Firearm Review: Endurance Testing a Ruger 10/22 Rifle

Firstly this rifle purchase was never intended as an endurance test.  It just worked out that way.  I keep track of how many rounds each rifle has fired in my shooting logs and recently adding them up I realized my 10/22 had passed the 100,000 rounds fired mark.  I compiled all the data from my shooting logs to publish in this article.  

The rifle was initally purchased in 1999 as a christmas gift for my wife.  She wanted a plinking and small game rifle and as our collection did not include a 10/22 we decided to buy one.  It was ordered through our local dealer as I wanted certain options.  It came with stainless steel finish, scope mount installed, standard barrel profile and full synthetic stock.  It came with one ten round magazine and I purchased three more ten round magazines at that time.  In 2004 when the AWB (assault weapons ban) ended, I bought three thirty round magazines as well.  The gun shot 2" groups out of the box with open sights and under 1" groups with a simmons scope installed.  

The gun never had a formal break in period as it was intended as a plinker and not a target rifle.  Up until January 2003 it was used rarely, and spent most of its time in the weapons locker.  In 2003 I sold the Hammerli 208 target pistol I used the majority of the time and the 10/22 became our primary .22 shooter.  At that time it had about 9,000 rounds through it.  After Jan 2003 it fired an average of about 2000 rounds a month but most shooting was done in the summer time.  At the 80,000 round mark accuracy began to fall off from barrel wear.  The scope was removed and put on another rifle.   At the time of this writing the gun has surpassed the 100,000 round mark and shoots 3" groups.  It has been retired from primiry .22 status and is currently awaiting a new barrel and custom stock as funds allow.