Ruger 10/22

Ruger 10/22

The Ruger 10/22 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle chambered in .22 Long Rifle (LR), designed by William B. Ruger and Harry H. Sefried II in 1964 and manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. in the United States. The Ruger 10/22 weighs 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms or kg) in the standard carbine configuration, measures 37 inches (940 millimeters or mm) in overall length, and uses a patented 10-round rotary magazine (BX-1) with steel feed lips. Ruger has produced over 7 million 10/22 rifles since 1964, and the 10/22 aftermarket is so extensive that a complete rifle can be built without a single Ruger-manufactured component. This guide covers the 10/22 design and action, current variants (Carbine, Competition, Carbon Fiber, Takedown, Short-Barreled Rifle or SBR), discontinued models, aftermarket upgrades and modifications, 10/22 clones from other manufacturers, and effective range and accuracy.

Ruger 10/22 Design and Action

The Ruger 10/22 uses a blowback semi-automatic action with a cylindrical bolt that rides inside a tubular aluminum receiver. The bolt cycles rearward under the pressure of the fired cartridge, ejects the spent case, picks up a new round from the rotary magazine, and chambers the round on the return stroke. The 10/22 action has 4 main components: the receiver (aluminum alloy in .22 Long Rifle models, steel in the discontinued .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire or WMR model), the bolt assembly (bolt body, firing pin, extractor, recoil spring), the trigger group (hammer, sear, trigger, safety), and the barrel.

The 10/22 barrel attaches to the receiver through a V-block system secured by 2 screws. The V-block allows barrel removal and replacement without a gunsmith, and 10/22 owners can swap between standard 18.5-inch (470 mm) carbine barrels, 20-inch (508 mm) target barrels, and 16.125-inch (410 mm) compact barrels using a screwdriver. The receiver has a dovetail rail machined into the top for mounting a scope base, and a cross-bolt manual safety sits behind the trigger guard.

Ruger 10/22 Variants

10/22 Carbine (Standard)

The 10/22 Carbine is the standard model with an 18.5-inch (470 mm) barrel, available in hardwood or black synthetic stocks with black alloy or stainless steel receivers. The Carbine weighs 5 pounds (2.3 kg) and ships with a single BX-1 10-round rotary magazine. The 10/22 Sporter variant adds a checkered walnut stock with sling swivels and is available with 18.5-inch, 20-inch (508 mm), or 22-inch (559 mm) barrels. The 10/22 Compact Rifle uses a shorter 16.125-inch (410 mm) barrel and a reduced-length stock designed for smaller-framed shooters and youth shooters.

10/22 Competition

The 10/22 Competition has a Computer Numerical Control (CNC)-machined receiver made from heat-treated 6061-T6511 aluminum with an integrated 30 Minute of Angle (MOA) Picatinny rail. The Competition model includes a BX-Trigger (Ruger's factory-upgraded trigger with a lighter, crisper pull), a nitrided CNC-machined match bolt, and a 16.125-inch (410 mm) cold hammer-forged fluted bull barrel threaded at 1/2 inch-28 Threads Per Inch (TPI) for a muzzle brake or suppressor. The fluted barrel reduces weight and dissipates heat faster during sustained shooting, and the free-floating barrel design improves accuracy by eliminating stock contact pressure.

10/22 Carbon Fiber

The 10/22 Carbon Fiber model features a cold hammer-forged barrel tensioned inside a carbon fiber sleeve that reduces barrel weight while maintaining stiffness for consistent accuracy. The carbon fiber barrel is lighter than a standard steel barrel and dissipates heat more evenly across the barrel surface.

10/22 Takedown

The 10/22 Takedown separates into 2 components — barrel assembly and action/buttstock — without tools for transport in a backpack-style case. Ruger introduced the Takedown in 2012 with an 18.5-inch (470 mm) barrel and brushed aluminum receiver. The Takedown is also available with a 16.125-inch (410 mm) threaded barrel and flash suppressor. The Takedown Lite variant uses a lightweight target barrel design that reduces overall carry weight. The Takedown reassembles in seconds by locking the barrel assembly into the receiver and twisting a locking ring.

10/22 Short-Barreled Rifle (SBR)

Ruger released 2 10/22 SBR models in 2026, both featuring a reversible folding stock with adjustable length of pull, a BX-Trigger, a match bolt release, and a threaded cold hammer-forged barrel. Model 33000 has an 8-inch (203 mm) alloy steel barrel with an integrated rear cleaning port. Model 33001 is a Takedown configuration with a 10-inch (254 mm) barrel tensioned inside an aluminum alloy sleeve. The 10/22 SBR is classified as a Short-Barreled Rifle under the National Firearms Act (NFA) and requires a $200 tax stamp and approval from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Discontinued Variants

The 10/22 Target has a heavy 20-inch (508 mm) bull barrel with no iron sights, designed for bench rest and precision target shooting. The 10/22 Tactical has a 16.125-inch (410 mm) barrel with a flash suppressor and is available with a Hogue OverMolded stock fitted with a bipod. The SR-22 Rifle embeds a 10/22 receiver in an AR-15-style chassis with an aluminum handguard, adjustable 6-position stock, and a top receiver Picatinny rail. The 10/22 Magnum, produced from 1998 to 2006, chambered the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) cartridge and used a steel receiver with integral scope bases. The 22 Charger pistol used the 10/22 action with a 10-inch (254 mm) barrel, a laminated wood pistol stock, a bipod, and a Weaver-style scope base, and Ruger discontinued the Charger in 2026 and replaced the Charger with the 10/22 SBR.

Ruger 10/22 Upgrades and Modifications

The Ruger 10/22 aftermarket covers every component of the rifle, and 6 upgrade categories deliver the largest accuracy and handling improvements:

• Triggers: the BX-Trigger reduces factory pull weight, and aftermarket triggers from TANDEMKROSS and Volquartsen reduce pull weight further to 2.25 pounds (1.02 kg) with a crisp single-stage break
• Barrels: bull barrels (0.920-inch or 23.4 mm diameter) improve accuracy through increased stiffness and mass, and threaded barrels (1/2 inch-28 TPI) accept muzzle brakes and suppressors
• Stocks and chassis: aftermarket stocks in wood, polymer, and aluminum chassis systems change ergonomics, and the Magpul Hunter X-22 stock adds adjustable length of pull and comb height
• Receivers: aftermarket CNC-machined receivers from Volquartsen and TANDEMKROSS TKX22 provide tighter tolerances and integrated Picatinny rails
• Bolt assemblies: match-grade bolts with polished surfaces and improved extractors increase reliability and reduce bolt cycling force
• Optics: the 10/22 receiver dovetail accepts scope bases and rings, and Picatinny rail adapters allow mounting red dot sights, variable magnification scopes, and reflex sights

The AWC Ultra II is an integrally-suppressed 10/22 variant made by AWC Systech with a ported stainless barrel enclosed in a 1-inch (25.4 mm) diameter suppressor, a total barrel length of 16.5 inches (419 mm), and a weight of 6 pounds (2.7 kg). The AWC Ultra II is classified as a Title II weapon under the NFA. The AT 10/22 QD by Arms Tech Limited is a short-barreled 10/22 with a 6-inch (152 mm) barrel and a folding stock designed to accept the Arms Tech QD-223 suppressor.

Ruger 10/22 Clones and Compatible Rifles

There are 3 current-production rifles that use the Ruger 10/22 action footprint and accept 10/22 magazines and accessories:

• Thompson/Center T/CR22: a .22 Long Rifle clone manufactured by Thompson/Center Arms with a Green Mountain barrel and a Magpul Hunter X-22 stock
• Bergara BXR: a .22 Long Rifle clone manufactured by Bergara in Spain that accepts Ruger 10/22 magazines
• TANDEMKROSS TKX22 Light Rifle: a competition-grade .22 Long Rifle rifle weighing 3 pounds 6 ounces (1.53 kg) unloaded, built on a custom TKX22 receiver fully compatible with 10/22 magazines and accessories

The Ruger American Rimfire and Ruger Precision Rimfire bolt-action rifles also use the BX-1 rotary magazine, which provides 10/22 magazine compatibility across Ruger's rimfire rifle lineup.

Ruger 10/22 Effective Range and Accuracy

The Ruger 10/22 has an effective range of 100 to 150 yards (91 to 137 meters) with standard-velocity .22 Long Rifle ammunition, and the .22 LR cartridge produces a muzzle velocity of 1,050 to 1,260 feet per second (320 to 384 meters per second) depending on barrel length and ammunition type. The standard 10/22 Carbine groups 1.5 to 2 inches (38 to 51 mm) at 50 yards (45.7 m) with bulk ammunition and 0.75 to 1 inch (19 to 25.4 mm) at 50 yards with match-grade ammunition. The Competition model with a free-floating bull barrel groups 0.5 to 0.75 inches (12.7 to 19 mm) at 50 yards. The .22 LR bullet drops approximately 5 inches (127 mm) at 100 yards when zeroed at 50 yards, and wind drift in a 10 mile per hour (16 kilometer per hour) crosswind moves the bullet approximately 3 inches (76 mm) at 100 yards.