When the maker of the ever-popular 10/22 rifle announces a new rifle called the Precision Rimfire, just in time for SHOT Show 2018, it is bound to catch the attention of many shooters. I’m one of those shooters who was intrigued.
Recently, Sturm Ruger & Co. announced a new bolt action gun called the Precision Rimfire. This new rifle combines some of the features of the 10/22 with some of the features of the company’s centerfire Precision Rifle.
Currently, the new gun is chambered only for the .22 LR. I would not be surprised, however, to see an expansion of the line to include other rimfire cartridges like the .17 HMR and .22 WMR.
On this gun, the company opted for an 18” cold hammer forged barrel. The barrel is threaded (1/2”x28) and can make use of a sound suppressor or brake. Ruger equips this gun with a free-floating handguard that is 15” long and has Magpul M-LOK attachment points for accessories.
As I mentioned above, this gun combines many of the features of existing Ruger products. For example, the gun accepts the same magazines as those made for the 10/22. In a similar way, the Precision Rimfire shares the same adjustable Ruger Precision Trigger, pistol grip and reversible safety lever.
The stock is different from that used on the centerfire Precision Rifle. However, it does offer the same adjustments for length of pull and cheek height. So, even though it adjusts in a different manner, it can be set up with an identical feel as the centerfire rifle.
Two versions of the rifle are available now. One ships with a 15-round BX-15 magazine, while the second ships with a 10-round BX-1 magazine. This should allow for the rifle to sell in all US states – even those with magazine capacity restrictions. Both rifles carry the same suggested retail price: $529. In my experience, Ruger guns tend to sell for less than the MSRP. So, it is possible to get one of these guns for around $450 at your local dealer.
