Ruger 10/22-TD Take-Down Rifle
Major Pandemic 07.01.13
For many, the Ruger 10/22 is the epitome of .22 semi-auto rifle perfection. Not only does it work flawlessly with any kind of ammo, but it’s inexpensive, phenomenally reliable, easy to shoot, fun to upgrade, and accurate right out of the box. What could make it better? A take-down, packable Ruger 10/22-TD version of course.
The Ruger 10/22-TD is a very well thought out design which feels just as solid and well finished once assembled as any standard Ruger 10/22 Carbine. It shoulders, weights, and shoots for hours on end, the same as any Ruger 10/22, except this model can be quickly broken down into a compact package in less than a second.
All the other standard 10/22 features are there, including synthetic carbine stock scope base, folding rear leaf sight, front brass bead sight, 10-shot rotary magazine, and extended magazine release. Ruger has also included an action locking collar for use with the included Ruger lock.
The 10/22-TD receiver is a different part than your standard receiver. The manual notes that the receiver and take-down insert must be factory installed, and from what I can tell this must be a factory threaded insert as I cannot find any retaining screws to hold the insert in. The rest of the receiver looks very similar to a standard 10/22, with the exception of the take-down clamp bolted on where the v-block would normally reside. The barrel also has a few extra notches and doodads which form the barrel mounted locking lever and the barrel mounted forend.
The coupler system is brilliantly simple, secure, and should be nearly infallible long-term. To break the rifle down, all that is required it to clear the 10/22-TD of any ammo, pull back the bolt about the quarters of an inch, pull back on the barrel release, and twist the barrel 45 degrees counterclockwise.
Ruger recommends locking the bolt back during assembly and disassembly, however all that is required is to pull the bolt back a little to clear the extractor during breakdown. Assembly requires no attention to the bolt whatsoever. In fact I even tested leaving a loaded magazine in the receiver and just twisting on the barrel, cycling the action, and shooting. Probably not the best on the extractor long-term, but worked just fine throughout testing. If I was carrying this in a pack then you can bet your backside that I’d have a loaded mag in the receiver so that I could bring the rifle into service quickly.
From the factory the coupler is pre-set with the proper barrel tension, but it can be tightened or loosened as required for optimal fit as wear occurs. The instructions note that you should abruptly cycle the action by hand a couple times after assembly to seat the barrel and prevent first-round fliers. Using this method, the 10/22-TD delivered consistent 25 yard zero’ed groups even when disassembled and reassembled between groups.
Generally, take-down models can be picky and can loosen over time, however I experienced neither of these issues. The Ruger 10/22-TD fed and fired everything just like a good 10/22 should. Although the Ruger takedown adjustment can be tightened to accommodate for wear over time, and I must have taken it apart and reassembled it a couple hundred times in the process of the review, I have yet to see a reason to tinker with the factory tension setting.
THe 10/22-TD comes with a very nice quality 650 cu/in case/pack. For survival types, the pack provides ample room as a light get-home bag. The receiver section is stored in one side of the bag, with plenty of room left even if a standard sized scope is attached. The barrel section is stowed in one of the two slots (yes expect other barrel options — my bet is a .17 Rimfire barrel). Standard MOLLE straps also adorn the front of the lower pockets for added flexibility. The front pockets of the pack provide plenty of room for ammo, magazines, pistol, and other necessities. The pack is setup to function as a single sling pack with four d-rings on the back of the pack and one of the front for a lot of flexibility in strap placement. With an extra strap the pack could be easily converted to a backpack. I tended to use the grab handle as my main carry method in moving the 10/22-TD in and out of my truck. The case is made with closed-cell foam, which Ruger claims will float with the rifle in it for a short time. I will take their word for it.
Accuracy
The 10/22-TD was definitely more accurate than my vintage 10/22, and it arrived perfectly zero’ed at 25 yards. Most other reviewers have noted the Ruger 10/22-TD’s quite excellent accuracy, and my own testing was no exception. In fact, most information suggests that the TD model exceeds the capabilities of the standard carbine versions in most cases. Looking at the 10/22-TD model you cannot help but notice that the barrel is in effect a modified free floated barrel. Whatever the reason, this take-down rifle was significantly more accurate than the 1” groups I have been used to from a standard 10/22.
With the 10/22-TD I managed a standing 10-shot 1” group with the stock iron sights, and from the bench I pulled that into a .65” group with CCI Mini-Mags. As it seems every Ruger 10/22 does, CCI Mini-Mags were the clear performance winner for non-match ammo. Scoped with a Nikon P-22 2-7X scope, the 10/22-TD stunned me with a couple .3” 5-shot groups at 25 yards with CCI Mini-Mags. On the 50 yards line with the P-22 2-7 Nikon Scope, I was able to produce more than a few .75” groups with the Mini-Mags and one .5” group. The 10/22-TD is an excellent general purpose .22LR survival rifle, a very fine plinker, and definitely the most accurate take down rifle I have tested.
In my opinion, the Ruger 10/22-TD is the best factory take-down .22 survival rifle available, especially considering its $350 street price. The take-down action is innovative, rugged, fast, simple, light, reliable and even provides the ability to tighten any slop as wear occurs. The 10/22-TD’s case also had a fair amount of thought put into it as well.
Specs: Ruger 10/22-TD
- Catalog Number: K10/22-TD
- Model Number: 11100
- Caliber: .22 LR
- Stock: Black Synthetic
- Finish: Clear Matte
- Rear Sight: Adjustable
- Front Sight: Gold Bead
- Barrel Length: 18.50″
- Overall Length: 37.00″
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Length of Pull: 13.50″
- Weight: 4.67 lbs.
- Capacity: 10
- Grooves: 6
- Twist: 1:16″ RH
- Backpack-Style Bag Included
- MSRP: $389
- Street: $350
