Ruger 10-22 vs. Remington 597

There are a lot of choices when it comes to.22 cal. rifles. These rifles are in a special class of their own in that they are designed for play; like plinking, recreational shooting and competitive shooting; yet can also be relied on to get you out of trouble or be used to hunt in a survival situation. At present, there are only two models squaring off against each other on top of this list; the Ruger 10/22 and the Remington 597. Each has its own dedicated users with their list of pros and cons.

Specifications

The Ruger 10/22 is a rimfire semi-automatic rifle that has been in production by Ruger since 1964. Its overall length without modifications or additions is 37 inches (barrel length 18.5 inches) and weighs 5 lbs. There are six basic Ruger 10/22 available in the market, although gun enthusiasts have modified a lot of them to make them fit their various needs.

The Remington 597 is a relatively younger model, having seen production only since 1997 by Remington Arms. Its overall length is 36.5 inches (barrel length is 22 inches) and weighs 5.75 lbs. without any additions. It has a muzzle velocity of 350 to 1,750 feet per second.

The guns are almost the same when it comes to appearance, weight and length. However, all similarities end there, according to the most experience of gun aficionados.

Customization

Fans of the Ruger 10/22 are quick to point out the customizability of the model as its main draw. 10/22 users will never lack for parts, accessories, stock configurations, trigger groups or alternate barrels and other after-products. They can keep fixing their gun if it’s starting to show age or modify it if it gets too boring.

Users of the Remington 597 admit they have less choices when it comes to customizing their guns. However, it should also be mentioned that the market for parts and accessories for the Remington 597 is slowly catching up,

Reliability

The Ruger 10/22 draws clean from the clip and users have reported being able to rapid fire rounds from first to last with no problem.

On the other hand, users of the Remington 597 have reported frequent jamming during firing. Most of it is credited to the first generation magazines which were made of plastic. This problem continued with the second generation aluminum mags but later solved by the third generation mags. However, the gun is still known to jam when using banana-type mags.

Another gripe by Remington users is that the newer mags are not easy to clean because these cannot be taken apart.

Accuracy

Those who have used the Remington 597 for years swear by its accuracy, especially at longer ranges. This is mainly due to the gun having no recoil at all. This point is conceded by many Ruger 10/22 users.

Many gun experts also say the lack of accessories and after-products for the Remington 597 is because it doesn’t need those anymore to shoot accurately, while the Ruger 10/22 might still need a little tweaking.

Price

The Remington 597’s suggested retail price is $249, although users have reported being able to buy it in sales for as low as $180 and even $140.

Ruger costs an average of $229 to $349 depending on where it’s sold.