When did the plastic on 10/22s appear?

[ArmedinAZ]

Looking for a 10/22 and just don't like the look of the plastic barrel band and trigger guard. Does anyone know or can point me to the year these changed from metal?

Also, is the synthetic stock 10/22 at WalMart really a stainless steel barrel? I looked at one closely today and it really looks like silver paint or powder coat.

thanks
Jeff

 

[blume357]

I think the plastic barrel band has been around for a while... the trigger groups showed up in the last year and I think about the same time as the Charger came out.... I suspect that's when they changed because they are the same gun... both are 10/22s just one is technically a pistol.

the barrel on the 'stainless steel' 10/22 is stainless, the receiver is not... just aluminum with some kind of coating, which some cleaning solutions will take off... I think they've always been this way from the get go.

 

[CajunBass]

The plastic trigger assembly and barrel band came out within the last year or so. Somewhere in the 350-351 S/N range.

Good rule of thumb. If it doesn't have a factory extended magazine release, it's most likely a metal one.

 

[mike7mm08]

The plastic trigger assembly and barrel band came out within the last year or so. Somewhere in the 350-351 S/N range.

Good rule of thumb. If it doesn't have a factory extended magazine release, it's most likely a metal one.

Except on the charger. The extended mag release started on the charger. But the first chargers had the metal trigger group with the plastic extended mag release..

 

[suckersrus]

It happened just after I bought my last new 10/22.

 

[9x19]

I thought it was just before I bought my three most recent new 10/22s.

 

[chet15]

The first plastic part was the buttplate on the carbines in 1976 (of course the Sporter model has had a plastic buttplate since it was introduced in 1971 and the fingergroove sporter and original international models had plastic buttplates when they were first introduced in 1966).
The plastic barrel bands came on at the same time Ruger made the change to the plastic trigger group and extended mag. release.
Very few Chargers have metal trigger groups, and in fact I'd only heard of a few of those with the metal trigger group well after it was introduced.
Chet15

 

[ArmedinAZ]

So if I buy a 10/22 reported to be of 2005 manufacture it should have the metal parts.

 

[mike7mm08]

So if I buy a 10/22 reported to be of 2005 manufacture it should have the metal parts.

Yep.