Ruger is a company that listens to its customers and delivers what they want. If you are a Ruger fan, you are very likely to be pleased by how the company operates and what kinds of product introductions it makes.
The latest product announcement from the company is the American Rimfire Stainless rifle.
The American Rimfire rifles have been described as bolt action versions of the 10/22. While that is not strictly accurate, there are reasons why people will closely associate the two guns. One of the most obvious reasons is that the American Rimfire feeds from Ruger 10/22 magazines.
As the American Rimfire rifle line is relatively new – certainly not as old as the 10/22 line – there is a lot of opportunity for new versions of the gun to be made. That’s where the new Stainless model comes in.
Three new Stainless versions of the standard sized American Rimfire are now available. All share the same features and specifications, but are chambered for three different rimfire rounds: .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR. For those that grew up in a house like my own, the .22 WMR is also known as the .22 Magnum.
All of the new rifles have a stainless steel barrel (416 steel) with a satin stainless finish. The barrel are 18” long and have been threaded (1/2”-28) for the addition of a sound suppressor or other muzzle device. Each of the barrels are cold hammer forged. Both the receiver and bolt have a satin stainless finish as well.
On these guns, Ruger did away with the typical iron sights. Instead, the company includes an aluminum scope rail that is mounted on the receiver at the factory. This allows for the relatively easy installation of a scope or other optic. A lot of people wind up adding glass to these guns, and when you consider that some suppressors can interfere with the sight picture when using regular sights, it makes a lot of sense just to include the rail.
As with the original Ruger American Rimfire, these Stainless models have black synthetic stocks. The stock can be fitted in several different ways to adjust the length of pull and cheek rise. This makes it much easier to fit the gun to you without investing in an expensive aftermarket stock.
Sometimes, a company will charge a lot more money for a stainless version of a gun. While these are more expensive than the blued versions, the cost increase is not very much. All three calibers have a suggested retail price of $429. For comparison, the blued American Rimfire with a threaded barrel is $389.
