Here’s a quality upgrade for the popular Ruger 10/22 Takedown rifle model. Read the complete review HERE
Major Pandemic
Magpul has been on an aggressive innovation design track for the last few years. One of the coolest products is the Magpul X-22 Backpacker Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock. Magpul took all the great features and ergonomics of their awesome X-22 stock and created a light packable version specifically for the Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock which allows for compact storage of the barrel and receiver.
FEATURES
The notable feature of the Magpul X-22 Backpacker Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock is that instead of a separate barrel and separate receiver flopping around in you pack, Magpul has designed the hand guard to lock into the under part of the buttstock. This provides an all-in-one stowable secure rifle solution which does not require a secondary soft case to keep parts from banging around. Deployment is easy — press the release buttons on each side of the handguard and the barrel releases from the buttstock and the barrel breech is pulled from a passed hole. This little hole that the breech keys into offers protection to a critical part of the barrel which if damaged or dented could cause significant problems.
The barrel is then just slipped into the receiver like any other Ruger 10/22 Takedown model and rotated into place. Simple. This stowable feature is the big feature, but there are still plenty more Easter Eggs hidden in the stock.
From a feature perspective this is a standard-sized stock with real buttpad and does not feel like the dwarf stock Ruger included with the factory takedown models. The funny thing is that although the Magpul stock feels larger, it is actually shorter than the factory Ruger stock. The Magpul X-22 Backpacker Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock features a MOE SL compatible buttpad which means that if you want you can extend the length of the stock with a swap to the 0.7-inch buttpad. The larger size has not gone to waste. Magpul has hidden a sizeable ammo compartment and water-resistant compartment inside the stock.
The stock includes both a flat and elevated cheek rest. The cheek rest is actually a hinged lid for the ammo compartment which can accommodate three full loaded 10/22 10-round magazines or one magazine and a 50-round paper box of ammo with still a little room to spare. Even more, this compartment is configurable via slip-in dividers. You could jam far more than 60-rounds of ammo plus other items into this space if you worked at it! The taller cheekpiece riser provides additional space compared to the low riser. Because I had AR-style Techsights on my Ruger 10/22 Takedown I was able to use the high-rise cheek rest and maximize my onboard storage.
The other little compartment is located in the base of the grip and is o-ringed and water resistant. The plug is quite tight so I would imagine that it should do a pretty decent job of keeping water out, but I would probably place dry tinder or matches in a secondary waterproof bag before stuffing it into this area. In this case, a partially disassembled ferro rod with flammable firestarter tinder paracord fit easily into the grip with room to spare.
The Magpul X-22 Backpacker Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock is compatible with Magpul QD mount inserts at four points on the stock and is compatible with the new Backpacker optic mount which provides a solid base sized for any red-dot optic.
EASY INSTALL
Install is so simple it only requires about five minutes and just a standard screwdriver: the Magpul Receiver and Barrel groups both re-use the factory screws. Unscrew and remove the factory barrel band and handguard from the factory barrel assembly. Unscrew and remove the reciever from the factory buttstock and reverse the previous two processes to install the Magpul X-22 Backpacker Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock. It could not be more simple.
SHOOTING IMPRESSIONS
I could say that the gun feels worlds different and is infinitely easier to shoot, but I still think I would be under-emphasizing the significant ergonomic upgrade over the factory stock. To be fair, the factory stock never felt even close to comfortable for me — it worked, it just was not comfortable. The Magpul ergonomics delivered more stability than the factory stock. The only downside to the upgrade is that the handguard size is reduced, but I am more than willing to make that trade for the other features the Magpul X-22 Backpacker Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock provides.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Even with a standard 18.5-in barrel, the Magpul X-22 Backpacker Ruger 10/22 Takedown Stock delivers a disassembled 19.5-in. packable size. Keep in mind this stock’s length of pull is actually about 3/4-inch shorter than the factory stock. It could be slid into larger-sized packs, but is still a little big for most 3-day-sized packs. I am looking forward to swapping out the factory barrel for a lightweight sleeved match-grade Whistlepig or Volquartsen barrel to shed a bit more weight. The bottom line is this is a really excellent stock which has some innovative features — features that solve problems like shrouding the barrel breech from damage. This is as good as it gets to pack up your Ruger 10/22 and take it with you.
MSRP $109.95
SEE FULL SPECS HERE
CHECK OUT THE RIFLE HERE
VIEW 10/22 ACCESSORIES AT MIDSOUTH HERE
[Major Pandemic is an editor at large who loves everything about shooting, hunting, the outdoors, and all those lifesaving little survival related products. His goal is simple, tell a good story in the form of a truthful review all while having fun. He contributes content to a wide variety of print and digital magazines and newsletters for companies and manufacturers throughout the industry with content exposure to over 2M readers monthly. Click HERE to learn more.]
