Champion Firearms | Ruger 10/22 Target Lite .22LR 21186

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Ruger 10/22 Target Lite .22LR

Ruger 10/22 Target Lite .22LR 21186

Retail $800.00

Our Price: $600.00

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Availability: Currently Out of Stock
Product Code: 21186

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Low prices on the Ruger 10/22 Target Lite .22LR start at Champion Firearms-

America's Favorite .22 Rifle. The Ruger 10/22 was released in 1964 and is considered by many to be the finest rimfire rifle ever conceived. A brilliantly innovative design, the 10/22 was immediately popular upon its release. This little gun has been so commercially successful that it's considered the company's leading firearm design, with well over 5- million units sold since its inception.

Indeed impressive considering it was reportedly far from Bill Ruger's favorite gun as he considered it more of an understudy to his .44 Magnum carbine rifle released back in 1962. Nevertheless, 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of this iconic masterpiece-- a firearm that has transcended and transformed the way we think about the rimfire rifle a half century later.

Sturm, Ruger and Company was founded in 1949 by business partners Alexander ("Alex") McCormick Sturm and William ("Bill") Batterman Ruger. Prior to the partnership, Bill Ruger had previously designed machine guns for the U.S. military during World War II and afterwards, successfully duplicated two Japanese Baby Nambu pistols in his garage based on samples acquired from a Marine. It would serve as the basis for launching the company when Ruger ingeniously combined the looks of a German 9mm Luger with rimfire engineering from the Colt Woodsman and the operating mechanism of the Nambu.

Bill Ruger and Alex Sturm rented a small machine shop in Southport, Connecticut and immediately introduced the world to the greatest rimfire pistol in history-- the legendary MK-I, which still continues to this day in its third generation. Alex Sturm was married to the granddaughter of President Teddy Roosevelt, was a Yale graduate, a talented artist and business entrepreneur that supplied the capital investment to start the fledgling company.

In addition, he personally designed the famous Germanic heraldic red eagle that still serves as Ruger's company logo. Bill Ruger supplied the business acumen plus technical-know-how as a skilled gunsmith and celebrated inventor. Tragically in 1951, Alex Sturm fell seriously ill and died at the age of 28 just as the company was beginning to gain traction.

After Sturm's passing, Bill Ruger mourned the loss of his old friend and business partner by permanently changing the company's distinctive red eagle logo to solid black (or white, shrouded in black), where it remains to this day in remembrance. Bill Ruger would go on to lead the company to world prominence, becoming the largest manufacturer of firearms in the United States.

A pioneering legend in American industry until his death in 2002, Ruger had a hand in the design and styling of every single gun the company produced while under his direction. To date, Sturm Ruger has manufactured more than 30-million firearms, while also becoming a leading supplier of precision investment castings in diverse industries such as aerospace, automotive and even golf clubs.

At the heart of the Ruger 10/22 Takedown design is a rifle that is almost indistinguishable from its solid frame counterpart. The genius of the concept lies in the fact it can be easily broken down into 2- pieces and stowed away as a backpack rifle, yet still retains the utility and function of the standard Ruger 10/22.

A recessed lever in the bottom of the forend is pushed forward, which allows the barrel to rotate a quarter turn counter-clockwise for removal. In assembly or disassembly, the bolt must be pulled rearward and locked using the lever in front of the triggerguard. To make transport easy, Ruger has included a floatable, backpack-style storage case with the package.

The rifle has a relatively mild muzzle report, no recoil and is amazingly accurate. It's 16.1" precision-rifled, cold hammer-forged barrel with a .920" diameter tensioned aluminum sleeve, features a 1/2"-28 threaded muzzle and is fitted with a thread protector. A clever rotary design means the magazine is much easier to load due to the fact spring tension doesn't have to be heavy to be reliable, where one ten rounder is supplied with this particular rifle package.

Make no mistake, the magazine is indeed incredibly reliable and also serves as the gun's primary ejector. Reportedly, Bill Ruger had an affinity for Mannlicher style carbines, so it's likely he was inspired by its graceful lines when he set about to design the Model 10/22, choosing to conceive a magazine that fit flush with the underside of its stock. This allows the rifle to rest on a flat surface when fired, cupped in the hand or carried alongside the body when slung over the shoulder.

The Ruger 10/22 Target Lite features an ambi laminate thumb-hole stock, standard length of pull and a threaded, fluted target barrel (ships with an additional high comb, standard length of pull stock module). For mounting optics, a 3/8" aluminum scope base has been supplied and includes all four screws necessary to provide a secure mount.

A lightweight black hard anodized aluminum receiver has been engineered for a lifetime of reliable service. To improve durability and performance, several upgrades have been made to the original design. A tough polymer trigger housing replaced the old aluminum design, which could be more easily broken or cracked if dropped on the guard. In addition, an extended magazine release was added to provide greater leverage when reloading.

Weighing in at a balanced 5.3 pounds empty, the rifle has a somewhat stiff seven pound trigger pull, undoubtedly for reasons of liability when in use by beginning shooters. A crossbolt safety prevents the rifle from discharging if banged or dropped, and a manual bolt lock rides slightly forward of the trigger guard.

Even though the bolt will not lock back after the last shot has been fired, the catch still provides the ability to lock the bolt back by hand. While Ruger does not provide a written warranty, the company has always promptly, professionally and courteously repaired the extremely limited number of malfunctioning firearms we've sent them.

In our humble opinion, they have a better warranty and service track record than many manufacturer's offering the so-called "limited lifetime" policy (which by the way, is not your lifetime, but what that particular manufacturer perceives to be the life of the gun). Overall, the Ruger 10/22 Target Lite is the perfect rimfire rifle for backpacking, travel or just having fun at the shooting range.