Thread: Ruger 10/22 - OK shtf firearm?

I have been looking into purchasing a gun lately for several reasons. One of them is just so I have something to take to a range and fire off some rounds from time to time, but the other is more utilitarian - just in case things go boom.

For plinking, I have my heart set on a Ruger 10/22. I don't care to make it look like an AK or any other assault weapon, I just want something cheap and fun. That being said, I am wondering about its use in filling that other need - general survival. I know it would work alright for small game, though not for anything of much size. (Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.) The big things on my mind are weight and ammunition. The 10/22 carbine I'm looking at is a mere 5 lbs, and .22LR is plentiful, light, and cheap. If we can shelter in place, then the weight isn't a concern, however with two small kids I have to be mindful of the possibility of having to bug out, and every ounce would matter at that point.

I know it lacks the stopping power of some larger calibers, but I don't have a lot of cash to put towards it ($200-300.) At this point my basic line of thinking is the gun you have is better than not having a gun.

Perfect world - I'd have the cash for a couple of different guns right now, and for the gun safe to store them in to keep small hands as far away as possible, but that just isn't the reality of my current situation. So an inexpensive rifle, a cable lock and a spot in the attic are the next best thing.

With the current events as they are, and the knowledge that it isn't quite as grass-roots as most people want to believe, I'd rather have something than nothing. Things will probably not go bad, at least not that bad, however I'd rather buy myself an early Christmas present than be in a situation where I'm kicking myself, $200 in my pocket and nothing but a knife on me.

Anyone have any thoughts on the 10/22 (or any .22LR rifle) as a shtf firearm? Any other rifles I could get for reasonably low dollar that would fit that need well? Durability, reliability, and weight are obviously the three big concerns. Somewhat related, but I'm not a WA native: Is it true that there isn't a wait period for rifles / shotguns here? Or do I need to get on this as of yesterday?

It really depends on factors like the specific SHTF scenario and what kind of training you have.

Here's the "fun" scenario: you have to bug out, and at some point you must defend yourself and/or family from dastardly villains. A 10/22 has the potential, with multiple, well-placed shots, to take out a person, no problem. At that point, if said thug is armed with a higher caliber, you might even be able to relieve the newly departed of their firearm and ammo.

The more realistic scenario is the lower profile you keep, the better. A 10/22 with lower velocity ammo certainly helps in that area, as they're fairly quiet. You are not likely to run into a threat consisting of a single opponent, so the more confrontations you avoid, the better.

I've been putting a lot of thinking into the SHTF scenario, and the more brain I throw at it, the more convinced I become that the only practical survival method in a true TEOTWAWKI scenario is to have an entire community of like-minded folks with a wide variety of skill sets. Anything else is just a delay of the inevitable.

Want a practical guide, go check out a survivor's blog.

For your budget, I'd suggest either a 10/22 and lots of practice, or a reliable shotgun and lots of practice. But as in all things, that's just my two pennies. YMMV.

Good luck brother.

Well "ok" is up to you to answer. First off YOU will have to determine what you think a SHTF looks like and will that gun fit the roll you want it to? You are the only one that can answer that for you.

For any SHTF situation I can come up with, other then total urban warfare (very low on my list of situations) I think the 10/22 is a perfect gun. It is light, inexpensive, reliable, accurate, does not look like an "assault rifle", you can carry tons of ammo, lower noise report then larger gun (and in my case very quiet with silencer), you can get mags that will hold enough to ammo to do reasonable self defense.

What game do you think is too big for a .22? I would say in the early to mid 1900's there were a lot of Deer taken with .22. Of course proper aim and hunting skills would be required. As for defense against people I will put it this way, how many rounds are you willing to be shot with........

There are no waiting periods for long guns in WA unless NICS delays you.

There is no waiting period for rifles or shotguns in WA.

The 10/22 is a fine first purchase for SHTF firearm, IMO.

Originally Posted by NuthinFancy

There is no waiting period for rifles or shotguns in WA.

The 10/22 is a fine first purchase for SHTF firearm, IMO.

Agreed...I think a .22lr is great for SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenarios. You can kill small game and even mildly defend yourself with it. Is it perfect? No, but no gun is. The only firearm I plan on actually throwing in a Bug Out Bag is a .22.

the 10/22 is the only rifle i own .i trust it to hunt animals as big as a deer.i can shoot a 3 inch group at 100 yards

I use my 10/22 for everything. I would definitely use it as a SHTF gun, especially when I have two 25 round magazines that are feeding rounds flawlessly. I rarely get jams or misfeeds. LOVE MY RUGER

i agree i love the 1022 and did you know isreal has used them for riot control a 22 can even take down deer its not legal but in a survival situation. i carry a ruger mk 3 in my bug out bag as well

Its hard to find anyone who has a problem with the 10/22 they are near perfect, tons of parts available too. You might even be able to pick one up on the classified ads here for a decent price as well.

A 10/22 would be just about perfect if SHTF means Squirrels Harassing The Family.

The 10/22 is underrated by far, especially with reliable ammo such as CCI mini-mags. If Shayne was shooting me in the face at 100 yards rapid fire I have a feeling I'd be screwed no matter what I was carrying . 22s are just tons of fun of course.

That said, if I had $300 for just one SHTF firearm it would be a 10/22 followed by a Keltec sub2000.

Would a Saiga-410 be any good? load Birdshot or Buckshot and you have a semi-auto scattergun, load Slugs and you have a semi-auto .45 caliber rifle. .410 ammo is not super cheap, but it does have a lot of bang for the buck. I know it's no 12-gauge, but you never hear anyone saying "I only got hit by a .410 shotgun.". Just a random thought. and I know a place that sells Saiga 410's for $299!

Are there better guns? Yes. However for the standards you set the 10-22 will do you best. Hope it all works out for you.

jj

First off, thanks for all the great feedback.

Originally Posted by baada

A 10/22 has the potential, with multiple, well-placed shots, to take out a person, no problem. At that point, if said thug is armed with a higher caliber, you might even be able to relieve the newly departed of their firearm and ammo.

Was thinking along the same lines. I've been behind a rifle enough in my youth to know my way around it, though I need to get some range time in to make sure I can still hit what I'm aiming for, and to get familiar with the weapon I intend to have. May take a few rounds, rather than a single round, but it is still a gun, after all.

Originally Posted by baada

...the lower profile you keep, the better. A 10/22 with lower velocity ammo certainly helps in that area, as they're fairly quiet.

I had the low profile bit in mind, but I hadn't really given much thought to the level of noise generated from firing it. Thanks for bringing that up.

Originally Posted by baada

... the more convinced I become that the only practical survival method in a true TEOTWAWKI scenario is to have an entire community of like-minded folks with a wide variety of skill sets. Anything else is just a delay of the inevitable.

Another thing I have been giving some thought, just yesterday actually. Part of why I want to be prepared to get out of the house. The house itself would not be easy to defend, and since half of my family is under 10 years old, that would only make us more vulnerable. Safety in larger numbers would be a big consideration.

Originally Posted by Nwcid

other then total urban warfare ... the 10/22 is a perfect gun. It is light, inexpensive, reliable, accurate, does not look like an "assault rifle", you can carry tons of ammo, lower noise report then larger gun (and in my case very quiet with silencer), you can get mags that will hold enough to ammo to do reasonable self defense.

I, for one, have no plans of or desire to dressing up like Rambo and roaming the streets! If it comes to that, I have failed at getting out and getting safe. Silencers, though, are those legal in WA? I had considered the use of getting one just for the sake of range time, and further limiting noise. but of course this sort of scenario would benefit from having one.

Originally Posted by Nwcid

What game do you think is too big for a .22? I would say in the early to mid 1900's there were a lot of Deer taken with .22. Of course proper aim and hunting skills would be required. As for defense against people I will put it this way, how many rounds are you willing to be shot with........

Good to know that this would potentially work as a hunting firearm for somewhat larger game. I have no firsthand experience hunting, so that is a real limitation. Picked up some pointers just listening to relatives talk about it, though I know that is only worth so much compared to real experience. As mentioned, was thinking the same about self defense. It may not permanently remove a threat with a single shot, but it sure will persuade the threat to strongly reconsider. And if the first shot doesn't do it, there's more where that came from. I still have some desire for a larger caliber pistol for self defense / cc, however given my finances and my desire to have a firearm sooner rather than later, that's out for now.

Originally Posted by krkruse

You might even be able to pick one up on the classified ads here for a decent price as well.

This is one thing I'm probably being a bit illogical about. This is the first gun I will be purchasing myself, so part of me really wants it to be NIB. I know that will likely cost more, though I'm leaning in that direction. Still, some of the items in the WTS area are pretty tempting...

Originally Posted by FMJ 911

Would a Saiga-410 be any good?

Maybe. The weapon itself is a bit heavier, and louder, so those are two cons. The biggest thing against it for my personal use would be experience. I have done a fair amount of rifle shooting (granted, over time, not recently), last trip to a range being with a buddy's AR in college. (Was fun to outdo a couple self-proclaimed marksmen.) Total time spent behind a shotgun? My best guess would be under an hour. Never fired a slug, only buckshot. Plus, practice time with it (at least AFAIK) would be harder to get, both financially and logistically. Definitely an interesting looking weapon, but I don't think it will be my first purchase. I do want at least one shotgun in my safe, so I will be giving this a good look when the time comes to expand my collection.

In terms of lethality, the israeli army tested the .22LR. The theory: During social unrest, trained Israeli snipers using scoped rifles were to shoot participants that were using slings, slingshots, molotov cocktails, etc in non-lethal areas of their bodies. The trial ended when participants (targets) died after being shot by the .22LR round. The article here stresses that these were suppressed:

rifleshttp://www.ruger1022.com/docs/israeli_sniper.htm

Originally Posted by apf

Silencers, though, are those legal in WA? I had considered the use of getting one just for the sake of range time, and further limiting noise. but of course this sort of scenario would benefit from having one.

Yes they are and quite fun. I have several (and have for years) cause once you get one it is never enough.

If you are in the NE part of the state I would be more then happy to show you how well they work.

Hey all great info -

I intend to buy a 10/22 now, a long time ago i didn't like them but now they are so available and relatively cheap. If you can buy a Stainless model I know BiMart has it for
229.00. Buy several mags. And like it has bee said the ammo is cheap you can get a box of 500 for about 16.00.

Currently I have a BAR-22 (good rifle for plinking) but I don't want that for a SHTF gun. It has the tubular mag and would be a pain to reload quickly and to get the tube back in. Not only that your hands are down near the barrel when reloading and if you in a hurry you don't want to "accidently" injure yourself so I will be replacing that with a stainless 10/ 22.

As far as a self defense against the 2 legged vermin, yeah a higher caliber would be better but, I don't know of any bad guys coming at me saying "Oh its only .22s I can keep going" Yeah you throw 25 pieces of lead at me at 1300fps I'm thinking twice.

Someone please answer this for me - Can you shoot 22 shorts out of the 10/22? If so that is alot quieter.

I to am in the process of setting up my "battery" and here is my goal: 1 9mm pistol, ammo is cheap and I am better with it. 2. Stainless 10/22 3. home defense shotgun 18 and 28 in barrel 4. 223/556 cal rifle (probably AR style) for fun and protection and 5. 308/762 for hunting.

TTUL

Originally Posted by Working 4 U

Someone please answer this for me - Can you shoot 22 shorts out of the 10/22? If so that is alot quieter.

I to am in the process of setting up my "battery" and here is my goal: 1 9mm pistol, ammo is cheap and I am better with it. 2. Stainless 10/22 3. home defense shotgun 18 and 28 in barrel 4. 223/556 cal rifle (probably AR style) for fun and protection and 5. 308/762 for hunting.

The short answer is no. Yes, if you manually feed and extract, but it would be a one hit wonder.

I like where you're going with your arsenal. Personally, I'd move the .308 to number 4, and add a .22LR pistol in there somewhere, but everyone has their own ideas when it comes to the "perfect" arsenal.

Originally Posted by Working 4 U

Hey all great info -

I intend to buy a 10/22 now, a long time ago i didn't like them but now they are so available and relatively cheap. If you can buy a Stainless model I know BiMart has it for
229.00. Buy several mags. And like it has bee said the ammo is cheap you can get a box of 500 for about 16.00.

Currently I have a BAR-22 (good rifle for plinking) but I don't want that for a SHTF gun. It has the tubular mag and would be a pain to reload quickly and to get the tube back in. Not only that your hands are down near the barrel when reloading and if you in a hurry you don't want to "accidently" injure yourself so I will be replacing that with a stainless 10/ 22.

As far as a self defense against the 2 legged vermin, yeah a higher caliber would be better but, I don't know of any bad guys coming at me saying "Oh its only .22s I can keep going" Yeah you throw 25 pieces of lead at me at 1300fps I'm thinking twice.

Someone please answer this for me - Can you shoot 22 shorts out of the 10/22? If so that is alot quieter.

I to am in the process of setting up my "battery" and here is my goal: 1 9mm pistol, ammo is cheap and I am better with it. 2. Stainless 10/22 3. home defense shotgun 18 and 28 in barrel 4. 223/556 cal rifle (probably AR style) for fun and protection and 5. 308/762 for hunting.

TTUL

I thought Bi-mart has them on sale regularly for $200 and the wood stock for $179 check the thursday paper insert.

Originally Posted by baada

... and add a .22LR pistol in there somewhere, ...

The 10/22 seems to be the most widely recommended .22LR rifle, but what about the pistols? I have either a pistol or a revolver in .22LR on my list, just not sure which (of the two, or specific model) would be best to go with. Since the 10/22 is Ruger, I was looking at the Bearcat and the MKIII, though for this one I'm not as concerned with buying new.

Anyone have recommendations on that?

Any used .22LR sidearms that are reliable and come up used with any frequency?