By Mike Schoby
When Ruger first introduced the Charger—a 22 LR pistol based on its 10/22 rifle design back in 2007, I thought: Why? What’s the point? All you could really do is put a bipod on it to shoot off a bench, truck hood or lying prone. Fine if that is your thing, but what is the advantage over a standard 10/22? Then along came pistol braces and the whole world changed.
The accessory world took its que and myriads of options ensued. Short, threaded barrels, carbon barrels, and most importantly chassis that made adding a folding brace a snap.
I jumped on the bandwagon and built one using an Enoch Industries chassis, Tac Sol Barrel and a Volquartsen trigger, and it quickly became my go to summer fun truck gun. Super handy, with the stock folded it would sit under the center console of my pickup—even with a suppressor attached. Perfect for roadside forest grouse and prairie dog shooting. I found that on motorcycle trips through forest service roads, the gun easily fit in the side pannier. Often, I would stuff it into the tripod sleeve of my Kuiu pack and have shot dozens of grouse for dinner while hiking the mountains. Overall, my custom Charger was pretty tits.
Volquartsen ENV Pistol Ups the Ante
Then Volquartsen introduced its ENV pistol. Essentially the same concept as what I built years ago, but better. Available in 6- or 9-inch carbon fiber barrel option housed in an aluminum Enoch Industries chassis, it can be had with or without a folding SB brace in .22 LR as well as 17 HMR.
The heart of the ENV is its machined precision receiver and bolt. Add in the company’s phenomenal TG2000 trigger group, and you have a bomb-proof setup. The addition of the ambidextrous magazine release, M-Lok attachment points and Magpul MOE-K pistol grip add comfort and convenience. Regardless of model, Volquartsen puts nice features into its guns and pays attention to the details.
The ENV is no exception and comes with a Picatinny base that can be secured to the receiver with four screws for virtually any optical offering. But the receiver also comes pre-drilled to direct mount either a C-More, Trijicon RMR/RCR, Leupold Delta Point or Vortex red dot directly to minimize the bore to sight height. I choose to mount a Trijcion RCR direct to the receiver.
Up front I screwed on a Rugged Oculus22 Suppressor. This little can is bad ass and has quickly become one of my favorite rimfire suppressors. It can be configured in either its long form or short format (5.25 versus 3.25 inches/6.9 ounces and 4.3 ounces). If you were looking for the ultimate in weight savings, you may want to pick the Rugged Mustang 22 instead of the Oculus, which is essentially the same length offerings but made from Titanium instead of stainless steel, cutting the weight from 4.3 ounces to 2.4 ounces in the long and short configurations, respectively. The trade off to the Mustang is it is rated for 22 LR only, while the Oculus can run rimfire magnums and 5.7, as well as Long Rifle.
Now that summer is here, I’ll be stowing the ENV on the front seat of the truck with an eye peeled for gophers, prairie dogs and pop cans to perforate.
Price: $1,400 to 1,800
Pros: The best made, best designed 10/22-style pistol available.
Cons: Cost…I guess, but the buy once, cry once mantra holds true even with .22s.
