Butler Creek vs BX 25 mags in an older 10/22

[soberups]

Just picked up a sweet little 10/22 today from a fellow NWFA member, the serial # shows it being made around 1980 or so.

I took it to the range and was pleasantly surprised to discover that, unlike my newer 10/22 (made in 2013) this old gal runs 100% with the el cheapo plastic lipped Butler Creek 25 round mags which cost about half of what the BX-25's go for.

I've had several of these guns over the years and it dawned on me that all of the older ones work just fine with the Butler Creeks but the newer ones will NOT feed reliably with them once there are more than about 15 rounds loaded in. The newer ones only seem to work right with the Ruger BX 25 mags or the factory 10 rounders. Even the steel lipped Butler Creeks wont feed in my newer rifle, but they fed like a champ in the old one.

Is it possible that Ruger made some changes in their newer 10/22's in order to force buyers to purchase genuine Ruger mags? At first I thought that the Butler Creeks were just poorly made, but they worked fine for me today in my older gun. Its odd that two (supposedly) identical guns using the same ammo on the same day would show such a difference in reliability with the same aftermarket mags.

Opinions?

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[DieselScout]

I don't think so. I have heard people complain about Butler Creeks long before Ruger came out with the BX25's. My 10/22 I bought in the early 2000's feeds from both the Butler Creek plastic lip and the BX-25's. A good friends older 10/22 doesn't like the Butler Creek mags. Also the plastic lip version wear and reliability can change over the life of the magazine.

 

[coyote223]

I think Butler Creek did something. The old Butler Creeks before the clinton ban, ran pretty well in my experience. The new ones after the ban ended, not so much. BX-25's are where its at,,,

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

since Ruger BX 25 is available pretty much anywhere now, I wouldn't waste money on other brands.

 

[808hondacrguy]

I have 5 10/22s and I couldnt get them to feed reliably with the Butler Creek mags at all, none of them. I was blaming the guns, and was about to give them all away, I was so frustrated. Then I realized that when I used the stock 10 rd mags, the guns ran great. I bought a BX25 and was amazed how fun my guns were again! No more Butler Creek for me.

 

[soberups]

I agree that BX 25's are the way to go...I have 4 of them and they work great in my new gun...I just cant figure out why the same Butler Creek mag that chokes up in my new gun works 100% perfectly in my old one using the same ammo on the same day.