A takedown .22 is a rifle that comes apart, or folds, into a package short enough to live in a pack, a truck cab, or a boat locker. The category runs from a full-featured semi-auto that happens to split in half to a single-shot that weighs less than a laptop. Which one you want depends on whether "packable" means "I hike" or "I want a rifle that disappears."
This guide is compiled from manufacturer specifications and Ammunition Depot's listings, not from a field test. Barrel lengths and capacities are as the listings state them; confirm before ordering. Our broader rimfire rifle guide covers the fixed-stock options if you decide you don't need to break it down.
| Ruger 10/22 Takedown | Semi-auto; splits at the barrel; 18.5 in listing |
|---|---|
| Tactical Solutions X-Ring | 10/22 pattern; threaded, lightweight; Backpacker stock |
| Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 | Semi-auto; barrel and action store inside the stock |
| Chiappa Little Badger | Single-shot; folds in half; skeleton frame |
| Ammo | High velocity for the semi-autos; anything for the Badger |
| Optic | Check rail fitment on each; see the optics guide |
Ruger 10/22 Takedown: the full rifle that splits
The 10/22 Takedown is the same action, trigger, and rotary magazine as a standard 10/22, with a barrel assembly that twists off from the receiver. Reassembly is a quarter-turn and a lock; Ruger includes a backpack-style case. The listing we link is the 18.5-inch stainless-barrel version, which is the longer of Ruger's Takedown configurations and the one to choose if you'll actually shoot it a lot, since the stainless barrel shrugs off weather.
What you give up is almost nothing. Sight height, trigger, and magazine compatibility are all standard 10/22, so the enormous aftermarket applies. The only compromise is that the barrel-to-receiver joint can shift point of impact slightly between disassemblies; check your zero after reassembly. Our zeroing guide explains a quick 25-yard confirmation.
Tactical Solutions X-Ring: the 10/22 pattern, lighter and threaded
Tactical Solutions builds its own 10/22-pattern receiver and pairs it with an aluminum-sleeved threaded barrel, which is how the X-Ring Takedown ends up lighter than a factory Ruger while keeping magazine and trigger compatibility. The listing specifies a 16.5-inch threaded barrel in Quicksand finish, a scope rail, and Magpul's X-22 Backpacker stock, which stores spare magazines in the butt. Ambidextrous per the listing.
This is the choice for someone who wants a suppressor host that packs, where suppressors are legal. It's also the priciest option here, and it's worth confirming the listing before you commit, since it comes from a July catalog pull. Our suppressor fouling guide is required reading if you go this route.
Henry U.S. Survival AR-7: the rifle inside its own stock
The AR-7 design dates to the late 1950s, and Henry's version keeps the original trick: the barrel, action, and magazine all store inside the hollow polymer stock, which is sealed and designed to float, per Henry. Assembled, it's a 16.5-inch semi-auto with an 8-round magazine and weighs about three and a half pounds. Disassembled, it's a stubby cylinder that fits in a daypack side pocket.
It is not a precision rifle. The sights are basic, the trigger is a survival-gun trigger, and it prefers high-velocity plated ammunition to cycle reliably. But nothing else in this list packs smaller as a semi-auto, and that's its entire reason to exist.
Chiappa Little Badger: the single-shot minimalist
The Little Badger is a break-action single-shot with a wire skeleton stock that folds in half. Per the listing, the 16.5-inch barrel version includes a stock holder for spare rounds, and there's a rail for a small optic. There's no magazine, no extractor to jam, and almost no weight. It is the purest "I just want a rifle in the truck" option.
Because it's a single-shot, ammunition choice is wide open: subsonic, standard, high velocity, even shorts, since there's no action to cycle. That makes it a fine quiet garden gun with subsonic loads where that's legal and safe. See our quiet rimfire guide.
Ammunition for takedown rifles
The three semi-autos want high-velocity plated ammunition, both for reliable cycling and because a rifle that lives in a pack sees dirt. Plated bullets foul less. Our cleaning kit roundup covers compact kits that fit alongside the rifle. If you plan to shoot suppressed through the X-Ring, keep a separate box of subsonic ammunition and expect the action to need a clean chamber to cycle it.
Optics on a takedown
A rifle that comes apart puts the optic on the receiver, not the barrel, so the zero survives disassembly on the 10/22-pattern guns. The AR-7 and Little Badger are better with irons or a small dot. Our rimfire optics roundup covers compact dots that survive being packed.
If you want a real rifle that packs, get the 10/22 Takedown. If you want that plus a threaded barrel and lower weight, the X-Ring is the upgrade. If packing smallest matters more than shooting well, the AR-7. And if you want the lightest, simplest thing that still counts as a rifle, the Little Badger, fed whatever you like.
FAQ
Does a takedown rifle lose zero when reassembled?
It can shift slightly. Receiver-mounted optics on the 10/22 pattern keep the zero on the receiver side, but confirm at 25 yards after reassembly.
Does the Henry AR-7 really float?
Henry states the stock is designed to float with the components stored inside. Treat that as a safety margin, not a plan to drop it in a lake.
Which takedown .22 is quietest?
The single-shot Little Badger with subsonic ammunition, since it has no action to cycle. The X-Ring is the suppressor host, where suppressors are legal.
Do 10/22 magazines fit the X-Ring?
The X-Ring is a 10/22-pattern rifle, and Tactical Solutions designs it around 10/22 magazines. Confirm on the listing for the specific configuration.
Compare the four on Ammunition Depot
Configurations vary. Check what's listed and what ships to your state.
Shop the 10/22 Takedown