Local store has the Ruger 10/22 on sale, $239 for blue version, $269 for stainless.

Which one should I buy and why?

Keeping in mind also that the blue version has an actual wood stock vs a pretty cheap looking synthetic on the stainless version. Another note, I live in SoCal, very dry climate and the rifle will most likely not be carried in very wet or rainy weather.

JohnE

Given your climate, it sounds like it is purely down to aesthetics.

I have access to a 10/22 in blue that is from the original run of the rifles and it is still going strong all these years later.

I'm a big fan of wood stocks on rifles, but on the 10/22, I'd go with the stainless. The reason they (almost) always pair a synthetic stock with a stainless rifle is for moisture and elements. The entire rifle is covered that way.

In my humble opinion and experience, Ruger is an Outstanding company. You're good to go either way. Me? On the .22 LR rifle that's going to see alot of "banging" around? Light enough to lug around, rain or shine? Stainless / synthetic. Save the blued/walnut for your first Ruger #1....

John, you might try WalMart too (maybe that's your "local store"...I don;t know). They generally have the best prices and will order the rifle for you if they don;t have the one you want in-stock (10 days).

I have an old Marlin Glenfield Model 75 autoloading .22LR. It's a nice little rifle, but nowhere near the quality of the Ruger. It has a wood stock that I've refinished once and it still gets banged around quite a bit. It's more accurate than a wrist-rocket, but not much more. The Ruger will do better in that department.

I'd go with the Stainless version. Later on, you can always change the stock to a nicer looking laminate/composite version that is more to your liking.

Hey John,

I cannot speak to the SoCal climate because I have never been there, but in my cold/wet forested area the Stainless/Synthetic would be the way to go. I had to choose between the 10/22 Ruger and the Papoose Marlin a couple of years ago. I picked the Papoose because of the "takedown" feature and have been happy with it, but still may also get the 10/22 just because I like the rifle. It is very rare to hear anything negative about the 10/22 Ruger.

Mike

If this is going to be your only rifle, I'd buy the synthetic/stainless, even though I would really prefer a stainless/wood combo. Because the 10/22 is so upgradable, you will always find people selling their blued barrel and wood stock when they upgrade, but rarely will someone buy a stainess/synthetic version to upgrade, so those are much harder to find secondhand. It's worth the extra $30, and if you decide you want to switch, you can always find someone willing to switch a wood for synthetic or stainless for blued, but not the otherway around. Really it just comes down to preference. But if you're like me, eventually you're going to buy both.

Anytime you can upgrade a firearm like this to stainless for such little extra go for it. I have yet to own a blued firearm that I had to let stand for a day or more after being handled/fired/exposed to the elements that the finish didn't blemish somehow. I don't like blued firearms nearly as much as stainless or coated ones; I am more of a utilitarian in that respect, and less on aesthetics.

Yeah, you won't get much rain, but don't forget about June gloom if you're out with the gun. Any camping that time may expose the gun to moisture.

Also, during the Santa Ana's if you're out towards the deserts, you might lose some blueing from the swirling sands.

If you're just planning on staying in town and plinking at the local range, it's totally about asthetics.

stainless. +1

I can take a hint...

thanks folks, it'll be the stainless version, just wish the stock was a little nicer or that it came with the wood stock and the stainless hardware.

Not Walmart, Big 5 sporting goods, an odd chain of stores that I think are only located in and around Southern California, they sell a little bit of everything from outdoors stuff to team sports stuff and for whatever reason they continue to sell rifles and shotguns including some bizarre imported stuff on occasion. They're a cross between a Target store and a Big Lots clearance store as they sell brand new current stuff right alongside the obvious clearance merchandise. They once offered the CRKT Stiff K.I.S.S. neck knife for sale as a brand new item at a ridiculously low price, never mind that it had been out of production for several years already. They seem to like putting Mossberg shotguns and Ruger 10/22's on sale pretty regularly. I also picked up a brick of Remington .22LR HP's for less than 20 bucks there the other night.

JohnE

So, go buy a wood stock for it! LOTS of folks take off the stock wood stock for fiberglass/an upgrade, so you should be able to find one

Of course you could always do something like this

http://www.claudegatewood.com/html/10_22_stock_styles.html

(and spend more than the rifle costs - easily)

If you were buying say a 77/22, or some other pretty rifle, I'd say wood. For a 10/22? Stainless works nicely.

Exactly!

There are tons of options for stocks out there for the Ruger 10/22. I'm sure you'll be able to find something you like.

Check out www.rimfirecentral.com

It's a big forum dedicated to rimfire rifles, they know everything there is to know about the 10/22. I'm sure they'll be able to find you a good stock you like for a good price.

On a side note: Personally, I would look for a nice laminated wood stock. Laminated wood is better than regular wood, as it isn't as susceptible to expansion/contraction as a result of changing weather conditions (which can throw off your zero). It also is much stronger than regular wood stock.

FYI, Big 5 ammo is expensive, I think even more expensive than Turners. Wal-mart is probably the cheapest place to buy ammo, they carry bricks of .22lr for about $13. There's been quite a rush on ammo recently, but they usually have a at least a couple of boxes of .22 in the case.

I don’t have my Cabela’s sale flyer with me right now, but I seem to remember the stainless steel version will be on sale soon for around $239.

Pete

John, we have Big 5 stores over here too. Still, I'd check Walmart. Many are surprised when they find that WalMart has access to soooo many guns, and even more surprised at the prices they can get. They deal with one very large supplier (the company name escapes me, but they'll tell you who it is if you ask), and their volume is such that prices "almost" can't be beat.

I lived in SoCal too (San Diego...SPring Valley) during the mid and late 80's, and every winter it would rain and rain and rain. Not only that but rust and corrosion on steel is not necessarily dependant on wet weather. Humidity, mositure, salts, and acids from our hands and in the air, and other variables dictate that stainless is the best bet when aesthetics are not the only criterion....and even then sometimes....

Most of my rifles have a nice coat of Krylon on them. Depending on the terrain.