Ruger 10/22 vs Marlin 60

[Neil Hudson]

Which is the better .22 rifle?

[Neil Hudson]

VS

[Sean Martin]

If I were a gun googler I would say Ruger hands down. However I have always loved the Marlin. All of the major shooters I know have a marlin in their possession that they have had for at least 2 decades while trading various Ruger’s. Dad has a marlin that is over 30 years old.

Where I live you can buy marlin’s used for $50-100. Wal-Mart sells them new for $150. They are simple to use and feel really good in the hands, they also have a really good action. Another thing I have noticed about them is they seem quieter when shooting than other 22 LR rifles.

Centerfire sells a really nice aftermarket stock for the Marlin, I have taken a couple of them apart and completely customized them and even the novice can make repairs to them.

If you want a cheap reliable gun that you will keep for decades and probably hand down to your children I would recommend the Marlin.

If you want a gun that you can trick out and look cool in front of your friends and have “da bling” while spending enough money to buy an AK then go for the Ruger.

Price wise the cheapest used Ruger I have seen was $165, while a new Marlin goes for $150. It doesn’t take long to dump $300 in a Ruger 22LR rifle, while you can buy a reliable used Marlin add a pistol grip stock and add a scope with a total investment of $90. I tricked one completely out with a custom stock, Simmons scope and a bi-pod for under $100 total cost after taxes once. Also you can make speed loaders for 50 cents each compared to the price of Ruger magazines which can run $50 depending on which one you get.

The Ruger comes stock with a detachable 10 round magazine, while the Marlin uses a 14 round tube which loads much faster that the 10 round magazine. Unless you dump serious money in the Ruger the Marlin is a faster loading gun. You can pay $30 for extra 20 round magazines or make a speed loader that holds 14 rounds for 50 cents.

Do a search on my name using the word Marlin in this section and you will see what I have to say about the gun in other threads along with pics.


BTW never trust google, those people rarely talk from experience and repeat what G&A writers are paid to write.

The mighty Marlin.

[spikeman]

Strange, I remember buying a Marlin at K-Mart, going to the lawn mower section and buying one of those flat mufflers, taking off the front sight and lo and behold, the muffler snug fit the barrel. A little electrical tape to make shure it stays in place and cover up all but the center hole, some 22 shorts and you have a very quiet rifle. I also saw a kit that fit the stock that made the recoil bounce the action back in the stock. This effect had the side effect of creating a rapid fire by holding ones finger in the proper position. I think they are illegal now (ie parts + rifle = machinegun).

[Sean Martin]

Originally Posted by spikeman

Strange, I remember buying a Marlin at K-Mart, going to the lawn mower section and buying one of those flat mufflers, taking off the front sight and lo and behold, the muffler snug fit the barrel. A little electrical tape to make shure it stays in place and cover up all but the center hole, some 22 shorts and you have a very quiet rifle. I think they are illegal now (ie parts + rifle = machinegun).

You see those anarchy sites where you black tape a soda bottle over the end of a gun barrel to make a suppressor? Those are illegal and if you do it, the contraption must be registered with ZOG just as you would a $400 suppressor.

In most states anything that does not change the internal trigger assembly to make a gun fully auto is legal, check the laws first though. They sell a crank (cheaper than dirt $14) that will make a Marlin put out some serious smoke. It will go through the 14 round magazine tube in about 2 and a half seconds.

[Neil Hudson]

How does a speedloader for tube magazines work?

I know about revolver speedloaders and stripper clips but I have no idea what a tube magazine speedloader looks like.

Can tube magazine speedloaders be homemade?

[Sean Martin]

Originally Posted by Neil Hudson

How does a speedloader for tube magazines work?

I know about revolver speedloaders and stripper clips but I have no idea what a tube magazine speedloader looks like.

Can tube magazine speedloaders be homemade?

Actually it is my invention. All a tube speed loader is, is a tube just like on your gun with the rounds poured in the opposite direction. Cut a length of tube the same length as the tube magazine on your rifle, plug one end put a removable plug on the other end and whammo.

I use brass curtain rods since the diameter is right and they fight together perfectly. I bought a whole stack of them at the local goodwill for 75 cents and they were glad to get rid of them since no one else would buy them.

[Sean Martin]

I was at Wal-Mart today and they have the Marlin like the one with the bi-pod in the pic brand new for $119. It is cheaper because it has a 7 round magazine instead of a tube (the stock pictured is interchangeable) so the tube fed Marlin was $150 new and $199 new in the stainless with an extended barrel.

The cheapest Ruger was still $199 while the most expensive new one I saw was $250. The cheapest used ones I have seen are still $165 for a ratty weapon.

Another thing about the Marlin is they cycle subsonic ammo just like regular 22LR ammo, I think (but am not completely sure on this one) that the Rugers don’t cycle the Sub-Sonic ammo very well. They need full power ammo to cycle properly.

[Granddragon36]

Both are fine rifles, and which is "better" is like which is better, Ford or Chevy. I don't care, as long as it runs and doesn't give me trouble, both are fine. More toys for the Ruger, but most are worthless crap designed to get your money. That's fine too, if you like the new stock, barrel, whatever and it makes you happy, wonderful, go for it, but it will not make the gun "better", just looking different. A new paint job will not fix the engine, but at least it now LOOKS neet! The cartridge lifter will go out on the Marlins after years and years of hard use, the Ruger has no parts that fail normally. The Marlin is more accurate, you can get hi cap mags for the Ruger.

[Sean Martin]

Originally Posted by Granddragon36

More toys for the Ruger,

Got o www.midwayusa.com and you will soon realize that it is easy to sink $500 in a Ruger. A person could buy a tricked out AK for that money. If I were going to get an aftermarket stock for a Ruger I would buy Tapco’s new $99 deal.

The cartridge lifter will go out on the Marlins after years and years of hard use,

Did that happen just once or on several? Of the 4 I have dealt with all over 30 years old none have had any maintenance aside from cleaning and some stock & scope upgrades. One of my friends has a Marlin that belonged to his dad who bought it when they first came out. It has been used in hunting every year since and has never had a single problem.

The last one I shot was owned by an idiot and after undoing his mess I could cut out the heart on a playing card at about 40 feet while shooting subsonic ammo.

The Marlin is more accurate, you can get hi cap mags for the Ruger.

I agree with both parts however on the Ruger the hi cap mags cost around $30 each for clear plastic. You can pay $30 for a 30 round mag or a dollar for a speed loader for a Marlin.