American Eagle
Member
Hello, I am new to this particular forum. I recently bought two great .22LR plinkers, a Ruger 10/22 and a Marlin 795, because .22LR is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and one can never have too many .22LR firearms.
So how do these two sweet .22LR rifles stack against one another?
The contestants: Ruger 10/22 RR in stock configuration v. Marlin 795
Reliability and durability: Both rifles have performed flawlessly for me. Both also look and feel well built, and fit and finish on both of mine looks exceptionally good. So based on personal experience I'd have to give the Ruger 10/22 RR a 10/10 and the Marlin 795 a 10/10.
Accuracy: Here is where the Marlin 795 begins to shine. It is fitted with a microgroove bull barrel, which makes this rifle superbly accurate straight out of the box. I am getting less than 1 inch groups at 50 yards with a mediocre scope (and I am a mediocre marksman at best). The Ruger 10/22 RR is just not as accurate out of the box. I temporarily borrowed the scope from the Marlin 795 and installed it on the Ruger 10/22 RR, and took some shots at the same distance. Without a doubt, Marlin wins this one. The Ruger is still very decent as far as accuracy, but the groupings will not match the Marlin 795 unless you sink $200+ into a new barrel and trigger. However, not really an issue if you intend to sink serious money into your 10/22 in the first place.The Marlin 795 gets a 10/10 and the Ruger 10/22 gets an 8/10 here.
Ease of use: I think both rifles suffer somewhat here. Ruger 10/22 RR's rotary magazine can be a little tricky to reload fast, and the same goes for the Marlin 795's magazine. Additionally, the Marlin 795's magazine may have some sharp edges, and is a little stiff when you are trying to release the magazine for reloading. It doesn't help that you have to press the magazine release and pull down on the magazine at the same time (need 2 hands for it). Ruger 10/22 gets a 9/10 and Marlin 795 gets an 8/10 here.
Aftermarket Accessories: The Ruger 10/22 destroys the Marlin 795 in this category. There are so many aftermarket parts available for the Ruger that it is possible to modify it to the point that you have a Ruger 10/22 completely made out of non-Ruger parts. No to mention the awesome availability of high capacity magazines. There is not much you can do here for the Marlin 795. There are some aftermarket stocks available, but not a whole lot of other aftermarket parts. Aftermarket high capacity magazines for this rifle are terribly unreliable. Ruger 10/22 RR gets a 10/10 and Marlin 795 gets a 5/10 here.
Price: The Marlin 795 can be had for as low as $105 (with factory rebate and dealer discount) and the Ruger 10/22 RR typically goes for around $200-$230, so the Marlin 795 gets a 10/10 for affordability and the Ruger 10/22 RR a 7/10.
Final score and observations: Ruger 10/22 RR 44/50 and Marlin 795 gets a 43/50. That being said, I personally believe the Marlin 795 is a better rifle out of the box and offers more bang for your buck. Where the Ruger 10/22 RR surpasses the Marlin 795 is in aftermarket accessories. If you intend to leave either rifle in stock factory configuration, get the Marlin 795. However, if you intend to heavily customize the rifle, get the Ruger 10/22 RR.
Here are both beauties: First the Marlin and then the Ruger
So how do these two sweet .22LR rifles stack against one another?
The contestants: Ruger 10/22 RR in stock configuration v. Marlin 795
Reliability and durability: Both rifles have performed flawlessly for me. Both also look and feel well built, and fit and finish on both of mine looks exceptionally good. So based on personal experience I'd have to give the Ruger 10/22 RR a 10/10 and the Marlin 795 a 10/10.
Accuracy: Here is where the Marlin 795 begins to shine. It is fitted with a microgroove bull barrel, which makes this rifle superbly accurate straight out of the box. I am getting less than 1 inch groups at 50 yards with a mediocre scope (and I am a mediocre marksman at best). The Ruger 10/22 RR is just not as accurate out of the box. I temporarily borrowed the scope from the Marlin 795 and installed it on the Ruger 10/22 RR, and took some shots at the same distance. Without a doubt, Marlin wins this one. The Ruger is still very decent as far as accuracy, but the groupings will not match the Marlin 795 unless you sink $200+ into a new barrel and trigger. However, not really an issue if you intend to sink serious money into your 10/22 in the first place.The Marlin 795 gets a 10/10 and the Ruger 10/22 gets an 8/10 here.
Ease of use: I think both rifles suffer somewhat here. Ruger 10/22 RR's rotary magazine can be a little tricky to reload fast, and the same goes for the Marlin 795's magazine. Additionally, the Marlin 795's magazine may have some sharp edges, and is a little stiff when you are trying to release the magazine for reloading. It doesn't help that you have to press the magazine release and pull down on the magazine at the same time (need 2 hands for it). Ruger 10/22 gets a 9/10 and Marlin 795 gets an 8/10 here.
Aftermarket Accessories: The Ruger 10/22 destroys the Marlin 795 in this category. There are so many aftermarket parts available for the Ruger that it is possible to modify it to the point that you have a Ruger 10/22 completely made out of non-Ruger parts. No to mention the awesome availability of high capacity magazines. There is not much you can do here for the Marlin 795. There are some aftermarket stocks available, but not a whole lot of other aftermarket parts. Aftermarket high capacity magazines for this rifle are terribly unreliable. Ruger 10/22 RR gets a 10/10 and Marlin 795 gets a 5/10 here.
Price: The Marlin 795 can be had for as low as $105 (with factory rebate and dealer discount) and the Ruger 10/22 RR typically goes for around $200-$230, so the Marlin 795 gets a 10/10 for affordability and the Ruger 10/22 RR a 7/10.
Final score and observations: Ruger 10/22 RR 44/50 and Marlin 795 gets a 43/50. That being said, I personally believe the Marlin 795 is a better rifle out of the box and offers more bang for your buck. Where the Ruger 10/22 RR surpasses the Marlin 795 is in aftermarket accessories. If you intend to leave either rifle in stock factory configuration, get the Marlin 795. However, if you intend to heavily customize the rifle, get the Ruger 10/22 RR.
Here are both beauties: First the Marlin and then the Ruger