I currently own a pair of .22 rifles: A Marlin Papoose and one of their stainless 925 bolt-actions. I get to play with an assortment of others fairly frequently, too: Last trip to Wildcat Valley, there was a 10/22, a T-Bolt, and a sweet old Marlin 39A.
I need a .22 conversion for my AR (or a S&W M&P 15/22...) but I want another .22 rifle for fun.
I'm pretty sure I don't want a bolt-action. Semiauto would be okay, but I'd actually kind of prefer a manually-operated repeater. A slide-action would be awesome, but a really short-throw lever like my old Browning BL-22 would be sweet, too.
Taurus makes a shorty version of their Model 62 in stainless, which would be great for me. Not only because it's a takedown that would be very roadster-friendly, but because I shoot the whee out of .22 rifles and stainless would let me be a little slacker on the cleaning end of things (my stainless Papoose, for instance, gets the bore punched every other range session and gets really cleaned when it stops running.) Finding them used is about like finding unicorn droppings, however.
Finding a nice used Remington Fieldmaster or Speedmaster would be awesome, but people tend to want more than "trunk rifle" money for those things, and I can be awfully hard on a .22. Also I don't know anyone personally who has had one for a while that regularly shot the bejeezus out of it; I'm curious as to how they hold up under high volume shooting.
I dunno... All this wanting is probably a distraction from the fact that I need a Ruger 22/45, too. Just thinking out loud, I guess...
I have some old Win 62a's and a Remmy Fieldmaster 121 in the vault.
ReplyDeleteBest darn 22's ever built IMHO. The 62a's are a joy to carry, perfectly balanced.
The Marlin 39a is a grand old rifle too and much easier to find.
The Ruger 22/45 is a must have though.
I feel for you. :)
The 39A's full-stroke lever can be hard for my delicate little girlie fingers to work when it gets dirty and dry, and the lever throw requires me to break and reacquire my firing grip. That's what I liked about the BL-22; its lever could be worked with a flick of the fingers while the thumb stayed in place.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't kick a 39A out of the gun safe, mind you, and would certainly buy one if I found a beater with the right price tag.
I have to admit that my favorite pistol to shoot at the range is the 22/45. Accurate as hell, cheap to shoot, and surprisingly I get a lot of people watching as I have to change targets because there simply isn't anything left of the middle to aim for after a few magazines.
ReplyDeleteToss in an Ultimate Clip Loader, and reloading is so simple, you'll find yourself burning through a 550 box of Remington Golden Bullets in an hour.
Semi -- Winchester 74. (good ones under $200)
ReplyDeleteLoad your own -- Winchester 69. ($175 and up.)
They're among the reasons it's said Winchester has discontinued more outstanding guns that any other company has introduced.
I've had bad luck with my Taurus pump. It's flown to Miami for more than a few visits, but it still isn't right.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the hammer only hits the firing pin sporadically.
Don't over look a Henry Golden Boy .22 either.
ReplyDeleteCan't imagine a difficulty finding a mossberg or savage or old remington semi auto at a local gun show for around 50-75 bucks. I've had a couple come across our table and had a hell of a time getting rid of them. Most of the time folks want something brand new, not old. Even if the old one doesn't look bad, they don't want it cause they don't recognize it. Hmmmmm. Strange. Anyway, just a thought.
ReplyDeleteRemington Model 12 pump-shorts, longs, and long rifles, nice short throw, classic slim lines. I need to shoot mine more. Several used seen around the Twin Cities in the 150-200 range.
ReplyDeleteMatt
St Paul
It's not a classic, but the Marlin 795 can be had inexpensively, and I've had outstanding luck with it. I used one at an Appleseed Boot Camp in Texas--a week of blowing dust. Every 10/22 on the range, including my owned, jammed about every hour. That little Marlin never even flinched, and turned in respectable accuracy to boot.
ReplyDeleteFor a bill and a half out-the-door, you'd be hard-pressed to go wrong with the thing.
The 795 would be kinda redundant, since I already have a Papoose. Although it could eat out of the same mags, which would be good...
ReplyDeleteTam,
ReplyDeleteI picked up a Remington 572 Fieldmaster last September. Since then, it's been the first rifle for four new shooters and put at least a thousand rounds through it with bare minimal cleaning.
It functions flawlessly, the accuracy is fine, and the gun is just plain fun in a box.
Go to the pistol range, chuck a dozen orange clays on the 25 yard berm, and bust 'em into pieces.
Then shoot the pieces.
More fun than should be allowed by law, and you're out under $10...
I love my 39a. I've had it since I was 10 and it's still my favorite after all this time.
ReplyDeleteAnd the take down knob makes it a great trunk gun.
Don't you really, in your heart of hearts, need a Browning take-down .22? Know who designed that gun? :-)
ReplyDeleteI bought a Remmy 572 Fieldmaster circa 1973 and I still have it. (First gun bought w/ my own $$$ kinda' thing...) I've prolly shot my weight in 22LR thru it and it's still running fine.
ReplyDeleteIt has one problem, though: I can't use a scope on it anymore. I'm a freak about "cleaning from the breach", which one can do on a 572 if properly equipped w/ a screwdriver. About 15 years ago the old gal started patterning instead of grouping. Turns out that because of the repeated disassembly for cleaning, the barrel/receiver fit has loosened ever-so-slightly and the receiver-mounted scope can't track the minute (relative) changes in barrel direction.
The solution was simple: take off the scope. The irons shoot fine and I reserve "scope shooting" for other 22 LRs. The 572 is still going strong and back to shooting minute-of-soda-can. (Well, at least as far as I can throw them...)
And, yes, get a 22/45. I have one in MkII flavor w/ a 5-1/2" bull barrel. Lots to like!
TCM
I have a 552 that I bought in a pawn shop while in Jr High(some 25ish years ago). I have shot the bejezuss out of it. It gets cleaned once a year or so. (I know that's bad) I have had to rake out the gunk from the trigger assembly more than once. It will still shoot any short, long or long rifle just fine, although it won't function the action with CB's.
ReplyDeleteI just happened to have found another at a pawn shop a few months ago for the princely sum of $125 out the door.
If I found another for that price, I'd buy it too.
Mr Fixit
I first learned to shoot using a 62A takedown, and have introduced my daughters to shooting using the same gun. With any luck their children will learn on it also. With shorts it’s not much louder than an air rifle.
ReplyDeleteHenry pump? I've got one, and it's a hoot. Not too much on the sights, though--hard on the eyes.
ReplyDeleteI have a Remington Speedmaster, and it is a fine little (well, for a .22, actually biggish) gun, as long as it is cleaned on a fairly regular basis (about 300-500 rounds); otherwise it likes to throw cartridges up sideways to the chamber. This kinda kills the "speed" part of the name...
ReplyDeleteAbsolute, hands-down favorite .22 is a 39A. It does have the long lever throw compared to some other lever action .22s, but the 39A with brick of .22s and a sunny day on the farm sets my world right again.
My vote goes for the Marlin 60. After some springs, mine's going strong, and you know how it looked before.
ReplyDeleteBesides, if you get a used one and you don't like it you're out what, $80?
(I still REALLY want a Marlin 981T with a suppressor, though. ~20 rounds of .22 short in the tube...)
If you'd like a manually operated gun that can take some abuse, you may want to consider a stainless T/C Encore.
ReplyDeleteYou can get the 28" stainless fluted bull barrel, and it'll be a beast. I stuck a flash hider on the end of mine, and gave it a Bellm's trigger job. There are NO light strikes with that hammer and spring. Love that gun.
A single shot will defintely require more than breaking your firing grip, and may not be suitable with its low low rate of fire.
A Fieldmaster would be about the neatest thing out there. Whatever you end up with, it is certainly fun to read about!
the auto 22, and its redheaded stepcousin the speedmaster 241, are tasty and fun, and speedmasters can be had cheaply.
ReplyDeleteCabelas Hammond has a large bloc of euro 22's and they're dealing.
Now for something completely different.
ReplyDelete(It's not cheap though.)
http://www.legacysports.com/products/
puma/puma_22LR.html
My vote is a Marlin 60, they can be had used for a song and are not hard to work on if needed. I've had some form of Marlin 60 for over 30 years, and I go to it before my Ruger 10/22's just cause it shoots tighter groups.
ReplyDelete