A Little History -
Butler Creek was one of the first companies to come out with replacement barrels
for the Ruger 10/22. I think the original idea started with some custom
competition 10/22s made by Clark Custom Guns several years ago. Anyway, Butler
Creek offered a variety of replacement barrels for the Ruger 10/22, including
the only economy priced carbon fiber barrels. These used a Redmond .22 barrel
liner at the core (I think)... Quite a neat idea. The most popular Butler Creek
10/22 Barrels were the 20" bull barrels of .920 diameter... Which has become an
industry standard for everyone who came along after Butler Creek. Of these, they
offered blue and stainless versions that were plain, fluted, and fluted with an
integral muzzle brake. They even had a 17 HMR barrel for the Ruger 10/22 Magnum.
After Butler Creek was purchased by the Bushnell Corporation, the Ruger
10/22 Barrel market had grown to include additional barrel makers... Green
Mountain and Tactical Solutions, to name two. The heavy competition for sales
may have combined with a lack of innovation by Butler Creek... Customers were
looking for something new, maybe. That's all I can figure because our Ruger
10/22 Barrel sales indicate that it is still an extremely strong marketplace.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the Butler Creek 10/22 Barrel line as
it was our first product for the Ruger 10/22 and got us into a wonderful
adventure. It helped to put E. Arthur Brown Company on the map... I'm grateful.
So long and fare well Butler Creek... You made a great contribution to the Ruger
10/22 and you will be missed! - Eben Brown |