Original Ruger 22 Charger Review

September 10, 2010

I have broken my review of the Original Ruger 22 Charger (or Ruger Charger) pistol into several parts.  If you go to any of these parts below, you will see many detailed photos and comments.
  1. Ruger Charger Review - Part 1: Introduction, In the Box, and Exterior Features
  2. Ruger Charger Review - Part 2: Disassembly
  3. Ruger Charger Review - Part 3: Indoor Range Test Results
  4. Ruger Charger Review - Summary (this post)

 

The pistol is shown below with a NcStar 2-7x32E pistol scope installed.  Soon I'm going to try out a Bushnell TSR-25 Red Dot scope on this pistol and I believe it will be even more fun for plinking.  I may sacrifice a little accuracy with the red dot, but with the cost of ammo, I can swap the optics and re-zero as/if needed.
 

Original Ruger 22 Charger Pistol


Pros:
  • Built on the Ruger 10/22 reliable platform
  • Great accuracy
  • Same reliable rotary magazine as the Ruger 10/22 and accepts same high capacity magazines
  • Attractive wood laminated grip
  • Nice smooth ergonomic feel of the grip/stock
  • Bipod included
Cons:
  • Front end heavy if your shooting it free hand while using a normal pistol hold at the grip
  • A better trigger would be nice, but you can always upgrade with aftermarket parts.
  • Price maybe?  I'm a little surprised that the cost is about $80 more than the 10/22 rifle, but you do get a case, bipod and laminated stock, all of which are clearly added costs.

 

Bottom Line:

Ruger has been producing the standard version of their 10/22 rifle since 1964 and that alone has to tell you something about the reliability of the 10/22 platform.  Ruger taking that platform and turning it into a pistol version is near genius.  The Ruger Charger pistol has built into it over 45 years of development to produce one of the most reliable pistol shooting platforms on the market.  It is extremely accurate and accepts the same rotary magazine and after market high capacity magazines as the 10/22 rifle.  If your looking for a pistol to shoot from a bench or rest at targets or game, you should definitely check out the Ruger 22 Charger.  


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