Wednesday, December 24, 2008

I need a bigger stocking.












This is the gorgeous gray Ruger 10/22 I mentioned on last night's Gun Nuts Radio.

9 comments:

Paul said...

Don't do it.

Don't buy a 'stainless' Ruger... the receiver is painted aluminum, and the finish is often very poorly done. When you send it back to Ruger, they will wreck it with their tools and steal your extra magazine, then call you stupid for sending it in to begin with.

Laura said...

hey Paul...out of all the 10/22s sold, approximately what percentage would you say will have a bad finish?

Paul said...

I'm sure it's not a majority, but anecdotally I can point to a couple of other trustworthy bloggers, like Les Jones, who've had the same issues. I also am still getting two or three hits a day from users using search terms like "10/22 chipping paint". The folks who are happy with theirs don't tend to speak up, but I certainly don't believe that only an insignificant percentage of the rifles have problems, or that it was a one-off bad run at Ruger.

It's not so much that the finish was bad from the factory, but that Ruger's customer service was very poor and disorganized, and that their repair department damaged my rifle with their tools, then told me that an impossible-to-remove barrel (post refinish) was "normally snug". I took it to the store and disassembled three other stainless 10/22s (2 new, 1 used) with no such problems.

They sold me a rifle with a defect, then effectively ruined it, stole my magazine, called me an idiot for wanting their additional damage fixed, and carelessly knocked it around in their shop. All I wanted was the rifle I bought new to shoot where I pointed it and not fall apart, and instead I got a months-long customer service nightmare, lost money on reselling the (in poor condition) rifle, and lost great swaths of time dealing with it.

If you want to take your chances, that's your call. Defects happen to all manufacturers, but how they deal with them after they happen is what separates customer-focused companies from junk dealers.

OrangeNeck said...

I'm not too keen on semi-auto rifles. The only one I own that is semi-auto is my AR-15 and Remington 552 Speedmaster. The latter would be the very first "real" gun I bought. I didn't know any better back then. All my subsequent rifles are bolt action for their inherent accuracy. My latest purchase is a Marlin 981T bolt-action, tube-fed .22 (S,L & LR) cal. rifle. It holds seventeen Long Rifle rounds in the tube, 19 Longs and 25 Shorts. For $180, synthetic stock and blued, it was a really good investment for me. I also loaded up on .22LR subsonic rounds from CCI so I can plink in my friend's backyard without disturbing the neighbors. Friend of mine has a 10/22 that's about 30 years old and in mint condition. She didn't even know what she had in her possession. :::sigh:::

Anonymous said...

I've got several 10/22 stainless finish rifles. They are good looking and great working firearms. I have had several Rugers serviced by the factory. I am not saying that someone could not have a bad experience with Rugers Customer Service Department. But, I have always been beyond pleased with the service i have received. the Magazine that works best with these rifles is a Tactical innovations adjustable magazine. Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

The magic word is:
www.tech-sights.com

Mike W. said...

Don't make the finish stop you. You can always send it out for refinishing. Hell I've refinished several guns.

Willorith said...

The first thing yo do with a 10/22 is change the stock and barrel. They should be sold as just the receiver with its guts. Midway would be very clever to put together a modular 10/22 ordering system.

I have five 10/22's all of them shoot beautifully and reliably (some magazine feed ramp tuning is necessary for hollow points)

As for the finish, we are buying a reliable and accurate knock about rifle for under $300. If the paint peels off, who cares? These rifles are not for decoration. If you want it for decoration, hang it on the wall and shut your pie hole. If you bought it to shoot, shut your pie hole and shoot.

HossIsBoss said...

Dear Breda,

Have a blued 10/22. Bought a bull barrel and a "ghostwood" target stock for $99 back in the mists of antiquity. LOVE IT. Bought my dad a 20 year old used one for his birthday last year. Fairly identical to the "new" one. Both are excellent shooters. Can't recommend them highly enough.

GET ONE!

Sincerely,

Dan