GUN TESTS GRADE: A (OUR PICK)
$372
The Ruger 10/22 is iconic due to its excellent reliability and good accuracy. We felt the 10/22 Takedown maintained the reputation and improved upon it with a new twist, so to speak.
One improvement with the Takedown is the ease in cleaning the rifle. Taken apart, it is a snap to run a wire brush jag on a cleaning rod from the chamber to the muzzle with the barrel assembly separated from the receiver assembly. There is also no compromise in size, feel, and handling because the stock has typical 10/22 dimensions.
| Action | Semi-auto, blowback |
| Overall Length | 37.0 in. |
| Disassembled Length | 20.0 in. |
| Overall Height (w/o optic) | 7.1 in. |
| Weight Unloaded | 4.6 lbs. |
| Weight Loaded | 4.7 lbs. |
| Barrel Length | 18.5 in. |
| Barrel | Matte stainless steel |
| Receiver | Matte stainless steel |
| Buttstock | Checkered black polymer; checkered buttpad |
| Buttstock Length of Pull | 13.0 in. |
| Magazine | (1) 10-round detachable rotary |
| Front Sight | Post, brass bead |
| Rear Sight | Adjustable notch |
| Trigger Pull Weight | 5.5 lbs. |
| Safety | Manual hammer block |
| Warranty | None stated |
| Telephone | (336) 949-5200 |
| Website | Ruger.com |
| Made In | U.S.A. |
As a refresher, the 10/22 has a simple blowback action that feeds off a 10-round rotary flush-mounted magazine. Controls consist of a large lever magazine release that provides smooth removal of the magazine. There is also a push-button crossbolt manual safety just forward of the trigger. The bolt does not remain open after the last shot has been fired, but a bolt lock allows the user to lock back the bolt. Press up on the bolt lock to close the bolt and chamber a round.
Our sample looked like a typical 10/22 carbine except for a noticeable gap in the stock between the receiver and forend. There is also a serrated adjustable lock-up adjusting knob. According the manual, this lock-up mechanism only needs to be adjusted the first time you attach the barrel. This connection keeps the barrel aligned with the receiver in the same position and ensures the firearm returns to zero, even when receiver-mounted optics are used. We can say this system works well. We backed off on the adjusting knob when re-inserting the barrel assembly a number of times to see if we could cajole some play in the assemblies, but couldn’t. The knob clicks when snug from finger pressure, so you can’t accidentally overtighten it. If we thought the zero would shift when using the Crimson Trace after repeated takedowns, we were mistaken. We saw no shift in impact as long as we followed the instructions in the manual.
The synthetic stock and matte stainless metal looks like they could take a lot of abuse, and we thought that was appropriate for a bug-out bag or camping rifle. The stock is black injection-molded polymer with molded-in checkering and carbine-style buttplate. The rest of the stock had a smooth finish. Ruger did a better job than KelTec in removing the molding seam in the stock. The barrel is equipped with a dovetailed brass bead front sight and dovetailed fully adjustable folding leaf rear.
The carbine separates into two components — receiver assembly and barrel assembly — without the use of tools. Just press forward the spring-loaded cocking lever located forward of the magazine well in a recess in the underside of the forend, rotate the barrel assembly counterclockwise, and pull it away from the receiver. It takes longer to read how to break it down than actually doing it. We found takedown to be fast, simple, and precise every time. To reassemble, align a machined flat section on the barrel shoulder with the top surface of the clamp, press the two assemblies together, then twist or rotate the barrel clockwise. 
The receiver part measures 20 inches in length, and the barrel part measures 18.5 inches. Both assemblies fit into a padded nylon carry case with a shoulder strap. A scope-mount base was also included in the bag, which we appreciated.
We have experience with a variety of 10/22 rifles, and accuracy can run from okay to excellent, and the Takedown is definitely in the excellent range. The smallest five-shot group at 25 yards measured 0.68 inches. This was with open sights and using Federal Auto Match with a 40-grain LRN. Winchester Xpert HV with a 36-grain HP and Remington Thunderbolt with a 40-grain LRN also proved to cluster holes measuring 0.74 and 0.76 inches, respectively. Again, this is with open sights. With the attached optic, we shrank those groups. Accuracy was surprisingly good, even with bargain-grade ammunition. The 5.5-pound trigger had a bit of take up but broke consistently.
Our Team Said: If you are a diehard 10/22 fan or would like to be, this is your rifle. We thought accuracy was excellent, and the ease of takedown simple and fast. It also had the smallest length when broken down.
22 LR Range Data
| Winchester Xpert HV 36-grain HP | KelTec SU22CA | Ruger 10/22 Takedown | Savage 64 Takedown |
| Average Velocity | 1236 fps | 1250 fps | 1277 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 122 ft.-lbs. | 125 ft.-lbs. | 130 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 1.06 in. | 0.74 in. | 0.74 in. |
| Average Group | 1.09 in. | 0.82 in. | 0.76 in. |
| Federal Auto Match 40-grain LRN | KelTec SU22CA | Ruger 10/22 Takedown | Savage 64 Takedown |
| Average Velocity | 1133 fps | 1143 fps | 1103 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 114 ft.-lbs. | 116 ft.-lbs. | 108 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 1.26 in. | 0.68 in. | 0.69 in. |
| Average Group | 1.38 in. | 0.71 in. | 0.73 in. |
| CCI Blazer 38-grain LRN | KelTec SU22CA | Ruger 10/22 Takedown | Savage 64 Takedown |
| Average Velocity | 1218 fps | 1229 fps | 1224 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 125 ft.-lbs. | 127 ft.-lbs. | 126 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 1.34 in. | 1.12 in. | 0.37 in. |
| Average Group | 1.40 in. | 1.22 in. | 0.39 in. |
| Remington Thunderbolt 40-grain LRN | KelTec SU22CA | Ruger 10/22 Takedown | Savage 64 Takedown |
| Average Velocity | 1163 fps | 1197 fps | 1183 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 120 ft.-lbs. | 127 ft.-lbs. | 124 ft.-lbs. |
| Smallest Group | 1.48 in. | 0.76 in. | 0.43 in. |
| Average Group | 1.50 in. | 0.81 in. | 0.50 in. |
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