economical produce and buy. That flash hider is off a Ruger’s AR type and GunSite Rifle. The point for it is what I call a “mud guard” to protect the muzzle/crown from being banged up in prone or while out in the woods etc. It also provides for other accessories like a suppressor.
The stock is directly from the Ruger American Rimfire bolt action. The barreled action is from a distributor special Ruger makes for AcuSport. The sights are off the Mini 14/30 or Gunsite Rifle.
I really just tried to make a practical 10/22 that Ruger could and would sell at a reasonable price. If you like it, vote for Gary-Michigan
I like this Ruger 10-22 myself 🙂
http://imageshack.us/a/img24/9929/cimg1438f1200x.png
I wanna 22 mag version.
I like Gary of Michigan and Tyler of Washington’s the most, but that’s part of my love for (a) takedowns, and (b) wooden stocks.
That said, I’m still disappointed nobody took my free suggestion for a Red Ryder Range Ruger, with a compass in the stock and that thing that tells time. So disappointed.
Just a question: When and why did Ruger stop making the 10/22 in 22 magnum?
Thank you.
I wish I would have known about this friendly competition. I have a very well built 10/22 with extended release, fluted bull barrel, semi fancy english walnut mannlicher stock with ebony tip and custom built adjustable trigger sitting under a Nikon optic. The result of a few thousand dollars being applied to “IMO” the best .22 ever built.
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