Last month, I shared a review of the Crazy Ivan Chassis for the Ruger 10/22 Takedown. At the time, I had tried it with both of my takedowns. One used the Tactical Solutions SB-X barrel and a compact scope. The other has an Adaptive Tactical Tac-Hammer barrel, with a Vortex red dot optic. Neither was ideal, and clearly, neither was the best solution. So I set out to fix that.
Magpul saves the day
The first order of business was to get a Magpul X-22 Backpacker Optic Mount. This replaces the takedown block on the barrel and has a short rail section on top. Installation only took a few minutes, and then I was back in business. I added a Vortex Viper red dot once the rifle was all back together. Having the optic on the barrel is key for the takedown. It doesn’t lose zero with each assembly and disassembly. This wasn’t an issue for me before, and certainly won’t be now.
Light chassis, light stock, light optic
With a 7.9-ounce chassis, this was definitely going to be a lightweight project. Add 4.1 ounces for the 7″ handguard, and it’s still under a pound for the chassis, even with the included 1.4-ounce grip. Factor in the 6.7-ounce Carbon Fiber Stock Kit From Crazy Ivan, and it’s still quite light. All up, the rifle with the optic weighs 3.75 pounds, compared to 4.6 for a factory Takedown, without an optic. So it’s about a pound lighter but with a custom length of pull. And an adjustable cheekpiece. A pound may not seem like a lot, but that’s about a 20% weight reduction.
Adding the best possible 6 ounces back on
Now that I had this lightweight rifle, there was only one thing to do – add some weight. Specifically, the six-ounce Tactical Solutions Axiom suppressor. It’s designed to fit into the sleeve in their SB-X barrel, adding only about an inch in length to the overall package. This puts the final weight at 4.125 pounds, which is just shy of half a pound lighter than the original setup. And that’s with the addition of an optic, optic mount, and a suppressor. Plus that adjustability.
A note about the Cerakote finish
I’ve had several different parts Cerakoted over the last year and a half. It seems that anyone can spray the stuff on. But the prep work, and curing process (time and temperature) make a difference in the overall quality of the finish. Some of my parts look bad just from normal use, bumping up against other firearms, or the bench, etc. On a particularly windy day, the rifle shown slid right off the slippery top of my portable bench, and onto some small rocks. No damage to the finish. To be fair, I would have expected some scratches. But nothing. Whoever is finishing these for Crazy Ivan doesn’t cut corners. That’s very much appreciated.
Final verdict
I’ve had this chassis for a couple of months now. It’s quickly become a favorite of mine. When I take my nephews shooting, they always request it too. In the current configuration, it’s a light and fast rifle. This makes it fun for high speed plinking of steel spinners or empty shotgun hulls. And it fits into the Ruger factory bag, which is another nice feature. Thanks to the weight reduction, there’s no penalty for adding the optic and suppressor. Which makes the rifle designed for backpacking even more useful. I’m not sure if folks are using the 10/22 Takedown for Steel Challenge, but it seems like it could still be at a competitive weight. It’s not exactly inexpensive, but custom rifles rarely are. Certainly a nice option to have available for a lightweight build. Find it at CrazyIvanLLC.com.