Carbon fiber is the best balance yet of strength to weight. Aerospace engineers used it in place of aluminum and steel to create lighter, faster, and radar-resistant aircraft like the B2 Stealth Bomber. Now, carbon fiber technology is getting its run in the gun industry. Gun manufacturers have successfully used aluminum and titanium to lighten up firearms. However, carbon fiber represents the next leap forward toward infinitely man-portable systems.
Carbon fiber barrels have recently revolutionized the long-range rifle platform. The least likely rifle in need of a weight loss program is the humble .22 rifle. Due to the low power of the ammunition, .22 rimfire rifles can be built quite lightly from conventional material. Most people are happy to grab an off-the-shelf rifle at six pounds or less. But what if you want something even lighter? You might consider any number of take-down .22 rifles. Alternatively, you could choose a ready-to-deploy option in the new Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber.
The Why Behind the Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber
The standard Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber debuted during SHOT Show 2025. Its claim to fame will be that it is a complete rifle that weighs only 3 1/2 lbs. It is not the only .22 rifle to come in at that neighborhood, and that begs the question: why choose this one?
I am something of a collector of takedown .22 rifles for one simple reason: they are neat. I like the idea of having a rifle at my disposal that can fit in my backpack. But rifles like these have their tradeoffs. Mechanically, they are theoretically less accurate as the barrel is removable. The class is also bifurcated by takedown rifles that weigh close to that of a standard .22 rifle.
My Ruger 10/22 takedown and Browning SA-22 fit that mold. But then there are the very lightweight models like the Henry AR-7 and Marlin Papoose, which are essentially barrels with abbreviated stocks and even more stunted controls. These three-pound rifles are handy, but not necessarily easy to wield and shoot. With the Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber line, you get a fully appointed rifle at the same weight.
10/22 Carbon Fiber: Synthetics Aplenty
The Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber is available with either a synthetic Magpul MOE X-22 stock or a lightweight aluminum Grey Birch chassis. The latter version weighs in at only 4.2 lbs. I had the pleasure of shooting this version at SHOT 2025, but in my hunt for the best light .22s, I went for the former model.
Buttstock
The buttstock retains the rear sling stud and is just forward of the cross-hatched black polymer butt plate. The drop of the stock is ideal for placing the cheek in line with a scope, which is fitting as the 10/22 Carbon does not come with iron sights.
Receiver
The receiver has also gotten a makeover. Instead of the usual aluminum receiver, the 10/22 Carbon Fiber receiver has an inner aluminum shell with a textured flat black carbon fiber exterior. The top of the receiver has a 4 1/2 inch length of aluminum Picatinny rail installed for instant optics installation.
With the two chief parts of the rifle lightened up, Ruger was free to use the same standard proven controls as seen on other late-stage 10/22 rifles. This includes the glass-filled nylon trigger guard and magazine well assembly. On the outside sits the bolt hold open forward of the trigger guard, an extended paddle magazine release, and the crossbolt safety. On the inside, the 10/22 Carbon wears the new flat-faced BX trigger, which features a 2-3 lb. adjustable weight and overtravel stop.
The Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber is as light as can be, but at its heart, it is still a Ruger 10/22–one of the most .22 LR rifles ever made. This simple blowback-operated semi-auto .22 is fully compatible with the laundry list of stocks, parts, and magazines available for maximum customization.
Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber Specifications
- Model: 31220
- Caliber: .22 LR
- Capacity: 10+1
- Barrel Length: 16 inches
- Barrel Width: 1.0 inches
- Overall Length: 34.3 inches
- Length of Pull: 13.5 inches
- Weight: 3.5 lbs. unloaded; 4.5 lbs. as set up
300 Rounds with the Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber
The Ruger 10/22 does not have to stand on ceremony. It is a popular platform for good reason, and if you are looking for a first and last .22 rifle, it is a good choice. The blowback action functions reliably so long as you keep the rifle clean. The rotary magazine loads and feeds smoothly. This model has unbeatable aftermarket support.
Each version of the 10/22 has its own tradeoffs, and I wondered if adding carbon fiber and subtracting steel would cause issues. I was particularly concerned that the thinner inner barrel sleeve would heat up and lose accuracy faster than a standard monolithic barrel. I also wondered how the carbon fiber shroud would play in that calculus. After mounting my trusty Leupold 1-4×24 VX-Freedom rifle scope, I grabbed the 10/22 Carbon, a Silencerco Switchback, and a sampling of .22 LR ammunition from my stash to see how the rifle played out.
Accuracy
I started by zeroing the optic from the bench at 25 yards. The ammunition used for the initial zeroing was Federal Target 40-grain RNL. I have had good luck with previous 10/22s with this standard velocity load and did not want to gamble with success just yet. After walking a dozen shots into the bullseye to get zeroed, I fired a quick five-shot group, and the reward was a single jagged hole.
I switched between Winchester Western 36-grain hollowpoints, CCI Stinger 32-grainers, and CCI Mini Mags, as well as Federal 45-grain subsonics. All gave me the same result, although the Winchester load was a little wider. Naturally, all these rounds hit in different places from the zero.
I next stretched the 10/22 Carbon out to fifty yards, and the differences grew. With Federal Target ammunition, I coaxed five rounds into a 0.8-inch group. The CCI Stinger varmint load came in at a solid inch. The Winchester and Federal subsonic loads came at the rear of the pack with 1.5-inch groups. At 100 yards, the Target load remained the winner with a 1.5-inch group, with the CCI Stinger not far behind and much closer to the point of aim. The rest fell into the 4-inch category.
Barrel Heat
I did not feel the need to let the barrel cool during my paper shooting. There was no stringing of rounds like what you would see if the barrel got too hot. To be frank, the .22 LR does not generate much heat, and it would take many rounds in a very short period. Although the Carbon Fiber might be more prone to it, under normal range and hunting conditions, I don’t see it happening.
Reliability
.22 rimfire semi-auto rifles can be finicky with ammunition, particularly once they get too dirty from powder residue and wax that covers the rounds. With that said, the 10/22’s blowback action and dual extractors keep it working beyond other rifles near its price point. In the three hundred rounds I have shot through the 10/22 Carbon Fiber thus far, I have had zero malfunctions and zero dud rounds. Unsuppressed, the Carbon easily cycled those lower-powered Federal Target and Subsonic loads. I worried about dud rounds in my bulk pack of Winchester White Box ammo, but got none.
One caveat to the reliability front is that I used Ruger 10-round rotary magazines. The rifle comes with one, and I had a few others lying around that I put to good use. If there is an Achilles’ heel to the 10/22, it is the magazine. I have come to trust the standard 10-rounders over any aftermarket option. Even the BX-25 magazines from Ruger have failed to lift rounds high enough to feed in my own experience.
Ergonomic Feedback
Your mileage might vary, but this 10/22 Carbon as set up was reliable to the point of boredom. What wasn’t boring was the surprising shootability of the rifle despite its lightness. Every shooter has to have that right balance. If a rifle is too heavy, fatigue sets in faster. If it is too light, every shake and tremor is magnified. When left unattended on the bench, the 10/22 Carbon is light enough to be blown sideways by a crosswind, but in the hands on and off the bench, there is surprising substance there.
Unlike other light rifles, the Carbon has a true near-adult-sized buttstock and a generous foreshock to hold onto. The safety and other controls are full-sized and easy to reach. Further, the swamped carbon fiber barrel is easy to swing, but it has just enough stainless steel at the muzzle to not feel rear-heavy. The addition of the SilencerCo Switchback adds just enough titanium to the mix to be about as balanced as a standard 10/22, but much lighter throughout.
With my preferred ammunition, I had no problems hitting soda cans from the kneeling position. There was very little side-to-side shake in my scope. For a rifle this light, it should not be this steady. The only gripe I noticed was that I tended to hit the magazine release and impatiently reach into the well to remove the magazine. Then I was unable to remove the magazine. When I was more patient, the magazine would fall into my hand as it should.
READ MORE HERE: Ultralight Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber Review
The Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber: An Honest Appraisal
I’ve spent a few too many years on private ranges, but lately I have been mixing it up with other shooters on public land. I quickly discovered that I was not the only one who valued lightweight .22 rifles. I was surprised how many 4-4.5 lb. Tikas and Christiansen rifles are out there doing hog and raccoon duty. These shooters weren’t survivalists or backpackers in a sense. However, they still wanted a lightweight, handy rifle that was easy to shoulder and easy to sling while carrying in the field.
I had seen the new Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber through a camping or survivalist lens, and I will still hold out for a take-down version. However, the more I shot it, the more I came to understand the value of a light rifle. While it won’t fold up into a backpack, the 10/22 Carbon Fiber is equally as light and much more capable in any context.
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