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Ruger 10/22 in Rare .22 Magnum

Regulator1954Regulator1954 Member Posts: 3

I've wondered for years why Ruger doesn't make a 10/22 facsimile in other calibers with the rotary magazine, especially in a 22 Magnum, but now I know.

Why did Ruger stop making the 10/22 Magnum?

The official answer from Ruger was lackluster sales. It was manufactured for 9 years and only about 50,000 units sold. Compare this to over 5,000,000 sold of the 22 LR version. Then there is the other assumed answer that the 22WMR was discontinued due to extraction issues and breaking bolts. Collector rifle or not, now I'm wishing I hadn't bid on it. I want a gun that works.

Comments

  • TANK78ZTANK78Z Member Posts: 1,320 ✭✭✭
    the 22 mag. version of the 10-22 was finickly to say the least. Ruger never got the 22 mag off the ground without problems from day one, this slowed sales as it took some time to find a fix ,which most of the time did not make  it much if any better.
    to be fair a good number of them worked fairly well, but it got a bad rep right out of the box which could never be overcome and Ruger cut bait and stopped trying to make it work right , and just gave up trying to help owners get their rifles to do what was promised, shoot when you pulled the trigger without continuous stoppages .
  • BobJudyBobJudy Member Posts: 6,445 ✭✭✭✭
    I was told that the 22 mag version was dangerous when someone converted it to 17hmr. The Ruger rep told me this and the gun was discontinued shortly after the 17hmr was introduced. Something about the bottleneck round not chambering properly and it could fire without being completely seated leading to blown out cases. Liability coupled with slow sales killed it. He may have been blowing smoke but I didn't have reason to doubt him. Bob
  • Chief ShawayChief Shaway Member, Moderator Posts: 6,191 ******
    I have one and have never had an issue with it. 
    Works flawlessly. 
    I also heard the main reason for its demise was the 17 HMR conversion people were doing. 
  • varianvarian Member Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭✭
    got one i bought new years ago.  shot around 50 times if that, worked perfectly as well as i remember.  still have the box and paperwork.  seeing some of the recent prices thinking seriously of selling on GB.
  • GeriGeri Member Posts: 2,089 ✭✭✭
    It runs and shoots sub MOA with cci 40 gr. and armscor 40 gr.
    Took very little tuneing.

  • Henry0ReillyHenry0Reilly Member Posts: 10,878 ✭✭✭
    I ran a search for completed auctions for this rifle. $800 is not a bad price. Of course, I don't know if that's your high bid....
    I used to recruit for the NRA until they sold us down the river (again!) in Heller v. DC. See my auctions (if any) under username henryreilly
  • GeriGeri Member Posts: 2,089 ✭✭✭
    wanted one for years. Went this route. http://ruger1022receiver.com/MAGNUM Page 11.htm
    Built the way I wanted. It runs and shoots sub MOA with most ammo, armscor 40 gr. hp being the most accurate.
    CCI 40 gr hp just as good. Hope this helps, and have a great day.

  • heavyironheavyiron Member Posts: 1,421 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2020

    The 10/22 magnum was only made from 1998 and discontinued in 2006. I was always of the impression the 10/22 Magnum was in demand because I knew several people who were looking but could never find one. I only got mine when a shooting acquaintance called me to advise he had just seen a brand new one on a sporting goods store shelf in Augusta Georgia. I went to the store the same day and the owner told me there had been several people in the store that day looking at it. I purchased it on the spot for about $250.00 and that was the last new one I saw for sale.

    I can vouch for the story about the 10/22 magnum being a potential problem when converted to 17 HMR. After purchasing the rifle, I purchased a custom target grade 17HMR barrel from Jarvis Inc. It took a while for the new barrel to be built and it turned out to be a very accurate barrel. I contacted Jarvis again to make me a sporter barrel as well. I received an email from Jarvis himself and was informed that his company would no longer make 17 HMR barrels for converting 10/22 magnums because there was a technical problem with the conversion.

    For a while after the email from Jarvis, some after-market manufacturers developed and started selling an "increased mass bolt" (a heavier bolt) for the 10/22 magnum. (I don't know if these are still being sold or not.) At that point it became clear. Apparently, there must have been reported incidents of the breach opening prematurely before the pressure had dropped to a safe level and perhaps causing the rims and heads of the casing to distort or blow out. It didn't happen to all rifles all of the time - but it could and must have happened under certain circumstances. A possible reason was the 17 HMR cartridge might generate slightly more pressure under certain circumstance exceeding the design specifications of a rifle designed for the 22 magnum.

    My guess was that Ruger learned of the problem when it was too late. They were producing their own 17 HMR rifles and the after-market was full of after-market conversion related parts by that time. I am not saying this is the only reason for their decision to discontinue the rifle but it might have been a contributing factor in their economic assessment.

    Best.

    Heavyiron

  • SP45SP45 Member Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭
    As others said. The 17 was much higher pressure and you needed more bolt mass or a heavier recoil spring or both.  Because the barrel was a simple change people just bought the 17 barrel and shot it. I have seen the buffer spring with a very distinct curve from the bolt slamming back. As Ruger has a lifetime warranty people would put the 22 mag barrel back on and send it off for repair or replacement. I am sure Ruger figured it out pretty quickly and decided the best course was to discontinue the mag. I believe that Volquartsen makes a high dollar copy or used to so they must have dealt with those issues.
  • GeriGeri Member Posts: 2,089 ✭✭✭
    This 10/22 has been made in the 17 HMR. Just use the 5.3 spring and the tungstan slug.
    Also I found the KIDD bolt buffer to be the best. This was a great project and I am very happy with the results.
    I have no dog in this hunt, just passing on the info. Best.



This discussion has been closed.