.22LR Rifle for Appleseed

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: BTW
I looked at the Marlin LTR when it first came out, couldn't find one for sale. A quick goole search still shows it hard to find. Where are you buying yours?


Google: marlin 70677

That's the model number, and you'll turn up a few online outfits that carry them. Buds has a few, Gallery of Guns has a few, plus others. A local gun shop that I deal with on a regular basis can get them through his distributor, at an out-the-door price for me of $275 including tax. I could probably save $20 by ordering online and paying a local FFL transfer, but I like supporting the local guy.

This article: http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=38982.0 says that this model is a Davidson's (Gallery of Guns) exclusive. Maybe that was true in the beginning. Or maybe that's still true, and that's where Buds gets them, I don't know.

Check your local gun shop, and give him that Marlin model number if you're interested in one. They may be available through their distributor.

 

[Hokiefyd]

So, before I had my local gun shop order the 795 LTR, I figured I'd "try it on" first. The gun shop is about an hour away, so I stopped at Gander Mountain on Friday afternoon. They had both the 10/22 and the 795 on a rifle table for folks to handle. I came to the 10/22 first, so I picked that up...yep, felt pretty good. Then I picked up the 795. Whoops. I don't know what it is about it, but it feels like a youth rifle compared with the Ruger. I think it's a combination of the thinner width of the forend and at the pistol grip. It also seemed to have a slightly shorter length of pull. I don't think it does by the specs, but the rifle just didn't fit well into my shoulder. I felt like I was cramped too much with it really tucked into my shoulder. I also was anxious to see how the mag release was, and I didn't care for it -- it's a sheetmetal leaf spring type deal that clips the magazine in place. Mags do not drop free, and you sort of have to force them in, as well. I just didn't care for it. So, the 795 was out.

The 10/22 was my plan B. I said before that the primary thing I don't like about it is the lack of a last shot hold open, and that remains the case. Figuring that 5,000,000 people can't be so far wrong that it's unusable, I figure that I'll just have to get used to it. Gander Mountain had a very nice stainless 10/22 with black synthetic stock for $289 ($319 MSRP from Ruger, model # 1256). I thought that that's probably the most I'd pay for it, but decided to check around. I decided later on Friday that if I'm going to buy a 10/22, then I might as well buy one with the the 50th Anniversary markings. It seems that most of them made in 2014 had the 50th Anniversary markings.

Gander didn't have any. Richard's Sporting Goods (censor) didn't have any. Noticed that Cabelas has synthetic 10/22s for $259, and Bass Pro has them on sale for $249. I called the Bass Pro up near Raleigh and asked if they had any of the stainless 50th ones. They did, they kindly put it on hold for me, and it was waiting for me when I got there a few hours later. Too easy. I got 10% off for opening a Bass Pro card, so I was out the door for $241 with tax. There's also a current deal where if you open a Bass Pro card and put $200 on it in the first 90 days, they'll send you a $100 gift card. Not sure if I'll qualify for that, too. If I do, that's a good haul of ammo for me...

Things I want to do to it: Uncle Mike's nickle-plated (for the color contrast) sling swivels, black cotton USGI sling from Bison Tactical, TSM100 Tech Sights, and an auto bolt release mod so I can slingshot the bolt forward like most other semi-autos. All of that is about another 100 bucks. Oh, and another magazine or two, probably. So, for $350, I'll have a pretty decent setup. I was fixing to pay $275 out the door for the Marlin, so the 10/22 will be a $75 difference for a similar setup.

http://www.ruger.com/products/1022Carbine/specSheets/1256.html

 

[linksep]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
After reading some about Appleseed, it seems that the box mag-fed semi-autos were preferred, so I started looking at the Marlin 795 and the Ruger 10/22.


Why are box magazines "preferred"?


Because part of the final "qualification" is shooting 2 rounds then a reload to shoot 8 more rounds in a short timed stage. Refilling a tube mag takes a lot longer than swapping box mags.

Too late to mean anything to the OP but I seen to prefer a shorter LOP. Never fondled a 10/22 so I can't compare but we'll see how the old 795 does during Appleseed October 3rd/4th. I plan to install swivels/sling and Tech-sights this week, I have 2 spare recoil springs (in case of kink during re-assembly) and a spare buffer.

I wanted to do Appleseed last fall, which didn't happen, then this spring when things and stuff (and back-ordered nice-ities) got in the way... Got my 2nd (and 3rd) factory 10-round mags delivered today along with a pair of promags (because they cost about the same as factory mags) and a "shooting mat" to make me comfy like the princess in "The Princess and the Pea". Hopefully I will be able to tell people "If I can see it I can hit it". Either 0 or 2 other people are signed up for the event I am attending so far... Ultra small class seems like a win for me for instruction/attention (but sad that there isn't more interest).

 

[Hokiefyd]

I generally prefer shorter lengths of pull, too. In fact, my Mossberg 500, a very common and standard shotgun, has too long of a length of pull for me. One of these days, my intention is to install the short Hogue stock on it...

I don't know what it was about the 795 that didn't fit me. It felt very awkward to hold and get a sight picture for me. Maybe it was a combination of length of pull, stock angle, comb height, etc. Whatever it was, I knew immediately that it wasn't going to work. And I went in there to confirm that the 795 is what I wanted, so I was already predisposed towards it.

I had wanted to do an Appleseed this November, but I think I'm going to wait until the spring. My 10/22 needs a sling and upgraded sights before I do it, and an extra magazine or two. I've already done the DIY auto bolt close mod, and I'll likely end up doing a lot more to this gun just because I enjoy tinkering with stuff.

 

[stockrex]

check out savage mark fvt .22,

 

[linksep]

Have fun. I once read "If you want to tinker get a 10/22, if you want to shoot get a 795, if you want to curse get a 522."

Tinkering is a lot cheaper on a 795 because there's not a lot you can do.

Enjoy and good luck on earning Rifleman.

 

[Plumber]

My brother and I bought our Model 60's at K Mart back in the early 1990's $69 each....

 

[linksep]

Gear installed and tech-sights zeroed (only needed 2 clicks left and 2 clicks down).

A few unfortunate FTEs tonight (one super crushed stove-pipe and another somehow got jammed above the incoming cartridge causing moderate worry, however I was able to clear it without hurting myself or the Marlin).

I think I would like an even shorter LOP than the factory 13-5/8". Or maybe a bigger aperture opening...or maybe I need to adjust my body/technique. I'm no expert.

I also fondled a Henry Big Boy .357Mag tonight... that's one sweet piece of craftsmanship... Pretty sure that is #2 on my wish-list (and #1 is a simple swap from one brand to another between extremely similar platforms).

 

[Hokiefyd]

A few days after I bought my 10/22, my dad bought a nearly identical one. We both plan to do Appleseed in the spring. They were at our house last week, and we did some upgrades to both. Tech Sights, Kidd auto bolt release, and Kidd bolt buffer on both. He bought a sling with swivels attached, but his polymer stock didn't have the mounts, so we installed those. I bought the Uncle Mike's nickel swivels, and my polymer stock does have the mounts, so mine was easier. (This is odd, since both of our 10/22s have the same Ruger part number.) I haven't bought my sling yet -- I want a black USGI sling...either nylon or cotton -- haven't decided yet.

We took them to my buddy's house on Friday. What a riot these little guns are! We shot steel all afternoon for about 20 bucks each. I haven't bought any mags for mine, so I'm just using the factory 10-rd box magazine. Dad bought a second 10-rd box magazine and also a BX-25 banana mag. That mag is fun.

We zero'd our sights as best we could with shooting on one knee, and we were getting about 2" groups at about 30 yards. I have no complaints with that, for being a first-timer with a green gun with bulk Federal. I look forward to tightening those up quite a bit with more practice.

In the end, though, I'm not a group size snob. What's fun to me is making the steel ring. I'd much rather silhouette shoot than target shoot, and that's where these are really fun -- to unload an entire banana mag on an 8" plate at 20 paces in as many seconds.

I like this 10/22 so much, I can see myself buying a Ruger American Rimfire bolt action to go with it (uses the same mags).