I think for a bug out gun, or small game getter, I would buy it, or go with the cheapest new synthetic compact that I can find, drop a bx trigger in it and be done. From what I see on here, 1022 barrels are not as good as aftermarket for competition or target use. All the 1022s that I have been around since the 70s have been capable/reliable weapons.

 

JMO - It’s all depends on how much money you’re willing to spend. What are you looking to achieve ? That old one should shoot great, and they are getting harder to find in good shape.
I have a 1976 10/22 that will shoot better than I can hold it. I have put it in a different stock that doesn’t have a band and put a decent scope on it and for some reason it seems to like the nonplated Remington ammo.
Haven’t done anything to the trigger but have thought about a bx,but decided to leave it all original.

 

I think the OP should get it. A good friend I shot with a LOT had one in the 70s that was a tack driver. Back then, the 10/22 was also the gold standard for semi-auto reliability. By the time I bought the first one of my own in the '90s, they were rough to operate with ugly trigger pulls and precision was all over the board, which seemed to spawn the myriad of aftermarket parts to remedy the new problems.

 

Well let me ask you this. Is there any vehicle from 1978 that you would buy as a daily driver?
There is probably nothing wrong with it. And you could diy it up to a perfectly acceptable level of accuracy were you so inclined.
But if its your first 1022 , I would take a hard pass. A federson / brownells/ bx/ magpul/ tech sight mash up is gonna be spot on once assembled.
The diy on the old trigger might take you weeks.

Hows your AR shoot, would you be happy with a mini 14?

 

Well let me ask you this. Is there any vehicle from 1978 that you would buy as a daily driver?
There is probably nothing wrong with it. And you could diy it up to a perfectly acceptable level of accuracy were you so inclined.
But if its your first 1022 , I would take a hard pass. A federson / brownells/ bx/ magpul/ tech sight mash up is gonna be spot on once assembled.
The diy on the old trigger might take you weeks.

Hows your AR shoot, would you be happy with a mini 14?

No. There is no 1978 vehicle that would make an even semi-decent daily driver. Cars of that era were absolute dung on wheels. No way to "fix them up". Rifles from that era weren't subject to EPA regulations. But still, IMO, $150 is too much.

 

I have lived in Gulf Coast humidity for 72 years and have grown quite fond of systemic stocks and parts. As to whether I wish for my old wooden stocked 1022 from back in the days, not really. It was pretty though.

 

For $150, I'd buy it anyway.

 

Yeah, I don't need a 3rd 1022, but would buy for that. I was going over aftermarket parts in my head when I saw the post.

 

If your goal is to spend a lot of money then do the build. If your goal is a good shooting, competent gun to take with you where lots of ammo doesn't take up lots of space and weight then buy that one for $150. Does it really matter if gun A will hit a 5" saucer every shot at 100 yards while gun B only does it with a 6" salad plate? I just brought home a new 1103. I have a BX trigger for it as my research suggests it is a LARGE improvement for a small expense. I won't be doing anything else to it, at least for a while. My old eyes may demand a scope for it but I'm going to try it for a while with factory sights. I paid $235 OTD at my LGS plus I think about $70 shipped for the trigger. If I'd had a friend with a nice older gun for $150 I'd have gone that way. Good luck with your decisions and results.

 

Its an inch at 100 yards with a decent aftermarket barrel vs 6 inches. And that does make a difference when its a squirrel or rabbit that you would like to eat. Though, like I said , with a little diy, actually a lot, he could get it down to 2 or 3 inches. But thats a lot of time and effort for a 1 of.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll get it anywho and test out the accuracy and then decide if I need another. Just wanted to see if the old ones were anything incredible. I grew up shooting one from the same era with just irons for ground squirrels and recall being pretty lethal.

 

At that price, I can assure you that you can recoup your money if you ever decided to move it. Heck, you can likely double it. $

 

I’ve got an early 80’s 10/22 Sporter that is accurate, the trigger is better as well as the build quality.

 

I’ve got a late 70’s model I bought used for $75 with a case and some ammo from a college kid in need. Other than the rough trigger it’s always been reliable and plenty accurate. I upgraded the trigger and sent it to cpc for a tune up. That improved accuracy but not to a point I thought it was trash before. My oldest son has one from 92 and it’s a good shooter as well. Last year I bought an anniversary model for my wife. Hers is almost or just as accurate as the one I sent to CPC. All three have been reliable. All three will shoot circles around my Remington 572 pump and none will hold a candle to my pricier rim fires. (Which I wouldn’t expect). I’d jump on that for $150. You’re not losing anything at that price.

 

some of the older ones had 2 guide rails for the bolt inside the receiver . I'm not sure what year they changed but somewhere in the 10,000seral number range.

 

You mention emergency preparedness.

Any properly functioning 10-22, old or new, minus the rare lemon that is possible in any brand, is plenty accurate for practical accuracy in that role.

 

I agree! My recent synthetic stock, 18 inch barrel, $220 10/22 carbine from a local LGS had no problem holding 1 inch groups at 50 yards with an inexpensive scope using CCI SV ammo. Local squirrel and rabbit were worried. While I did build this gun up, for a bug out it would be fine.

 

Yeah I'd be all over that particular 10/22. Might be a tack driver, leave it all stock or upgrade it can't go wrong. Like ky-shooter says you could always resell it and get your money back. Most likely from your bud that sold it to you.

 

Kinda like that 10/22 with the synthetic stock. My R/A bolt in22 mag. has really grown on me. They sure are nice and light to carry. Added a nylon sling and Vortex Crossfire scope. Great for woods varmints.

 

For $150.00 I would suggest you buy it and shoot it some.
Then make up your mind about it as you can always resell it and go a different route.

 

No matter how many bullseye I see shot at 100yds, with expensive rimfire rifles and ammo, will I ever consider 22lr a 100 yard hunting cartridge. The 17cal would not be so popular today and the 22mag would have have been gone for many years by now.

 

Agreed. Was actually surprised how the 17 gained so much popularity so quickly. Fast but light bullet of the 17 made me stick with the 22 mag for bullet weight weight choices. Guess gun/ammo makers try something new to see what will stick with consumers. Just trying to make money which I can't blame them. Old enough to recall the 5MM Remington which fell flat pretty quick. Can't wait to see how the 22 Sharp from Winchesters fares! Time will tell.

 

I dont think that I'll get to check out 17 or 21 rimfires. The older I get, the better scopes I need. I'm using Bushnell and redfield med priced scopes, as I started needing 3030 crosshairs and red dots a few years back. They work fine for lr, at 25 and 50yd indoors where I shoot, but I haven't shot a red dot outside, ever, so I don't know about it, and would want better glass($$$) if I was going for extreme accuracy, or would dig out the 22mag, hornet, 223 or 218bee that I already have ammo and glass on.

 

A 10/22 is a popular gun for a "emergency preparedness semiauto .22", probably the most popular in that category.
If it is in good shape (as in well cared for and 47 years old) then $150 is a deal. Like any "emergency preparedness" thing, inspect it, test it, find out what kind of ammo it likes, then cross off the "emergency preparedness semiauto .22" from your list because you now have that.

Many people have good suggestions here. Is a plastic stock better for this purpose, perhaps, but does that mean the wood is a hinderance, of course not. Take care of it, like you would with any item with "emergency preparedness" attached.

A trigger job on an old 10/22 should take an hour or two, not a week IF you feel the need to do that. Won't the new Ruger factory aftermarket trigger packs just drop in, again, if you want? It's not a match rifle, its supposed to be reliable and rugged, and in 1978 Ruger built that.

I have many .22s, some new, most old. All as just as functionable, durable and reliable as the others (I don't see the need to collect economy grade .22s. but I don't focus on >$1000 .22s either).
I have some 10/22s and some nice (rugged) bolt action .22s, I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other form THIS list:
10/22 (this one is 30 years old)
1 of my 2 TOZ-78s
One of my CZ 452s
Frankly if it was hitting the fan and I told Zvenoson to pick one of those whatever he got would be fine.
My 3 most "Emergency Preparedness" rimfires:

I like bolt actions so I lean towards them, but a 10/22 is more than adequate for this need. AND, I would be OK living in a bolt action "Emergency Preparedness" world. But I understand not everyone would, and that's fine. (To be clear, I am not against any semi autos for this hypothetical world, my collection has more bolt actions so I would pick from it should the need arise).

The 10/22 has parts availability in it's favor but the TOZ is more accurate, probably will never need replacement parts, and as seen a bit more compact. (How many of you have broken a rifle? And form that, what did you learn, it was a crappy rifle or the part was easy to source/replace, or something else?) It (and most bolt actions) are probably easier to use if you loose the magazine versus most semi autos. There is "good enough" (which he 10/22 is probably at the top of that list) and then all the personal preferences.
Are those my favorite .22s, well if I had a favorite I'd probably have only 1. But for THIS task those 3 are all better than "good enough".

So grab the $150 10/22 before someone else does, test it out and enjoy it for that purpose. All the $$ you saved will pay for the ammo you just bought.

Oh, another "emergency preparedness" hint:
Every time you buy ammo online (even if you are buying .22 ammo), ADD 1 case of "emergency preparedness" .22 ammo to the order. The $35 extra per order, each and every time is not hard to budget, and there you go. For ME, that is whatever good (not match, unless the price is crazy) .22 ammo on sale with the dealer that day. Probably stuff you have used, or at least stuff with a good reputation, not just "cheap".

 

A 10/22 is a popular gun for a "emergency preparedness semiauto .22", probably the most popular in that category.
If it is in good shape (as in well cared for and 47 years old) then $150 is a deal. Like any "emergency preparedness" thing, inspect it, test it, find out what kind of ammo it likes, then cross off the "emergency preparedness semiauto .22" from your list because you now have that.

Many people have good suggestions here. Is a plastic stock better for this purpose, perhaps, but does that mean the wood is a hinderance, of course not. Take care of it, like you would with any item with "emergency preparedness" attached.

A trigger job on an old 10/22 should take an hour or two, not a week IF you feel the need to do that. Won't the new Ruger factory aftermarket trigger packs just drop in, again, if you want? It's not a match rifle, its supposed to be reliable and rugged, and in 1978 Ruger built that.

I have many .22s, some new, most old. All as just as functionable, durable and reliable as the others (I don't see the need to collect economy grade .22s. but I don't focus on >$1000 .22s either).
I have some 10/22s and some nice (rugged) bolt action .22s, I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other form THIS list:
10/22 (this one is 30 years old)
1 of my 2 TOZ-78s
One of my CZ 452s
Frankly if it was hitting the fan and I told Zvenoson to pick one of those whatever he got would be fine.
My 3 most "Emergency Preparedness" rimfires:

I like bolt actions so I lean towards them, but a 10/22 is more than adequate for this need. AND, I would be OK living in a bolt action "Emergency Preparedness" world. But I understand not everyone would, and that's fine. (To be clear, I am not against any semi autos for this hypothetical world, my collection has more bolt actions so I would pick from it should the need arise).

The 10/22 has parts availability in it's favor but the TOZ is more accurate, probably will never need replacement parts, and as seen a bit more compact. (How many of you have broken a rifle? And form that, what did you learn, it was a crappy rifle or the part was easy to source/replace, or something else?) It (and most bolt actions) are probably easier to use if you loose the magazine versus most semi autos. There is "good enough" (which he 10/22 is probably at the top of that list) and then all the personal preferences.
Are those my favorite .22s, well if I had a favorite I'd probably have only 1. But for THIS task those 3 are all better than "good enough".

So grab the $150 10/22 before someone else does, test it out and enjoy it for that purpose. All the $$ you saved will pay for the ammo you just bought.

Oh, another "emergency preparedness" hint:
Every time you buy ammo online (even if you are buying .22 ammo), ADD 1 case of "emergency preparedness" .22 ammo to the order. The $35 extra per order, each and every time is not hard to budget, and there you go. For ME, that is whatever good (not match, unless the price is crazy) .22 ammo on sale with the dealer that day. Probably stuff you have used, or 1qat least stuff with a good reputation, not just "cheap".

Great write up and nice collection pieces.

 

I used a folding stock on my 308w Encore when using a 4x4 or mule to move about. I would probably use one for a 1022 ranch/property companion. Sure makes it nice getting in and out of vehicles or stands. I can no longer get out there without one. Sure as heck can't drag a deer in any longer.

 

I am glad most people have met here are friendly when their opinions differ. It is, after all, a hobby, and especially in a thread like this (where there will be many opinions), many of us enjoy hearing what others say (ESPECIALLY if they are different from us) without having a midlife crisis.



The OP asked about a semi auto for a specific use, and the described 10/22 is probably just fine for that.
Is it best, of course not, because best must include personal preferences. For some people, they may feel the NEED to define "best" and get that for each and every task, and that's fine (this is, after all, a hobby). But MY point remains, the 10/22 is probably fine (once it was inspected, tested, and ammo types had been addressed), under the conditions I stated.

In no way do I suggest my TOZ won't break, nor did I say it was a better choice (except for ME; I know others would more likely choose one of the other 2 in my pic, and that's fine), no more than the CZ or 10/22 in the picture, but again, when was the last time you had a good quality rifle break; that was my point even if I poorly stated it?
THAT TOZ is more accurate than THAT 10/22, yet both are more than accurate enough for the given task (= good enough).
"Good enough" in the context of my post is in no way the same as "barely adequate".

Here's a nice .22:

I have restored it, but I have not given it many different ammo types to consider any sort of reliability, so there is no way I would consider it. And a tube fed isn't MY choice for this type of rifle, but I bet there are some with these who have the experience with them to stand by them. I am sure some people would use this rifle for "emergency preparedness" (I would suggest some swivels at a minimum), and if that's all they had I'm sure they would be fine. It's not a contest.

Please, help me understand how a 10/22, or the TOZ or CZ in my pic would be an "illogical choice" for the defined "emergency preparedness" .22 rifle (obviously he said semi auto, I get that obviously).

I do understand some people feel you MUST place aftermarket parts on a rifle, and especially a 10/22 to make it "better", while others suggest doing so may affect reliability. That wasn't the subject of this thread nor any part of MY post.
I learned many years ago, especially in this hobby, that "obvious" does not exist; everyone has unique experiences and knowledge.
And I'll say it again, you don't need "best" for that task (because that would mean only 1, and we all have preferences). But if you want to find the best, I am sure that will work out fine, and many of us enjoy the hobby more by doing that. But this thread wasn't one of the "ultimate 10/22 threads" so I answered that way.

 

I like red dot sight so far. I can shoot better groups a little futher indoors using one. I had to change to left hand shooting after eye surgery and can maybe plink with open sights while outdoors, but don'tknow. I didn't realize that you don't always dictate what you can do or what equipment you can use to your satisfaction. My owning a $2000 target rimfire is like me owning a 200mph bike. I don't doubt my abilities, but do know my limits.

 

Unless one is willing to do a "deep dive" into accessorizing a box stock 10/22, then I have found that my factory guns, oldest one is from 1998, shoot about the same. From a bench, I can group 3/4"-1" consistently, at fifty yards, with CCI ammo.

I look at my 10/22's as "good enough" guns, when it comes to field accuracy and dependability, and that is what I use them for. I have a couple bolt guns, in .22 LR, that are very accurate, and that is what I have them for. I tend to put the money into the bolt guns, over the 10/22's, but that is just me.

Like I said, my older one seems to shoot the same as the three newer ones do, and for what I use them for, they do "good enough".

 

⁹As a young man I thought my little 50 year old Remington pump would be my bug out lr forever. It turned into a single shot if one hand was busy. I thought my beloved Papoose would go to the happy hunting grounds with me. It didn't suit me for optic after eye surgery + it not fitting in its little case, only having clamp rimfire scope grooves, nit to mention getting the right mags for it.I couldn't part with it. My son has it now. My 1022 carbine was to be it, then along comes my Charger, which is sure running a very close second. It's got kidd spring, already threaded and has a brace and red dot. It is really fun and as capable as me and then some. Did I mention rotorory 1022 mags. Best thing that ever happened to rimfires, Thanks Bill.

 

How do we know the friend's $150 gun is a 3MOA gun and not something else?

 

Cause very few 1022 s come from the factory any better, who knows maybe it was hand tuned by mr. VQSr. But a 1978 for $150 doesnt sound like a Joe Chacon.